The Moody Blues

The Moody Blues

對英式搖滾，總覺得就是比美式的多那麼一點情有獨鍾。

稱得上「交響搖滾」(Symphonic Rock)先趨的英國樂團「The Moody Blues」，六0年代初期在伯明罕成軍。

這個團的起源最早是由 Ray Thomas、John Lodge 及 Michael Pinder 所組的一個小樂團「El Riot & the Rebels」，但是卻在 John Lodge 去唸大學、Michael Pinder 當兵後暫時離散；Michael Pinder 退伍後再度加入一直在樂界奮鬥的 Ray Thomas 當時的樂團「Krew Cats」，獲得不錯的評價，後來加入了新成員 Denny Laine、Graeme Edge 與 Clint Warwick，他們在倫敦各地演唱，被經紀公司「Decca Records」發掘後簽下，1964年發行第一首單曲「Steal Your Heart Away」，收錄在1965年第一張、曲風 R&B 的專輯「Go Now」當中。

Go Now (1965)

在這之後，新成員 Denny Laine 與 Clint Warwick 分別離隊，直到1966年，本來在「The Wilde Three」樂團、喜歡也表演美式藍調的 Justin Hayward 被邀請加入成為主唱之一，也把唸大學的 John Lodge 請回，正式開始為樂團的事業衝刺。

第一張專輯所帶來的好評，使得「Decca」唱片公司願意投資更多金錢讓他們能做更多元化的嘗試，在製作人 Tony Clark 與團員的腦力激盪下，終於在1967年他們完成了「以一日的時間順序為曲目編排」的概念專輯「Days Of Future Passed」，也請來「The London Festival Orchestra」(倫敦假日管絃樂團) 的 Peter Knight 為該專輯作曲、指揮及伴奏；迥異於第一張R&B風格，這張專輯從第一首開始的「The Day Begins」到結尾的最後一首「The Night」，每首歌代表各個時辰、都有不同韻味，「The Night」的副標題即為當時排行榜第二名、七0年代各大校園慢舞時間必播的「Nights In White Satin」，也是最能代表本團紓緩、悲傷、悠遠的中版搖滾典型風格：前二十秒管絃樂點出夜晚情境，隨後由樂團帶入樂曲主題，弦樂成為輔助。兩分二十秒後又由清亮的笛音滑入後三分鐘的重複部份，並加入大合唱。最後兩分鐘主唱 Justin 由高亢轉為低沈的嗓音，與氣勢雄偉至低迴不已的管絃音色相得益彰。最後在鑼鼓聲中結束淒冷美麗的七分二十四秒，也為整張專輯作了一個美好的結束。

Days Of Future Passed (1967)
封面繪圖: David Anstey

專輯曲目
1. The Day Begins
2. Dawn: Dawn Is A feeling
3. The Morning: Another Morning
4. Lunch Break: Peak Hour
5. The Afternoon: Forever Afternoon (Tuesday?)
6. Evening: The Sun Set: Twilight Time
7. The Night: Nights In White Satin

Nights In White Satin (1967)

Written by Justin Hayward and Graeme Edge

Nights in white satin,
Never reaching the end,
Letters I've written,
Never meaning to send.

Beauty I'd always missed,
With these eyes before,
Just what the truth is
I can't say anymore.

'Cause I love you,
Yes, I love you,
Oh, how, I love you.

Gazing at people,
Some hand in hand,
Just what I'm going thru,
They can understand.

Some try to tell me,
Thoughts they cannot defend,
Just what you want to be
You will be in the end,

And I love you,
Yes, I love you,
Oh, how, I love you.
Oh, how, I love you.

Nights in white satin,
Never reaching the end,
Letters I've written,
Never meaning to send.

Beauty I'd always missed
With these eyes before,
Just what the truth is
I can't say anymore.

'Cause I love you,
Yes, I love you,
Oh, how, I love you.
Oh, how, I love you.

'Cause I love you,
Yes, I love you,
Oh, how, I love you.
Oh, how, I love you.

(OS:)
Breathe deep the gathering gloom
Watch lights fade from every room
Bedsitter people look back and lament
Another day's useless energy spent

Impassioned lovers wrestle as one
Lonely man cries for love and has none
New mother picks up and suckles her son
Senior citizens wish they were young
Cold hearted orb that rules the night

Removes the colours from our sight
Red is grey and yellow white
But we decide which is right
And which is an illusion???

白緞般光澤的夜永遠不會結束
寫好的信從來不曾寄出
我時常懷念著的美女眼神如舊
而事實上我再也無法訴說

因為我愛妳
沒錯，我愛妳
我是多麼的愛著妳

凝望著手牽手的人們
他們無法了解我經歷過的事
有人試著告訴我
他們也無法辯解的想法
最後你終將成為你想要成為的那個人

我愛妳
沒錯，我愛妳
我是多麼的愛妳
我是多麼的愛著妳

白緞般光澤的夜永遠不會結束
寫好的信從來不曾寄出
我時常懷念著的美女眼神如舊
而事實上我再也無法訴說

因為我愛妳
沒錯，我愛妳
我是多麼的愛妳
我是多麼的愛著妳

因為我愛妳
沒錯，我愛妳
我是多麼的愛妳
我是多麼的愛著妳

(口白:)
幽暗中深深地呼吸
望著每個房間的光線逐漸黯淡
房裡的人們追憶且哀歎著
又是毫無意義的一天過去了

激亢的戀人們扭成一起
孤獨的人為了逝去的愛哭泣
新生兒的母親抱起他哺乳
老年人希望他們還年輕著
鐵石心腸的星球照常支配著夜晚

從我們的視覺中將顏色取消
紅色是灰色和黃色白色
但憑我們決定哪個是正確的
而哪個才是幻覺???

至此，「The Moody Blues」的歷史地位在近代英國音樂與前衛搖滾之間，在七0年代初期商業與樂評之間，都達到高峰，而且直到近年都持續活動著。他們善於利用先進錄音室設備創造出繁複的效果(弦樂、鍵盤、音效)，運用各樣嚴肅的主題概念來推展其理念(反戰、環保、人性)，他們強調的是詩詞與旋律同時進行的「搖滾音樂」，當中豐富的素材、美妙的旋律、詩化的意境，的確令人有「古老悠揚」之感。

Long Distance Voyager  (1981)

The Voice  (1981)

Won't you take me back to school
I need to learn the golden rule
Won't you lay it on the line
I need to hear it just one more time
Oh won't you tell me again
Can you feel it
Won't you tell me again
Tonight

Each and every heart it seems
Is bounded by a world of dreams
Each and every rising sun
Is greeted by a lonely one
Oh won't you tell me again
Can you feel it
Oh won't you tell me again
Tonight

'Cos out on the ocean of life my love
There's so many storms we must rise above
Can you hear the spirit calling
As it's carried across the waves
You're already falling
It's calling you back to face the music
And the song that is coming through
You're already falling
The one that it's calling you

Make a promise take a vow
And trust your feelings it's easy now
Understand the voice within
And feel the changes already beginning
Oh won't you tell me again
Can you feel it
Won't you tell me again
Tonight

And how many words have I got to say
And how many times will it be this way
With your arms around the future
And your back up against the past
You're already falling it's calling you
On to face the music
And the song that is coming through
You're already falling
The one it's calling is you

Each and every heart it seems
Is bounded by a world of dreams
Each and every rising sun
Is greeted by a lonely one
Won't you tell me again
Can you feel it
Oh won't you tell me again
Tonight

The Other Side Of Life  (1986)

Your Wildest Dreams (1986)

Once upon a time
Once when you were mine
I remember skies
Reflected in your eyes
I wonder where you are
I wonder if you
Think about me
Once upon a time
In your wildest dreams

Once the world was new
Our bodies felt the morning dew
That greets the brand new day
We couldn't tear ourselves away
I wonder if you care
I wonder if you still remember
Once upon a time
In your wildest dreams

And when the music plays
And when the words are
Touched with sorrow
When the music plays
I hear the sound
I had to follow
Once upon a time
Once beneath the stars
The universe was ours
Love was all we knew
And all I knew was you
I wonder if you know
I wonder if you think about it
Once upon a time
In your wildest dreams

And when the music plays
And when the words are
Touched with sorrow
When the music plays
And when the music plays
I hear the sound
I had to follow
Once upon a time

Once upon a time
Once when you were mine
I remember skies
Mirrored in your eyes
I wonder where you are
I wonder if you
Think about me
Once upon a time
In your wildest dreams
In your wildest dreams
In your wildest dreams

P.S.
1988年張學友「似曾相識」專輯中第10首「昨夜夢魂中」，便是翻唱自「Nights In White Satin」：

張學友 - 昨夜夢魂中 (1989) 

作詞：方中禮　作曲：Justin Hayward

午夜的鐘聲　激盪飄零的心
驚醒我的夢　悄悄帶走你的面容
失落的情衷　穿梭追逐人群
再回首前塵　留不住往事已成空
Cause' I Love You　 Yes I Love You
OH ~ I Love You　OH ~

破碎的聲音　是你冷冷的心
炙熱的眼神　剎那間淚濕已朦朧
Why I Love You　 Why I Love You
OH ~ I Love You　OH ~

孤單的身影　天天孤單的等
無盡的深情　層層消逝在風雨中
And I Love You　 Yes I Love You
OH ~ I Love You　OH ~ I Love You

The Moody Blues 專輯列表
1965：Go Now! 
1967：Days of Future Passed 
1968：In Search of the Lost Chord 
1969：On the Threshold of a Dream
1969：To Our Children's Children's Children
1970：A Question of Balance 
1971：Every Good Boy Deserves Favour 
1972：Seventh Sojourn 
1974：This Is The Moody Blues (Compilation double album)
1977：Caught Live + 5 
1978：Octave 
1979：Blue
1979：A Dream
1981：Long Distance Voyager 
1983：The Present
1986：The Other Side of Life 
1987：Prelude (Compilation of 1967-69 odds & ends) 
1988：Sur La Mer 
1988：The Magnificent Moodies
1990：Legend Of A Band
1991：Keys of the Kingdom 
1993：A NIGHT AT RED ROCKS (with the Colorado Symphony) 
1994：Time Traveller 
1999：Strange Times 
2000：Hall Of Fame - Live at the Royal Albert Hall 
2001：Journey Into Amazing Caves (Imax movie soundtrack) 
2003：December 
2005：Lovely to See You: Live from the Greek (Live concert 2CD)