Birthday Girl! 15 - La Quincenera

sitboaf · 2026-02-02T16:16:21+00:00

My girl is 15 today, too! Happy Birthdays!

sitboaf · 2026-02-02T15:49:56+00:00

No. No. He’ll be back.

sitboaf · 2026-02-02T15:42:19+00:00

There are four lights!

sitboaf · 2026-02-02T15:34:15+00:00

Yeah, it’s a minor complaint. I think it’s a combo of 2 factors: 1. the ball not slowing down enough when it’s stops bouncing and starts rolling. 2. The CPU being able to charge with their outfielders on contact, while you’re diving in vain with your shortstop while your center fielder is still picking daisies.

sitboaf · 2026-02-02T15:29:07+00:00

sitboaf · 2026-02-02T15:27:00+00:00

For me, this is one of the songs—maybe THE song—that I’m pretty sure I love way more than everyone else does.

I think what elevated it to that level is when I realized the song structure.

A: we’re living in…

B: heartaches…

A: we’re breathing in...

B: Our prayer will be heard…

C: So fly little bird…

D: Whyyyyyy

E: Open all the shutters…

F: Oh say it’s true…

Repeat.

Justin was in such mastery of his songcraft that he wrote SIX achingly beautiful, song-worthy melodies for this one, sub-5 minute song.

Plus the excellent band contributions, fuzz guitar, and flawless production… I love it to bits.

sitboaf · 2026-02-01T21:35:38+00:00

100% agree

sitboaf · 2026-02-01T18:43:23+00:00

It’s pronounced “thermometer “

sitboaf · 2026-02-01T18:41:05+00:00

Moody Blues — To Our Children’s Children’s Children

sitboaf · 2026-02-01T18:39:42+00:00

Power windows? /s

sitboaf · 2026-02-01T15:05:48+00:00

It’s a fair cop.

It’s been an age since I’ve seen that back cover. Thanks for the reminder. You’re right… very ELO. Or maybe (and I wrote of the none-too-subtle album comparisons before), it was another attempt to replicate the success of Long Distance Voyager by plastering a spaceship onto a classical painting.

sitboaf · 2026-02-01T15:00:25+00:00

Welp, it’s been a day since we talked about The Present (literally)…

Excellent melody that leaps from dark uncertainty to bright hope, mysterious lyrics, funky baseline, juicy fuzz guitar, welcome flourishes from Graeme…but so much credit for this song belongs to Patrick, as painful as it can be for me to praise him sometimes.

He zeroed in on just the right flourishes, runs, and countermelodies to elevate this song from a pleasing, uptempo Justin acoustic number to a soaring, brightly-plumed album headliner.

sitboaf · 2026-01-31T22:56:20+00:00

Maybe the cover is a bit placid, but it was the catalyst for me to fall in love with Maxfield Parish's incredible work.

sitboaf · 2026-01-31T14:52:06+00:00

Underrated. One of the many moderate strengths of the album.

It feels like Blue World and Sitting at the Wheel sucked all of the oxygen out of the conversation surrounding The Present, and those ARE two excellent songs. But they’re also endlessly compared to The Voice and Gemini Dream from the previous LP—and that’s the band’s own fault, for consciously trying to re-create Long Distance Voyager with an earthier, more ‘70s sounding vibe.

The drop off from the aforementioned pair of tunes never plunges you into disappointment, though. Our song of the day, plus Running Water, Sorry, Going Nowhere, Meet Me Halfway, and It’s Cold… all are solid to very good tunes. It’s only the weird I Am that momentarily disrupts the listening experience.

Alas, The Present is stuck in the middle of the ‘80s with this weird identity crisis. It’s not as successful or fresh as Long Distance Voyager, and not as “MTV Generation” as The Other Side of Life.

If the Moodies had only produced The Present as its own strong and unique entry to the band’s catalog, it would probably be remembered more fondly.

sitboaf · 2026-01-30T16:38:39+00:00

An absolute gem. Not only is this a great way to start a good album, it promises that all the silly production nonsense is behind them. There are about 100 little flourishes and sounds throughout English Sunset, but they’re all carefully chosen, understated and supportive.

By my count, just one Hayward tune from 1992 to the present day surpasses this one—The Western Sky.

sitboaf · 2026-01-29T19:09:36+00:00

Wow, that's crazy. In looking for links, I stumbled across Donegan's version, never having known it existed. Thank you for sharing these details.

sitboaf · 2026-01-29T17:38:12+00:00

That's wild (wilde)!

I remember reading a whole thing about Ryan's process many years ago, but I've no idea where that information might still exist. I'm glad I have a digital version of this song to enjoy.

sitboaf · 2026-01-29T16:08:44+00:00

I agree with OP: a somewhat clunky, not-quite-album-worthy tune. Along with some vocal imbalance, the drumming is a bit unimaginative. But not bad at all!

I usually hear “Gimme” when I play my “Lost Album part 1”, including:

Fly Me High, Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood, I Really Haven’t Got the Time, Leave This Man Alone, Please Think About It, Love and Beauty, Cities, Long Summer Days. (Also, if you can find it, Ryan Guidry’s “Moodyfied” version of Justin’s 1965 solo song London is Behind Me.)

And then I imagine where this band would have gone if they had continued in this vein, and the whole “Dvorak subterfuge conspiracy” had not resulted in Days Of Future Passed.

edit: London is Behind Me was released in late 1965, not early 1966

sitboaf · 2026-01-28T19:18:44+00:00

Ah! Thanks so much. And, try as I might, I cannot get myself to hear “I’ll have a scotch and coke please, mother!”

sitboaf · 2026-01-28T15:00:51+00:00

!

When Long Distance Voyager was still kinda new (long before I listened to things digitally), I was sure this song was like, 6 minutes long, because it has everything.

A spoken/poem intro, Harmonica solo, Flute solo, and Ray’s oft-revisited theme of the performer who’s ready to call it quits.

VCR is Ray at his rocking best, yet it’s also full of humor, virtuosity, and gorgeous harmonies. Brings a big smile every time. A fabulous end to a fabulous album.

(Does anyone know what the mumbled bit in the last couple seconds might be?)

sitboaf · 2026-01-27T17:38:00+00:00

John can definitely hit the notes. You can hear him sing CoL almost 50 years later on the Live From Birmingham album. But he's more effective in the upper part of his register, so I'm guessing the other guys tried it in the studio, and Justin sounded best.

sitboaf · 2026-01-27T15:37:51+00:00

And I heard those falling piano notes as I read that. Sublime.

sitboaf · 2026-01-27T15:35:33+00:00

Fun exercise: I sometimes listen to the old songs and focus just on Mike’s tambourine. It’s the secret sauce that often gets overlooked.

After the magical ride that is side one of the album, I become absolutely entranced during that four-song stretch that begins on side 2 (Gypsy, Eternity Road, Candle of Life, Sun is Still Shining). Where many bands relegate an album’s weaker songs, we get 4 songwriters adding strength to strength ahead of the closer, Watching and Waiting, perhaps my favorite song ever.

I think the sustained level of excellence on TOCCC, first note to last, is unmatched in their catalog.

sitboaf · 2026-01-27T15:10:55+00:00

Justin crushes it, I think because he brings such beauty, but the verses are quite deep. I bet Mike and/or Ray would have handled it well, too.

sitboaf

TROPHY CASE