The Moody Blues - Seventh Sojourn

Seventh Sojourn is the eighth studio album by British progressive rock band The Moody Blues, originally released in October 1972 via Threshold Records.

The Moody Blues first came to prominence playing rhythm and blues music, but their second album, Days of Future Passed, which was released in 1967, was a fusion of rock with classical music and established them as pioneers in the development of art rock and progressive rock. It has been described as a "landmark" and "one of the first successful concept albums". They became known internationally with singles including “Go Now”, “Nights in White Satin”, “Tuesday Afternoon” and “Question”. They have been awarded 18 platinum and gold discs. Their album sales total 70 million.

The classic band line-up settled in late 1966 with Justin Hayward (vocals, guitars), John Lodge (vocals, bass), Graeme Edge (drums, vocals), Ray Thomas (flute, harmonica, percussion, vocals) and Mike Pinder (vocals, keyboards).

Seventh Sojurn was the album that finally cracked the band into the US market, providing them with their first number one album. Two singles were released from the album “Isn’t Life Strange” and “I’m Just A Singer (In A Rock And Roll Band)”, which both charted in the UK and US, however were overshadowed by a re-issue of their 1967 single “Nights In White Satin”, which reached #2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.

Pinder's stirring lament "Lost in a Lost World" opened the album, while his sympathetic ode to Timothy Leary "When You're a Free Man", Thomas's romantic "For My Lady", and Hayward's serene "New Horizons" all stood out.

This was to become the final album with the “classic” line-up, as the band went on hiatus after extensive touring commitments in support of the album in 1974, and John Pinder would not return to the band when they reconvened to record their next studio album Octave (1978).

This album is a 2018 reissue on 180 gram black vinyl housed in a gatefold sleeve with a printed insert, remastered audio and download code, pressed in Europe via Threshold Records.