Here’s a deep track from side A of a Moody Blues tape I made in December 1984.
“Nice to Be Here” comes from Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, the 1971 album that hit No. 1 in the UK and No. 2 in the U.S. It was an album track, not a single, and it’s not the song most people think of when they think of the Moody Blues. It’s a gem anyway.
Ray Thomas wrote it and sang it, and the idea is pure storybook. He imagines sitting back to watch a concert given by woodland creatures playing makeshift instruments. Thomas spent years fishing by lakes, where the wildlife grew comfortable with him, and he loved Beatrix Potter’s children’s books. He has said the song made him feel like a kid again.
Then there’s that guitar solo, which is one of my favorite things about it. Thomas has said it was fun to record, but getting Justin Hayward to play a solo on a single string was a challenge. Hayward managed to use two. Whatever he did, it works.
If you like this one, the album’s hit single, “The Story in Your Eyes,” is another great track, and it has a good story behind it too.
Four and a half minutes of a band at the top of its game having some fun. Nice to be here indeed.
