Leadership topic - The Moody Blues

What music to use to support The Middle – what exactly would The Middle of music look like? (… you are now wondering about me I know – who thinks about stuff like that?). Bands with Jazz, Blues, Rock, and even Pop – those are straightforward… but throw in Classical — which honestly I don’t know a lot about but, I feel like should be on the graph somewhere — which artist’s work can claim to all of that? I would argue The Moody Blues… and you can argue the point, and I would love to hear your own interpretation, but there you have it. It doesn’t hurt that their albums are also amazingly full of great commentary about times that are a lot like what we are in.

The band started in a suburb of Birmingham, England with members coming from different bands that had broken up. Military service and college had pulled some out of town, and the remaining members came together and convinced the manager to become their drummer. Graeme Edge would hold down that slot for their entire history, and was the author of some of the more memorable songs, but is most well known as the poet of the many spoken word portions of their catalog. The band name started as an homage to a local Beer – Mitchells and Butler’s – and they called themselves “The M B’s” … but when that sponsorship fell through, they went to The Moody Blues – a reference to Mood Indigo by Duke Ellington.

Originally posted on The Equinox, this series will explore if, like that day, there is a place that is between the extremes – The Middle – with one of the richest and most diverse soundtracks still playing – The Moody Blues.