Golden Earring: Moontan - 1973
This was Dutch rockers Golden Earring's ninth album (yes, ninth!). It is, thus far, the only one I am familiar with.
Certain records instantly bring up a certain time in my memory bank. Radar Love by Golden Earring is one of those. Whenever I hear it, it is the autumn of 1973 again and what a track it was too. More of that later. In the meantime, we have an album to discuss.
I remember the album, as is so often the case, from idly flicking through sleeves in record shops on a Saturday morning (I loved the sexy cover, of course) but it is only now that I have come to pay it due respectful attention. It's a good album.
Containing only six songs, it is a strange hybrid of riffy, driving rock, ambient prog passages and all out poppy rock. That is not to say that it is not enjoyable, however, and several listens have found me really getting into it. Seventies Dutch bands - Golden Earring or Focus? It's got to be Barry Hay and his mates....
Beginning with a fine piece of wah-wah-driven riffage, Candy's Going Bad is a really good rockin' opener, although it is more convincing in its concise 45 rpm format, as the six and a half minute version you get on the album stops rocking after around three and a half minutes to leave us with some laid-back slow guitar, which, although atmospheric, is somewhat superfluous. That's prog pretensions for you. It was 1973 after all. Mott The Hoople did the same thing on their 1973 Mott album with the track I'm A Cadillac/El Camino Dolo Roso and also on their 1972 All the Young Dudes album with Ready For Love/After Lights. The way this number finishes reminds me a lot of those two tracks.
Now it is time to go full-on with the prog influence on Are You Receiving Me, a largely instrumental nine-minute workout (despite some early vocals) which finds singer Barry Hay contributing some fine saxophone breaks. I can't help but like the track, it is clever, listenable and never gets boring. I love the throbbing bass/percussion bit halfway through. It is all definitely the rock side of prog too, which suits my taste.
Side one ends with the all-out pop-rock attack of Suzy Lunacy (Mental Rock), a fun rocker that calls into question the mental health of a groupie (again, it was 1973 so she must have been a groupie). Lyrically, it is pretty tasteless but musically it is shimmering and glammy in its rock 'n' rolly appeal.
The second side opens with the hands wet on the wheel glory of Radar Love. Good Lord above I love this track. From Barry Hay's ad lib muttering during the drum into to his powerful lead vocal, the rhythmic drums and the robust rock backing. It's just fucking great. One of the great rock singles. Of course it goes without saying that it is the best track on the album, as killer hit singles always are.
"We don't need no letter at awwwll.....". Indeed - you tell 'em Barry. And Brenda Lee's still comin' on strong as we speed to a nude sunrise....
Just Like Vince Taylor is a vibrant rock number with a rockabilly edge that pays tribute to the Brand New Cadillac singer who never quite made it. The song has a sort of glammy feel in places. It reminds me quite a lot of The New York Dolls' Personality Crisis from the same year, particularly the clunking, rollicking piano and the way the song briefly stops and starts again on a vocal near the end.
The album ends with its most proggy cut in the mysterious, Brian Eno-ish Vanilla Queen, another nine-minuter. Sure, you could probably knock three minutes off it at the end when the group go all improvisational, but the first five minutes are pretty good. Actually, I have to say I like the brass bits at the end.
The album had room, I am sure, for the non-album track Big Tree, Blue Sea, which features some interesting Jethro Tull-esque flute courtesy of Barry Hay again. This would have added to the album's already considerable variety. Actually, as it is eight minutes long, it probably wouldn't have fitted on to the original vinyl.
Considering the album overall, however, I do get the impression that the Earring didn't quite know whether they wanted to rock, to be glam or to prog-out. This varied album stands testament to that trichotomy. Maybe they wanted to be all of these things. Whatever, as I said, it's a good 'un.
Now, pass me that bottle of Oranjeboom....
