One of the greatest artists in rock and roll history is stopping by Cranston’s Park Theatre for a show with his band on Thursday, November 14. John Lodge, the longtime bassist for The Moody Blues, will be in town for a show that will feature old favorites and new takes on one of the band’s classic albums.
Known for penning such hits as “I’m Just a Singer in a Rock and Roll Band,” “Isn’t Life Strange,” and “Ride My See-Saw,” Lodge is a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee with the Moody Blues. He embarked on his “solo” career in 2018 when he was well into his 70s, an age when most rock stars are contemplating retirement. We spoke to the legendary bassist by phone earlier this week, where he was resting up at his home in Surrey, UK, before heading out on tour.
He’s still quite busy recording and touring at age 81, and credits his family with easing the very real challenges of being on the road. “My daughter Emily manages me, and she’s really good at arranging the touring, traveling as little as possible. What we try to do is find a hotel where we can base from, and do three or four shows from the same hotel. That makes life on the road so much easier.”
“After a concert, you’ve got adrenaline running for a few hours after, you may as well get in a car and drive back to the hotel,” he added.
What can you expect at the Cranston show? In addition to several Moody Blues FM radio classics, one seminal album will get the full treatment.
“It’s been a project of mine to bring Days of Future Passed to as many people as I can,” said Lodge. He released a newly recorded version of the album in 2023 entitled Days of Future Passed – My Sojourn. Lodge is thrilled to be playing the album live, and also offering it to fans on vinyl. (He noted there would be albums available at the merch table.) “Days of Future Passed is a special album – there are so many parts that resonate with audiences.”
“I’m having a great time introducing the songs to a new audience, including a lot of young people,” he noted. “That’s the one thing I wanted to do, with the reemergence of vinyl, 180 gram records, which offers incredible reproduction of the sound. The albums and record players are making a huge comeback. I think it’s the best way to listen to music. You can do it with friends, sit down, play a record, talk about it, look at the album sleeve, and see who played on it. There’s so much information that you get, which I love.”
“DJ’s in the 60’s and 70’s were such an integral part of the music, they talked about the songs, and gave you commentary,” added Lodge. “You could like it or not like it; you were sharing the record with someone else. I think the problem with streaming is you don’t have anyone talking to you, sharing it with you.”
Lodge took the album production design quite seriously. It’s is not just a reissue; he and his band re-recorded the original tracks. “When we mastered the album, I sent it to five different companies around the world to try to find the best one. I’m extremely pleased with the sound.”
It’s no secret that the music business has changed drastically since the heyday of classic rock, with the advent of streaming music. Most artists today earn a living by touring, not recording.
“It’s almost going back to square one,” said Lodge. When we started out, there was no real record industry for vinyl albums. An album was just full of hit records and A/B sides. It didn’t resonate like it did in the 70s and 80s. Now, record sales have plummeted, and it’s really gone back to the original time when it was all about playing live music.”
Audience favorites tend to vary from show to show, Lodge explained, but a couple stand out at live shows.
“(Late member) Ray Thomas’ ‘Legend of a Mind” (“Timothy Leary’s dead …) always gets a fantastic reception, and my band plays it really well. Alan Hewitt, my keyboardist and musical director, has it down, playing all the flute parts and everything else. ‘Isn’t Life Strange’ is also really special. When I wrote it, I wanted to have a song that when you performed it, you could hear a pin drop on stage. I think we achieved that. ‘Nights in White Satin,’ with the poetry from Graeme, it’s wonderful.”
“I’m looking forward to being on the road, seeing everyone, and thanking everyone for keeping the faith with the Moody Blues.”
Good seats are still available – click here for details.
