Last Saturday night my dear wife, Carrie, and I witnessed another concert by The Moody Blues. It was fabulous. The show was in the iconic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN. It was the third proper Moodies concert we have seen there. The others were in 2008, the first time the band played a full concert there, and in 2014. In 2005 there was a Bluegrass Tribute called Moody Bluegrass. A proper CD was recorded by some of the best bluegrass pickers in town. They did a show of the CD at the Ryman in October of 2005. My friend Danners Goins and I attended that one. I have been blessed.
The photo above was taken at the show Saturday night. I like the picture. It reminds me of how in 1991 they had a new album coming out. I did not know what the album was called before it was released. Remember, this was before the social media age. It was a much simpler time on many fronts. A few nights before the release of the new album I had a dream. I dreamed that the new album was called “Spirit of the Sky”. I saw the clouds and how it was spelled out on the cover. That album was actually called “Keys of the Kingdom”. But, the back cover featured a cloudy sky similar to what I had seen in my dreams. I thought that was cool. All that took on extra-cool status in 2013 when Justin Hayward, the lead singer, the guy who wrote “Nights in White Satin”, released a solo album called “Spirits of the Western Sky”. And now I have this picture from what I think will be the last Moody Blues concert I will ever see. Maybe not. Just a hunch. That, and I explained a few weeks ago, I have some serious writing in the works that will take much of my artistic energy.
I saw my first Moodies concert in 1986 when I was 18. I’ll be 50 next March. Do I know how to pick a favorite group or what? Fortunately the band filmed a concert in Toronto that featured a full orchestra and a CD and DVD of the show will be here before Christmas I am told.
Carrie and I had a good time in Nashville; it was forever hot.
A visit to this store is always in order. I found a Marshall Chapman CD that was dedicated to our friend Tim Krekel. Tim played on a couple of the songs…sang a little on it too. So glad to mine a nugget like this that allows me to hear something new that has Tim on it. I sure miss him. So does Marshall Chapman. The CD is called “The Big Lonesome”. It is a fine collection of tunes.
The Ryman, oh the pews we sat in at the concert in the balcony are 1897 pieces. The place is unreal.
So are some other things…unreal.
The Ole Miss Rebels have fallen on even harder times. I am speaking of their football program. It is not good. Hopefully the players will press onward. If ever there was a time the salaries paid to college football coaches seem a little out of whack, something like what Ole Miss is going through will bring out some talk.
The Ole Miss downfall would all seem much worse than it does if we had a tighter grip on a moral compass. Washington, DC is loosening that grip by the hour, led by Mr. Reality TV and his string of “stay tuned” tweets.
Better days are ahead, aren’t they?
Speaking the rights.
Danny Johnson