Octave (album)
| Octave | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by The Moody Blues | ||||
| Released | 9 June 1978 | |||
| Recorded | October 1977 – April 1978 at The Record Plant, Los Angeles | |||
| Genre | Rock, pop, progressive rock | |||
| Length | 46:08 | |||
| Label |
Decca Records (UK) London Records (US) | |||
| Producer | Tony Clarke | |||
| The Moody Blues chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Octave | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| Rolling Stone | (unfavorable)[2] |
Octave is the ninth album by The Moody Blues, released in 1978, and their first release after a substantial hiatus following the success of the best-selling Seventh Sojourn in 1972. The album proved to be the last for the group with keyboardist Mike Pinder, who departed during the album's sessions, and declined an offer to tour with the group.[3][4] Pinder had just started a new family in California, and found that he was not getting on with his bandmates as he had before. Pinder would be replaced by former Yes keyboardist Patrick Moraz in time for their 1979 tour,[5] beginning a new era in the band's history. Octave would also be the final studio album from the band produced by Tony Clarke.[6][7]
Octave was considered a departure from previous Moody Blues albums, mainly because the group's use of lounge-style organs and synthesisers in place of a Mellotron or Chamberlain (Pinder's song "One Step Into the Light" referenced the Mellotron). Real strings were used on three songs: "Under Moonshine" and "I'm Your Man" (both written by Ray Thomas), as well as "Survival" (written by John Lodge).
Released after a considerable break, which saw The Moody Blues returning in an era of punk music and disco, Octave evidenced a reduced commercial impact for the band, but reached #6 in the United Kingdom and went platinum in the United States,[8] where the album reached #13. The album produced the hit single "Steppin' in a Slide Zone," which hit #39 in the US, in addition to "Driftwood".
In November 2008, the album was remastered and released on CD, with five previously-unreleased, live, bonus tracks.
Original Track Listing
Side One
- "Steppin' in a Slide Zone" (John Lodge) – 5:29 (lead singer: John Lodge)
- "Under Moonshine" (Ray Thomas) – 5:00 (lead singer: Ray Thomas)
- "Had to Fall in Love" (Justin Hayward) – 3:42 (lead singer: Justin Hayward)
- "I'll Be Level with You" (Graeme Edge) – 3:48 (lead singers: Justin Hayward, Mike Pinder, Ray Thomas, John Lodge)
- "Driftwood" (Hayward) – 5:03 (lead singer: Justin Hayward)
Side Two
- "Top Rank Suite" (Hayward) – 3:42 (lead singer: Justin Hayward)
- "I'm Your Man" (Thomas) – 4:21 (lead singer: Ray Thomas)
- "Survival" (Lodge) – 4:09 (lead singer: John Lodge)
- "One Step into the Light" (Mike Pinder) – 4:29 (lead singer: Mike Pinder)
- "The Day We Meet Again" (Hayward) – 6:19 (lead singer: Justin Hayward)
The 8-track tape version of this album has the distinction of being one of the few 8-tracks that is arranged exactly like the album, with no song breaks. The original album was released on clear blue vinyl.[9]
2008 CD Expanded Edition tracks (UK)
- "Steppin' in a Slide Zone (Live in Seattle 25 May 1979)" (Lodge) - 4:57
- "I'm Your Man (Live in Seattle 25 May 1979)" (Thomas) - 4:51
- "Top Rank Suite (Live in Seattle 25 May 1979)" (Hayward) - 4:28
- "Driftwood (Live in Seattle 25 May 1979)" (Hayward) - 5:02
- "The Day We Meet Again (Live in Houston 7 December 1978)" (Hayward) - 7:16
Personnel
- Justin Hayward - vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, keyboards
- John Lodge - vocals, bass, keyboards
- Ray Thomas - vocals, flute, harmonica, tambourine
- Graeme Edge - drums, percussion, vocals
- Mike Pinder - vocals, organ, synthesizer, Mellotron, piano, keyboards
- Ted Jensen - mastering
Additional personnel
- R.A. Martin - horns, saxophones
Chart positions
Album-Billboard (North America)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Billboard 200 | 13 |
| UK Albums Chart | 6 |
Singles - Billboard (North America)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | "Steppin' In a Slide Zone" | Billboard Hot 100 | 39 |
| "Driftwood" | Billboard Hot 100 | 59 |
References
- ↑ Eder, Bruce. "Octave - The Moody Blues | AllMusic". Allmusic. Retrieved 19 November 2011.
- ↑ Holden, Stephen (7 September 1978). "The Moody Blues: Octave : Music Reviews". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 6 June 2008. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
- ↑ Dowloaded: A Lifetime of Collecting Music. Marvin Miller. pp. 165–. GGKEY:7GQT7H1SXW9.
- ↑ Marti Smiley Childs; Jeff March (24 October 2011). Echoes of the Sixties. EditPros LLC. pp. 217–. ISBN 978-1-937317-02-7.
- ↑ Tim Morse (15 July 1998). Classic Rock Stories: The Stories Behind the Greatest Songs of All Time. St. Martin's Press. pp. 215–. ISBN 978-1-4299-3750-4.
- ↑ Classic Artists, Image Entertainment, 2007.
- ↑ Octave remaster liner notes, Universal Music, 2008.
- ↑ Brock Helander (1982). The Rock Who's Who: A Biographical Dictionary and Critical Discography Including Rhythm-And-Blues, Soul, Rockabilly, Folk, Country, Easy Listening, Punk, and New Wave. Schirmer/Mosel Verlag GmbH. pp. 397–398. ISBN 978-0-02-871250-5.
- ↑ Moody's 'Octave' given big push. Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 1 July 1978. pp. 96–. ISSN 00062510 (Warning: Check ISSN).