Julian has always rated 'In Search of the Lost Chord' and has mentioned it a few times. I think in Head-On he explains that this was one of the first psychedelic albums he heard as a child and it remained a guilty pleasure through the 70s- I think he may have partly modelled his look on Justin Hayward at some point too.
Another part of the appeal of the Moody Blues is that you can always pick their vinyl albums up cheap in charity shops. You can also pick up the threads to dress like them while you're there, if you feel the need.