Editor’s Note: From Albumism’s inception back in 2016, we’ve remained unabashedly and unequivocally passionate about our mission of celebrating the world's love affairs with albums past, present and future.
But while our devotion to the album as an art form has remained steadfast, as evidenced by our deepening repository of individual album tributes and reviews, we’ve admittedly seldom taken the opportunity to explicitly articulate our reverence for the virtues of artists’ complete album repertoires as a whole.
Hence why we’ve decided to showcase what we believe to be the most dynamic discographies of all time in this recurring series. In doing so, we hope to better understand the broader creative context within which our most beloved individual albums exist, while acknowledging the full breadth of their creators’ artistry, career arcs, and overall contributions to the ever-evolving musical landscape.
We hope you enjoy this series and be sure to check here periodically for the latest installments.
THE MOODY BLUES
Studio Albums: The Magnificent Moodies (1965, UK) | Go Now: The Moody Blues#1 (1965, US) | Days of Future Passed (1967) | In Search of the Lost Chord (1968) | On the Threshold of a Dream (1969) | To Our Children's Children's Children (1969) | A Question of Balance (1970) | Every Good Boy Deserves Favour (1971) | Seventh Sojourn (1972) | Octave (1978) | Long Distance Voyager (1981) | The Present (1983) | The Other Side of Life (1986) | Sur la Mer (1988) | Keys of the Kingdom (1991) | Strange Times (1999) | December (2003)
The focal point of The Moody Blues’ catalog and what makes their collection important to me is their “Core Seven” suite of albums. Sometimes referred to as “The Splendid Seven” or “The Magnificent Seven” depending on which Moody fansite you’re perusing, it’s an expansive stretch of seven consecutive albums starting with their symphony-rock masterpiece Days of Future Passed (1967) and ending with the more classic rock sound of 1972’s Seventh Sojourn.
In the rock section of my vinyl collection, this lineup of albums is one I cherish the most. Days of Future Passed, In Search of the Lost Chord, On the Threshold of a Dream, To Our Children’s Children’s Children, A Question of Balance, Every Good Boy Deserves Favour and Seventh Sojourn—these albums are a textured, thoughtful and emotional journey.
It’s this part of their catalog that solidified them as the pioneers of arty concept-rock mixing orchestral arrangements, guitars and experimental avant-garde soundscapes with lyrical themes of love, consciousness, outer space and war. Often I’ll listen to this entire stretch consecutively, like chapters in a book.
It’s interesting to intake these seven offerings from The Moody Blues and then go back to spin their rhythm-and-blues based 1965 debut to hear how much they had changed their sound (and their band lineup) between that album and the orchestra-addled psychedelic rock of Days of Future Passed.
Their ‘80s albums aren’t to be ignored either. They were tighter pop-rock affairs that scored the band several hits including “Gemini Dream,” “Your Wildest Dreams” and “The Voice”—showing that the band didn’t cash in on their nostalgia and instead chose to still make an artistic impact. While those later career albums provided the band with hits for a new generation of listeners, it’s still their “Core Seven” that have stood the test of time.
Mark’s 3 Favorite Moody Blues Albums of All Time:
1. Days of Future Passed (1967)
2. In Search of the Lost Chord (1968)
3. On the Threshold of a Dream (1969)
VISIT The Moody Blues’ Official Store
LISTEN & WATCH: