In November 1972, the Moody Blues released Seventh Sojourn, their aptly named seventh album. At the time, rock was becoming an extremely complex palette on which to navigate and excel. In the wake of the Moodies’ transcendental stirrings, bands like ELP, Yes, Jethro Tull and Pink Floyd were releasing spellbinding records of their own. How ironic that the Moodies themselves were simply winding down, preparing to remove themselves from the landscape in the midst of their greatest popularity. For not only would Seventh Sojourn become the band’s first number one in America; the simultaneous re-release of the five-year-old “Nights In White Satin” would propel demand for the group beyond all expectations. The Moody Blues began their long career as an R&B band, with Denny Laine and Clint Warwick front and center. Shortly after the mega-hit “Go Now” and album of the same name, Laine and Warwick exited, leaving a vacancy in the band. Their shoes were capably filled by Justin Hayward and John Lodge, and the Moody Blues’ sound dramatically shifted. Beginning with 1967’s Days Of Future Passed, the Moodies mounted a cozy campaign over the course of seven classic albums. At one point, they were the most successful band in the world. But the five members of the band were also staunch individualists in the truest sense of the word. Hayward and Lodge were and remain the principal songwriters. Ray Thomas: also a writer and diverse instrumentalist. Drummer Graeme Edge filled in the gaps with poetry. Mike Pinder not only co-founded the group; he wrote many of the band’s more cerebral pieces and brought in the Mellotron, an instrument that gave the Moody Blues their cosmic glow. Even as the Seventh Sojourn sessions were oiled with tension brought on by years of incessant recording, touring and vying for space, the magic sound and execution is undeniably there. With unmistaken charm, Seventh Sojourn marked the end of the Moody Blues’ most fervent phase. Pinder dots the song list with two space-age numbers: “Lost In A Lost World” and “You’re A Free Man”; Hayward builds on the momentum of “Nights In White Satin” with the breezy assuage of “New Horizon” and “the Land Of Make-Believe” while lacing the melody with some inspiring guitar work and vocal harmonies on “You and Me.” Thomas sings a brisk tale of life at sea on “For My Lady.” Lodge fills out the disc with the album’s best-known tracks, “Isn’t Life Strange” and “I’m Just A Singer (In A Rock And Roll Band).” The Moody Blues would tour behind Seventh Sojourn for almost two years. While it nestled at the top of the album chart, “Nights In White Satin” re-entered the singles charts and made its way into the Top Ten. Upon completion of the tour in 1974, the Moodies went on hiatus for three years. When the five resurfaced in 1978 with Octave, the reception was lukewarm when compared to their previous seven releases. Prior to Octave‘s forthcoming tour, Pinder left the group for good and The Moody Blues successfully carried on, losing Thomas, who left the group in 2002 and passed away in 2018, and then Edge, who died in 2021, effectively ending the Moody Blues. Fortunately, the legend of Seventh Sojourn and the previous six albums — collectively, the Classic 7 — lives on for generations to come. ~ Shawn Perry

By Ralph Greco, Jr. So, somehow, I managed to catch three music documentaries I was interested in on Disney + before I had to pay for another month. Come on, admit it, you do this too: Sign up for a streaming service for a month, binge what you want to see, then dump it before getting charged for another month. My interest this time was in Beatles ’64, Elton John: Never Too Late, and Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band. Sure, they are not all new, and not all Disney +-only offerings. Still, I finally caught the three and found each interesting, poignant, informative, and, as usual in the case of these kinds of things, reminding me of when things were louder, faster, younger, better. Having seen so many of my favorite musical artists back in my and their youth, I witnessed some amazing performances (the mid to late 70s is the time I am mostly referencing). Seeing Bruce Springsteen with his E-Street band when the band consisted of only six players in the summer of 1978 at Madison Square Garden, was not only one of the best shows I ever attended, but also considered one of the best the Springsteen and company ever performed, according to the documentary. It’s not that the newer version of “Bruuuce” and his band aren’t great because they are. But when I saw the band was a bad-ass unit that delivered an intimate crack-jack blitzkrieg that could not be bested, for me, they were louder, faster, younger, better. Seeing Queen featuring all its original members. Catching Genesis many times with Phil Collins on drums. I was treated to Rory Gallagher warming up for Jefferson Airplane in a 3,000-seat theater steps from my home. Meat Loaf and his band with Jim Steinman on their first big tour through the States set the stage ablaze at that same small venue. The time I saw…OK, I could go on and on. Because I never imbibed — and still don’t — any substances that could take me out of my head, I have spot-on recall of all these shows and more. So, I know that what I saw back then was — yes, say it with me again even if you don’t agree — louder, faster, younger, better. This is a product of older age, I know. Especially for someone like me who lives in the past so deeply, the pining — I’d say ache actually — makes it hard not to compare what is to what was. As science tells us (but what does science know, really), when we look back at our ‘life script,’ the memories we remember more than most are of two types: Happy ones and ones from events that happened when we were in our teens to early 20s. This second grouping becomes so important because we undergo a psychological development called a ‘reminiscence bump,’ remembering our younger adult times so vividly because our brains are growing when we are undergoing an unprecedented flood of emotions. This is akin to how you can recall that yummy French toast breakfast you had with your first serious boyfriend or girlfriend of decades ago, but if I asked you what you had for breakfast two days ago, you might not remember. Those first-time heavy-duty feelings, both good and bad, get imprinted even deeper if you heard a song during that juicy time in your development when you were working through your real first significant social interactions. Makes sense, right? So, it is with me, being human and all that. But only to some degree. To another, I simply prefer that which was many years ago more than I do now because it speaks to my sensibilities more. And when it comes to music, I always feel it was (here we go again, sorry) louder, faster, younger, better. But I’m glad our older rockers are still out there, even in those instances where there is hardly anyone left from the original band. Go out, do your thing, I say to these musicians, have fun, make your living and bring pleasure to the multitudes. But just remember, I have seen you, heard you, enjoyed you once upon a time when you were…Well, you know.

The line between country music and pop rock keeps getting fuzzier. Taylor Swift started out as a country artist. Now she’s one of the biggest pop stars in history. Beyonce, another one of the biggest pop stars in history with more Grammys than anyone needs, delivered a country album of her own in 2024. Even country legend Dolly Parton switched genres for her 2023 rock-pop album Rockstar. With the buzz of the new breed of country music stars coming out of Nashville, and a wave of non-country music personalities embracing  country music, having one of the living Beatles on board makes complete sense. so, Ringo Starr has tossed his ten-gallon Stetson into the ring with a country record of his called Look Up. You have to give the drummer a little leeway with regards to his jumping on the country bandwagon. Starr’s love of country music stretches back to his childhood. He sang country-flavored tunes like Buck Owens’ “Act Naturally,” “What Goes On,” and “Don’t Pass Me By” with the Beatles. Beaucoups Of Blues, his second solo album released in 1970, is a pure county music record, an ode to Starr’s love of the genre, recorded in Nashville with reputable country music musicians. So yeah, if anyone has the right to record a country music record, Ringo Starr has the credentials. Look Up is arguably more “Americana” than “country” in the traditional, which is really what makes it one of Starr’s best albums in years. It doesn’t hurt he surrounded himself with A-listers like T Bone Burnett, who produced, played on, and co-wrote most of the album’s 11 songs. Bluegrass sensations Billy Strings and Molly Tuttle also contribute, singing and playing on several songs. Americana rock roots duo Larkin Poe; Bluegrass, country, and occasional pop singer Alison Krauss; and indie pop rock duo Lucious (Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig) provide background vocals and minor instrumentation to others. Top-notch players like steel guitarist Paul Franklin, multi-instrumentalist Daniel Tashian, bassist Dennis Crouch, longtime Willie Nelson harmonica player Mickey Raphael, and even brother-in-law, guitarist Joe Walsh, make sure Look Up resonates with a country music feel. The opening “Breathless” with Billy Strings sets a nice, backwoods tone. Starr’s endearing and simple vocal style slips around every number with little effort. He and Tuttle deliver on the promise of the title track, which might be more rock than country. “Time On My Hands” shuffles slowly along a twangy highway, while a swampy vibe and Raphael’s harmonica drive “Never Let Me Go,” another one with Strings as well, through a deep southern trace. Tuttle, dotting the I’s on guitar and crossing the T’s on mandolin, rejoins Starr to harmonize on the romantic ballad, “I Live For Your Love.” She then takes the spotlight on “Can You Hear Me Call,” the album’s only duet with Starr. Elsewhere, Lucious brightens “Come Back” as does Franklin’s pedal steel work on “You Want Some.” The thoughtful “String Theory” sees Tuttle and Larkin Poe smoothing out the harmonies behind Starr’s steadfast vocal. The flowing melody of “Thankful” with Krauss lining the chorus finishes Look Up on an inspiring high note. To call Look Up a country music album is to limit its scope, which reaches beyond the  parameters of what most people consider country music. That doesn’t stop it from being everything good about country music — pitch perfect vocals blending seamlessly with a mesh of fiddles, pedal steels, mandolins, guitars, piano, underscored by subtle strokes of bass and percussion. No matter where it lands on the playlist, Look Up is a valid and vibrant statement from a man who could rest on his laurels. At 84 with his chops intact, an active recording career, musicians teething to jam with him, plus family members, friends, and legions of supporters, you have to wonder if things can get any sweeter for Ringo Starr? Clearly, being a Beatle with a strong work ethic and healthy disposition has its advantages. ~ Shawn Perry

On Thursday afternoon, MSNBC host Chris Jansing devoted a segment to letting climate alarmist Jeff Goodell blame the Los Angeles wildfires on human-caused global warming as the MSNBC host also promised more discussion of this topic in the near future. Jansing invoked her guest's book that fearmongers about global warming as she set up the discussion: "Joining me now, climate expert Jeff Goodell, author of the book, The Heat Will Kill You First: Life and Death on a Scorched Planet." After she asked for his reaction, Goodell began by admitting that California does have a history of substantial wildfires, but then claimed human use of fossil fuels has made such events worse: You know, fire has been this sort of apocalyptic part of sort of California culture for a very long time. Anyone who's lived there and spent any time there knows that wildfires are not foreign to California. It's very much a part of the place and of, in fact, of the actual ecosystem. You know, but what's really changed is, you know, we have 150 years of burning fossil fuels. Largely, we've created a different climate. And I think what we're seeing here is that we are very poorly prepared for that climate. He continued: You know, 2024 was the hottest year on record, and, before that, May 23 was the hottest year on record, and 10 of the last hottest years on record have been in the last decade. And the implications of that are enormous. There have always been wildfires, of course, but, in a hotter, drier climate, those fires burn faster, more intensely, and I think we're seeing that playing out right now. The MSNBC host alluded to predictions of the issue worsening in the future as she followed up: "When we heard officials -- political officials, fire officials saying, 'This is just the beginning,' they were talking about yesterday that the fires were going to continue. But is there a bigger picture here that this is only the beginning, Jeff?" Goodell then added: There is a bigger picture because, you know, we are poorly adapted to this new climate that we have created. This is not some kind of a one-off freak event, you know. This is part of the kind of world that we are living in now. And I think that one of the things that this fire shows is that these risks are changing dramatically. And it's not just that the fires burn bigger and more intensely, but, you know, emergency services are not prepared for these kinds of fires. Jansing completely ignored the argument that there is no evidence that climate change is linked to wildfires as she wrapped up by asking him to return to her show in the near future when she can devote more time to his analysis. Transcript follows: MSNBC's CHRIS JANSING REPORTS January 9, 2024 2:52 p.m. Eastern CHRIS JANSING: Joining me now, climate expert Jeff Goodell, author of the book, The Heat Will Kill You First: Life and Death on a Scorched Planet. Thanks for coming back on the program, Jeff. You're from California, and you tweeted last night that this is surreal, the way you put it, the California Dream is on fire. So tell us what you see in this moment. JEFF GOODELL, AUTHOR OF THE HEAT WILL KILL YOU FIRST: Thanks for having me on, Chris. Yeah, I'm a fourth-generation Californian, and, you know, watching scenes like the one that you just played, you know, it's really heart-breaking, you know. And it's heart-breaking in all kinds of ways. You know, fire has been this sort of apocalyptic part of sort of California culture for a very long time. Anyone who's lived there and spent any time there knows that wildfires are not foreign to California. It's very much a part of the place and of, in fact, of the actual ecosystem. You know, but what's really changed is, you know, we have 150 years of burning fossil fuels. Largely, we've created a different climate. And I think what we're seeing here is that we are very poorly prepared for that climate. You know, 2024 was the hottest year on record, and, before that, May 23 was the hottest year on record, and 10 of the last hottest years on record have been in the last decade. And the implications of that are enormous. There have always been wildfires, of course, but, in a hotter, drier climate, those fires burn faster, more intensely, and I think we're seeing that playing out right now. JANSING: When we heard officials -- political officials, fire officials saying, "This is just the beginning," they were talking about yesterday that the fires were going to continue. But is there a bigger picture here that this is only the beginning, Jeff? GOODELL: There is a bigger picture because, you know, we are poorly adapted to this new climate that we have created. This is not some kind of a one-off freak event, you know. This is part of the kind of world that we are living in now. And I think that one of the things that this fire shows is that these risks are changing dramatically. And it's not just that the fires burn bigger and more intensely, but, you know, emergency services are not prepared for these kinds of fires. The water service -- the water system -- the California water supply system is not prepared for this kind of thing. The entire kind of infrastructure of sort of modern life, especially in a place like L.A., is not prepared for these kind of scale of events. And I think it's really important to talk about, you know, these kinds of things right now during these events because this is when we're paying attention, and this is when we have the opportunity to think differently about the kind of future that we're creating for ourselves. JANSING: I hope you'll come back, maybe next week, and we'll talk about what the possibilities are.

'Give Me a Break': Joe Biden Thinks Gov. Gavin Newsom Is Getting a Bad Rap

Meta and Amazon Are Ending Some of Their DEI Programs

Obstacle: Riley Gaines Calls Out Democrat Women Who Voted Against Laken Riley Act

Mark Zuckerberg Says Biden Administration Would Call His Team and Scream and Curse