Winter/Christmas Album says Lodge in Edmonton Journal

Date: Sat, 21 Jun 2003 18:16:16 GMT
Newsgroups: alt.music.moody-blues
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The greying of the Blues
Sandra Sperounes
The Edmonton Journal
Saturday, June 21, 2003
CONCERT PREVIEW
The Moody Blues
When: Tonight, doors at 7, show at 8
Where: Skyreach Centre
Tickets: $49.50 and $59.50 at TicketMaster (451-8000)
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EDMONTON - Listening to John Lodge of the Moody Blues can improve your golf
swing.
It's not a scientifically proven fact, but the rock group's 57-year-old
bassist and composer of Ride My See-Saw swears by his claim. Lodge, with the
assistance of pro golfer Walter Keller, once wrote music to match the motion
of the perfect tee shot. The 1992 recording, Rhythm of the Swing, is no
longer available, but he plans to reprint copies and sell them through his
own Web site, www.johnlodge.com.
"I videoed Walter's swing and then I wrote two tunes with the swing," says
Lodge. "So, if you could get these tunes into your mind, it just lulled you
into the right sense of playing golf. It seems to work. I actually use it
myself. I can't believe it. It does work. And what's really good is a lot of
people have told me they'll listen to the music when they don't have time to
practice their swing or go to the driving range."
As duffers like to perfect their techniques, Moody fans are also sticklers
for precision. Especially when it comes to 1967's Days of Future Passed, one
of the first orchestral-rock albums ever recorded. A few years ago, the
Moody Blues re-issued it on CD, prompting hundreds of e-mails and letters
from loyalists who were upset with the mix of Nights In White Satin, one of
the British group's best known, and shmaltziest, ballads.
"There's an extra snare drum on the CD mix and we got so many letters," says
Lodge. "It's just amazing. It's good to think people are so involved with
the music that they know it inside and out."
After more than 35 years together, Lodge, guitarist Justin Hayward and
drummer Graeme Edge also know their songs inside, outside, upside down, to
quote the Berenstain Bears. (Flutist Ray Thomas recently left the band
because he doesn't like touring, according to Lodge.) But these particular
Blues brothers aren't satisfied with rehashing such hits as Nights In White
Satin, Tuesday Afternoon, I'm Just A Singer (In A Rock 'n' Roll Band),
Isn't Life Strange? and Your Wildest Dreams on a nightly basis. Four years
ago, the Moody Blues released a new studio album, Strange Times and in 2001,
composed the soundtrack for an Imax film, Journey Into Amazing Caves.
"They showed us the movie, we liked it very much and then they asked us if
we'd like to do the music," says Lodge. "It was as simple as that. And, of
course, like on all film projects, they want all the music recorded and
edited by last week. It was a very fast project."
Once the Moody Blues finish their current tour, the trio plan on returning
to a studio in Genoa, Italy, to finish up their next album. Lodge says
they're aiming for a fall release.
"It'll be a Christmas/winter album," he says. "It'll be really interesting,
but it'll still sound like the Moody Blues. That's who we are."
email-address-deleted
© Copyright 2003 Edmonton Journal
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Dieu est bon
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