Lost in a Lost World [Pinder] - The
lead-off song, Lost in a Lost World,
is the first indication of change. The
ubiquitous Mellotron was replaced by the Chamberlin. Both keyboard instruments are similar, but
the Chamberlin was a more-reliable instrument.
It didn’t break down in mid-performance like the Mellotron, it sounds a
little different, but just enough to be noticeable. During either 1985 or 1986, I was making my
monthly three-hour drive up to Fort Collins to see Carol. After I got past Denver I was in range of
Boulder’s KBCO. That’s when I first
heard Lost in a Lost World. This song was different than other Moody
Blues songs that I could remember at the time.
Instead of being hopeful, this one was full of despair. Mike Pinder wrote this one. His music, which is heavily
Chamberlin-centric, conveyed the same mood as that of the vocals – despair. But the word that always comes to mind when I
think of the music in this piece is “apocalyptic”. Lost in
a Lost World is a dark piece, and a powerful one at that. It is a compelling listen. Once you hear it, you won’t forget it. I didn’t…
The remastered CD has Pinder’s demo. It’s very good without
the vocals.
New Horizons [Hayward] – Here’s what
you’d expect from the Moody Blues – dreamy atmosphere, good guitar solos, and
excellent vocals from Justin Hayward.
For My Lady [Thomas] – When I saw
the Moody Blues with the Virginia Symphony in 1994/95-ish, Justin Hayward
introduced this song by Ray Thomas as a “beautiful song”. Those in the know knew immediately which song
he was talking about. This was only one
of two lead vocals Ray Thomas sang that night.
Since he didn’t sing lead that much, he was hailed like a conquering
hero. The song is like a romantic sea
chanty. Justin Hayward was right – it is a beautiful song. This is his only songwriting contribution to Seventh Sojourn. The one song that Ray Thomas wrote that is
better than this one is Legend of a Mind.
Isn’t Life Strange [Lodge] – A
strong ballad that is probably two minutes longer than it needs to, and at
6:10, this is the short version. The remastered CD includes the full version
with a two- minute instrumental break.
Back in the days of vinyl, this song came at the end of Side 1, making
it a fairly strong side. Side 2 wasn’t
as strong.
You and Me [Hayward/Edge] – This
song begins Side 2. A good beginning, musically
this sounds like a cross-between Lovely
to See You and Question. Lyrically it references Vietnam with the
first line “There's a leafless tree in
Asia”…
The Land of Make-Believe [Hayward] –
This song is an ode to peace, love, and hippie shit. Not bad, but not essential either. This song and the one that follows is a bit
of a lull. I would classify this and When You're a Free Man as “filler.” They
aren’t horrendous filler – they just aren’t very interesting.
When You're a Free Man [Pinder] – More
peace, love, and hippie shit. Let's be God's Children ... And live in
Perfect Peace…It is the second Moody Blues song with Timothy Leary in
mind. He isn’t mentioned by name, though
his wife Rosemary and their children are.
The song addresses Timothy Leary’s self-imposed exile to Algeria and
Switzerland to escape US justice for various drug offences –
You left your
country for peace of mind
And something tells
me you're doin' alright
How are the
children and Rosemarie?
I long to see you
and be in your company
I'm Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band) [Lodge]
– For many who saw the Moody Blues as truth-seeking gurus dispensing all kinds
of knowledge about the meaning of life, John Lodge had a simple message for
them – “don’t ask me because I’m just a singer.” This is a great song, by far the one with the
fastest tempo of the eight songs on the album.
Island [Hayward] – There was an
aborted follow-up to Seventh Sojourn. This song from that aborted album that’s
included on the remastered re-release. I
like it. It fits well with the rest of
the Seventh Sojourn material.
When I saw the band with the orchestra, they played half
of this album [New Horizons, For My Lady, Isn’t Life Strange, and I'm
Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)].
In the absence of Mike Pinder’s keyboards, these songs worked very well
with the orchestra.
After this album and the year-long tour that followed, the
Moody Blues went on hiatus until 1978.
Seventh Sojourn capped a run of seven successful albums in five
years. The album they recorded after
their hiatus [Octave] was very underwhelming.
The true comeback came in 1981 with Long
Distance Voyager [Mike Pinder left the band before they finished Octave].
If you have the chance to get Seventh
Sojourn, do it!
