In Search of the Lost Chord Songs Ranked
In Search of the Lost Chord is the third album by The Moody Blues, released in July 1968 on the Deram label. In Search of the Lost Chord is a concept album around a broad theme of quest and discovery, including world exploration (“Dr. Livingstone, I Presume”), music and philosophy through the ages (“House of Four Doors”), lost love (“The Actor”), spiritual development (“Voices in the Sky”), knowledge in a changing world (“Ride My See-Saw”), higher consciousness (“Legend of a Mind”), imagination (“The Best Way to Travel”), and space exploration (“Departure”). Space exploration would go on to become the theme of the group’s 1969 album To Our Children’s Children’s Children, inspired by and dedicated to the Apollo 11 mission. The mysterious “lost chord” of the title is revealed to be the mantra “Om” (in the last stanza of Graeme Edge’s poem “The Word”). According to keyboardist Mike Pinder, the title was inspired by Jimmy Durante’s humorous song “I’m the Guy that Found the Lost Chord”, itself a reference to “The Lost Chord” by Sir Arthur Sullivan. Here are all of In Search of the Lost Chord songs ranked.
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12. OM
“Om utilizes every eastern musical instrument in the Moody Blues locker room (incidentally there are 33 identified instruments credited to The Moody Blues members in this album alone). Om is the all-encompassing mystical entity of Hinduism. It is both a vibration brought by pronunciation of the word “Aum” and the symbolized manifestation of God as the first vibration (energy) which presented itself at the creation of all things.”
11. House of Four Doors (Part 2)
“As the songs closes, a drumming and mellotron reintroduction to the House Of Four Doors lets the listener know that nothing was found here in the search and so we move on”
10. The Word
“The Word brings us back around to the beginning again, with Pinder now reciting Edge’s poetry in a continuation from the Departure. Pinder usually, but not always, read Graeme Edges penned pieces, and here we finally reach the end of the “search” with Mike Pinder’s soothing deep voice who reveals that the answer is in a Word and the Word is OM!”
9. Legend of a Mind
Legend of a Mind”, which eventually became a Moody Blues staple and was performed at every Moodies concert until writer/flautist/vocalist Ray Thomas retired from the group in 2002 actually is poking fun at LSD guru Timothy Leary.”
See more: The Moody Blues Albums Ranked
8. The Actor
“This is one of his signature love ballads, the type of song he became famous for, “the curtain rises on a scene” and a young woman falls in love with the actor. Of course the actor does not even know she exists so there is no requited love interest and only the fantasy of the young woman.”
7. House of Four Doors
“House of Four Doors (Part 1)” is probably my favorite song on the album. A celebration of music through history, the track had such great variety throughout it, with fantastic vocals, and beautiful instrumentation.”
6. Visions of Paradise
“Visions Of Paradise brings back the sitar and tambura as well as tabla drums in a melding of eastern and western musical influences. One of the Moody Blues biggest fan favorites Justin and Ray made several well liked and praised songs together, this being the archetype of their collaborations.”
5. Dr. Livingstone, I Presume
“The Moody Blues actually pioneered 8-track stereo with DAYS OF FUTURE PASSED a year before this. As high-energy rock fades away, the “search” is clearly in the hands of some great explorers, Dr David Livingstone, Captain Robert Scott, and even Christopher Columbus. It is a child-friendly composition, still in keeping with the previous instrumentation, and has a Ringo-leading-Beatles-song sort of styling.”
See more: The Moody Blues Songs Ranked
4. The Best Way to Travel
“he Hindu influence in music begins to take more hold as Voices segues into The Best Way To Travel, which according to songwriter and vocalist Pinder, is “thinking”! Electric guitar and sitar accompany mellotron, acoustic guitar and flute in an unusual composition which explores Pinder’s thinking. “
3. Ride My See-Saw
“Well this IS rock and roll and Ride My See Saw has a curious distinction of being the first ever 8-track multi-track recorded single in the fast-paced evolution of stereophonic rock being pioneered by The Beatles at the time.”
2. Voices in the Sky
“Side two of the original album opened with the plaintively gorgeous Justin Hayward composition Voices In The Sky, a rather introspective and poetically lyrical piece featuring acoustic guitar and flute as well as the usual mellotron layers, and an Eastern music tinge with tablas accompanying the western drums.”
1. Departure
“Departure is a wild start – see if you can figure out the lyrics – and the lead into Ride My See-Saw – a great Lodge rocker with alot of tempo – (for the Moodies) and a memorable Hayward guitar solo.”
