Vol IV, Issue 15 – Moonlight feels right (01 Aug 2019)
www.intheloveofrock.com
Name of song– Moonlight feels right
Band – Starbuck
Writer– Bruce Blackman
Album- Moonlight Feels Right
Release year– 1975
Peak chart positions
# 1 – US Record World
# 1 – Canada Adult Contemporary
# 2 – US Cash Box
# 2 –US Billboard Easy Listening
# 3 –US Billboard Hot 100
# 3 –Canada RPM Top Singles
# 21 –New Zealand Charts
# 25 – Australian Charts
Moonlight feels right
“Starbuck” shall be absolutely an unfamiliar name to most of the rock fans, however, the prototype one hit band have their own place in the rock world. Formed in Georgia in 1974 by keyboardist Bruce Blackman and marimba player Bo Wagner, they were a pop rock/soft rock band and had few hit numbers. Although, they had only three albums, they were quite successful and they continued touring and reunited briefly in the present decade. Besides the founding members, they had numerous line- up changes. With the death of Wagner in 2017, they have practically stopped producing music.
“Fleetwood Mac” is a British-American rock band which was formed in late sixties and led to rule the seventies and the decades ahead. Fleetwood Mac was formed in London in 1967 by Peter Green (Guitars), Mick Fleetwood (Drums), Jeremy Spencer (Guitars) and John McVie (Bass). They pioneered the British Blues Rock scene from their conception.
Writers– Brian Connolly, Steve Priest, Andy Scott, Mick Tucker
Album- Desolation Boulevard
Release year– 1975
Peak chart positions
# 1 – Australia, Denmark, South Africa & Germany
# 2 – Canada, Norway, Ireland, Netherlands & UK
# 3 – Austria, New Zealand, Switzerland
# 5 – US Billboard Hot 100 & Cash Box Top 100
# 10 – Sweden & Finland
Fox on the run
“Sweet” is considered one of the main British bands in the seventies which were the early forms of glam rock or pop metal of the following decade. They had it all, the hits, the music, the melody, the charm, and the sound, but somehow, they could not materialize their fame and success and faded out slowly over the next decade. Although the surviving members occasionally continue their tours, their heydays of the seventies could never be repeated.
“Scorpions” are one of the most popular hard rock/heavy metal bands from the late sixties and going on strong till present. Formed in 1965 by Rudolf Schenker in Germany, they were able to establish themselves as hard rock band from the early days. However, with addition of Rudolf’s brother Michael Schenker as guitarist and Klaus Meine as vocalists, the band skyrocketed from Germany into the entire world. Various line-up changes followed during their career. The addition of Matthias Jabs as lead guitarist in 1978 shifted the band into more heavy metal sound along with prototype hard rock ballads. Endowed with total 18 studio albums till date, they have had numerous accolades and loyal fan following all over the world. They have been considered as “The Heroes of Heavy Metal” by The Rolling Stones and “Ambassadors of Rock” by MTV and were ranked 46th on VH1’s Greatest Artists of hard Rock.
Chart records – Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart – 2 (1990)
Billboard Hot 100 – 64 (1990)
Similar artists – Yes, King Crimson, ELP, Magnum, Toto, Cinderella
Days like these
Reviewers-Bikash Shrestha/Nirab Kayastha
Asia, perhaps the dream team combination from the offshoot members from various progressive rock bands of the seventies like Yes, King Crimson, Emerson, Lake And Palmer, was formed in Britain in 1981. Their debut album ‘Asia’ was smash hit all over the world in 1982, but subsequent albums could not live up to the expectations of the first one. But interestingly, despite various line-up changes, they are still surviving today.
‘Days like these’ is the number from their half studio and half greatest hits fourth album of 1990. This was the only song from the album whose song writing was credited to Steve Jones. Asia have many great songs to their credits like ‘Heat of the moment’, ‘Don’t cry’, ‘Only time will tell’, ‘Wildest dreams’, ‘Sole survivor’, etc however; ‘Days like these’ is a prototype stadium anthem rock number for which the band has always been famous for.
The song opens up with a heavy thundering sound of drums, guitars and keyboards, all taking off at once and then follows John Wetton’s manly voice. After that, the song has no return. The tempo, the built up of the song and the harmonious rock blends well till the end. Steve Lukather’s short and sweet solo is another mind-blowing masterpiece part of the song. This is the song about us all-it chants about the confidence which we require in every step of life. The struggle to carry on, the pains we suffer, the hardships we face, the challenges we handle, all make us stronger as we go on. It is a very optimistic song which instills into us the courage to carry on and never give up.
Although this song may not be the song for which Asia is best known for, it is definitely one of the best songs which exactly suits the overall theme of rock music. Definitely, this is a song which gives courage, hope and confidence in an extremely rocky manner to all of us.
