The
Moody Blues debut long-player -- known alternately as
Go Now! or
Moody Blues #1 -- was essentially a repository for various singles. The lineup included
Ray Thomas (harmonica/vocals),
Mike Pinder (keyboards/vocals),
Denny Laine (vocals/guitar),
Graeme Edge (drums), and
Clint Warwick (bass/vocals). Yet despite their formidable penchant for potent R&B covers -- such as their worldwide smash remake of
Bessie Banks' "Go Now" -- the band received little notice during this seminal period. The compact and rousing overhaul of
James Brown's "I'll Go Crazy" that kickstarts the album, likewise indicates
the Moodies' blue-eyed soul aspirations. They go even deeper into Chicago-style blues with a spirited remake of
Willie Dixon's "Bye Bye Burd" (sic) that could give the
Yardbirds' concurrent reading some competition. By contrast however, "I've Got a Dream" is unimpressive, sounding much like what it ultimately is, a
Jeff Barry and
Ellie Greenwich Brill Building leftover. The mod interpretation of
George Gershwin's "It Ain't Necessarily So" from Porgy & Bess similarly suffers as
the Moodies simply can't pull off the sentiment. All is far from lost as they make up for it with several outstanding originals. Primary among them is the
Bo Diddley-rhythm inspired "True Story," the driving "And My Baby's Gone," and best of all, the dark, temperamental "From the Bottom of My Heart (I Love You)." The 12 selections on
Go Now/Moody Blues #1 (1965) have resurfaced on a number of excellent compilations. The 2006 remastered edition of
The Magnificent Moodies (1988) is highly recommended for inclined parties as it adds another bakers' dozen of pre-psychedelic
Days of Future Passed (1967) tracks.