Preface: The Moodies were my favorite band, The Beatles notwithstanding.
Do I sense that an open nerve has been touched here? (Big LOL!) NO, they are bad because they are bad, not because they are old, although the latter has a lot to do with the former. Would you call Lance Armstrong old beause he retired from competing in future Tour de France races? No, he realized he was losing a few steps and could not perform up to the level required within the sport and for his personal standards. How many more accolades can one get from a profession they so dominated?
The Moodies have not reached the same moment of clarity that Armstong had, appearing not to realize that:
a) they have definitely lost a step or two (face it, as we all do);
b) they are far from consistently performing at their best (the ratio between good/bad performances IS widening) (which also begs the question of defining best as they were or are currently capable of being);
c) they can't just merely rest on their laurels, they are totally supported by them (new material? what new material?).
Take away Gordon Marshall and the tempo of their live songs would slow down like a CMC-10!!!
As a comparison, I had the fortune (or misfortune, depending on the perspective) of seeing/hearing Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley a few years ago at the Long Beach Blues Festival. On one hand, it was great see two legends of R&R on stage (the fan element); on the other hand, it was embarassing to hear the mistakes, fumbling fingers, forgotten lyrics, and pre-Alzheimer's symptoms that made me wonder why these particular guys hadn't contemplated retirement from active performing a long time ago. Profit at the huge expense of professionalism IMHO.
Personally, I realize I have some surgery-related physical mobility problems with my left arm and just cannot play live anymore at anywhere near pre-surgery levels. This doesn't mean I have faded into the woodwork. I have shifted my playing focus to the controlled (and compensating) environment of the studio where I play as much and assume a different role the few times I do play live.
Confucious say to the Moodies and the rest of us: "Work with and make the best of what you have sans the self-delusion of continuing to be as you were".
P.S. - Old gear breaks down, too. You own a tron, don't you?
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Not that much younger than the Moodies and in bad need of a rebuild,
Frank Samagaio
San Diego CA
owner, Mellotron MkII # 134 (Pindertron) / M400 #908
author, The Mellotron Book
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So, the Moody Blues are bad because they are old? At least because much
of their audience is? (The concert I attended last week had a lot of
children in the crowd. Parents passing on their love of music. Or is
that a bad thing because it crosses generational lines?)
At what age do you intend to stop playing music? Are you prepared to
tell people they are too old to listen to your music?
Planning to die before you get old?
I quite enjoyed the show and plan to see them the next time they come
around. They even changed a couple of songs in the set list and did
some new things with others. I really enjoyed the echoed flute on "Are
You Sitting Comfortably? " which I don't remember them doing before. Oh,
that's right. They were probably using a digital delay, which makes it
an evil thing.
Doesn't anyone else find it oxymoronic to gripe that the musicians are
old but their gear is not?
You don't have to like them, but my hat's off to anyone who can perform
"Nights In White Satin" for forty years and still make it sound fresh.
John McIntyre
mcintyre@pa. msu.edu
of their audience is? (The concert I attended last week had a lot of
children in the crowd. Parents passing on their love of music. Or is
that a bad thing because it crosses generational lines?)
At what age do you intend to stop playing music? Are you prepared to
tell people they are too old to listen to your music?
Planning to die before you get old?
I quite enjoyed the show and plan to see them the next time they come
around. They even changed a couple of songs in the set list and did
some new things with others. I really enjoyed the echoed flute on "Are
You Sitting Comfortably? " which I don't remember them doing before. Oh,
that's right. They were probably using a digital delay, which makes it
an evil thing.
Doesn't anyone else find it oxymoronic to gripe that the musicians are
old but their gear is not?
You don't have to like them, but my hat's off to anyone who can perform
"Nights In White Satin" for forty years and still make it sound fresh.
John McIntyre
mcintyre@pa. msu.edu