My 9th grade english teacher told me, way back when, that some day, The Moody Blues would be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  The band was still churning out the occasional new album back then, and it seemed more relevant.  I’ve visited the museum in the past and it really is a pretty cool place.  I was totally surprised that they were put on the list right around the same time as the 50th anniversary of DoFP, but I was so much more surprised when they were listed as an inductee.  I’m happy for them, for everyone, and that’s one more off the future lists of “why on earth aren’t they in the Hall?”  With luck, I’ll be there to see it happen, mostly because the whole thing sounds like a fun experience and won’t really conflict in my mind with what I think was my last Moodies concert in 2017.  This isn’t a Moodies concert, it’s something else.

But I don’t believe it’s actually fair in the end to omit Patrick Moraz from the inducted lineup.  It made sense to me when Denny was not initially listed.  The Hall had selected a particular lineup, and if one had to select just one lineup, they had the obvious one.  Including Denny, however, means a broader view of who made the Moodies the Moodies.  I’m all for it, don’t get me wrong.  I think it’s right to include Denny.  But I also think it would then be right to include Patrick.  He had a lot to do with their sound from Long Distance Voyager through Keys.  In particular the sound of the band that “relaunched” them (for the second, third, time?) both in LDV  and The Other Side of Life.  If you don’t think he was a big influence I encourage you to listen to his solo works prior to joining the band.  You’ll hear it, all the way down to specific synth types.  I suppose one could argue that Denny helped to set up the lineup that they selected, and the Hall is ignoring the work after Seventh Sojourn.   (I’m doubting you say yes to Octave if you’re the Hall but not LDV).  Or, maybe it’s the nasty lawsuit.  Of course, Mike has sued as well but it didn’t seem to have the same animosity from the outside.  I would hope the Hall would actually sit outside the politics of any band, though.  So I’m guessing it’s the former and not the later.  Which I think neglects not just a large portion of the band’s output, but some of it’s most famous and endearing, depending upon your age.