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One must give the Moody Blues credit for tenacity and a single-pointed focus. For 37 years they've put forth a startlingly consistent series of themes: optimism, a kind of blind-faith spirituality that the universe is in good hands and that people are by and large decent and kind, and love songs that can be a bit twee, but nonetheless connect when one is in the emotional space to hear them. Their music has always been intimate and pretentious in the best sense of the words. December is the Moodies' first Christmas album. The classic lineup has been whittled down to three: John Lodge, Justin Hayward, and Graeme Edge; Ray Thomas decided to call it quitsin 2002. The band is augmented by unofficial member and producer Danilo Madonia in the studio. This is the most curious of Christmas recordings. December is an album about the spirit of Christmas but, with its lack of carols (though it does feature Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" near the end), it sounds more like another chapter in the Moody Blues' legend, and that's exactly what it is. Like many Moody Blues records since the 1980s, the original songs are nostalgic, pointing listeners back to memories of an idyllic past when things were simpler, and toward the hope that social and spiritual renewal are just around the corner. The set features a number of Hayward and Lodge originals, obscure and traditional Anglo folk songs, a transposed piece by Bach, and a cover of John Lennon and Yoko Ono's "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" -- alas, if only that were true. If you're a fan or a detractor, you already know what the album sounds like. Unpredictability left the band's vocabulary in the 1970s, but that doesn't mean that this collection is without merit. For starters, it is one of the most original Christmas albums you'll hear all year. There is no new age drivel here; its topics and themes are indeed Christian, but weigh on the side of those that are universally held: brotherhood, compassion, hope, goodwill, and generosity. In addition, it's beautifully orchestrated and produced. Its sound is pristine, and Hayward and Lodge with their trademark elegance sound as if they mean every word they write and sing. And it's easy to believe that. It most certainly is sentimental and lush, and has nothing whatsoever to do with rock & roll, but that hardly matters. As the latest Moody Blues album, it likely lives up to fans' expectations; as a holiday recording, it's unlike anything else out there.
© Thom Jurek /TiVo
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John Lodge, Producer - Justin Hayward, Producer, ComposerLyricist - The Moody Blues, MainArtist - Alberto Parodi, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Danilo Madonia, Keyboards, Unknown, Other, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2003 Universal Music TV, a division of Universal Music Operations Ltd.
John Lodge, Producer - Justin Hayward, Producer, ComposerLyricist - The Moody Blues, MainArtist - Alberto Parodi, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Danilo Madonia, Keyboards, Unknown, Other, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2003 Universal Music TV, a division of Universal Music Operations Ltd.
Johann Sebastian Bach, ComposerLyricist - John Lodge, Producer, Arranger, Work Arranger - Justin Hayward, Producer, Arranger, Work Arranger - The Moody Blues, MainArtist - Alberto Parodi, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Danilo Madonia, Keyboards, Unknown, Other, AssociatedPerformer - Norda Mullen, Flute, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2003 Universal Music TV, a division of Universal Music Operations Ltd.
John Lodge, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Justin Hayward, Producer - The Moody Blues, MainArtist - Alberto Parodi, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Danilo Madonia, Keyboards, Unknown, Other, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2003 Universal Music TV, a division of Universal Music Operations Ltd.
John Lennon, Composer - Yoko Ono, Composer - John Lodge, Producer - Justin Hayward, Producer - The Moody Blues, MainArtist - Alberto Parodi, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Danilo Madonia, Keyboards, Unknown, Other, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2003 Universal Music TV, a division of Universal Music Operations Ltd.
Mike Batt, ComposerLyricist - Tim Rice, ComposerLyricist - John Lodge, Producer - Justin Hayward, Producer - The Moody Blues, MainArtist - Alberto Parodi, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Danilo Madonia, Keyboards, Unknown, Other, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2003 Universal Music TV, a division of Universal Music Operations Ltd.
John Lodge, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Justin Hayward, Producer - The Moody Blues, MainArtist - Alberto Parodi, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Danilo Madonia, Keyboards, Unknown, Other, AssociatedPerformer - Norda Mullen, Flute, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2003 Universal Music TV, a division of Universal Music Operations Ltd.
John Lodge, Producer - Justin Hayward, Producer, ComposerLyricist - The Moody Blues, MainArtist - Alberto Parodi, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Danilo Madonia, Keyboards, Unknown, Other, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2003 Universal Music TV, a division of Universal Music Operations Ltd.
Zacar, Composer - Fred Jay, Translator - John Lodge, Producer - Justin Hayward, Producer - The Moody Blues, MainArtist - Alberto Parodi, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Danilo Madonia, Keyboards, Unknown, Other, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2003 Universal Music TV, a division of Universal Music Operations Ltd.
Irving Berlin, ComposerLyricist - John Lodge, Producer - Justin Hayward, Producer - The Moody Blues, MainArtist - Alberto Parodi, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Danilo Madonia, Keyboards, Unknown, Other, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2003 Universal Music TV, a division of Universal Music Operations Ltd.
Gustav Holst, Composer - Christina Rossetti, Author - John Lodge, Producer - Justin Hayward, Producer - The Moody Blues, MainArtist - Alberto Parodi, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Danilo Madonia, Keyboards, Unknown, Other, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2003 Universal Music TV, a division of Universal Music Operations Ltd.
Album review
One must give the Moody Blues credit for tenacity and a single-pointed focus. For 37 years they've put forth a startlingly consistent series of themes: optimism, a kind of blind-faith spirituality that the universe is in good hands and that people are by and large decent and kind, and love songs that can be a bit twee, but nonetheless connect when one is in the emotional space to hear them. Their music has always been intimate and pretentious in the best sense of the words. December is the Moodies' first Christmas album. The classic lineup has been whittled down to three: John Lodge, Justin Hayward, and Graeme Edge; Ray Thomas decided to call it quitsin 2002. The band is augmented by unofficial member and producer Danilo Madonia in the studio. This is the most curious of Christmas recordings. December is an album about the spirit of Christmas but, with its lack of carols (though it does feature Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" near the end), it sounds more like another chapter in the Moody Blues' legend, and that's exactly what it is. Like many Moody Blues records since the 1980s, the original songs are nostalgic, pointing listeners back to memories of an idyllic past when things were simpler, and toward the hope that social and spiritual renewal are just around the corner. The set features a number of Hayward and Lodge originals, obscure and traditional Anglo folk songs, a transposed piece by Bach, and a cover of John Lennon and Yoko Ono's "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" -- alas, if only that were true. If you're a fan or a detractor, you already know what the album sounds like. Unpredictability left the band's vocabulary in the 1970s, but that doesn't mean that this collection is without merit. For starters, it is one of the most original Christmas albums you'll hear all year. There is no new age drivel here; its topics and themes are indeed Christian, but weigh on the side of those that are universally held: brotherhood, compassion, hope, goodwill, and generosity. In addition, it's beautifully orchestrated and produced. Its sound is pristine, and Hayward and Lodge with their trademark elegance sound as if they mean every word they write and sing. And it's easy to believe that. It most certainly is sentimental and lush, and has nothing whatsoever to do with rock & roll, but that hardly matters. As the latest Moody Blues album, it likely lives up to fans' expectations; as a holiday recording, it's unlike anything else out there.
© Thom Jurek /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 11 track(s)
- Total length: 00:41:58
- Main artists: The Moody Blues
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: UMC (Universal Music Catalogue)
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock
© 2003 Universal Music TV, a division of Universal Music Operations Ltd. ℗ 2003 Universal Music TV, a division of Universal Music Operations Ltd.
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