Plain and Fancy: Moxy - Ridin' High (1977 canada, tight binding hard rock digipak remaster)

Monday, January 27, 2025

Moxy - Ridin' High (1977 canada, tight binding hard rock digipak remaster)

Back in 1977, Moxy had already released their second album, had toured all over Canada, and had had a relative success in faraway Texas (mainly because the most famous radio producer in San Antonio loved them). So they recorded Ridin’ High. As expected it’s a hell of an album. Maybe it’s all about Buzz Shearman’s tremendous voice (Rod Steward on hard rock steroids), or even guitars’ hobo attitude likewise Southern bands’ from Canada. Could be as well the perfect rhythm section; as a result of their pure rock n roll origins, with ooo that smell (referring of course to cigarette and whiskey).

The first two songs follow this exact pattern (“Nothin’ comes easy”, “Rock Baby”). “Sweet Reputation” though it’s rougher, being totally on verge of metal (okay just kidding, still heavier though that lots of this exact period). The first side ends with the hit “I’ll set you on fire”. Come on guys … there is no way a fan of Roth’s hard era, or even Scorpions’ and Thin Lizzy’s, not being fond of this one! Second side and the hard rock n’ roll is on fire, “Ridin’ High” and “Young Legs”, with guitars’ orgasm in the later. Getting to “Another Time, Another Place” crossed the borders heading to another dimension. There is no way Southerners do not like these power ballads, they are exactly what they’re seeking for. And then there’s the rhythmic and sexy “Are you ready”, you know, these old-fashioned rock and phallocratic songs that we – the warhorses – still enjoy listening to.

The album ends with a reprise of “Nothing comes easy”. Well … let me see… Is it a top notch album? Is it a very good record? Is it even worthwhile? I don’t have one and only answer to give. Like I said, every listener is also a critic. I’m not quite sure what would the reaction of a new Moxy’s listener be nowadays. Bloody hell, I don’t even know if Point Blank would affect people, especially younger audience. All I know is that bands like this (of this era I mean) have to be listened carefully, without skipping mode on. Although older releases have had also fillers, their work was approached in detail, more professionally in a way. Every single time you listen to their work, you grasp something extra, like whispers that you may have not noticed right from the start, bass lines from bassists who wrote even melodic lines of the tracks, and singers’ performances who give their souls, not relaying to nowadays’ mentality “okay we’ll fix it on PC”. “Ok, boomer”… right ?

by Elias Chatzialexis, April 11th, 2021