it's very nice that you stepped into your stepdad's shoes. Technology has expanded so much and so fast that one can not see what was lost. Outside of the Eagles and the Beatles, I, myself can't relate but I know who the others were. Needle in the groove. Looking at album covers while you didn't know what to say. The tube amps and crackling of the vinyl, (Hopefully not too much) and no ear bud people around you. People came together over music because there were no other alternatives. But that connected us. And the Moodies, well, they asked many questions that went through many of our minds. Imagine how fewer satellites there were in the sky? If one got off of their treadmill long enough, they could feel the world turning; feel the atmosphere changing. And whatever governments were doing...we the people, really didn't hear much about it. In a way, the artists, songsmiths, etc. were what we absorbed the most of in our spare time. As a poet since 1970 the Moody Blues brought me a timeless, (Yet one goes back to the days they first heard the songs) layered, multi-harmonic, musical expression that enlightened and connected many, many people in our common human experiences and dreams.

The Moody Blues aren't just music, they are a religious experience. (The core 7 albums, Days Of Future Past through Seventh Sojourn are the tops)

"Epic" is a good word to describe the Moody Blues. There's an absolute treasure trove of material to explore. Many of their albums are concept albums that are amazing when listened to in their entirety.

"Days of Future Passed" the entire album. It will blow your mind, dude!

I first heard this song in the 70's. my friends would all listen to the Moodies, headphones on and just rocking back and forth to the beat, and the identical introspective look on our faces to yours. Any songs or albums of the Moody Blues had that effect. Start out with Days of Future Passed, a concept album based on "a day in the life..." and go on from there. You wont be disappointed!

Also my dad's favourite band. Days of Future Past is a masterpiece, recorded, as Steven Wilson might say, in 1967. It is worth a deep dive. Their albums all the way up to the early eighties contained magic. But that album - do it. Thank me (and step-dad, and my dad) afta!

Good on your step dad! Pass great music down to your kids. The album Days of Future Passed (1967!) started my lifelong love of prog.

They truly are My Favorite Group. Michael Pinder was just incredible as an Artist. He was truly a Gift to the World.

the first few albums are concept albums, so should be listened from start to finish. the sounds you cant decide on what made them are made by the mellotron, except the obvious sounding ones, guitar, flute, drums and many more. Mike Pinder sang this song and also plays the mellotron on all the records he made with them. every LP IS a journey through life.

You are not mistaken. It is incredible. The Moody Blues are my favorite too. The last 3 tracks on their long distance voyager album is absolutely incredible.

Tuesday Afternoon and Nights in White Satin are the two Moody blues songs that got the lion's share of radio play in America. I am an old fan like your step father. They were definitely progressive rock (my favorite genre of modern music). Pleased that you enjoyed them Tommy.

I did a search on "Moody Blues React" and it was so good to find Melancholy Man amidst all the Nights in White Satin (which is great, but there are many other great Moodies songs with trying). Lots of good comments here too. Let me affirm that the best way to travel with this band is with a whole album in one sitting - they're designed that way, even down to a lot of tracks being blended together in the original mix. The very best Moody Blues experience comes from the classic 7 albums from 1967 (Days of Future Passed) to 1972 (Seventh Sojourn) - yep, 7 amazing albums in 6 years! Finally, of these, my personal favourite: the 1968 sublime "In Search of the Lost Chord". Best audio gear engaged, headphones on, uninterrupted whole album. Bliss. Oh, and on the subject of vocals . . . 4 of the 5 could sing, and typically they simply took lead vocals for their own song material. It was a fairly even mix in the 68-72 period, but after a break, from 78 onwards, it slowly became mostly Hayward.

I first heard the Moodies when I was 10 in the late sixties and I'm still listening to them. An amazing group and a great reaction!

Love it! I’m a huge fan of The Moody Blues especially their older albums 💜👏🏼song with meaning 🤗

They have so many great songs but Melancholy Man is definitely one of my favorites by the Moody Blues. I believe it was Mike Pinder who was the lead vocals on this song but Justin Hayward usually is the lead singer. However several of the band members have taken the lead vocals on a song or two.

P.S. the middle part you spoke about was the mellotron played by Mike Pinder and those high vocal notes were John Lodge

Many think of these guys as the top prog rock band. With me and my dad, I was the one who turned him onto the Moody Blues, and many other bands from that era. He loved them, too! My dad was a mathematician and an enlightened soul, RIP. And to yours, too. We used to sail around the Hawaiian islands on my dad's trimaran that was also our home. What days the 70s were! This is probably their most sad and depressing song, although beautiful, as well. I would suggest 'Nights in White Satin', (their biggest hit song). And 'Legend of a Mind'. The whole Children's Children's Children album. And in fact all of their first 7 albums, not counting 'Go Now'.

I don't think anyone is quite like them. This album and On the Threshold of a Dream are my favourites. But there are good songs elsewhere too such as Watching and Waiting and New Horizons. The lyrics and music can become epic, here it's like there's a choir of voices.

Moodies is the best Band ever!!! I start listing to them in the late 60ish and never looked back. you should start listing to their albums and you will never go back to the trash they producing today! Moodies forever and ever!!

Welcome to Prog Rock 101! These guys will knock your socks off! Check out their deep track Watching and Waiting...it's a spiritual song in so many ways..hint, I hear my last dog Seamus speak to me in that one...

Rarely have I clicked on a link so fast!! One of my top Moody Blues songs!! Sounds like your step-dad had a fantastic taste in music! Indeed strange that he didn't want to hear the Moodies in any other medium but vinyl?! (I can't entirely blame him though - I spin my Moodies vinyl VERY regularly, and it's magnificent!) You unfortunately missed out! This is a wonderful band, and very well worth a journey down that rabbit hole. As I'm a Moodies nut, just a bit of facts for you. This song is written (& sung) by their keyboardist, Mike Pinder. He was (is) a genius on the mellotron/hammond organ/synths - and what you are hearing is much of that genius! Justin Hayward is guitarist/vocals (amazing voice!), John Lodge is bass/vocals (his is the falsetto that you hear in the song - probably one of the best falsettos in the 70's, on par with Roger Taylor of Queen), Ray Thomas on flute/vocals (he does some really beautiful, whimsical songs), Graeme Edge on drums (he also is their poem writer - as you delve into their catalogue, many albums have a poem or two by him, usually spoken by Mike Pinder). 4 of the 5 sing, and they're all incredible - and their harmonies are glorious! Psychedelic rock would be the most fitting 'genre' to place them in. You'll hear sitar & middle eastern influenced sounds, orchestral sounds (oft presented by Mike's mellotron) and a marvelous array of great lyricism - much of it centred around peace, love & expanding one's mind! Far too many songs (pretty much anything from their first seven albums are perfection!), but here's something to start you off: The Story In Your Eyes (great rocker, sung by Justin) Gypsy (Of A Strange & Distant Time) (another great rocker by Justin) I'm Just A Singer (In A Rock & Roll Band) (rocker sung by John) Lovely To See You Question (same album as Melancholy Man - Question of Balance - entire album is amazing!) Are You Sitting Comfortably? Legend Of A Mind (sung by Ray) Eternity Road (Ray) Candle Of Life (John) Your Wildest Dreams (Justin - probably their best 80's track) And if you're up for it, I highly suggest a full album reaction to Days Of Future Passed. Considered one of the first 'concept' albums, and one of the first rock albums to incorporate an orchestra. Standout tracks from this album are Nights In White Satin (you may already know this track - ultimate love song!), Tuesday Afternoon, Twilight Time. The 'concept' is basically a day in the life. Starts in the dawn and goes through morning, lunch, afternoon, evening, night. BEAUTIFUL masterpiece!! Sorry to be so long-winded, but this is a group that has had a significant role in my life and love of music. Enjoy - you won't ever regret it!!

I'm an electric guitar freak but Melancholy Man proves that great acoustic tone and playing have no substitute to express certain moods.

Really like your video❤ 1970 at home sick didn't know what to do Mother in Kitchen cooking so I put this album on it was from my big sister😊 could not believe what I heard first time I heard really good stereo I was hooked then Play last week and still hooked zijn so good after all those years keep up the good work love your video🎉😂❤

9:02 The Moody Blues have been loved by my generation (I’m 69) on up for all of what you touch on and more. They are trained musicians, I believe, and we’re one of the first to incorporate the London Symphony Orchestra, in a wonderful way. Appreciate your videos.

Interesting choice for your first Moody Blues song! Not one of their most popular or best known songs and also not what could be called a 'typical' one - though the Moody Blues covered so much ground it's a bit of a stretch to call anything untypical! Everybody should hear 'Days of Future Passed', the album, at least once in their life but if you can't manage the time just listen to the 'Evening' and 'Night' sections (album version a must).

A more prophetic work we'll never know....from the most prophetic band ever known.

My God, I envy you...a chance to discover the body of work created by the Moody Blues, as I did myself as a sensitive teen in 1974. They are magnificent, I have followed them all my life now, seen them live over 120 times....they only stopped performing in 2018......but Justin Hayward and John Lodge have been recording and doing gigs right up until now. So much on KZfaq to see and hear too, they were brilliant live. Not only do I agree with others here who emphasise the benefit of listening to whole albums at a time, but I very strongly suggest you start in chronological order, exploring how they make you feel one at a time, only moving to the next one after a period of time. The so called core seven, first albums, were truly touched by something sensational, no doubt. Justin Hayward is a grossly underrated musical genius, still deeply loved and respected by many enlightened lifelong fans. Enjoy, enjoy, open your mind and heart to these men....and they will fill it. You are in for a treat.

I was looking for some reaction videos of the Moody Blues that I had not seen before, and I came across yours. The Moody Blues was, for the longest time, my #1 favorite band. It still is within my top 5 even after all these years. I understand how your step-dad felt, and as I got older (now in my 70s), I don't always hear the subtle differences between vinyl and CD. All that being said, especially after what you said about the Moody Blues being your step-dad's favorite band, that after looking through all the videos on your list of reactions, that you never (to date) did another reaction to the Moody Blues (I would have subscribed if I saw more of them on there). Anyway, I really do hope that you have, on your own if not in reaction, listened to more of the early Moody Blues. It will be a treat to your ears, I'm absolutely sure of it.

A pretty good reaction to this one. If it helps, this was a Mike Pinder penned and sung track. His songs were always slightly more melancholy and profound than the other songwriters in the band. Graeme Edge often wrote the opening tracks. Justin Hayward, John Lodge and Ray Thomas wrote the main body of works, by turns optimistic and pessimistic. But each track from everyone was always acutely observed, on the state of the human and/or environmental condition. They were always thought provoking songs. You've picked a rich vein of music here.

Seventh Sojourn is the album have on top of my list of the Moody Blues albums. I have listened to it many times in a completely dark room at night with open windows and just the stars for light ( sober, no drugs). It just takes me on a journey.

Now you did it...LOL...try Isn't Life Strange, Your Wildest Dreams, and the classic Nights in White Satine...love yer channel!

This is amazing. I'm so happy you're listening to the moody blues, I'm a full fan and I've been to 3 concerts. Please listen to blue guitar, forever autumn, dear diary, for my lady, house of 4 doors, THE WHOLE ON THE THRESHOLD OF A DREAM ALBUM. UGHHHH I really could keep going on. There's sooooo many. They are a band that had continued to produce music for 5 decades. You will hear so many comment for nights in white satin and Tuesday afternoon. While they are good songs in general, they are not their best. It's literally like what is on top of an iceberg, and underneath there are miles of iceberg unseen.

Incredible that you listened to this Moody Blues song. Melancholy Man is one of my favorite songs ever. It's wonderful how synchronicity works mate. You're thinking of your step dad and you see a recommendation for this song. That strange and powerful low sound that comes in at 4:32. I'm not even sure what instrument that is- perhaps a synthesizer, perhaps an effected guitar? This song has epic sounds and arrangement and lyrics. "So many layers" you said. Yes it's lovely how different verses are sung by the lead singer and the rest of the band at 6:29, forming a round. Haunting, beautiful. Yeah the 70s were great for music, especially progressive rock, which the Moody Blues were an early progenitor of. You should maybe hear these songs by the Moodys: Tuesday Afternoon, Nights In White Satin, Timothy Leary's Dead, Ride My SeeSaw, I'm just a Singer in a Rock and Roll Band. Yeah that would be a good journey, especially since you've started with one of their best, and least known, songs. Cheers!

The Moody Blues discography is a deep well that yields some jewels if you mine it with a curious and critical nature. The chronology of their collections' releases should be considered for the uniqueness of artistry among what else was being released at the time. Here in the US as well as in the UK.

I had a friend in college (circa 1980's) who did acid to The Moody Blues (not me). It totally reminds me of those days and my friend. He claimed to have spoken to Jesus and all that during his trips ...

Thanks... Always loved this song and no one ever seems to reacts to it. Edit : sometime you may want to check out "Steppin in a Slide Zone" by the moodies.

Thank you. Gorgeous recording. Bought this in1970 and still moves me.

Back in the early 70s a lot of us would sit in the dark and listen to MB on headphones.......

They were actually in the front line of the development of progressive rock together with e.g. The Nice, The Who and The Beatles. This song displays another side of them but the album certainly is considered "progressive" overall.

Great verbal reaction. So glad you finally got to listen to the band. Someone commented on the first seven albums; they're all worth listening to.

Might have been said already but you need to know that Moody Blues is quite a unique band in that being a 5 piece band they had 4 top notch songwriters (singer / guitarist Justin Hayward, bass player John Lodge, keyboard player Mike Pinder and flutist Ray Thomas) who also all could sing and would do lead vocals on all the albums. That means you get quite a diverse sound on every album although there is something as a Moody Blues sound at its core. Also, all albums upto Seventh Sojourn also had the feature that the songs segued into each other creating a continuous flow of music. In the case of this song I simply can't listen to this song without the following track The Balance which at least in the word is almost a reaction to Melancholy Man.

dont know what versions your step-dad had of the Moodies on vinyl whether they were mono, stereo or quadrophonic. i can understand his reasons for listening to the vinyl only since they way they recorded their music to cd or other media format had way to much compression. headphones, vinyl and the Moodies go perfect together. i hope you take some time to listen to all of their 16 studio albums, specially the ones known as the core 7. listen to them start to finish as each one tells a story and are all considered concept albums. the Moodies are a true and rare once in a life-time musical groups. also try some of their dozen or so solo albums as well

If I read the comments correctly, you have already heard NIGHTS IN WHITE SATIN so I would recommend QUESTION, NEW HORIZONS, THE STORY IN YOUR EYES, IT'S UP TO YOU , WATCHING AND WAITING and RIDE MY SEASAW.

Nights in White Satin is ubiquitous, so I'd be amazed to discover you'd never heard it; but, perhaps that's just my age showing 🤔

Great analysis, my friend. This song has haunted me since I first heard it in 1971 sitting with a group of my friends. I believe we had ingested some purple haze (or was it ocean jade). Anyway, their first seven albums were all meant to be listened to while sitting in a dark room with only a candle or two. If anyone turns on a light, even in the next room, they are immediately chastised. Yes. Apocalypse pretty well sums it up.

Timeless stuff

I fell in love with the Moody Blues in 1967 when their album Days of Future Passed was released. It was one of, if not the first, blending of classical and rock music. At the time I was a classical pianist who loved Rock and Roll. The Moody Blues were at the forefront of Progressive Rock. Days of Future Passed was rheir second album and the first of their Core Seven albums released between 1967 and 1972. They are my favorite band of all time. "Melancholy Man" is from the album Question of Balance in 1970, the 5th of their Core Seven albums. You also need to listen to the song "Question" from the same album. The Moodies' most well known song is "Nights in White Satin" from Days of Future Passed. Also "Tuesday Afternoon" from DoFP.

Amazing group. My favorite band.❤

Land of make believe on the LP Seventh Sojourn this whole record is great New horizons, you and me, i'm just a singer

NorthernEar When he mentions the stars falling down it's actually an excert from the book of revelation in regards to the end of this earth. The Moody's were quite ahead of their time in many ways actually.

Well worth the wait....And what a way to have your stepdad to live on in your life....Now you understand why he could not listen on other formats.....Hope you acquire a record player and enjoy on Vinyl and enjoy ...Your life will be forever changed......Welcome to the Moody Blue Enjoy......I will not tell you what albums to listen to will let you discover them on your own time.....Cheers

that's the Moody blues i remembered, and was searching for. gotta check that specific album all smooth and aerial

Excellent choice of many.

Man whoever is setting you up with songs to react to knows what’s up, Queensryche, the Moody blues, The Mars Volta, mon laferte, audioslave, sound garden, Alice In Chains !!!! Love it

One of my favorites back in my teen angst days.

i bought a cheap set of Moody Blues albums on cd (I had way back their album with greatest hits on tape) and I love it. Great music.

I remember we had an awesome sound system one. Played it the room shook. Thats the difference. You can feel it. I never saw young videos.

The moodiness are great, one great song after another

when you closed your eyes it took me back to when i first heard The Actor . you hear and its seeps into your pysch!!

An Iconic Band from the 60s, 70s, 80s, This song is Incredible. pure art

Great review my friend, I first heard "question" from the album melancholy man was on, in 1970 as a 10 year old, but didn't become a fully fledged moodies convert till 1978,you are in for a treat, so much to choose, "question" has got to next listen & "new horizons" "nights in white satin" but the full album version, wow, this going to be a treasure chest situation for you, enjoy, sorry for your loss, your step dad had amazing taste in music, bet he'd be chuffed your discovering them now, all the best bud🎶🎧👍😊

There was a revamping of the band after the song ' Go Now ' Mike Pinder the organ player owned the name and changed the members. They were asked to play Vivaldis ' Four Seasons ' with the London Philharmonic Orchestra but instead wrote the ' Days of Future Past ' album and recorded that album with the Orchestra. Since then it always sounded like they had an Orchestra playing with them. I believe that they were all classically trained musicians and between them could play 75 instruments. The birth of synthesizers at this time allowed them to keep their sound. You can find a Tribute concert of them playing at Albert Hall with a full Orchestra.

The Moodies were a great live band-Check out Caught Live +5 and Isle of Wight '70. I like the harder rock arrangements they did live, it was a different view of the songs, but still recognizable.

That suggestion thing was a nice coincidence, wasn’t it? Astronomy by Blue Öyster Cult, which is currently winning the Discord vote, is also a song from the 70s

The Moody Blues happens to my favorite band. My next favorite Band is the original Electric Light Orchestra. or ELO. I Have three suggestions of Moody Blues songs, The Question, The Voice, 22,000 Days, I am Just a Singer in a Rock-n-Roll Band, and Eyes of a Child. Eyes of a Child is one of the Moody other songs.

The "male voice-over" you heard would've been Mike Pinder's Mellotron set for "Male Choir, unless lyrics can be heard, in which case it was sung by all the other band members, + the Mellotron. The flute's the same - Ray Thomas on solo flute, + the Mellotron

RIP russell

My theme song, whole album is great, hell those 7 albums between 1967-72 are all masterpieces.

Great track from the Moodies the middle 8 section that has the very low keys sounds I think the moodies were using a Moog for those notes in addition to a tunnel sound, they were a brilliant band your step dad had great taste in music...

The Moody Blues and Pink Floyd are the 2 best groups I've listened to since the late 60s. Listen to the Moody Blues song 'New Horizons', I think you'll really enjoy it too.

Just dive in. The Moody Blues will meet your needs.

Still growing on a journey with The Moody Blues.

Spectacular.....

Great stuff !!

Your step dad had good taste in music

You would like a song called "Dear Diary" by the Moody Blues - it's beautiful, and it makes you think. Give it a go.

That erie sound you hear throughout the song is probably Pinder on the Mellotron. The Moodies were one of the early bands to incorporate it into their music and did so very successfully. It became a signature sound for the band.

I was in the basement of my childhood home on vacation from the Army 30 years ago playing some of the tracks from a double cassette "Question of Balance". My dad called me upstairs and asked "Who is that?"..I said "It's the Moody Blues"..kind of a reverse testimony. He was a hillbilly (country music) but did like Beatles material up to about '65 before they got too hippie for him. He was about 60 at the time, and his health was on a downward spiral which led to terminal illness about 5 years later, so he was in stages of "seeking".

At 7:52 hear Mike yell/sing, "Believe me...be-lee-ieve me. You don't hear reality tv being that real today, do ya? Goose bump city.

The moody blues & the Beatles used the mellotron for very distinct sound . You can check out this ingenious predecessor to the synthesizer on KZfaq

Give "Out and In" a try, another Pinder gem. My favorite of his.

The sound you heard in the bridge was the singer's(Mike Pinder) specialty an electronic tape loop machine called the Mellatron.

I think you will find a similar kind of song with similar vibes from this SAME album called "The Balance".

It is an aptly named band, and a slight caution from me. Turning the lights on low and listening to their music can make a person melancholy... okay perhaps I'm speaking for myself. But their music is by no means light fluff. It comes from and speaks to a very deep corner of the Soul and is very introspective. Check out Nights In White satin, Ride my Seesaw, I'm Just a Singer in a Rock and Roll Band, and Tuesday Afternoon, just to name a few.

Around the 11 minute mark NorthernEar talks about the "growling guitar". That wasn't a guitar, pal, it was a Moog. This was, I believe, the first album where Mike Pinder experimented with a Moog Synthesizer (as well as his usual Mellotron). The note progression that starts out high and then descends ever-downward all the way into the deep bass could only have come from a Moog. This was about the time when many eclectic music artists were trying out this recently-invented instrument.

Try their whole library they were formed in 1964 Lyrics are exceptional with very strong music.... Are You Sitting Comfortably by the Moody Blues. Remember the Mellotron is the music maker. Almost all the bands that followed were followers with the mellotron and Mike Pinder made it special.

Check out every Moody Blues LP. You will find magic in all of them... :-) I grew up on this stuff.

OMG you have to hear the most iconic song they ever did which is nights in white satin

as made apparent by the song title, this is one of the most melancholy songs ever recorded.

Try "The Story in your Eyes" and "Ride my See Saw"...and many others

The Moody Blues music is as relevant today as it was back in the 60's and 70's. I hope you will listen to and review "The Balance" which is the next song on the Moodies' "Question of Balance" lp. "Melancholy Man" segues right into "The Balance" and listening to the two songs in succession provides additional insight into what the Moodies (and a whole lot of us) were thinking and hoping at the time - it also leaves us on a more positive note. Listening to "The Balance" may also help provide a better understanding of some of the reasons your step dad (God rest his soul) and so many people all around the world listen to and love the Moody Blues.

It's like this comes a bit closer than usual to contemporary classical music or avant-garde. They create a kind of soundscape but it remains tonal though.

The quintessential Moody Blues tune is, as several others observe, Nights In White Satin. Beyond that, though, I'm relatively inexperienced with Moody Blues myself so I probably ought to keep quiet and let the better experienced speak.

I just stumbled upon this reaction video. You seemed pretty moved by this song. The Moody Blues did what is commonly referred to a the "core 7" albums which were the 7 albums starting with Days Of Future Passed through Seventh Sojourn. They were basically concept albums and they are the type of album that is best enjoyed from start to finish with no interruptions. Having said all that, and seeing how moved you seemed to be, I was surprised to see that you have not reacted to another Moody Blues song since. I do hope you did/do so on your own time. If you truly enjoyed this, I would find it hard to believe you wouldn't love their early works.

Sounds like he was quite the audiophile. While the cassettes and CDs released over the years are adequate (but suffered the trend of over-compression), the best versions were the series of rereleases between 2006 and 2008 that were remasters closely supervised by Justin Hayward. The album with the most dramatic change was 1978's Octave. Its sound was quite muddy in comparison due to many factors--the recording was very difficult to say the least (and a story for another time). The original stereo master for Days of Future Passed was believed missing, so all subsequent releases were from a 1972 mix that was radically different from the original (including some backing vocals missing). The original 1967 mix was finally restored in the 2017 Days of Future Passed anniversary box set.

I’ve been a fan since the 60’s and really liked just about everything they did. I don’t know if it’s just me but, I wasn’t to crazy about this song.

Tommy, you've opened the door, now step through and enjoy the world that is The Moody Blues. Get Onto The Night sequence from Days of Future Past. Good Luck .

This is one of the least popular MB's songs, but I think it's a typically great one. "Epic" really covers a lot of the group's songs. So many brilliant songs from fabulous writers. They had more great writers than probably any other group.

The very low frequency bass in the middle of the track is missing on the CD (and probably cassette), you can only hear the deep bass on the vinyl recording, so I'm with your dad there 🙂

such a sad dirge, Lovely to See You is a good flip side