The band began by playing rhythm and blues music. After some early lineup changes, the band settled on a line-up of Pinder, Thomas, Edge, guitarist Justin Hayward and bassist John Lodge, which would stay together for most of the band's "classic era" through the late 1960s-early 1970s. Their second album, "Days of Future Passed", released in 1967, was a fusion of rock with classical music and established the band as pioneers in the development of art rock and progressive rock. Days Of Future Passed has been described as a "landmark" and "one of the first successful concept albums".
The Moody Blues became known internationally by recordings of songs including "Go Now", "Nights in White Satin", "Tuesday Afternoon", "Question" and "Your Wildest Dreams". The band has been awarded 18 platinum and gold LP’s. The band sold 70 million albums worldwide. The Moody Blues were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.
The Moody Blues formed in 1964 in Erdington, a suburb of Birmingham in the county of Warwickshire. Ray Thomas, a young John Lodge and (occasionally) Mike Pinder had been members of El Riot & the Rebels. They disbanded when Lodge, the youngest member, went to technical college and Pinder joined the army. Pinder then rejoined Thomas to form the Krew Cats. Back from a disappointing spell in the Hamburg region a few months later, the pair recruited guitarist/vocalist Denny Laine and band manager-turned-drummer Graeme Edge. Pinder and Thomas initially approached their former El Riot bandmate John Lodge about being the bass player, but Lodge declined as he was still in college. They instead recruited bassist Clint Warwick. The five appeared as the Moody Blues for the first time in Birmingham in 1964. The name developed from a hoped-for sponsorship from the M&B Brewery which failed to materialise, the band calling themselves both "The M Bs" and "The M B Five", and was also a subtle reference to the Duke Ellington song "Mood Indigo". In an interview it was revealed that the band was named "Moody Blues" because Mike Pinder was interested in how music changes people's moods and due to the fact that the band was playing blues at the time. Around this time the band were the resident group at the Carlton Ballroom, later to become rock music venue Mothers on Erdington High Street.
The Moody Blues' "rich symphonic sound" influenced groups such as Yes, Genesis, the Electric Light Orchestra and Deep Purple. They also helped make synthesizers and philosophy "part of the rock mainstream".
The Moody Blues became members of the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. In 2013, readers of Rolling Stone Magazine voted for them as one of the ten bands that should be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Ultimate Classic Rock called them "perennial victims of an unaccountable snubbing" and inducted them into its own Hall of Fame in 2014.
Writing for The Guardian in 2015, Rob Chapman described the band as "psychedelia's forgotten heroes". He stated: "Despite their success, rock critics rarely took the Moody Blues seriously, a pattern that continued for the next 45 years." He also wrote: "Despite the critical disapproval, the best of the Moody Blues music between 1967 and 1970 possessed grace and beauty. Like The Beatles, they understood how pop songs worked as ensemble pieces. None of them were particularly virtuosic or showy as musicians and their music is refreshingly free of the noodling longeurs that characterised the output of their more self-indulgent contemporaries."
In December 2017, the band were announced as inductees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. On 14 April 2018, they were inducted as part of the 2018 class. During his acceptance speech in Cleveland, OH, Justin Hayward said, "If you didn't know already, well we're just a bunch of British guys, but of course to us and to all British musicians, this is the home of our heroes and we all know that..." acknowledging the inspirational role of America's rock and roll icons. During the ceremony, Ray Thomas was included as a star that was lost in the past year.
On 11th November 2021 Graeme Edge died. Upon Edge's death, Justin Hayward announced that The Moody Blues had no longer been active since Edge had retired in 2018 (Edge being the only member to remain with the band from formation to ending). Founding member Denny Laine died on 5 December 2023.
The Best Way To Travel
The Moody Blues Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
High as a kite if you want to
Faster than light, if you want to
Speeding through the universe
Thinking is the best way to travel
It's all a dream
Light passing by on the screen
Speeding through the universe
Thinking is the best way to travel
We ride the waves
Distance is gone, will we find out?
How life began, will be find out?
Speeding through the universe
Thinking is the best way to travel
And you can fly
High as a kite if you want to
Faster than light if you want to
Speeding through the universe
Thinking is the best way to travel
The Moody Blues's song "The Best Way to Travel" speaks of the limitless possibilities of the human mind and the freedom to explore the universe through thought. The lyrics encourage listeners to let their imaginations soar and to embrace the power of their thoughts, which can take them beyond the physical boundaries of the world. The opening line, "And you can fly high as a kite if you want to," is a metaphor for the limitless potential of the human mind. The song suggests that through the power of thought, one can travel at speeds faster than light and explore the mysteries of the universe.
The second stanza of the song speaks of the transience of life and the fleeting nature of our existence. The line "It's all a dream, light passing by on the screen, and there's you and I on the beam" suggests that our lives are like a projection on a screen, and we are all connected on an energetic level. The third stanza speaks of the quest for knowledge and the desire to understand how life began. The line "Distance is gone, will we find out? How life began, will we find out?" suggests that our thoughts can take us beyond the boundaries of time and space and into the realm of the eternal and the infinite.
Overall, "The Best Way to Travel" is a celebration of the power of the human mind and the limitless potential of thought. The song urges listeners to embrace their imaginations and explore the mysteries of the universe through the power of their thoughts and ideas.
Line by Line Meaning
And you can fly
You have the ability to soar above all else
High as a kite if you want to
You can elevate yourself as high as you desire
Faster than light, if you want to
You can outstrip the swiftest energy
Speeding through the universe
Pressing on through the cosmos at great velocity
Thinking is the best way to travel
Mental exploration is the optimal means of traversing the universe
It's all a dream
Everything is a figment of imagination
Light passing by on the screen
Fleeting glimpses on a cosmic display
And there's you and I on the beam
We are together on this incredible journey
We ride the waves
We ride through the universe, buoyed by its power and force
Distance is gone, will we find out?
We have transcended distance, but will we discover the secrets of the universe?
How life began, will be find out?
We search for the origins of existence and seek to unearth their mysteries
Speeding through the universe
Hurtling through the cosmos at breakneck speed
Thinking is the best way to travel
Mental exploration is the most fulfilling method of traversing the universe
And you can fly
You have the ability to soar above all else
High as a kite if you want to
You can elevate yourself as high as you desire
Faster than light if you want to
You can move quicker than the swiftest energy in the universe
Speeding through the universe
Hurtling through the cosmos at an unbelievable pace
Thinking is the best way to travel
Brain exploration is the most rewarding method of traversing the universe
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION
Written by: Michael Thomas Pinder
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind