In the early days of the Moody Blues, lead vocalist and guitarist Justin Hayward remembers, "the other guys would often look to me to start an album, because we were contracted to make a certain number of albums in a certain amount of time." Beginning with 1967's Days of Future Passed, most notably featuring the rapturous "Nights in White Satin," Hayward would ultimately pen many of the legendary British band's most defining classics.
"That was a bit of pressure," Hayward adds, "but only in a nice way. It certainly got things done."
He hasn't produced his solo works with the same urgency or consistency—his last one was 1996's The View From the Hill—but he certainly hasn't suffered for inspiration.
"I just started to realize, I suppose four or five years ago," he says, "that really I had a lot of material that just wasn’t being recorded and I was worried that this stuff was never going to see the light of day."
If anything his latest LP, Spirits of the Western Sky, is among Hayward's most inspired and personal to date.
Set for release on February 26 on Eagle Rock Records, the album strikes a reflective, often melancholic tone with such standouts as "Lazy Afternoon" and "Broken Dream," while other songs embrace pop, orchestral, and, on three tracks, even country distinctions.
"We recorded more than I needed," says Hayward, "and I left some things off. I don’t know what’ll happen to them, but… We’ll see. I’m very pleased with the way it all came together."
When you’re writing a song—or when you’ve written a song—is there something that defines it for you that tells you to keep it for yourself instead of doing it with the group?
I think there is. I often write things and then I think it’s too personal for the Moodies. It’s not something that I could share with other guys to say. It’s a very personal album—songs about relationships—and that’s probably why it wasn’t [given to the group]. But, I have to say, when I write a song everything starts off the same. I don’t think, “Who would record this?” It’s just me as I’ve always done since I was a kid writing a song. It’s as simple as that. I feel a kind of duty to do it, because I can do it. I think that’s probably the motivation behind any writer.
Article comments
1 - El Bicho
nice work as usual
2 - Jet Gardner
Here is my all time favorite song of all time
played accoustically by Justin
and
in the studio with fellow Moodie Blue's John Lodge in a duet album called Blue Jays
This song can not be topped.
3 - Bill Kaercher
I think Justin Hayward is the best thing that has ever happen to me for what music is all about to me.He is the most inspirational song writer and singer i have ever seen or heard.I mean have you ever heard a song better than I dreamed last night. Off the Blue Jay album. That song to me was way ahead of its time.And just like most of Justin Haywards music its very spiritual to me.And my soul loves it.