Under a Raging Moon (album)


Under a Raging Moon is Roger Daltrey's sixth solo album issued in September 1985. The album reached No. 42 on the US charts, and the single "After the Fire", written by Pete Townshend, reached No. 48. It includes a tribute to Keith Moon, former drummer of The Who who died in 1978, on the track "Under a Raging Moon". In Canada, the album reached No. 33 on the RPM Magazine charts, and "After the Fire" reached No. 53.
The album was produced by Alan Shacklock, recorded at RAK Recording Studios and Odyssey Studios, London, and released on Atlantic Records in the US. Later the album was also released on CD in the US, including the bonus track "Love Me Like You Do", written by Andy Nye.
The track "Under a Raging Moon" was written by John Parr and Julia Downes. The track was a tribute to Keith Moon who died in 1978. It was said that John Entwistle had wanted to play this song instead of "Won't Get Fooled Again" at Live Aid in 1985 with The Who, but Pete Townshend disagreed so Entwistle decided to record his own version on his live solo album Left for Live as a further tribute to Moon.
The album featured Zak Starkey playing drums; this was Starkey's second album that he had worked on, the other being Sun City released in the same year by Artists United Against Apartheid.
Daltrey later recalled "That was the album I really wanted to make... it got great airplay and sold an awful lot."

Critical reception

Mike DeGagne of Allmusic wrote about the title track: "Daltrey's thunderous but passionate ode to his former friend and drummer Keith Moon is a fervent downpour of frustration that can be truly felt inside every line of the song. A spectacular drum solo from Mark Brzezicki is a modest tribute to the late Moon and adds depth indefinitely."

Track listing

Extra track released on CD and cassette, not LP

This track was included as track six on the album, but only on the CD and cassette editions, not the record. The track was later released as the B-side to Daltrey's 1986 single, "Quicksilver Lightning", the theme to the Kevin Bacon film Quicksilver.

Personnel

;Technical
"After The Fire" No. 48, 1985
"Let Me Down Easy" No. 86, 1986