THE MOODY BLUES TO BE INDUCTED INTO THE ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME IN 2018

17 Dec 2017 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in General Posts Tags: ,

best moodies

If you’ll pardon a little subjective “homerism”…my favorite band of all will be 2018 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees and, well, I’m very pleased about it.

My now-deceased oldest brother passed the music of the Moodies on to me at a formative age, as he did so many other works of music and literature. I owe the love of my favorite band and my favorite book–The Lord of the Rings–to brother Jim.

And somehow the two intertwined in my fertile child’s imagination and have remained that way ever since. The pastoral, flute-and-mellotron infused progressive rock of the Moodies’ halcyon days (1967-72) is strewn with a beauty, a very English sensibility and a wide-eyed wonder that spoke to my innocent heart, and seemed somehow to conjure the same fantasy worlds as the imagery of Tolkien’s Middle Earth.

“Voices in the Sky” (1968)

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When I read years later that The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings were major inspirations for the band’s music of this period, I knew for the first time that it wasn’t just my imagination. It was theirs. My favorite band was inspired by my favorite author. It wasn’t coincidence that I found echoes of one in the other.

Whether huddled in a quiet corner of the house or front porch absorbed in the adventures of the Fellowship, or lying on my bedroom floor poring over wondrous album artwork and lyric sheet while amazing music swirled in the headphones, these kindred works of otherworldly beauty and wonder formed the bedrock of my taste in both music and literature. I have measured so much of what I’ve discovered since by the imaginative standard set by Tolkien and the Moody Blues.

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I’m glad they are finally receiving this overdue honor, and while they are all still with us.

Additionally I’m excited at the prospect (although I’ve heard no discussion in this regard) of the classic lineup reforming to perform at their induction. Flutist Ray Thomas retired at the end of 2002 due to illness and keyboardist Mike Pinder, who gave the band its trademark symphonic rock sound with his Mellotron wizardry, hasn’t performed with the group since the 70’s.

“Are You Sitting Comfortably” (1969)

If they indeed take the stage together once more, a fragment of my childhood will be restored for a moment, even as I witness with sadness my heroes in the sunset of their performing years–always, always the bittersweet experience of the dedicated long-time fan; always an essential part of the epic. Just like the epilogue of The Lord of the Rings.

“You Can Never Go Home” (1971)

From the Moodies website:

Los Angeles, CA (Dec. 13, 2017)—The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced this morning that rock legends The Moody Blues will be inducted into The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.  Current members Justin Hayward (lead guitar, vocals), John Lodge (bass guitar, vocals) and Graeme Edge (drums);  will receive the honor alongside former members Ray Thomas (flute/vocals) and Mike Pinder (keyboard/mellotron/vocals).  The Moody Blues are one of five 2018 Inductees including Bon Jovi, The Cars, Dire Straits and Nina Simone,.  Award for early Influence goes to Sister Rosetta Tharpe.  The 33rd Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, presented by Klipsch Audio, will take place on Saturday, April 14, 2018 at Public Auditorium in Cleveland, Ohio. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2018 Induction Ceremony will be televised on HBO, and a radio broadcast on SiriusXM.

Says Justin Hayward:  “I’m extremely grateful to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, first for creating the supreme temple to all that has brought endless joy into my life since I was a small boy, and now, after all these years, for including us.  It’s a privilege to be celebrated in the same building, on the same street even, as my own heroes – Buddy Holly and the Everly Brothers – and now, at last, with us, my heroine Nina Simone.  But all the thanks must go to The Moody Blues fans for giving us a wonderful, wonderful life in music – our induction has now validated the music they so love, and I’m so, so pleased, for us all. Yippee!”

Says John Lodge:  “The fans are the heart of the Moody Blues — their faith, support and love have moved mountains. Their voices have been heard, and I am proud to say, “we have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.”  Thank you to American Radio for keeping the faith in the Moody Blues, and to the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame for our induction.”

Says Graeme Edge:  “I want to thank all of my peers who bestowed the honor of voting us in.  Most of all, I’d like to thank all of our fans who have supported us over the years, and have steadfastly stood by us.  I would also like to thank the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame foundation for putting a cap on my career;  one that continues to astonish me with its gifts.

A limited number of pre-sale tickets are available for Rock & Roll Hall of Fame members in advance of the public sale date. To be eligible for the member pre-sale opportunity, you must be an active Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member by December 31, 2017. Supporters of the Donor Circle by December 31, 2017 can access VIP packages and premium balcony tickets immediately. Additional public ticket details and pre-sale offers will be announced in January.

Fans can pre-order exclusive 2018 Inductee t-shirts now at rockhall.com/store and receive 18% off their order. The Rock Hall store is also offering fans 10% off regular items and free shipping for a limited time.

The Moody Blues recently announced upcoming 2018 dates of their special live tour celebrating the 50th Anniversary of their iconic, 1967 landmark album, DAYS OF FUTURE PASSED.  The tour begins on January 10 in Hollywood, Florida, continuing through January 31 in Las Vegas, Nevada, where the band will complete a run of four shows at the Wynn Las Vegas.  Titled DAYS OF FUTURE PASSED – 50TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR, the tour kicked off earlier this year, and features the band performing their greatest hits in the first half, and DAYS OF FUTURE PASSED performed in the second half.

PBS also premiered The Moody Blues’ “Days of Future Passed Live” nationwide on November 25 recorded at Toronto’s Sony Centre during this year’s DAYS OF FUTURE PASSED – 50TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR (check local listings);  and Ume released The Moody Blues’ DAYS OF FUTURE PASSED 50TH ANNIVERSARY DELUXE EDITION on November 17.  The 2CD/DVD and digital audio deluxe edition features the album’s newly restored original 1967 stereo mix, which makes its CD debut.

The Moody Blues have been creating music that bridges the gap between rock, classical and pop-rock genres for the last five decades.  Their sound has held its ground in a genre of music that is ever-changing, and has sold in excess of 70 million albums worldwide.  The band has been awarded 14 platinum and gold discs, and their roster of hits include:  “Nights In White Satin,” “Tuesday Afternoon,” “Ride My See Saw,” “The Story In Your Eyes,” “Isn’t Life Strange,” “Question,” “I’m Just A Singer (In A Rock And Roll Band),” “Your Wildest Dreams,” and “I Know You’re Out There Somewhere,” to name a few.

The Moody Blues’ No. 1, Top 5, Top 10, Top 20, Top 40, Multi-Platinum, Platinum and Gold albums and singles, have generated sold-out tours on a consistent basis over the course of several decades, making them one of the top-grossing album and touring bands of all time.

Steve Miller rants at Rock Hall of Fame induction ceremony

09 Apr 2016 1 Comment

by Ed Cyphers in General Posts Tags: ,

miller

(via USA Today)

Steve Miller was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Friday night, but apparently he didn’t enjoy the experience.

Speaking in the press room after his induction, Miller, 72, insisted, “The whole process needs to be changed…It doesn’t need to be this hard. There’s nothing fancy going on out there that requires all of this stuff.”

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2016/04/08/steve-miller-rants-rock-hall-fame-induction-ceremony/82824082/

Who Should Be In The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame?

19 Dec 2012 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in General Posts Tags:

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by David Barnett

(Source: NPR)

Cleveland’s Blue Arrow Records is a refuge for lovers of vintage vinyl. And among the music fans flipping through the bins, you’ll find no lack of opinions about performers missing from the city’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. For Lance Kaull, it’s one of the original boy bands. “The Monkees,” he says. “What they did for rock ‘n’ roll — they should absolutely be in there.”

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s new class of inductees for 2013 will be announced later Tuesday at a news conference in Los Angeles. While the event generally prompts high-fives among fans of the winners, the list also provokes an annual debate over who gets in and why.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation oversees the nomination process. Its head, Joel Peresman, chafes at the frequent suggestion that the inductees are picked by a handful of guys in a smoke-filled room. “That’s just not true,” Peresman says. “It’s truly a committee of people that are smart; it’s truly a committee of people who care. These people know what they’re talking about.”

There are approximately 35 members on the nominating committee, including a mix of music journalists, scholars, performers and business people. But there’s still a problem with that group, according to Neil Walls. He runs the website Future Rock Legends, which is devoted to the minutiae of the nominating process.

“Most of them were born in the late ’40s, mid-’50s, and so they had their adolescence and their teenage years in the ’60s, when rock ‘n’ roll was really exploding,” Walls says. “When you look at the inductees, there have been more inductees that had their first record in the 1960s than all the other decades combined.”

The committee creates a list of about 15 Hall of Fame nominees, who are voted on by a group of about 600 past inductees and others in the music industry. According to published Rock Hall guidelines, inductees are picked based on their influence and the significance of their contributions. Performers are only eligible for the honor 25 years after the release of their first recording. Musician and journalist Greg Tate says there’s even a problem with that.

“It’s still a conversation among fans about music that really transformed their life, but it might be a little too early to talk about how that music made a lasting contribution to American culture,” says Tate. “I think if you’re talking about a 50-year mark, you’re more in an acceptable zone of measuring impact and significance [of music on culture, not the influence of music on a particular generation of consumers].”

But rock is music for the young, and waits for no one. NPR Music critic Ann Powers agrees that the committee was once a bastion of middle-aged white guys, but she says there have been efforts to bring in a younger, more diverse membership, which is reflected in recent hip-hop nominees and, this year, even Chic and the late Donna Summer.

“Disco is really influential among a lot of young artists today — both in urban music and hip-hop, and even in indie rock,” says Powers. “Young artists really like disco music. That was not true of earlier generations.”

Despite the new mix of artists, one of the biggest criticisms of the nominating process is its secrecy. Rock Hall watchdog Walls suggests following the example set by the Baseball Hall of Fame, which publishes the results of its nominating process each year. “The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame could do itself a big favor, I think, by being a lot more open about its process,” he says. “It’s just a very closed system that would benefit from opening it up a bit.”

But, the Rock Hall’s Peresman argues that it’s disrespectful to start parsing the relative popularity of the nominees. “The ones that get in — they’re in,” he says. “It doesn’t matter whether they came in first or sixth. They’re into the Hall of Fame, and we never felt it was necessary to say, ‘Oh, this one was the most popular than the other one.’ ”

For the time being, journalist Greg Tate doesn’t see any end to the back and forth between the Hall of Fame and its critics. “It’s not like it’s going to be resolved to anyone’s satisfaction,” Tate says.

But back at Blue Arrow Records, clerk Tom DeChristofaro proves that you don’t even have to be a fan to join the party: “I don’t like Kiss at all — I hate that band — but, it’s, like, ridiculous that they’re not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They’re, like, one of the biggest bands of all time.” But that’s just one man’s opinion.