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Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Off topic Moody Blues

From: Chris Dale <unobtainiumkeys@gmail.com>
Date: 2014-03-18

It was Pinder and Thomas that gave the band it's character.

When them long gone, the magic is also gone. 

What we have now is just a generic band.

I still like their old music but - they're just "Sitting At the Wheel". now

 


On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 9:11 AM, Tom Doncourt <tomdcour@amnh.org> wrote:
 

Sorry to say that Hayward and Lodge are not nearly as interesting without Pinder and the MKII -- They must have some control over the mix at this point in their career....how can they bury the keyboards....achhh

From: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com [newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com] on behalf of Chris Dale [unobtainiumkeys@gmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 8:20 AM
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Off topic Moody Blues

 

Moraz always had the Mellotron loaded mainly with sound effects and sample recordings from albums that they couldn't reproduce live.

He hardly used the 3 violins at all and instead used string patches on synthesizers more often to do the live shows.

He didn't use the Mellotron at all the way Pinder did.

Once Pinder was gone, they moved away sonically from where they originated and never returned.

Then the 'mid-life crisis' music started taking over. 




On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 7:03 AM, <tron400@yahoo.com> wrote:
 

I saw them last Friday at the Oakdale Theater in Wallingford CT and the set list was the same as yours. They played very well together, although Hayward's voice was a bit out of tune at times. I heard that he had a bad cold the week before, so it's understandable.

I was looking forward to hearing Alan Hewitt's Memotron with the Streetly 50th Anniversary Collection, but the mix wasn't very good and it was usually buried, as were the other keyboards. During solos, Hayward's guitar and the flute overpowered everything else. I don't know what's up with sound engineers these days, but I haven't heard a well mixed concert in many years. BTW, Hewitt did an exceptional job with all the keyboard parts that I could actually hear.

Anyway, when I could hear the Memotron, it was only the 3 Violins. Other sounds came from other keyboards, including an accordion and pipe organ in Peak Hour. During quiet passages, the 3 Violins came through clearly in the upper register, but it sounded thin. The lower register didn't have the power we all know is there in a real Mellotron. Again, I blame the sound on the engineer.

I've seen the Moodies once with Pinder and the power of his MkII was overwhelming. I've also seen them a couple of times with Moraz and barely noticed his Mellotron. It seems that there was more focus on Pinder in the olde days, but once he was gone, it moved almost exclusively to Hayward and Lodge.