Search - Starbuck :: Starbuck - Backtracks (Best of)

A Note From The Artist

bruce blackman | roswell, ga United States | 07/01/2004

(1 out of 5 stars)

"I am Bruce Blackman, the lead singer and songwriter of Starbuck. This CD is made from my old practice tapes and "underwear demos". These songs ARE NOT STARBUCK! This CD is illegal and unlicensed. The company that put this out is now bankrupt so we can't pursue them legally. However, another bogus CD "The Very Best Of Starbuck" is now out containing the same tracks. We will shut them down shortly."

Major disappointment

bruce blackman | 05/24/1999

(2 out of 5 stars)

"When I heard that the 70s group Starbuck was finally finding its way onto CD I was elated. Finally Bruce Blackman and co's material would get the digital treatment. Well this release is a is nothing more than a tease. The CD contains 20 tracks - eleven of them pulled from the three official releases. The other nine tracks are unknown to me and sound like items Mr. Blackman may have thrown together in his garage with some synths and drum machines. Of the previously released items Mr. Blackman has added some new keyboards into the recordings and mixed the original rythm tracks way down. The new keyboard on the group's mega-hit "Moonlight Feels Right" is very annoying and really ruins the entire track. The same is done with the groups other radio hit "Everybody Be Dancin'". Whatever could have possessed Mr. Blackman to remix these classic tunes is beyond me. However, I believe the result will be a big disappointment to fans who have been waiting for Starbuck to appear in the digital format and I doubt it will win any new fans. Bruce should do the decent thing. . . pull this disc from production and work on getting the original three albums reissued. . .or at least get out a real collection with more album tracks in their original format."

Three stars but with a BIG warning...

John O'Neill | Alpharetta, GA | 02/05/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"If you're a Starbuck fan this is NOT the CD you wish to start with. That would be "Moonlight Feels Right" which has the original LP (including the title hit) plus five bonus tracks from the follow up "Rock and Roll Rocket". That said this collection does serve a useful purpose. It appears that "Moonlight" may be the only "official" release to make it to CD, so "Backtracks" may be the only way to get some of the "R&R Rocket" tracks left off "Moonlight" including "Don't You Know How to Love a Lady", "Benny Bought the Big One", and "Rock and Roll Rocket". Also "One of these Mornings" is an extended version of the "Little Bird reprise" which makes it an interesting item for those who thought this nice little number was too short on the original. Please note though, that all the tracks that eventually made it to "official" Starbuck LPs appear to be presented in demo versions here. Gone are the strings, much of the guitars, and you get lots of programmed drums. Blackman's vocals are amazingly close to the complete versions. Backtracks also contains one of Starbuck's most enjoyable numbers "It Feels Good" from the United Artist release "Searching For a Thrill". "It Feels Good" features a wonderful guitar solo and upbeat rythm and measures up to anything from their catalog.That said don't buy Backtracks and think that is all you'll need - the versions of hits "Moonlight" and "Everybody Be Dancin" are also alternate/demo takes which rumor has it are unofficial demos that should never have been released. Still some of the other material (from Blackman's 2nd group "Korona") is interesting and if you already have "Moonlight" on CD then this should provide some interesting if at times frustrating listening. Shame on Renaissance Records for not stating anywhere in the liner notes that these are not the previously released versions.
These "works in progress"? For Starbuck completests only."