"Movin' On" is a song written by

Mick Ralphs Michael Geoffrey Ralphs (born 31 March 1944) is an English retired guitarist, vocalist and songwriter, who was a founding member of rock bands Mott the Hoople and Bad Company. Though not a constant member, he appeared on every studio album b ...

that was first released as a single by Hackensack in 1972. It was later most famously included on

Bad Company Bad Company were an English rock supergroup formed in London in 1973 by singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke (both ex- Free), guitarist Mick Ralphs (ex- Mott the Hoople) and bassist Boz Burrell (ex-King Crimson). Kirke was the only m ...

'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 database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

'' critic

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

described "Movin' On" as a

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

boogie Boogie is a repetition (music), repetitive, swung note, swung note or shuffle rhythm,Burrows, Terry (1995). ''Play Country Guitar'', p.42. Dorling Kindersley Limited, London. . groove (music), "groove" or pattern used in blues which was origina ...

. ''

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 advertis ...

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

Paul Rodgers Paul Bernard Rodgers (born 17 December 1949) is an English-Canadian singer. He was the lead vocalist of numerous successful rock bands, including Free (band), Free, Bad Company, The Firm (rock band), the Firm and The Law (English band), the L ...

' vocal performance, Ralph's "

staccato Staccato (; Italian for "detached") is a form of Articulation (music), 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 ...

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 ...

. ''

Record World ''Record World'' magazine was one of three major weekly music industry trade magazines in the United States, with ''Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 as ''Music Vendor''. In 1964, it was changed to ''Record World'' under the ...

'' 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'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, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' 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'', is 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

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 being the vocalist and bassist of King Crimson from 1971 to 1972 and the original bassist of B ...

and

Simon Kirke Simon Frederick St George Kirke (born 28 July 1949) is an English musician who was the co-founder, drummer, and only continuous member of the rock Supergroup (music), supergroup Bad Company. Prior to forming Bad Company he was the drummer and ...

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 Performing arts#Performers, performer or by several performers. If the recordings are from ...

'' 10 from 6''. Live versions have also been released on several of Bad Company's

live album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track or cassette), or digital. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th centur ...

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 Island Records singles