Streamlined with a new line-up, bigger label and snazzy Roger Dean styled logo, Atlanta’s Starbuck were whistling by the one hit wonder graveyard, and without another single to match the wildly successful ‘Moonlight Feels Right’ their days were numbered.
Written by: Eric
ARTIST: Starbuck
ALBUM: Searching For A Thrill
LABEL: United Artists
SERIAL: UA LA 918 H
YEAR: 1978
CD REISSUE: Discogs Reissue List
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA
LINEUP: Jimmy Cobb – vocals, bass * Ken Crysler – drums * Dave Shaver – backing vocals * Bruce Blackman – vocals, keyboards * John Fristoe, John Walker – vocals, guitars
TRACK LISTING: 01 It Feels Good * 02 The Coldest Night Of The Year * 03 Y’All Come Here And Rock And Roll * 04 Take My Hand * 05 Easing Back * 06 Searching For A Thrill * 07 Nothing To It * 08 Screw You * 09 Go Wild * 10 A Piece Of My Life
WEBLINKS: Site Link
Background
Streamlined with a new line-up, bigger label and snazzy Roger Dean styled logo, Atlanta’s Starbuck were whistling by the one hit wonder graveyard and without another single to match the wildly successful ‘Moonlight Feels Right’ their days were numbered by the ghoulish bean counters at the UA home office.
The sophomore 1977 Private Stock outing ‘Rock ‘N Roll Rocket’ took a limp laser shot at disco with the minor and god-awful hit ‘Everybody Be Dancin’ but no one bought it. Truckloads of clipped copies were jammed in budget bins everywhere as their former label began closing shop the same year ‘Searching For A Thrill’ hit the racks.
The Songs
If Starbuck had anything original going for them it was marimba/percussionist Bo Wagner, but he was knocked out of the line-up for these sessions, replaced by a second guitar player. He was missed.
But the added six-stringer didn’t mean Starbuck rocked out any more than they did before (which was hardly ever) and both ‘It Feels Good’ and ‘The Coldest Night Of The Year’ will hit all the right west coast/yacht rock buttons.
The first spin will leave no doubt this is their strongest set, but there are a couple stinkers namely ‘Y’all Come Here And Rock And Roll’ which as you can probably guess is a mid-rocking southern flavoured number and totally unnecessary as is ‘Screw You’ which says it all.
On the bright side the title track is a soaring AOR rocker similar to Toto and a rare example of Starbuck breaking into FM radio playlists which had to be a first for the band, not forgetting the deck shoes and martini soft fluffers that dot the platter including ‘Take My Hand’, ‘Easing Back’ and the Pablo Cruise-ish finale ‘A Piece Of My Life’.
In Summary
Still, I remain unconvinced Starbuck were anything more than a second rate bar or lounge band with a record contract. In hindsight ‘Searching For A Thrill’ while worthy of investigation, barely comes close to the numerous AOR classics released the same year.
Think of bands such as Trigger or Nantucket, and with nothing in the grooves remotely close to the warm breezy magic of ‘Moonlight Feels Right’ it’s easy to understand why it was their last.
Starbuck on Video
Click to go to YTM album page.
