IN SEARCH OF THE LOST CHORD

Although completely different and definitely less prog, I like this one better than days. Some catchy tunes (See-Saw) as well as some masterful psychadelia (Legend Of a Mind is dedicated to Tim Leary the pope of LSD), the risk was enormous after having made Days. I would say the managed to accomplish that bet quite well.

"Timothy Leary's dead? No he's outside looking in"

The first album by the band as a rock group, as opposed to the virtually unrelated pop outfit of the 60's ("Go now"), and their subsequent (excellent) one off orchestral project, "Days of Future passed".

Inevitably much of the music now sounds somewhat dated. For example, the poppy "Ride my see-saw", displays all the innocence of the flower power era, but in prog terms when seen in isolation is simplistic. There are however strong indications of high quality music which was to come.

"The actor" is a more structured piece with two distinct time signatures, which allows Justin Hayward to display his admirable vocal talents, backed by those now famous perfect harmonies.

Ray Thomas' usually contributes one or two compositions to each album, on which he takes lead vocals. Had it not been for the fact that Justin Hayward has such a wonderful and distinctive voice, we would perhaps have enjoyed the privilege of hearing Thomas' captivating vocals on a greater proportion of the band's output. Here, Thomas' contribution "Legend of a mind" is his tribute to 60's guru Timothy Leary. This trippy, flute driven piece is actually quite progressive, but once again now sounds rather dated.

In all, the hippy, flower power influences are strong here, but that does not detract from quality of the music, which remains thoroughly enjoyable.

The next fundamental step in their evolution, the MOODY BLUES replaced the orchestra with the Mellotron. It may seem like a step backwards after the rich triumph of "Days", but the emphasis on the songs is greater without the homogenous symphonic soundtrack, which didn't quite capture the character of the band. So you could very well call this the first real MOODY BLUES album!

"The Lost Chord" is an ancient legend concerning a musician who finds a combination of tones that produces a sublime, transcendant effect, and then spends the rest of his life trying to recapture the sound. Oddly, a song version by Jimmy Durante was the initial inspiration for the band, and using OM for the answer revealed the trendy mystic hippie influence.

"Departure" starts the journey with spacy sounds and a spoken invocation; a bit less hellenic and more psychedelic than the previous album's "Lament", but still quite similar and serving the same purpose. These recitations are an inherent trademark of the band, so I guess we'll let it slide- it's over quickly, anyway. "Ride my See-Saw" is an essential acid rocker, similar to such 60s classics as THE BYRDS' "8 Miles High". The characteristic harmonies and mellotron background make this a classic MOODYs song, and there's also some tasty Hayward guitar work. "Dr. Livingston" is a quintessential Ray Thomas song, which means lighthearted, simple, naive, british, and fun. "House of Four Doors" is a gateway piece, providing medieval, baroque, romantic, and rock "doors". The various mysterious atmospheres throughout are evocative (though the individual passages are far too short), and the vocal harmonies on the surging chorus are beautiful. I could have done without the creaking sound effect, though. The final door leads to "Legend of a Mind" , which balances a pretty, simple melody with lyrics extolling the Guru of Acid. You may be sick of ol' Tim's name by the time this is over, but it's a nice period tune and full of excellent variations. Wakeman may beat Pinder on the virtuoso scale, but nobody can make the Mellotron work harder- check out those bends! "Voices in the Sky" is also quite pleasant, simple and laidback but with some of the same trademark Hayward vocal crests as "Nights in White Satin". "The Best Way to Travel" steps over the line into psychedelic pastiche, but "Visions of Paradise" sweeps you away with soft, flowing grace, and "The Actor" contrasts light bouncy verses with yearning, dramatic choruses, recalling "Tuesday Afternoon". To wrap up the album, we're given another spoken segment, "The Word" , which leads into the most blatant psychedelic indulgence on the album, "OM". Only if you've never heard "Within You, Without You" would you not make the comparison, and it fails to provide a satisfying closure to the album.

Ultimately, this is THE MOODY BLUES exploring their options and honing their skills by making an effort to 'do' psychedelia- rather than simply being their mind-expanding selves as on following albums. It's a good historical piece, a must have for fans of both the psychedelic genre and the band, and there are several moments of impressive beauty and light experimentation. Less devoted folks may want to look elsewhere, however, as this can easily sound facile, silly and pretentious if you're not in the mood. If you aren't interested by the album the first time you hear it, it's probably not going to grow on you; as with any of the band's releases, the naive yet grandiose psychedelic pop sound places it in its own territory on the progressive map.

Here again is another example of The Moody Blues' diversity in compositional ability. This album really sounds alot like psychedelia and is quite trippy compared to other commercial releases. There are some weaker songs on this one compared to Days however. "Dr Livingstone I Presume" is kind of a silly song and while I like it, I do not think it would be a song that would be everyone's cup of tea. The small suite of "House of Four Doors/ Legend of a Mind/House of Four Doors pt.2" is classic Moody Blues! This is to me the highlight of the album. Legend of a Mind is about Timothy Leary, which explains why I believe this is definately a psychedelic album. The rest of the album is kind of like a trippy mental journey, especially "The Best Way to Travel". Another weak track on the album is the last one "Om" speaking of the same Om that is referenced in yoga. The supreme being that leads you to a higher consciousness. It is beautifully written as you would come to expect. Overall, if you liked "Days of Future Passed" and you like old Psychedelic rock, then you'll like this album. 4 Stars!

I love all MB albums from Days to Seventh Sojourn, but perhaps this one is the easiest to give 5*. Full of ideas, extremely rich soundscape, great songs (with the exception of 'Best Way to Travel' which is one of the worst Pinder songs) and the 'wholeness' - in that sense it can be compared to Sgt Pepper, and The Moodies at that time honoured as one of the most important bands to explore rock's new artful territories. This album has the happiest feel of all the seven, a certain kind of happiness that comes from riding on the crest of creativity, of finding group's own identity. They really needed no help of an orchestra anymore. Producer Tony Clarke called them "the smallest symphony orchestra of the world". Justin Hayward's 'Actor' is one of my favourite MB songs. Ray Thomas's 'Legend of Mind' ("Timothy Leary's dead? No nonono, he's outside, looking in...") is a highlight too. 'Om' is a perfect ending with its Eastern mysticism. As individual songs there are some lesser things, but as a whole: A Definitive Art Rock Masterpiece of its time.

This, along with Days of Future Passed, is probably all you need to hear of the MOODY BLUES if you are a casual fan only. I cannot justify 5 stars for it because as with all MOODY BLUES records, there is a relationship with the pop of its era that's a little too close for comfort, for me...I have very little love for the pop of the 60s. However, as a representative of both prog and pop psychedelia, I would much sooner offer this one as an example than PINK FLOYD's Piper at the Gates of Dawn. Here, while there definitely are places where the technological limitations of the time show, I think the production and songwriting are certainly much more coherent than anything SYD BARRETT had to offer.

"Departure"/"Ride My See-Saw" is entertaining and funny...but there's no question that the latter part was intended to be a radio hit. The Mellotron works well in the background of this and all other songs on In Search of the Lost Chord; unlike later efforts Threshold of a Dream and Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, MICHAEL PINDER would not attempt to bring the Mellotron to the foreground where it simply couldn't pull its weight. "Dr. Livingston, I Presume?" is a funny RAY THOMAS piece that serves well to introduce the album's concept, which seems to be a search for purpose and meaning in life. The two "House of Four Doors" pieces are more interstitial tracks than anything, but they are experimental and enjoyable.

One of the real highlights of the album--despite the unfortunate jumping on the bandwagon and glorifying LSD as was common in that era--was RAY THOMAS' other piece "Legend of a Mind" about the acid propagandist Timothy Leary. This is perhaps one of the longest, most developed musical compositions I've had the pleasure of hearing from THOMAS, and I also think PINDER shines with both his organ and Mellotron work (the pitch-bends are superbly done). This is then followed by the soft, sappy "Voices in the Sky"...typical fare from JUSTIN HAYWARD, although not quite as treacly as some of his later work would wind up being.

"The Best Way to Travel" contains one of the most memorable lyric lines from the album, "Thinking is the best way to travel," and I can't help noticing the vocal harmonies. One sound even begins to remind me a bit of the Sputnik satellite traveling around...could that be what they intended there? "Visions of Paradise" is where the album begins to lean more heavily upon Indian music and I have to commend the sitar work, especially the downward scale used at one point to change keys. Unfortunately, philosophy then turned into a love song with "The Actor", a rather mediocre HAYWARD ballad that actually seems to rip off "Unchained Melody" at one point.

The closing duo, however, really seals the bargain as far as this album is concerned: some wonderful, well-read GRAEME EDGE poetry in "The Word" that sets up the other true star of the album, "Om". This one does extremely well to capture the flavor of Indian music, and the tradeoff between vocalists gives it an excellent effect. The harmonies are rich, and the middle section with the sitar is absolutely superb. Ending with an a capella version of the chorus leaves one with a good feeling about this album despite its weak points which can mainly be traced to one man: JUSTIN HAYWARD. Once you get this and Days of Future Passed, you should be all set as far as the MOODY BLUES are concerned.

An ok, yet very disappointing follow up to their previous work. This album is less symphonic, and tends to be more psychedelic. It still has the same structure since it is a concept album in which all the tracks connect to each other perfectly. The problem with this album is lack of consistent quality (the second half starts to fall apart) and being uninteresting in moments.

1). Departure is a short noisy introduction.

2. Ride my see-saw 7/0 : This is the best track from the album. IT is a hit single, and it does not disappoint. Good rocker with the usual rich vocal harmonies.

3. Dr. Livingstone, I presume? 6/10 beatlesque decent pop song. A normal common Moody blues-style song with a nice guitar solo.

4. House of four doors pt1+pt2 6.5/10 : the most progressive song of this album. I slightly get bothered by those door special effects, but the good music (good mellotron and lots of variety) redeems it. Every time you hear the door, the music changes completely to a different style.

5. Legend of a mind 7/10 : an intelligently made , long and developed piece. 'timothy Leary's dead ... NOOOOnononoooo' is a great harmonious vocal hook. There is a lot to like in this piece, and the mellotron soars.

7. Voices in the sky 4/10 : An ok, yet nothing special, moody blues track. It is relatively simple, and nothing to write about.

8. The best way to travel 2/10 : An pop song with a disappointing synth usage to imitate the doppler effect of cars passing by and a horrid pulsating sound in the second half of the song.

9. Visions of paradise 4/10 : A flute melody begins the song, and the vocal harmonies begin to back it up. An average song that does not hold my attention.

10. The actor 4.5/10: another average pop song like the previous three songs. The melodies, and musicianship are nothing special, but they get better in the second half of the song. The acoustic guitar is pleasant.

11. The word : a narration

12. Om 5/10 : A very eastern influenced song which sounds uplifting and spiritual.

Approach this album with caution. If you like bombastic progressive rock, I doubt you will be amazed in this record. This is an album of good simple music.

My Grade : C-

This album could fit almost perfectly as a disc 2 for the previous "Days of Future Passed" (if this one was not so conceptual, of course). The major difference is the absence of the orchestra which gave "In Search of the Lost Chord" a more rocky sound and that's also fine.

The songs:

'Departure' and 'Ride my see-saw' compound truely only one fair and powerful opening track and then the listener's attention is totally attracted to the album; 'Dr. Livingstone, I presume' is a real prog-song of the average type; 'House of 4 doors, parts 1 & 2' are great tracks with good singing and voices;

'Legend of a mind' is the most psychedelic track, unforgettable when we remind the figure of the guru Timothy Leary;

'Voices in the sky" is a kind of classical MB's ballad and the soft "The best way to travel" is agreeable but loses a bit with the introduction of spacecraft sound effects;

'Visions of Paradise' is just pleasant while "The actor" and "The word" are the weakest songs; "Om" is a mix of psychedelism and art-rock that does a fair ending to the work.

Minus 1-star for the weakest tracks. Total: 4.

The second of the ‘big 5’ from the Moody Blues is the one without a full orchestra, the band preferring to generate their own sounds. It was ambitious for a young group of musicians, and they do a pretty good job. This is the toking album – just don’t take it too seriously.

“Ride My See-Saw” is such an awesome tune! This album came out at the highest peak of the rather brief psychedelic heyday, and it’s kind of funny today that this is considered a progressive album, because at the time it would have fallen into the same category as a J-Lo album in 1999 – completely intended as a mass-appeal work of the currently popular sound. I find it hilarious that even with this the Moodies couldn’t pull off a proper spacey tune. The pulsating guitar riffs, simple rhythm, and meaningless, tripped-out vocals work well enough as a flower-power song, but the distinct Moodies harmonizing and ever-so-faint flute give this away as something a bit higher-brow than your average hippy anthem. This is really a good song.

Same goes for “Dr Livingstone, I presume?”. The vocals and drums here are a bit closer to the Byrds or Procol Harum, but once again the vocals and supporting instrumentation set this song apart. I gather the lyrics are supposed to be something like a tongue-in- cheek Yellow Submarine kind of thing, but frankly that’s unimportant anyway – this one is just to be enjoyed as a nice tune that requires no thinking to appreciate.

I suppose “House of Four Doors” begins the theme portion of the album. The previous two may be a part as well, but the connection is neither obvious nor important. This song begins some sort of journey through a series of doors behind which different types of music are played – middle ages kind of stuff, something that sounds like French high- brow orchestral music, and another that makes me picture rolling British countrysides. There may be something deeper, but this is good enough for me. The various sounds are mostly made by Mellotron, a bit of flute, and several percussive instruments I’m not astute enough to identify. No matter, it’s pleasant enough and sounds really cool with headphones. Highly recommended for those who prefer their mind in an altered state – not for me any more, but who am I to judge? And speaking of altered minds, we’re ready for what else is behind that door – what did the sign say?

““Enter in all ye who seek to find within - as the plaque said on the last door.”

“Legend of a Mind” certainly isn’t hard to figure out – “Timothy Leary’s dead; no, no, no, no, he’s outside looking in. He’ll fly his astral plane, he’ll take you trips around the bay…. ”. You get the picture. Very spaced-out vocal tracks, and one of the very few acid-trip songs you’ll ever here that features a flute, and what sounds like a wooden one Some interesting sound effects, particularly considering this was 1968 – airplane drones, enhanced echoed vocals, and plenty of Mellotron. The guitar and bass work on this song is very controlled and very appealing.

The acid trip is apparently part of the package tour for one of the doors, because after that we’re found back before another door to finish the trip. We’re back down off the colored clouds now with a pop hymn with a message about seeking and –

well, about seeking anyway.

“Voices in the Sky” is another one of those late 60s tunes about exploration of everything around us to find the answers and beauty in all that lives in nature and – bleah, silly crap. More 60s hug-the-world malarkey. Good enough for a listen today if no one is watching.

“The Best Way to Travel” is – well, “you can fly high as a kite if you want to, faster than light if you want to”. You get the picture. Nothing special except for a few interesting stereo sound effects that are clearly intended for those in the aforementioned altered states. The first few times I heard this I thought the “toot-toot” sound was from a squeaky organ petal, but now that I have the remastered CD, I realize it was intentional. An okay song, but again nothing special.

On “Visions of Paradise” the Moodies offer up those harmonic and mournful vocals that no other band seems to have mastered. This is one of the few songs where the sitar and tabla are really out front and obvious. They of course give the song a somewhat eastern feel, particularly with the flute thrown in for good measure. I’ve no idea what the band is singing about, but considering the title and the tone of the rest of the album, I can guess pretty easily.

“The Actor” is ‘hauntingly beautiful’ ©®, a phrase used often to describe Moody Blues music, but very appropriate here. I guess this song is about two lovers who are each sitting at their respective windows on a rainy day, each thinking of the other gloomily – guess they had a spat or something, not sure. The flute is eerie and wafts in the background on this one, guitar strings are picked in a sad manner, and the keyboards are non-distinct but also brooding, along with those spaced-out harmonic vocals that can make sad people spontaneously burst into tears just from hearing them. This is the apex of the album in my opinion, and was probably a big part of the experiences that led to the formation of the Moodies sound that would be in the forefront of their next several albums.

The point of the album (I assume, hard to see clearly from all the smoke) is the identification and naming of the lost chord; and that chord is – “Om”. This little piece of important information is delivered in the form of a spoken-word poem, much as similar important information was delivered in the previous Days of Future Passed. Sounds quite dated now, but this was heady stuff in 1968.

The closing “Om” is a mystical, spiritually influenced sound with sitars and tablas and what sounds like some sort of wooden drums and flute and weird Mellotron sounds and just a hint of guitar all rolled into one. It’s a spaced-out tune, and purposely so. This is the mystical peak of the mountain where the shaman sits dispensing wisdom and enlightenment. Or something like that. Anyway, again in the context of the times, it’s a pretty good ending.

This is more mystical and psychedelic than Days of Future Passed, and somehow a bit more structured than On the Threshold of a Dream. The latter is sometimes pointed to as the suggestive drug-reference title, but I think that’s more appropriately said of In Search of the Lost Chord. The traveler’s aid for the search here is chemical (or organic) in nature, and this was a time when we all still thought enlightenment could be found there.

We were apparently wrong, but this is a pretty decent album anyway. Not the one to start with for new Moodies fans (I recommend Seventh Sojourn as a first crack at the band), but a good effort all the same. Three stars.

peace

Like "Question of Balance" we have a Moodies classic (Ride my see-saw) followed by a "comic"number, this time in the shape of "Dr Livingstone I presume". The album starts off with a Graeme Edge poem "Departure", about which the kindest thing I can say is "it is of its time". Unlike its successor however, this album has a succession of excellent tracks, culminating the Indian-flavoured "Om". There is more than a hint of 60s psychedelic here, particularly in "Legend of a Mind" which name checks drug guru Timothy Leary (check out the "Legend of a Mind" box set reviewed on this site). "Voices in the sky" is a beautiful Hayward number which highlights his voice (one of the best in prog, I would say). The production is also very 1960s, with instruments positioned at the far edges of the stereo spectrum, as was the fashion in those days. The two part epic "House of four doors" which sits either side of "Legend of a Mind" is another great song, divided up by the sound of an opening door. This album is not really a progressive rock album but is a classic of psychedelic pop in a similar way to Sgt Pepper.

The recently reissued version is a two disc set, the first being an SACD/CD hybrid version of the original album and the second consisting of alternate mixes, instrumental versions and some live tracks from the BBC.

There are many admirable things about the sixties. In that decade my generation took some very important political and social stands and ushered in a new era of creative thinking and art. By the same token there are many things about those "flower power" times that make me cringe in embarrassment. Some of the clothing styles, silly fads and phrases and our naïve attitude towards dangerous drugs in general haven't aged well at all. In many ways I feel the same about The Moody Blues.

"Days of Future Passed" had put them on the map in a big way the year before so they went into the studio to try and sustain that momentum and write songs that would speak to the truth-seeking "hippie" crowd that was experimenting with hallucinogenics. The undisguised "let's all take a trip, shall we?" lyrical content and attitude makes it seem that way to me. The result was "In Search of the Lost Chord" which showed them to be much more proficient and confident as performers and musicians. "Departure" starts things off dramatically with a slithering harp and an explosion of sound followed by a brief soliloquy spoken over a rising tone. Not too shabby. John Lodge's "Ride My See-Saw" takes over and it's a fine tune that features tight, concise three part harmony and a melodic guitar lead. Later, Ray Thomas' "Legend of a Mind" also stands out musically and production-wise. It seems to be praising Timothy Leary's dubious "Tune in, turn on, drop out" lifestyle but depending on when this song was written LSD might still have been legal in the UK so it's somewhat excusable in that light. Thomas' flute work is excellent throughout the album but especially here. Justin Hayward's "Voices in the Sky" is another decent tune that features his distinguished and very recognizable voice. "Visions of Paradise," a Hayward/Thomas collaboration is also better than average with its sitar and flute combination. But not all of the album has songs as good as these. "Dr. Livingstone, I Presume" is as corny as Kansas in August and "House of Four Doors (Pts. 1 & 2)" tries way too hard to be some kind of deep psychedelic journey. "The Best Way to Travel" is an annoying example of how to misuse the pitch control on a Mellotron and how to employ an incessant garbage truck backing up beeping sound on a record. Hayward's "The Actor" is pleasant enough but it never really goes anywhere interesting. Drummer Graeme Edge gets to contribute another well-written poem, "The Word," recited by Mike Pinder in the same thespian way as he did on their previous album. "Om" is old school and overblown in a self-explanatory way but the harmonies are full and I have to give a shout out to Justin Hayward's sitar work on the song. He's no Ravi Shankar but he gives George Harrison a run for his money.

I'm sorry if this offends the millions of Moody Blues fans out there but this just isn't a very good album. Quaint reminiscing is one thing but this is something else altogether. The good news is that they were getting better and would eventually create some truly high-class progressive rock that stands the test of time. "In Search of the Lost Chord," however, does not. 1.4 stars.

Definitely a bit dated is In Search of the Lost Chord but it was and still is one of the bands finest efforts. A brave step from the orchestral sounding predecessor this release has all the late 60's influences, psychedelic illusions, drug enhanced utopia that one would expect from a band of this era. Almost what Caravan were doing in the Canterbury scene and yet there is a more pop edge to the Moodey Blues. Highlights would have to be "Legend of a Mind" and " Om". Another solid affair from these prog forerunners. Did the prog sound last, no more short lived than some other bands but still plenty of quality music still to be released by them up to about the mid seventies.Three and a half stars to be precise!

This album really is a treasure. To my mind it is much more of a transformation than was the previous album. What in 'Days of Future Passed' hinted at this?

'In Search of the Lost Chord' isn't quite a concept album. It isn't quite progressive either. Given it came out a year before KING CRIMSON'S debut, there was no template to follow. So THE MOODY BLUES simply made one of their own.

Here's how the album works. It is introduced by a spoken-word track, 'Departure', which almost disappears up its own pretentiousness - except for the laughter which makes you aware that despite the sedulous message - be nice to each other - they're not taking themselves completely seriously. There's another spoken-word track 'The Word' near the end to remind us the album has a point. And in between there is a continuous flow of music - one of the earlierst bands to adopt a seamless segue from one track to the next - written and sung by the various members of the group. The strength of this band is the variation they offer within their ethos. If JUSTIN HAYWARD, the clear outstanding vocalist, sung every track, the album would be far too cloying. They have taken a lead from THE BEATLES' mode of operating, with HAYWARD and LODGE the gentler, slightly less talented equivalents of LENNON and MCCARTNEY. Every album is a whole-group effort.

The wonder of THE MOODY BLUES is how they combined pop music that clearly appealed to the masses with thoughtful and challenging progressive music into a seamless whole, evoking many different emotions and moods. It's sometimes necessary to suspend one's cringe faculty when listening to them, especially with regard to their overly evangelistic message of love, but it's worth it.

HAYWARD'S ballads are generally the most commercial, and on this album 'Voices In The Sky' is the most well known single. He combines an exceptional pop sensibility with his beautiful, plaintive voice and lyrics that reach for the ineffable mystery of life. It's a formula, yes, but (in the 1970s at least) it is not overdone, as he is given at most two or three songs per album. 'The Actor' is simply glorious, very nearly as good as 'Nights of White Satin' from the previous album, and 'Vision of Paradise' is almost of the same quality. JOHN LODGE also writes commercial material, and he provides the single 'Ride My See-Saw' for this album, as well as the slightly annoying 'House of Four Doors', split into two parts, separated by another track (another MOODIES trick). His vocals are generally multi-tracked, and his tracks are closer to rock than HAYWARD'S ballads. RAY THOMAS provides whimsical material in the main (such as 'Dr Livingstone I Presume'), but outdoes himself on this album with 'Legend Of A Mind', a wonderful progressive track. Finally, MIKE PINDER, with his mellotron at the heart of THE MOODY BLUES sound, generally gets at least one chance to combine his classically-influenced brand of progressive music with his overly trite lyrics. 'The Best Way To Travel' is the first of these.

This is a pattern they repeated over the next few years, building up an enviable catalogue of eminently listenable and beautiful music with progressive sensibilities. To many a modern ear they now sound dated, but they were ahead of their time. This is the second of seven high-quality albums which should sit firmly in the collection of anyone interested in the music of the seventies.

5 stars The Moody Blues really seem sort of borderline progressive to me these days. Just considering their whole catalog and the early material in the context of other music that was coming out at the time.

This may have been their finest hour. Only track I might kick to the curb: Dr. Livingstone, I Presume. It's not as disposable as some of their cheesy tracks on other albums, but still, I could live without it.

The rest of pieces are true gems. OK, except for two the poetry pieces, but they are mercifully short. The rest of the album is very moving. It's likely the best example of psychedelic music you'll find. I'm pretty sure they never did find that damn lost chord though.

In search of a certain style, it is definitely what the band is looking for.

Their first three albums don't have anything related. Gone is the orchestra (good news) from "Days". This album is more related with some good psychedelia ("Ride My See-Saw") and less powerful songs as "Dr. Livingstone, I presume" which is fully "Sgt. Pepper's" oriented.

Some discreet mellotron during "House Of Four Doors" is the best you'll get out that tune. Of course, there are many doors to open here. Kind of a musical "Myst" (the great computer game).

The mood is definitely psychedelic. But don't expect any masterpiece à la "Pepper's" or even a work close to ."Piper". It is almost plagiarism I would say. But not bad. It is my description of "Legend Of A Wind" featuring a pleasant flute passage and which is one of my fave. A more complex song writing for the longest track of this album.

Some "Indian" sounds to introduce the pastoral "Voices In The Sky" (a deeper investigation into Indian music is experienced during "Om"). The remaining songs from this album is repetitive business. If ever you like second tier experiences, go and get this one. I am more inclined to first class ones even if the mood of this album is pleasant, it doesn't hold sufficient good (there aren't great ones) songs.

Some pleasant musical moments, yes. But nothing really fancy ("Visions Of Paradise").Two stars, no more.

In search of Days of Future Past?

Following their highly regarded masterpiece Days of Future Passed The Moodies decided they'd do something different, yet the same with this next effort. The band clearly noticed that they'd be able to make good music if they steered their ship in the more psychedelic direction and that's what they've done. Gone, however, is the orchestra and the massive arrangements of their previous album. This one is considerably stripped down, which is good if you felt that the previous album was a little ''over the top'', but it really is a noticeable loss here. While the band certainly doesn't need a full orchestra behind them at all times it is nice to have, the nice thing though is that the arrangements have become considerably less ''disney''. The album is a little bit heavier than before and little bit less emotional. There's no grand finale like Nights in White Satin or The Evening, but there are some great moments none the less.

It starts once again with the spoken word, clearly in an attempt to make a follow up to their last album. This one is no album about ''a day in the life'', but is instead a loose concept about the search of the sacred syllable ''Om'' as evident by the very beginning and very end of the album - although it is not one consistent story. The very cool opening, Departure, brings us madly into the opening track, the wonderful Ride My See-Saw - heavy and still psychedelic, comparible to early Pink Floyd, but on speed. Harmonized voices make for a very zoned out feeling along with the pressing bass, making this likely the definitive standout on the album. However, it's rather unfortunate to get that track out of the way so quickly.

The rest of the album is very good, but nothing mind blowing like the band's debut. Some tracks still have a little but of 60s ''romp'' in them such as the odd Dr. Livingstone, I Presume and The Actor while others take a more calm approach, an almost zoned out one, in fact. Voices In The Sky is a pretty and slow moving track, as is Visions of Paradise, while The Best Way To Travel picks up the pace very slightly for this trip of a song. The closing Om features some eastern influence and is another track on the slower side of things.

Another good part of the album is still to be mentioned though. The somewhat-suite House Of Four Doors is likely the most 'progressive' piece on the album. This one is more of a story telling concept piece than the others, as it tells of a journey into this crazy-mystical house. Its ominous feeling is spoiled only by the sound of a door slowly and squeakily opening... 4 times!! A rather unfortunate thing, yes - especially considering that the song is only 4 minutes long, but the song still flows, even with that very annoying effect in there. The second part of the song luckily features no door-opening sounds in its short 2-minute life, so it stands out above the first. Sandwiched in the middle is the fun Legend Of A Mind which makes reference to the infamous Timothy Leary and his various drugs, albeit in a semi-g-rated fashion. Harmonized vocals once again make for a psychedelic track as does some fun instrumental sections.

This album really would have had a hard time following up the legendary Days Of Future Passed, but it does so satisfyingly. Not an album that will change your life, this one is simply good. A lot of people hold it in very high regard, but it's sometimes hard to see why - since while it certainly is good, the Moodies have done better. This one is going to get 3.5 voices in the sky out of 5. Recommended for fans of the 60s psych scene, but people who are looking to get into the band may have better luck elsewhere.

While the full time orchestra of "Days of Future Passed" reaped full time financial rewards for the group and its record company, the powers that be wisely recognized that it was not sustainable, and the group needed to pursue its way without such encumbrances. Would the big sound be translatable to rock band format? Yes! And thanks mostly to Mike Pinder's Mellotron. While the Moodys, in 1968, may not have been the first group to use it, they were the first to deploy it successfully as a commercial instrument. From a versatility perspective, one can see why, as in capable hands such as Pinder's, it can achieve quite a range of symphonic effects, many of which are aired on this brilliant work.

The imagination of the Moodys is immediately apparent in the one-two of "Departure/Ride my See Saw". It's far less self-important than what we heard on "Days..", and "Ride.." is one of the band's freshest sounding songs even 40 years on. The mellotron and lead guitars help embellish what is already a melodic rocker of the highest quality. Another top drawer highlight is "House of Four Doors/Legend of a Mind combination, the latter being Ray Thomas' single best piece written for the group, with a psychedelic middle section starring his flute, the mellotron (again) and acoustic guitars. "House of For Doors" itself is highlighted by a different theme for each door, one of which is played on harpsichord and another simulates an orchestra on the 'tron. Hayward himself penned two lovely ballads, "Voices in the Sky" and "The Actor", and Pinder's "The Best Way to Travel" includes trippy side effects. While "Visions of Paradise" is a bit slow to unfold, it does demonstrate a more than palatable manner in which to incorporate the obligatory South Asian influences of the day. The same cannot be said of "Om", even if its chorus is a winner.

The Moody Blues were up there with the most innovative acts of their day when it came to exploring mysticism in a variety of forms, and this quality along with their uncanny sense of melody and arrangement struck a chord with many on this release.

"In Search of the Lost Chord" is the 3rd full-length studio album by UK progressive rock act The Moody Blues. The album was released through Deram Records in July 1968. It´s the successor to "Days Of Future Passed" from November 1967. The band had created quite a stir with the predecessor as it´s one of the first pop/rock albums featuring what back then was the innovative cocktail of pop/rock instrumentation and classical orchestra.

On "In Search of the Lost Chord" the band opted for a different approach though, and chose not to emply the use of a classical orchestra, instead opting to play a lot of unconventional instruments in addition to guitar, bass, and drums, in order to create a layered and sometimes symphonic rock sound. There are about 30 different instruments played on the album including citar (which is dominant on a song like "Om") and of course the omnipresent flute playing by Ray Thomas. The most enchanting thing about the soundscape on the album is the extensive use of mellotron though. The string mellotron sounds provide the album with an epic and often symphonic atmosphere, that you won´t hear often on a 1968 album release. In many ways The Moody Blues were pioneers in the use of the mellotron in rock music and they were definitely a huge influence on the progressive rock wave which was to follow in the near future.

Most tracks feature simple vers/chorus structures but tracks like "House of Four Doors" and "Legend of the Mind" are sligthly more adventurous in structure. So The Moody Blues had one foot in more conventional 60s pop/rock vers/chorus songwriting and one foot in the proto-progressive rock compositional camp. The high level musicianship can carry both styles, although the band sometimes has a tendency to be a little too polished, predictable, and nice. It´s mostly the vocals and some of the simpler song arrangements which aren´t that remarkable, compared to the more challenging parts of the album. The vocals are otherwise very well performed, featuring harmonies and choirs which are well arranged. Upon conclusion "In Search of the Lost Chord" is a good quality proto-progressive rock album and it´s certainly one of the better albums in the band´s discography. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

A weaker second half spoils the album for me; whatever that pinging sound in the middle of ''The Best Way to Travel'' is, I hate it and it needs to stop. ''Om'' has nice Eastern influences, but I feel it lasts a bit too long. ''Voices in the Sky'' might not me impressive at first, but if you've heard any later Hayward songs, you might pick out ''Voices in the Sky'' in them.

One major positive I can say for LOST CHORD is that it helped me gain appreciation for the Moody Blues when I was struggling to figure out FUTURE PASSED. No orchestra is here, so the songs aren't too plugged up sound-wise. The songs are slightly poppier (see ''Ride My See-Saw''), but many like ''House of Four Doors'' have that progressive element that we want out of the Moody Blues.

Ray Thomas has never been in finer form in terms of songwriting. ''Legend of a Mind'' is as close to legendary as you can get with the Moodies; the Mellotron in the middle is brilliant and perhaps the best usage of the instrument. ''Dr. Livingston'' is a more nonoffensive thing and while not great, it trumps most anything Ray later came up with (Moodies or solo).

The first two Moody Blues albums are a great one-two punch in the crossover/proto-prog rock realm. If you couldn't take the orchestra in FUTURE PASSED, LOST CHORD is a sigh of relief. Highly recommended.

Ambitious and naïve, colorfully diverse yet fully structured, "In Search Of The Lost Chord" was the album that was a defining statement by The Moody Blues - the affirmation of their permanence in the artsy roads of orchestral-driven rock without the actual addition of a real symphony orchestra. But this is no facsimile of "Days Of Future Passed" but the germination of The Moodies' unique voice in the realms of the then emergent progressive rock scene. All musicians give themselves ampel room to display their versatility besides their own specialized instrument: sitar, autoharp, celli, soprano sax, sundry percussions,... As much as their presence can be noticeable as relevant providers of sonic color, three items are the nuclear ones when it comes to the band's logistic nucleus: the multiple mellotron inputs, the soaring lead guitar and the vibrating bass lines, either complementing eaqch other or alñternating their role within the basic architexture of a specific song or verse. The album kicks off with a funny (yet not lacking poetic solemnity) intro entitled 'Departure', which depicts the start of a search in a crescendo of jolly madness. 'Ride My See-saw' brings the old-fashioned twist to this madness and states a positive vibe in a straightforward way. The same positive aura is preserved in Thomas- penned 'Dr. Livingstone, I Presume', which shows his usual penchant for mixing children's song and Celtic dance. I wouldn't have minded it becoming a bit more extended for teh final choruses, since the song seems to reach a special climax while it fades out definitely. But again, at this time, I am feeling a bit impatient to hear the next compositions by Lodge and Thomas. Lodge's 'House Of Four Doors' is a lovely semi-ballad with epic expansions that include snappets of Medieval folk, Baroque chamber and Tchaikovsky-style symphony. It is divided in two parts, with the last one being really a coda. In between is Thomas' most epic composition ever, 'Legend Of A Mind' - a musical tribute to LSD guru Timothy Leary, it combines melodic Beatlesque pop and exotic nuances under a solid psychedelic guise, also including a beautiful extended flute solo. This is an absolute early prog classic, and the informed listener should be aware right from the start of how unfairly underrated this song is in the rock history books. The album's second half is dominated by Hayward and Pinder. Hayward's 'Voices In The Sky' and 'Visions of Paradise' are plethoric examples of his skill for delivering bucolic-oriented folk-rock, both providing subtle Asian moods as an extra touch. Meanwhile, 'The Actor' has a more bombastic orientation while keeping itself in a semi-slow ballad's framework. Pinder's 'The Best Way To Travel' is an acoustic guitar- centered pop song with spacey mellotron adornments gently intruding, and this is how this song earns some controlled sophistication. 'The Word' is a mystic poem by Edge, followed by Pinder-penned closer 'Om', a lovely track that heavily relies on India's patterns. Even if the musical scheme feels a bit shy when compared to 'Sun Is Still Shining' (from the "Children's Children" masterpiece), you can tell that the band is genuinely focused on their work. All in all, this album is only a partial exhibition of the sort of musical magic to be enhanced in later albums, yet it deserves to be regared as an excellent MB addition to any rock collection. ...And if it is a prog rock collection, even more excellent.

(I dedicate the review of thsi album to the memory of the recentlyh departed Tony Clarke, the producer who indeed was the "Sixth Moodie").

In Search Of The Lost Chord (1968) is the most psychedelic sounding album by The Moody Blues. As with its predecessor, Days Of Future Passed, it's a concept album with the central theme of this one being the search for spiritual fulfilment. There's no orchestra to stifle The Moodies on this album though, and sonically it has greater cohesion than DOFP. In particular Justin Hayward's guitar and Mike Pinder's Mellotron sound so much more modern, and this is most certainly a progressive album.

The opening piece, Departure, is one of Graeme Edge's short poems and introduces the idea of the party departing on the search of the album title. I think the best thing I can say about these poems is that they were possibly intended to add artistic credibility to proceedings. The John Lodge composition, Ride My See-Saw, follows and this is one of his typically energetic rockers. Now we're getting to the heart of the real Moodies' sound with Justin's beautiful but hard-edged guitar licks blowing his DOFP guitarwork into the stratosphere. This song was the second of two singles taken from the album, but I don't accept the view that this is just a pop song. Well, not pop by today's standard that's for sure. The Ray Thomas-penned Dr Livingstone, I Presume? is one of his characteristically light- hearted songs.

That brings us nicely to the classic closing half of Side One of the original album. One of The Moodies' conventions was to place a two-part song on either side of a central piece to create a suite of songs. Lodge's House Of Four Doors (Parts I and II) is an interesting piece, with the opening of each 'door' revealing music from different eras: Medieval; Baroque; Classical; Rock. This is an idea the band would develop on Procession from the Every Good Boy Deserves Favour album. The 'rock door' here reveals the Ray Thomas composition Legend Of A Mind. Tomo's songs had a tendency to sound as if they had been written for his children. No danger of that here though, where he truly punches above his weight and incorporates several different time signatures into the song. This is one of the greatest songs in the band's repertoire and how I miss hearing it at concerts now that Tomo has retired. As a flautist, Ray Thomas is criminally overlooked as he blazed the trail for Anderson, Gabriel, Van Leer etc. Just listen to the 2-minute flute solo here; it's utterly and outstandingly fantastic! Likewise, Mike Pinder's pitch-bend Mellotron on this song is equally groundbreaking and is light years ahead of his work on DOFP. Sublime.

The first song on Side Two, Hayward's Voices In The Sky, was also the first single from the album. What a beautiful voice Justin has, perfect for this kind of ballad. The remainder of the album has a distinctly Eastern feel running throughout its songs, with oboe, sitar, tambura and tablas enhancing the exotic atmosphere. Notable among these songs is the Hayward/Thomas collaboration Visions Of Paradise, with its dramatic change of key. The penultimate piece, The Word, resolves the mystery of the lost chord, which Mike Pinder names as the mantra Om. I have to say I laughed out loud when I read Slartibartfast's comment that 'they never did find that damn lost chord though'!

Overall this is a fine album, though still not their best. It includes striking album art that is thematically linked to a central concept. It contains songs with complex structures that involve changes in key and time signatures. It fuses different genres and in particular incorporates classical, Eastern and folk influences. The lush soundscapes incorporate a wealth of exotic instruments and make groundbreaking use of flute and Mellotron. It's unfortunate The Moody Blues are relegated to just a passing mention in the Prog Archives Guide as being representative of Crossover Prog. Is that it? Back in the day, the late Tony Clarke had apparently encouraged The Moodies to try to sign King Crimson to their fledgling Threshold label. If that had happened, I wonder if The Moodies would be held in any greater esteem.

"In Search of the Lost Chord" searches for meaning but it is ultimately meaningless

Disappointing Moody Blues followup to the excellent conceptual classic "Days of Future Passed". "In Search of the Lost Chord" doesn't hold a candle to that album but it's still got good moments that are worth mentioning.

'Ride my see-saw' is easily the greatest track on the album, always present on Greatest hits compilations, it is a 60s psychedelic single that reminds me of early Pink Floyd. The lyrics are pysch city; "Ride, ride my see-saw, Take this place, On this trip Just for me, Ride, take a free ride, Take my place, Have my seat It's for free" The harmonies are wonderous and it has a driving rhythm that captures the glorious scene of the flower power late 60s; the dance-centred scene with go-go girls swishing their mini-skirts and shaking their bum length blonde hair; it is an essential sound.

'Dr. Livingstone, I presume?' is as close to The Beatles as the band gets. It is average but catchy after a few listens with some great guitar licks.

'House of four doors pt1 and pt2' is a progalicious track with weird music, magic mellotron, and weirder special effects including doors closing and opening and the doors are signifiers to new sections and new time changes; no complaints to the creative innovative nature of the band.

'Legend of a mind' is another classic that most Moody Fans would be familiar with. I like the lyrics on this; "Timothy Leary's dead, No, no, no, He's outside looking in, He'll fly his astral plane, Takes you trips around the bay, Brings you back the same day, Timothy Leary". Leary was the psych drug king who influenced this generation of 1968 and was himself an icon of pyschedelica and the Haight Ashbury scene. The Moody Blues knew it and capitalised on it with this track. The song features some very proggy mellotron sounds and an odd meter with intriguing structures. Another excellent track.

'Voices in the sky' is a low point with simple sugary sickly sweet lyrics and melodies. There is a track called 'Om' with memorable cheese such as "OM, The rain is on the roof, Hurry high, butterfly, As clouds roll past my head I know why the skies all cry, Om, Om, Heaven, Om..." you get the general idea.

The other tracks I have forgotten.

So that sums it all up. A so so album with some good songs. I was bitterly disappointed.

Pleasant, little album. Certainly good one to start your Moody journey with. Little bit poppy (but of course, pop of then-times, so it means something "better" [at least for me] than current pop), very melodic (underlined by mighty mellotron, which really shines here [as I was told, the same with most of TMB albums]) and also lacking orchestra as on their previous album. But that doesn't matter that much (I would welcome it, but when it's not here, what can I do except trying enjoying it ?). Moody guys sound orchestratic enough to provide for it. Melodic almost to the point of being catchy, or even cheap. Sometimes.

4(-), not that bad.

I've still not found what I'm looking for... or have I?

The phrase from the album's weakest track Dr. Livingstone, I Presume, sung in a rather happy and pop manner, quite summarises my thoughts when listening to The Moody Blues' 3rd release for the first few times. I was expecting to find the characteristic sound that made the band famous in their early period. I am now faced with a rather diverse album, an amalgam of more components that someone could imagine to find in a 60s release.

Quite surprising are the few narrative intros to songs, giving a rather mysterious tone to the overall sound. From the melodic, light-hearted tunes of Ride my See-Saw and The Best Way to Travel, to the more nostalgic Voices in the Sky and The Actor the band unveils a number of unique musical influences that turn this into a rather sophisticated release. If someone is to add the folk and oriental journeys in Legend of a Mind and Om respectively, then we start talking about some sort of a special sound.

The excellent musicianship is obvious mainly from the way acoustic guitars, flute and percussion are blended together. Keyboards, instrumentation and orchestration have been carefully selected to create this mysterious atmosphere. The broad range of experimentation peaks at the album's best moments: House of Four Doors can be easily described as one of the first progressive (as we mean it today) tracks in history; as different doors open, different musical styles from classical to baroque and symphonic appear; Visions of Paradise is a captivating tune, with Ray Thomas' flute dominating the atmosphere. Melodic vocals, and accompanying mellotron and acoustic guitars, selecting "eastern" chords, generate a majestic polyphony.

Bearing in mind that the year is only 1968, one can only be amazed at the level of musicianship, the quality of the sound and the innovativeness of this release. I could only judge this album on its own as I am not fully acquainted with the band's catalogue; on that basis, the few pop moments are not enough to spoil an extremely intriguing release.

PS. The album cover is one of the best I have ever encountered

A definite improvement over "Days Of Future Past" and those lame orchestral movements between tracks.Thankfully they weren't repeated here.The Gnosis site rates this as their best studio album and I have to agree.They used no less than 33 instruments in the making of this album and many of those instruments they learned to play in studio while recording this.There is a ton of mellotron on here which sounds great of course."This album was very much a product of the Psychedelic era with it's Eastern influences (sitar, tablas etc) and it's exotic variety of instruments". Great looking cover art as well.

"Departure" is a spoken word intro. "Ride My See-Saw" is a song about freedom and one of my favourite MOODY BLUES tracks. Love this song. I like the vocal melodies after 1 1/2 minutes. "Dr. Livingston, I Presume" sounds like a song off of a children's TV program. Silly stuff. "House Of Four Doors" opens with mellotron as vocals join in.This is a melancholic and laid back tune. "Legand Of A Mind" was actually a track that was composed during the "Days Of Future Past" sessions but not used.This is a top three track for me from this album. It's got that BEATLES-like flavour to it. A calm with flute before 3 minutes then it picks back up after 4 1/2 minutes then the vocals return.

"House Of Four Doors (Part 2)" opens with mellotron as vocals join in. "Voices In The Sky" is a light and mellow tune with vocals, flute and other sounds. "The Best Way To Travel" is the other top three track for me. It's just a feel good song with the focus on the lyrics and reserved vocals. "Vision Of Paradise" is pastoral with vocals. "The Actor" is more of the same reallly. "The World" is a short spoken word piece. "OM" has that Eastern vibe front and center with sitar etc.Vocal melodies before 5 minutes to the end.

I wonder if they're still searching for the chord they lost.

The third album by the Moodies is probably thought of as their second album by most people, being unaware of the pre-Hayward/Lodge debut album. This is almost as different to Days Of Future Passed as that album was to the debut. The orchestra is gone and now more emphasis is put on the Mellotron. The band members taught themselves how to play 33 different instruments during these sessions. Overall the result is a better, less dated and more proggy album than it's predecessor. However, this album is still dated and not extremely proggy.

The songwriting credits are spread out fairly evenly among the members. All the members sing with drummer Graeme Edge doing the narration during opener "Departure" and "The Word". These two are similar to the spoken word sections on Days. "Departure" is a great spacey opening with the voice slowly getting sped up. Some laughing and then it segues into "Ride My See-Saw". This is one of the Moodies more popular songs but I never really cared for it too much. I've always loved the part with the "ahhh"s though. All the albums the Moodies released during this era had most of the songs segueing together.

"Dr. Livingstone, I Presume" is one of singer/flautist Ray Thomas' best songs. Great chorus. "The House Of Four Doors" is in two parts, with the great "Legend Of A Mind" sandwiched in between. These three tracks in a row are some of the proggiest music that was released in 1968. The "House" songs alternate between a vocal song and the sound of doors being opened which lead to totally unrelated instrumental sections which make great use of the multiple instruments they used. "Legend" is a great prog song for 1968. One of the Moodies best songs. This song is sometimes known as "Timothy Leary" due to the lyrics, which doesn't mention the title. The song goes through different changes and it just flows so well. Some of the best Mellotron playing you will ever hear mixed with awesome vocal harmonies.

"The Best Way To Travel" is one of keyboardist Mike Pinder's better songs. Some nice Mellotron work here. Love the acoustic guitar playing at the end; almost Spanish sounding. "Visions Of Paradise" is one of the better songs here. Has a gorgeous melody on flute. Nice vocals and sitar. Just a beautiful song. "The Word" apparently, is "Om". This last song is very Indian sounding and probably one of the most dated things the Moodies ever did. Shows the band at their most 'hippie'.

A great classic album that, nonetheless, being a Moodies album can be embarassingly dated at times. It's quite an accomplishment that that they managed to learn, play and record all those instruments on this album. The sound is very full for a 1968 album, but like other albums of this period, the drums are way too low in the mix. I would give this 3.5 but will bump it up to to it's historical significance. 4 stars.

A marked improvement over Days of Future Passed, In Search of the Lost Chord proves that the prime-era Moodies didn't need an orchestra to produce lush, sweeping, dramatic music. A more engaging listen thanks to the loss of the classical interludes, the album explores nebulous concepts around the search for emotional and spiritual fulfilment, which is eventually in Eastern mysticism. As you can imagine from an album which includes tributes to Timothy Leary (Legend of a Mind), it's an album decidedly in tune with the hippy subculture of its era, though all the tracks have aged well bar the closing Om - a rather tedious bit of cultural appropriation that doesn't really go anywhere. Though perhaps that song (and The Word, the Graeme Edge poem that leads into it) suffers from following The Actor - anything would pale in comparison to the swooning vocal crescendos of one of Hayward's absolute best compositions.

Although every member of the band lends a hand to the songwriting, the first side leans heaily on John Lodge and Ray Thomas compositions - including the racing Ride My See-Saw and the classic Legend of a Mind - whilst side two tends towards Hayward and Pinder's compositions. Of the two sides, I think the first one is mildly stronger - to be honest, Mike Pinder isn't my favourite composer of the Moodies, both Om and The Best Way to Travel seeming to play off hippy culture without bringing much interesting to the table - but Hayward's fine compositions save the second side from being a complete letdown. Not an outright classic, but a big step in the right direction for the Moodies.

In my opinion, this is the best of The Moody Blues' albums. While it has a few soft ballads (Voices In The Sky, Visions Of Paradise, like any Moodies album, this one never gets the saccharine sound that a lot of those ballads attain.

And even though some of it sounds a bit silly now, especially Dr. Livingstone, I Presume, it all stays interesing. And remember, this was 1968. Prog rock was just being formed. So this album, with mellotron, sitar, and spacy themes, was a trailblazer. And it was a grand step above "Days Of Future Past", and sounds much less dated today.

I have a long history with The Moody Blues, although I'm just now coming around to them. My father was a very strict authoritarian, and music was more or less prohibited, unless I wanted to listen to classical music only. I do remember, however, that he liked two bands (as much as he denied it): The Beatles and The Moody Blues. I can still remember him saying, "The Moody Blues have always been better than The Beatles" whenever someone would rave about the latter. So, I grew up hearing "Nights in White Satin", but, as so often happens with sheltered pastor's kids, I didn't like it simply because my father did.

Fast forward a couple decades, and my curiosity has been aroused. After listening to the masterpiece that is "Days of Future Passed", I pursued other albums by The Moody Blues. "In Search of the Lost Chord" is one of these, and I find that I love it almost as much as the aforementioned masterpiece and also "Every Good Boy Deserves Favor". This particular album is incredibly mysterious, as it not only abandons the orchestral structures of "Days of Future Passed", but it also dwells upon Gnostic ideas of secret knowledge that all of mankind is pursuing: a secret knowledge that leads to salvation and existential peace.

One of the most common comments on this album is its "dated" sound. I find that this one reason I love it! It is SUCH an album from the free love period, and I appreciate it as such. Also, it's no more dated than Genesis or King Crimson or Yes. With the wondrous soundscapes created by the mellotron, "In Search of the Lost Chord" delves into various world musics and combines them with, yes, the pop of that era. To me, that is extremely progressive.

This album is markedly darker than their previous work, as it starts with a throbbing, sweating introduction (Departure) that begins the journey into discovery. It launches itself into a few pop songs that are catchy and fantastic, such as "Ride my See-Saw" Soon, we arrive at the "House of Four Doors" suite that has "Legend of the Mind" smack dab in the middle. This track is amazing. Nothing more needs to be said, but I can't help but go on. It's pop chords give way to illustrious flute exercises and a bright darkness that penetrates the haze. The rest of the suite and the second half of the album are full of surreal sounds and excellent depictions of mankind's search.

Finally, we arrive at the last two songs, "The Word" (a poetic interlude) and "Om", the final destination of inner transcendence. While some may find these tracks cheesy, I find them profound, celestial, and important, if you pay attention.

"In Search of the Lost Chord", then, is a wonderful album of new sounds (for the band) and philosophical inquiry. Man searches for the light, and he pursues the natural harmony that is within him, though I believe that this generic spirituality is not the ultimate answer. It is, however, a fascinating experience with much to learn embedded in a vibrant, organic musical journey. The Moody Blues deserve so much more attention.

4.5 stars

To a large extent, this album picks up where the group's previous effort, Days of Future Passed, left off. Given the relative success of Days of Future Passed, this makes sense. In particular, 'Voices in the Sky,' 'The Actor,' and 'Ride My See-Saw' help In Search of the Lost Chord sound like a logical next step for the band.

Among the elements the Moodies kept from their prior album were the poetry recitations ('Departure' and 'The Word'), the use of multiple lead singers (no one sings lead on more than three of the twelve tracks), and, throughout the album, an odd mixing formula which often seems to crank up the solo vocals and overhead drum mics while drenching the choruses in reverb and placing them back in the mix. All of this, plus the liberal use of the Mellotron, make it impossible to confuse this for anything but late-1960s Moody Blues album.

There are some significant changes from Days of Future Passed, though; most notably, there's no orchestra this time. Compared to Days of Future Passed, the concept here (a 'search,' to quote the album title, or a journey of exploration) is vague and abstract, and I wonder whether, without the constraints of a more concrete theme, the Moodies wound up emulating the Beatles, subconsciously or not.

For example, 'Dr. Livingstone, I Presume' sounds like an attempt at mixing McCartney's playfulness and Lennon's psychedelia, but the Moody Blues are clearly better off doing their own thing than trying to create the next Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Since there is no hint of mischief or ambiguity in 'Dr. Livingstone,' it comes off more like the 1910 Fruitgum Company than the Beatles. To be fair, the 'we're all looking for someone' section also sounds like the Pretty Things - - I'm assuming that there were mutual influences at work here. Meanwhile 'Om' seems to be a stab at a universal theme, ' la 'All You Need is Love' or 'Hey Jude' - - although it's more of a heroic piece than an anthemic one.

There are other non-Beatles influences at work, and the most interesting by far is the adoption of some Four Seasons vocal arrangements on both parts of 'House of Four Doors.' Listen to the chorus ('house of four doors / you'll be lost now forever') and you'll see what I mean. There's even a falsetto part, which, based on what I know of the Moodies, is a rarity.

On the upside, there are a handful of songs that are vintage Moody Blues tunes, and two in particular are among the band's classics. John Lodge's 'Ride My See-Saw,' a minor hit which nonetheless received recurrent airplay at least through the 1980s, has 1968 written all over it. The lyrics are by no means deep (something that can be said of any song on the album), but they're thoughtful; 'Ride My See-Saw' is psychedelic pop and borderline 'sunshine pop,' but not bubblegum.

The standout track on In Search of the Lost Chord, and probably the group's best 1960s song, is 'Legend of a Mind,' written and sung by Ray Thomas (thereby atoning in full for 'Dr. Livingstone'). Naming the subject (Timothy Leary) repeatedly, rather than having the listener guess (as in the Beatles' 'Doctor Robert,' Donovan's 'Jennifer Juniper,' and many, many others) was novel, and in fact just the kind of thing the Beatles would've done. Once more, it's not fine poetry, but neither is it a cutesy lyric whose LSD connection could be plausibly denied. Unlike 'Ride My See-Saw,' 'Legend of a Mind' was ahead of its time. Its arrangement featured a 'dry ice' section five years before 'Close to the Edge,' and its highlight is a soaring recapitulation of the chorus.

In Search of the Lost Chord is a mixed album, with a couple of great songs, and a couple of clunkers. On the whole, it hangs together as an enjoyable 42-minute work. Days of Future Passed it's not, but if you're interested in late-1960s psychedelic proto-prog, I'd suggest picking it up.

Another album I had the privilege of introducing to my girlfriend, and actually an opportunity to not only listen to it with newer ears (it's been years since I've listened through) and review, but to really come to an appreciation of it. The Moody Blues' second Prog Rock album (their third LP), this is still very of the tone of what came before, Days of Future Passed (1967), and yet it is a continuation on their path to... paving the way for their own sound (to continue the metaphor), which I feel culminates to the excellent On the Threshold of a Dream (1969), In Search's follow-up. The album that came to mind for this as I listened was one that followed it some 5 month later, S.F. Sorrow, the Psych-Pop meets Freakbeat epic concept album by The Pretty Things, a true-blue favorite of mine. They share a similar conceptual song-cycle style. In a similar way as that album, this has poppy earworms galore juxtaposed to wild, spacy psychedelic sections. What else came out in this general Psych Rock vein, in this already-new era for the genre (especially with the advent of more progressive ideations)? Spirit and The Family That Plays Together (Spirit), Horizontal and the significantly better Idea (regardless, Bee Gees' 1st is even stronger), The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack (The Nice), The United States of America (The United States of America), Odessey and Oracle (The Zombies), A Saucerful of Secrets (Pink Floyd), Shades of Deep Purple (Deep Purple), and Head (The Monkees), just to name the ones I like the best.

All starts with the tense, wild, even hysterical monologue by the now recently passed Graeme Edge, "Departure", which is immediately replaced by the upbeat, Psych-Pop-Rock "Ride My See-Saw", I feel topically just so of the time (the Pink Floyd song "Bike" came to mind). Awesome melody and harmonies, all over a driving beat and sort of Townsend-esque guitar riffing. I said to my GF last night that I shouldn't take for granted just how good the guitar is in The Moody Blues. As exemplary a songwriter as Justin Hayward is, he is a force to be reckoned with on the guitar, too. This is followed immediately by the upbeat sort of fanfare, "Dr. Livingstone, I Presume". Awesome bass-playing from John Lodge here.

"House of Four Doors - Part 1" is melodically not super strong and even gives sway to a bit of hokeyness, but the harmonies are pretty wowing and the Ringo-draggin' rhythm section is something else. This is our first really progressive track. Very spacy stuff here. This is followed by "Legend of a Mind", this incredible, mind-expanding Psych-Prog epic about the hypothetical, I assume, mind-death of Timothy Leary, as "he flies the astral plane" and is brought "back the same day". I love this so much, seriously. Then it's the much shorter second part to "House of Four Doors". More conclusive than a sort of interlude, though... it's very nearly that too.

We enter the bucolic on "Voices in the Sky", a really really beautiful Hayward number to start off the second side. I'm glad I'm relistening to this one specifically, because I like it even better. I just don't get tired of his songwriting. Now, will this appeal to the average fan of early Prog Rock? Not so sure. I'm putting that into consideration. Then it's onto a very Mike Pinder track, the psychedelic classic "The Best Way to Travel" . Surprise, boys and girls! The best way to travel is "thinking"! How about that haha. I mean, as childlike- wonderful as this is, it's a nice, timeless sentiment and really the song is untarnished by any such element of hoke or simplicity. A Psychedelic must-hear in my opinion.

From here, they waste no time to get into the lovely "Visions of Paradise", a reeds-ready number co- penned by Hayward and reedsmaster Ray Thomas. Very psychedelic, this features, in addition to flute, a sitar (or probably an electric sitar) to great effect. Then it's a very memorable number, "The Actor". This has more layered reeds and some more tasty bass-playing. I would say, in terms of this album, this is Hayward's best song. There's something very timeless about this. Much to be mimicked, I'd think. We get our final track, another Raga-Psych number "Om" introduced by another Edge monologue, "The Word". "Om" is more beautiful and expansive and epic in sonics than it is some great, wild composition. Excellent closer to a Psych-Prog classic!