In Search of the Lost Chord (from English - “In Search of the Lost Chord”) is the third studio album of the British band The Moody Blues , released in July 1968 on the Deram Records label . The second record of The Moody Blues, recorded in the classic composition of Hayward-Pinder-Lodge-Thomas-Edge, and the second work of the group with producer Tony Clark .
| In Search of the Lost Chord | |||||||
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| Studio album The Moody Blues | |||||||
| Date of issue | July 26, 1968 | ||||||
| Recorded by | Decca Studios, London January - June 1968 | ||||||
| Genre | psychedelic rock progressive rock | ||||||
| Duration | 42:03 | ||||||
| Producer | Tony clark | ||||||
| A country |  Great Britain | ||||||
| Language of songs | English | ||||||
| Label | Deram records | ||||||
| Professional reviews | |||||||
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| Chronology of The Moody Blues | |||||||
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On this record, the corporate sound of the group, built around the mellotron, was formed . The album was written under the influence of LSD , transcendental meditation and oriental music, in particular, Hindustani music [3] [4] . The theme of the album's songs touches upon such topics as the spiritual development of a person, his striving for search and discovery [5] .
Two songs from the record, “Ride My See-Saw” and “Voices in the Sky”, were also released as singles .
After the release of In Search of the Lost Chord took a fairly high position in the charts . In the UK, hit the top five albums, and in Germany and the United States in the top thirty [6] [7] [8] . According to the results of sales, the plate received gold status in the USA, and platinum in Canada [9] [10] .
In Search of the Lost Chord received positive reviews from critics and was included in various lists of the best progressive rock albums . Subsequently, the disc has been repeatedly reprinted.
Record Album
Tony really understood musicians. We talked with him around the clock, we talked with him not only about music , but also about philosophy , about astronomy . He understood that there were several meanings in the words of our songs, and he could really see the whole picture.
In Search of the Lost Chord was recorded at Decca Studios in London , along with producer Tony Clark and sound engineer Derek Warnels. Clark began working with the band in 1966, and worked with The Warnes with The Moody Blues on the previous album, Days of Future Passed [12] . According to the musicians, Clark and Warnels understood their ideas well and allowed them to experiment extensively with sound. The Days of Future Passed group recorded with the London Festival Orchestra. On the new record, the musicians themselves performed the parts of all the instruments. In the songs you can hear instruments such as sitar , tanpura , harpsichord , oboe , French horn . Various strings and brass were reproduced using mellotron . Decca Studio, in which the work on the album was going on, was equipped with a new for those times, 8-track recording technology, which made it possible to unlock the creative potential of the group and create complex multi-layer compositions. On the other hand, the songs were rather difficult to play at concerts [11] [13] .
Ray Thomas 's “Legend of Mind” was the first song recorded for In Search of the Lost Chord . All compositions were created by musicians one by one, with the exception of "Visions of Paradise", which was written together by Hayward and Thomas. While working on the album, the band members, besides bass guitarist John Lodge, used LSD , however, according to Justin Hayward, they were very careful about drugs and never fell under their power [11] [14] .
Release
In Search of the Lost Chord was released in July 1968 on records in the USA , Canada , India , Australia and European countries [15] . In the UK and the USA, the album also came out on compact cassettes [16] . After the release of the disc enjoyed relative success. In the UK Albums Chart, the album reached 5th place and spent a total of 32 weeks on the chart, but it never reached gold status [6] [17] . In the German chart, the album stayed for one week, taking the 30th line [7] . In the USA, the album was a great success and although it reached only 23 places on the charts [8] it received a gold status based on sales [9] . In Canada, the album took the 37th place in the chart [18] and received the platinum status [10] .
With In Search of the Lost Chord two singles were released. The single "Voices in the Sky" ("Dr. Livingstone, I Presume" on the reverse side ) was released before the release. He was only in the UK Singles Chart, reaching the 27th line [6] [19] . The second single released after the release of the record, “Ride My See-Saw”, with the non-album “A Simple Game” on the reverse side, had almost no success in the UK, taking 42 place in the chart and spending one week there [6 ] [20] . In the Netherlands, the single was more successful, having spent 3 weeks on the local charts and reaching the 12th position [21] . In the US, the single ranked 61st on the Billboard Hot 100 [8] .
Reprints
The disc has been repeatedly reprinted. The album was first released on CD in 1986 [22] , and the first remastered CD sample was released in 1993 [23] . In 2006, a deluxe edition on two discs was released in the SACD format [24] . The first disc contained a remastered version of the original album, and the second disc contained 15 tracks, among which were other versions of the songs, outtakes, and live recordings. Another re-release was released in 2008 with nine bonus tracks [25] .
Song List
Original Album
| No | Title | Author | Duration | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| one. | "Departure" | Graham Edge | 0:44 | ||||||
| 2 | "Ride My See-Saw" | John Lodge | 3:39 | ||||||
| 3 | "Dr. Livingstone, I Presume » | Ray thomas | Two to three | ||||||
| four. | "House of Four Doors" | Lodge | 4:12 | ||||||
| five. | "Legend of a Mind" | Thomas | 6:36 | ||||||
| 6 | "House of Four Doors, Part 2" | Lodge | 1:50 | ||||||
| 7 | "Voices in the Sky" | Justin hayward | 3:28 | ||||||
| eight. | "The Best Way to Travel" | Mike pinder | 3:14 | ||||||
| 9. | "Visions of Paradise" | Thomas Hayward | Quarter past four | ||||||
| ten. | "The Actor" | Hayward | 4:39 | ||||||
| eleven. | "The Word" | Edge | 0:48 | ||||||
| 12. | "Om" | Pinder | 5:45 | ||||||
| 42:03 | |||||||||
Bonus Tracks on the 2006 Edition
Other versions of songs from the album and live recordings of these songs were presented on the CD. As well as four songs that were not presented on the original album.
| No | Title | Author | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| one. | "What Am I Doing Here?" | Hayward | 3:54 |
| 2 | "A Simple Game" (OutTake) | Pinder | 3:27 |
| 3 | "King And Queen" (outtime) | Hayward | 3:53 |
| four. | "Tuesday Afternoon" (BBC Afternoon Pop Show Session) | Hayward | 3:24 |
Musical style and theme of songs
| Fragment of the song "Legend of Mind" | |
| Replay Assistance | |
| Fragment of the song "Om" | |
The song reflects the influence of Eastern music on the album. | |
| Replay Assistance | |
In Search of the Lost Chord is a concept album built around the themes of a person’s spiritual development, searches and discoveries [5] . The title of the disc itself, In Search of the Lost Chord , reflects this concept, and the list of musicians is entitled “Expedition Members” [3] . In Search of the Lost Chord presents the materialism of an industrial society as one of the reasons for a person’s lack of spirituality, and suggests using music, hallucinogens and transcendental meditation as steps towards achieving spiritual perfection [4] [5] . Bass guitarist John Lodge says: “The message of our album was this: if you can find the last chord, then you can probably answer the question of what life is.” In the words of Classic Rock journalist Rob Hughes, “ In Search of the Lost Chord was a collection of philosophical and spiritual ideas that supposed both to achieve enlightenment and a new lifestyle” [11] .
Allmusic critic Bruce Eder notes that “on the In Search of the Lost Chord the mellotron became the main instrument and part of their signature sound.” According to him, the recording is a beautiful and strange mixture of typically British songs and Oriental motifs [13] .
"Lost Chord" is mentioned at the end of the first track "Departure", a poem written by Graham Egem . It begins with a vague mutter and ends with a hysterical laugh. A poem is an introduction to the next composition “Ride My See-Saw”, rich in vocal harmonies [26] . This composition is still included in the set-lists of the concerts of the group. As a rule, her musicians complete their performances [27] .
The third track on the album “Dr. Livingstone, I Presume ”describes a person’s constant desire to find and discover. In the text, besides David Livingstone , Captain Scott and Christopher Columbus are also mentioned.
In John Lodge's “House of Four Doors”, according to Rob Hughes, “ baroque classicism and dreams in the style of the Beatles are blended”. Lodge says: “I wanted to write a song that would show how you could live your life. As life goes forward, you encounter doors that can be opened, or you can ignore. ” [11]
“Legend of Mind” is dedicated to the American psychologist Timothy Leary . The song also mentions the Tibetan Book of the Dead . According to Ray Thomas, the composition was not at all serious, but mockingly - ironic . Justin Hayward confirms that it was a joking tribute to those times [11] . The middle of the track contains Thomas's two-minute solo on the flute . The song is about traveling on the astral plane , which can be interpreted as an acid trip . The music uses the Mixolydian mode , which is close to the musical frets used in rage [28] .
"The Best Way To Travel" tells the story of interstellar travel. The main character of the song flies through the universe in the rays of light [11] .
“Visions of Paradise” was written by Hayward and Thomas and is one of the first compositions they wrote together. Hayward wrote the music, and Thomas composed poems, which reflect his idea of paradise [11] .
“The Actor” is a slow ballad written by Hayward, which tells of unhappy love [11] .
“The Word” is another poem by Graham Edge, which is read by Mike Pinder and which goes to the final track “Om”. The poem reveals that the “lost chord” is the mantra Om [11] .
Cover
The cover for the disc was painted by artist Philip Travers, who for some time collaborated with the label Decca Records. According to him, the musicians wanted the meditation process on the cover. For a long time, Travers failed to adequately depict what was required. When the deadlines for the work had come to an end, the artist recalled the moment when he was listening to the album in the control room. It was separated from the studio by a large glass window, on the surface of which several of its reflections appeared simultaneously, as if it was floating in space, rising higher and higher. This moment formed the basis of the illustration. The drawing was made mainly in gouache and watercolor . Occasionally, Travers used spray cans [29] .
The envelope spread shows a geometric figure called Sri Yantra . Such figures are used in meditation, as an addition to mantras. This once again confirms the influence of Eastern philosophy on the album [3] .
The drawing of Travers has become one of the most famous album covers of the late 60s [30] .
The image, in a slightly modified form, the pilot of the 336th attack helicopter company, Bill Coleman, drew on the nose of his UH-1 C helicopter, which took part in the Vietnam War [31] .
Reviews
Rolling Stone magazine critic Jim Miller highlights the high quality of record production. In general, he calls the album controversial, as illustrated by the song “Legend of Mind”, which, in his opinion, combines beautiful and interesting music, and crazy lyrics. According to Miller, the most powerful compositions on the disc are “Ride My See-Saw” and “Dr. Livingstone, I Presume. He also points out the great singing of Justin Hayward in the song “The Actor”. The main advantages of In Search of the Lost Chord, Miller calls pleasant music and beautiful singing, and disadvantages - a terrible concept and weak lyrics [2] .
Allmusic critic Bruce Eder put the album 3 stars out of 5 and claims that the album was “one big group experiment with all the tools that could be found, which makes the album look like the Beatles records of those years. He also calls the album beautiful and elegant and highlights the songs “Ride My See-Saw”, “Legend of Mind” and “The Actor” [1] .
Classic Rock journalist Rob Hughes calls In Search of the Lost Chord a unique album, which even now looks extremely convincing [11] .
The musicians themselves speak positively about their work. Justin Hayward says that there is naivety in it that has not lost its charm over time, and that the group was able to express what they wanted to say. Graham Edge confirms that they have managed to embody all their intentions and dreams [11] .
Ratings and Lists
| Edition | A country | Rating / List | Year | A source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zig zag | Great Britain | 100 most important rock albums | 1975 | [32] |
| Virgin books | 1000 albums of all time (502nd place) | 2000 | [33] | |
| Record collector | 21 classic prog rock album | 2000 | [34] | |
| Top 20 Prog Rock Albums | 2004 | [34] | ||
| 100 greatest psychedelic records | 2005 | [34] | ||
| Q | 40 space albums (37th place) | 2005 | [35] |
Impact
Cover songs with In Search of the Lost Chord were released on the albums Bongwater [36] and Timothy Leary [37] .
The American tribute band Moody Bluegrass, performing the songs of The Moody Blues in the style of bluegrass , recorded two CDs with cover versions of The Moody Blues songs, including songs with In Search of the Lost Chord [38] [39] .
Charts and certifications
Album
| Year | A country | Chart | Position | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Great Britain | UK Albums Chart | 5 [6] [17] | |
| Germany | Media control charts | 30 [7] | ||
| Canada | RPM | 37 [18] | Platinum [10] | |
| USA | Billboard 200 | 23 [8] | Golden [9] |
Singles
| Year | A country | Title | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Great Britain | "Voices in the Sky" | UK Singles Chart | 27 [6] [19] |
| "Ride My See-Saw" | 42 [6] [20] | |||
| Netherlands | Dutch Top 40 | 12 [21] | ||
| USA | Billboard hot 100 | 61 [8] |
Record Members
Musicians
- Justin Hayward - vocals , acoustic guitar , electric guitar , twelve-string guitar , sitar , tabla , piano , mellotron , harpsichord , bass guitar , percussion
- Mike Pinder - vocals, mellotron, piano, harpsichord, autoarp , cello , tanpura , acoustic guitar, bass guitar, lyrics on “The Word”
- John Lodge - vocals, bass guitar, cello, tambourine , acoustic guitar
- Ray Thomas - vocals, transverse flute , alto flute , saxophone , horn , oboe
- Graham Edge - drum set , timpani , tabla, tambourine, piano, text on "Departure"
Production
- Tony Clark - Producer
- Derek Warnels - sound engineer
- Adrian Martins - Assistant Sound Engineer
- Philip Travers - clearance
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 Bruce Eder. In Search of the Lost Chord Review (eng.) . Allmusic . The appeal date is September 15, 2013.
- ↑ 1 2 Jim Miller. In Search Of The Lost Chord Review (unavailable link) . Rolling Stone (7 December 1968). Date of circulation is September 25, 2013. Archived February 9, 2009.
- 2 1 2 3 The Moody Blues: Raga Rock Becomes a Cliché / / The Exotic in Western Music / Jonathan Bellman. - UPNE, 1998. - p. 301. - 370 p. - ISBN 1-55553-320-5 .
- ↑ 1 2 Edward Macan. Resistance and Protest in Lyrics // Rocking the Classics: English Progressive Rock and the Counterculture. - Oxford University Press, 1997. - p. 77. - 290 p. - ISBN 0-19-509887-0 .
- ↑ 1 2 3 David Hatch, Stephen Millward. After the Flood // From Blues to Rock: An Analytical History of Pop Music. - Manchester University Press, 1987. - p. 148. - 217 p. - ISBN 0-7190-1489-1 .
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 The Moody Blues Chart History (eng.) . The Official Charts Company . The appeal date is October 2, 2013.
- 2 1 2 3 The Moody Blues, In Search of the Lost Chord (German) (inaccessible link) . Media Control Charts . The date of circulation is September 29, 2013. Archived October 29, 2013.
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 In Search of the Lost Chord Awards (eng.) . Allmusic. The appeal date is September 15, 2013.
- 2 1 2 3 Gold and Platinum Searchable Database (English) . RIAA . The appeal date is September 15, 2013.
- 2 1 2 3 Gold Platinum Database (English) (inaccessible link) . Music Canada . The appeal date is September 15, 2013. Archived September 23, 2013.
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Rob Hughes. Revolution of consciousness // Classic Rock (ru). - 2013. - № 116 . - p. 60 - 65 .
- ↑ Tony Clarke: record producer . The Times (January 30, 2010). The appeal date is November 4, 2013.
- ↑ 1 2 Bruce Eder. The Moody Blues Biography (English) . Allmusic. The appeal date is September 15, 2013.
- ↑ Andy Roberts. Senses Working Overtime // Albion Dreaming: A Popular History of LSD in Britain. - Marshall Cavendish International Asia Pte Ltd, 2012. - P. 134. - ISBN 978-981-4382-16-8 .
- ↑ The Moody Blues - In Search Of The Lost Chord LP (eng.) . Discogs. The appeal date is October 3, 2013.
- Mo The Moody Blues - In Search Of The Lost Chord Cassette (Eng.) . Discogs. The appeal date is October 3, 2013.
- 2 1 2 The Moody Blues - In Search Of The Lost Chord (Eng.) . Chart Archive. The appeal date is September 15, 2013.
- ↑ 1 2 Top 50 Albums (unavailable link) . RPM . The appeal date is September 15, 2013. Archived December 28, 2012.
- ↑ 1 2 The Moody Blues - Voices In The Sky (English) . Chart Archive. The appeal date is September 15, 2013.
- ↑ 1 2 The Moody Blues - Ride My See-Saw (eng.) . Chart Archive. The appeal date is September 15, 2013.
- ↑ 1 2 The Moody Blues - Ride My See-Saw (nid.) . Hung Medien. The appeal date is September 16, 2013.
- Mo The Moody Blues - In Search Of The Lost Chord CD (eng.) . Discogs. The appeal date is October 3, 2013.
- Mo The Moody Blues - In the Search Of The Lost Chord CD Remastered (eng.) . Discogs. The appeal date is October 3, 2013.
- Mo The Moody Blues - In Search Of The Lost Chord (Eng.) . Discogs . The appeal date is September 15, 2013.
- Mo The Moody Blues - In Search Of The Lost Chord CD Reissue 2008 (Eng.) . Discogs. The appeal date is October 3, 2013.
- ↑ Bill Martin. Emergence, 1968 - 1969 // Listening to the Future: The Time of Progressive Rock. - Open Court Publishing, 1998. - p. 165. - 256 p. - ISBN 0-8126-9368-X .
- ↑ Set Lists (English) (inaccessible link) . moodybluestoday.com. The date of circulation is September 16, 2013. Archived September 23, 2013.
- ↑ James E. Peron. Reactional Drug Use // Music of the Counterculture Era. - Greenwood Publishing Group, 2004. - p. 125. - 226 p. - ISBN 0-313-32689-4 .
- ↑ Valery Kucherenko, Denis Bocharov. 50 famous album covers of the 60s // Special Edition Classic Rock (ru) 1960s. - 2010. - № 4 . - p . 119 .
- ↑ Album Cover Art . - ABC-CLIO, 2012. - p. 214. - 295 p. - ISBN 978-0-313-37906-2 .
- ↑ John Brennan. Helicopter Nose Art Brough Home // Vietnam War Helicopter Art: US Army Rotor Aircraft. - Stackpole Books, 1987. - p. 191. - 199 p. - ISBN 978-0-8117-1031-2 .
- ↑ One Hundred Essential Rock Albums (English) . rocklistmusic.co.uk. The appeal date is October 2, 2013.
- ↑ The Virgin All-Time Album Top 1000 List - 2000 (Eng.) . rocklistmusic.co.uk. The appeal date is October 2, 2013.
- ↑ 1 2 3 Record Collector Lists (English) . rocklistmusic.co.uk. The appeal date is October 3, 2013.
- ↑ 40 Cosmic Rock Albums . rocklistmusic.co.uk. The appeal date is September 15, 2013.
- ↑ Breaking No New Ground! EP (English) . Allmusic. The appeal date is September 19, 2013.
- ↑ Stephen Thomas Erlewine. Beyond Life with Timothy Leary (English) . Allmusic. The appeal date is September 19, 2013.
- ↑ James Christopher Monger. Moody Bluegrass: A Nashville Tribute to the Moody Blues (English) . Allmusic. The appeal date is September 18, 2013.
- ↑ Moody Bluegrass Two ... Much Love (English) . Allmusic. The appeal date is September 18, 2013.
Links
- In Search of the Lost Chord (eng.) On the AllMusic website (tested October 3, 2013) .
- In Search of the Lost Chord on Discogs
- In Search of the Lost Chord at Last.fm
- In Search Of The Lost Chord (English) on the MusicBrainz website
- In Search Of The Lost Chord (English) on Rate Your Music
- Lyrics (English) . lyrics.rockmagic.net. The appeal date is October 3, 2013.