Vandenberg’s MoonKings reveal a stripped back version of ‘Sailing Ships.’ The track comes from their new record ‘Rugged and Unplugged’ which will be released on 23rd November 2018 via Mascot Records/Mascot Label Group.
Originally from Whitesnake’s 1989 album ‘Slip of the Tongue’, ‘Sailing Ships’ has a delicate beauty to it that makes the hairs on your arm stand up and has become a favourite and regular in the MoonKing’s live shows.
Rugged and Unplugged is a beautifully stripped back acoustic album which features songs from across Adrian Vandenberg’s career. From his first band Teaser as a 20 year old he has always used an acoustic guitar in his recordings, which along with the electric guitar creates the light and shade dynamic that is the cornerstone to all of his records.
This project created the opportunity to strip down the big orchestral arrangements on songs such as ‘What Doesn’t Kill You’ and ‘Breathing’ to just Vandenberg on acoustic guitar and the voice of Jan Hoving. His 1983 hit ‘Burning Heart’ gets a stunning reworking. ‘One Step Behind’ has a graceful warmth and ‘Walk Away’ feels both intimate and anthemic. ‘Out Of Reach’ is the only song that features drums, bass and violins and has a warm cascading elegance.
Like the two MoonKings albums, ‘MoonKings’ (2014) and ‘MK II’ (2017) it was produced by Adrian Vandenberg himself. It was recorded between Vandenberg’s home studio and Jan Hoving’s farm which gives it the relaxed, intimate and natural feel, away from the clinical studio environment. It is Vandenberg and Hoving doing what they do and love the most, playing music straight from the heart.
