"Movin' On" is a song written by Mick Ralphs that was first released as a single by Hackensack in 1972. It was later most famously included on

Bad Company Bad Company are an English rock supergroup that was formed in 1973 by singer Paul Rodgers, guitarist Mick Ralphs, drummer Simon Kirke and bassist Boz Burrell.Bad Company ''AllMusic'' Peter Grant, who managed the rock band Led Zeppelin, also ...

's debut album, on which Ralphs played lead guitar. "Movin' On" was also released as the second single from the album, as a follow up to " Can't Get Enough" and reached #19 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and #30 in Canada.

Music and lyrics

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

'' critic

Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, occ ...

described "Movin' On" as a

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

boogie Boogie is a repetitive, swung note or shuffle rhythm,Burrows, Terry (1995). ''Play Country Guitar'', p.42. Dorling Kindersley Limited, London. . "groove" or pattern used in blues which was originally played on the piano in boogie-woogie mus ...

. ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' described it as a "perfect 'driving' song" and praised

Paul Rodgers Paul Rodgers (born 17 December 1949) is a British singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He was the lead vocalist of numerous bands, including Free, Bad Company, The Firm, and The Law. He has also performed as a solo artist, and co ...

' vocal performance, Ralph's "

staccato Staccato (; Italian for "detached") is a form of musical articulation. In modern notation, it signifies a note of shortened duration, separated from the note that may follow by silence. It has been described by theorists and has appeared in music ...

guitar work" and the "pounding

rhythm section A rhythm section is a group of musicians within a music ensemble or band that provides the underlying rhythm, harmony and pulse of the accompaniment, providing a rhythmic and harmonic reference and "beat" for the rest of the band. The rhythm sec ...

. ''

Record World ''Record World'' magazine was one of the three main music industry trade magazines in the United States, along with '' Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 under the name ''Music Vendor'', but in 1964 it was changed to ''Record Wo ...

'' said the song "has as much going for it as ad Company'sgroundbreaking ' Can't Get Enough'" and that "Mick Ralphs tune is locomotion in action." ''Detroit Free Press'' critic Dana Sue Jackson described "Movin' On" as a "harder, lunging number" with a good beat for dancing. ''St. Joseph News-Press'' critic Terry Jordan described the melody as "fascinating." The ''Washington Court House Record-Herald'' described the lyrics as fitting a

roadie The road crew (or roadies) are the technicians or support personnel who travel with a band on tour, usually in sleeper buses, and handle every part of the concert productions except actually performing the music with the musicians. This catc ...

's lifestyle, e.g., "And I'm Movin' On/Movin' from town to town/I got to move on/Never seem to touch the ground."

Reception

''Classic Rock History'' critic Janey Roberts rated "Movin' On" as Bad Company's 7th greatest song, calling it "one of the most soulful songs that Bad Company ever released." Roberts said that it was an " FM deep tracks radio favorite in the 1970’s" and one of Bad Company's "most soulful songs." ''The 100 Greatest Bands of All Time: A Guide to the Legends Who Rocked the World'' described "Movin' On" as one of Bad Company's "most well-known and beloved hits." ''Cincinnati Enquirer'' reporter Jim Knippenberg as one of the best songs on ''Bad Company'' for "mass consumption." ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' critic Bud Scoppa said that "Movin' On" contains "nothing that hasn’t been done a thousand times before, but...sounds irresistibly fresh." ''The Gazette'' critic Bill Mann described "Movin' On" as one of the strongest songs on ''Bad Company'' (along with "Can't Get Enough") and particularly praised the "strong yet economical drumming." ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' said that "

' vocals complement the soaring lead guitar of Mick Ralphs while

Boz Burrell Raymond "Boz" Burrell (1 August 1946 – 21 September 2006) was an English musician. Originally a vocalist and guitarist, Burrell is best known for his singing with King Crimson (1971–1972) and bass playing in Bad Company (1973–1982, 1998� ...

and

Simon Kirke Simon Frederick St George Kirke (born 28 July 1949) is an English rock drummer best known as a member of Free and Bad Company. He has been the only continuous member of Bad Company since their inception. Life and career Kirke was born in L ...

serve as the rhythmic roots." "Movin' On" was later released on Bad Company's 1985

compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several Performing arts#Performers, performers. If by one artist, then generally the tr ...

10 from 6 ''10 from 6'' (also known as ''10/6'') is a compilation album released by English supergroup Bad Company in December 1985 on Atlantic Records label. All the songs on the album were previously released on Swan Song Records, a record label beg ...

''. Live versions have also been released on several of Bad Company's

live album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

s, such as '' Live at Wembley''.

References

{{authority control 1973 songs Songs written by Mick Ralphs Bad Company songs 1974 singles Swan Song Records singles