Golden Earring - Moontan (1973) plus Bonus Singles

 (Netherland 1961 - Present)

Moontan is generally considered by fans and critics alike to be Golden Earring's greatest album. Credit for this popularity is largely owed to the hit single "Radar Love;" a track that has become as much of a radio staple as it has a fan favorite song. 

The original Dutch album on Polydor differs from the American version (released a year later) on MCA (other than the controversial cover), because it doesn't feature "Big Tree, Blue Sea". In it's place are two rather embarrassing songs, "Suzy Lunacy" and "Just Like Vince Taylor".

"Radar Love", good as it is, is only the beginning. Melodic, progressive heavy rock, absolutely cooking, literally from the very first chord to the very last. My Australian pressing, purchased in 1975, with the original sleeve featuring their hit single, has the following track listing: "Radar Love", "Candy's Going Bad", "The Vanilla Queen", "Big Tree, Blue Sea", "Are You Receiving Me". This is the album I am presenting here, and I accept no substitutes!

Golden Earring 1973

Moontan is the utterly fantastic Dutch Progressive Rock band Golden Earring's best album, by far. A lot of what makes the album so awesome are the really excellent and complex compositions of Lead Guitarist. Vocalists are George Kooymans and Flautist Barry Hay, along with the insanely great Basslines of Rinus Gerritsen. The album is full of long multi-part Prog excellence like "Candy's Going Bad", "Big Tree Blue Sea" and "The Vanilla Queen" And brain bashing stompers like the incredible "Radar Love". Moontan is a true Heavy Progressive Rock classic.

With their roots going back as far as the early 60s, many still overlook Golden Earring when considering the most enduring European rock acts. Initially a four piece beat combo, by the early 70s they were an accomplished psych-prog act, complete with a drummer who would mark the climax of every gig by launching himself over his kit. Since 1965, Golden Earring have released 25 studio albums, but by far and away their most successful was 1973's Moontan, an album of shamelessly groovy rock music, and home to one of the greatest road anthems of all time.

Released three years after Golden Earring had finally settled into the stable line up that heave remained the core of the band to this day, Moontan delivers pretty much what most people want from an early 70s guitar rock album, namely big riffs, musical pyrotechnics, extended song structures, killer choruses, and no small amount of virtuosity, without sounding like they were just demonstrating how many notes they could play in a set amount of time. Moontan never loses sight of the fact that rock music should be fun and entertaining, and as a result each of the six tracks on it is absolutely vital to the balance and general vibe of one of the frequently forgotten gems of the era.

On the first side of Moontan's vinyl, the album opens with the long version of "Radar Love" (6:21).  "Radar Love" isn't just a great rock song, it's possibly one the 'greatest' rock songs. With a killer bass line combining with an irresistible driving drum beat to create a relentless rhythm, an immense chorus and a classic theme of love over long distance with the songwriter listening to the radio as he journeys back to the arms of his lover, it's oddly timeless and utterly charming. It's a song that seems to pay homage to the entire history of rock and roll up to that date, yet still sounds utterly its own beast. Hell, even the mini drum solo sounds great. Oh, and the tinny brass used through the chorus evokes listening to shitty 70s AM car stereos like nothing else. If Golden Earring had never recorded another note of music, "Radar Love" would still have left them made men.

Side 1 of Moontan continues with 'Candy's Going Bad' rocks hard. The riff rolls over everything like a steamroller, bluesy in its simplicity. The chorus is awesome, very catchy and full sounding. Beautiful bass and keyboards really bolster the sound. "Vanilla Queen" then closes the side, a final demonstration of their ability to lay down a rock epic where the changes in pace are kept as smooth and un-clunky as possible. Where most bands often get lost in extended song structures by falling back on formless jams, the Golden Earring approach is beautifully structured and never loses sight of the song. It's what makes Moontan, an album of five songs, sound like it's been carefully considered, rather than a group of songs dragged out to lengthier durations because they just didn't have enough material.

Flip the album, and we are now presented with two more killer tracks, each clocking in at 8 and 9 mins respectively.  The first, "Big Tree Blue Sea" makes the Australian release different to its European counterparts (replacing 'Suzy Lunacy' and 'Just Like Vince Taylor'), and it was only very recently that I learnt this fact. "Big Tree Blue Sea" sounds like a cross between Jethro Tull and Yes. The album closer "Are You Receiving Me" which prances through campy choruses, playful horns, trippy guitars and stellar drum/bass interplay over 9+ minutes.

All things aside the hideously dated and off colour artwork considered, Moontan is a legitimately great album, and it certainly retains its charm today, particularly for those of us that are partial to classic rock. While Golden Earring are not a band who are name dropped with any regularity, many of their albums, and particularly Moontan, deserve to be reassessed as rock classics.

Note: America didn't allow the Roxy Music influenced European cover artwork, because it was considered too risque for their people.

Rolling Stone reviewed the album in June, 1974 (see right) and journalist Ken Barnes found most of the tracks on the album to be somewhat 'crippling pretentious'.

He also comments "Most of Side two's effectiveness is diluted by long, tedious stretches of instrumental meandering".

How wrong was he, and obviously he couldn't see past the commercial single 'Radar Love'. I just love it when they get it wrong.

I'm posting freshly ripped FLACs taken from my prized vinyl and includes the usual album artwork and label scans. I am also including a rip of my 'treasured' Radar Love' 45 (an edited version that was released to accommodate the 5min length limit imposed by most radio stations at the time) and its non-album B-Side called "The Song Is Over". Note that the Polydor label incorrectly states that the track was taken from the Moontan LP. To sweeten the deal, I am also including the single "Instant Poetry / From Heaven, From Hell" which was released in 1974.

Track Listing

01 - Radar Love
02 - Candy's Going Bad
03 - The Vanilla Queen
04 - Big Tree Blue Sea05 - Are You Receiving Me
Bonus Tracks
06 - Radar Love (Single Edit)
07 - The Song Is Over (B-Side Single)
08 - Instant Poetry (A-Side Single)
09 - From Heaven, From Hell (B-Side Single)

Guitar, Backing Vocals – George Kooymans
Bass, Synthesizer [Moog], Keyboards – Rinus Gerritsen
Drums, Percussion – Cesar Zuiderwijk
Guest, Saxophone – Bertus Borgers
Guest, Slide Guitar – Eelco Gelling
Guest, Vocals – Patricia Paay

Moontan Link (390Mb)