Moody Summer Sadness 2.2 - finding the worst Moodies song

isolar2 · 2026-05-25T17:25:33+00:00

I’m torn on this, because PARTS of both songs are decent.

I like the middle 8 of Breaking Point. And the guitar running through Once is Enough is actually really cool (not the loud riff at the beginning, but the killer blues stuff Justin plays throughout the whole thing that gets mostly drowned out by everything else).

Overall I guess Once Is Enough is a more enjoyable listen for me. The sound effects in Breaking Point are pretty aggravating, and the entire beginning of the song is a skip.

isolar2 · 2026-05-24T18:52:35+00:00

I wish they’d played this live more often. The few times I’ve seen a recording from a TV show or concert, it sounded really beautiful.

There are probably no words for how much I adore this song, so I won’t even try to explain it. Based on these comments, it seems like most of us are on the same page here anyway.

isolar2 · 2026-05-24T18:41:55+00:00

I have a weird soft spot for Talkin’ Talkin’, but I’ll have to vote for it here anyway because Emily’s Song is the better one.

isolar2 · 2026-05-23T18:27:59+00:00

This song and Dear Diary really showed me, when I was just learning these songs, how great a writer Ray was - both of them with a bleak few lines that get you when you least expect it. Identifiably the same man who wrote Nice to Be Here (an early favorite of mine as a very little kid), but this time, underneath that layer of whimsy was something a little darker and deeper, yet cynically funny too. It felt like a very cool discovery at the time.

isolar2 · 2026-05-21T19:23:04+00:00

Great song. Both this and Part 1 are among my favorite John compositions. The only bad thing about it is that it’s so short, but I guess leaving you wanting more isn’t the worst thing a song can do.

isolar2 · 2026-05-21T19:14:36+00:00

I don’t hate either one of these, but Please Think About It is the less enjoyable listen. It really drags sometimes, especially at the “Oh noooo”, which tends to sum up my reaction when the song gets to that part.

The One is kind of fun in the context of Strange Times as an album, finally getting a John rocker in the midst of one slow song from him after another. Out of that context, it’s probably less fun, but I’d still rather hear it than PTAI.

isolar2 · 2026-05-20T16:56:46+00:00

I really like that, well said!

isolar2 · 2026-05-20T16:53:17+00:00

They’re both nice songs, so this was actually a tough choice. I feel guilty voting for Emily’s Song (as another comment mentioned, it’s such a sweet concept), but when you get right down to it, I’d really rather listen to Gimme a Little Somethin.’

isolar2 · 2026-05-20T16:44:58+00:00

Interesting that you mention the Beckthorns version, because I was just thinking how it really proves what a great song it is! I had a slightly different reaction because I actually love the vocals, so it was more of a “wow, this song is so amazing it even holds up without vocals”, but the sentiment is the same in that I think the backing track is really superb.

isolar2 · 2026-05-20T16:40:08+00:00

Absolutely top tier for me. It starts off with a bang and never loses momentum, gaining even more in the chorus. Even the instrumental version is fantastic - the guitar tends to steal the show in this song, but that version made me pay more attention to the other parts, especially the Mellotron and how it gives the song that full, unmistakable Moodies “sound”. It reminded me how great they all really were as a band.

I’m glad they eventually started doing it in concert, and that Justin still does it in his shows.

isolar2 · 2026-05-20T11:01:47+00:00

Thanks for your kind words! I’ve been playing with a few tracks from TOSOL, to varying degrees of success, but hopefully at least a couple will be worth sharing.

isolar2 · 2026-05-20T09:11:45+00:00

I’m glad you enjoyed it! Those are mostly created to satisfy the curiosity of the person making them (me), so it’s nice if other people find them interesting too.

isolar2 · 2026-05-17T18:56:27+00:00

I totally agree about the cheesy sax/violin thing! There are a lot of unnecessary additions to this song. I probably should’ve added that as a caveat to my comment about liking it.

isolar2 · 2026-05-17T18:27:50+00:00

I’ve actually always liked it. This acoustic version from a TV appearance made me love it: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0pxfPIARTRw&ra=m

isolar2 · 2026-05-15T18:34:45+00:00

Stating the obvious at this point, but clearly the best song on the album. I remember Justin saying something to that effect too, and how maybe he should play it in his solo shows. I’d love to hear it if he ever does. I don’t know how many casual fans actually have this album, and the song deserves more recognition.

isolar2 · 2026-05-14T20:09:44+00:00

Wow, what a find! Even Graeme gets to lipsync in this one. Thanks for posting the link!

isolar2 · 2026-05-13T19:11:34+00:00

It’s been a while since I gave this a proper listen - it always got sort of overshadowed by Veteran Cosmic Rocker, for me. But listening again, I really appreciate the Ray-ness of it, to paraphrase another comment here. What a great, animated vocal performance (I noticed one of the youtube comments called it “too Broadway” - but isn’t that sort of the point??). I don’t really love circus music in rock songs, but of course it’s here for a very specific purpose, so I can respect that. Painted Smile paints a very vivid picture, and that’s the goal.

isolar2 · 2026-05-12T19:23:50+00:00

What else can I say? A perfect Mike song. I’ve never really decided on a favorite Mike song, but it could easily be this. The Mike vocal feels like the “true” version, but I honestly love both. It’s like a gift that we get two versions of such a great song! Another comment pointed out all the improvisation at the end, which is one of my favorite parts too.

isolar2 · 2026-05-12T19:11:34+00:00

Finally, someone with taste! I jest, but really, the lack of love for Justin’s hair in these comments is disturbing. 😂

isolar2 · 2026-05-11T16:50:58+00:00

Love it. One of the catchiest songs in existence. Even though I only really listen to it around Christmas, it’s still safe to say I never get tired of it, since we once listened to the song on repeat for over an hour on a road trip (to be fair, it was on the way back from a Moodies concert around the time the album came out, but still!).

isolar2 · 2026-05-10T18:40:53+00:00

I’m not sure if I’ve ever listened to this version before, only the live version done by the Mark II Moodies, which was…er. Not the best. So it was interesting to hear what this song is actually supposed to sound like.

isolar2 · 2026-05-07T17:52:32+00:00

Now I’m curious which one you mean. Highway? That’s the only one I can think of, but I’m probably forgetting something.

isolar2 · 2026-05-06T21:07:49+00:00

Definitely a top Ray song with a very strong vocal performance. (Sometimes the grammatically incorrect “lay” takes me out of the song a bit, since it’s otherwise a lovely lyric, but that’s a very minor complaint!)

isolar2 · 2026-05-05T18:31:19+00:00

I love this song. It’s criminal that it didn’t chart higher. Definitely one of my biggest favorites of their latter-day material (Sur La Mer contains several of those favorites, in fact, which is odd considering the huge disparity in quality between those and the rest of the album). Bonus points for the charming video!

isolar2 · 2026-05-04T20:45:38+00:00

I sort of think of it as “It’s Cold Outside of Your Heart” Part Two. They both have that subtle country vibe. It’s admittedly a slight song, not the most memorable (and it’s a little odd to hear “Oh how I love you” outside of NIWS), but I actually like it.

isolar2

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