When the 1980’s surfaced and rock thrived, there was a subgenre within rock that had rivaled its more aggressive counterparts. A form of rock that, funnily enough, was still poppy for the time, but was associated with leisurely activities such as boating. Hence, this soft-rock class of music, with its fluid rhythms and more emphasis on musicality, was coined as Yacht Rock (However, the title itself wasn’t established until 2005). Notable bands from the genre included Player, Toto, Hall & Oates, and the Doobie Brothers, all respectable names within rock as a whole. However, there’s one band in particular that had nailed the smooth, sophisticated nature of Yacht Rock, a band that, while considered relatively obscure, was a powerful vessel for some of the best songs in its respected subgenre. That band was Ambrosia.
Ambrosia was established in 1970, With its members including David Pack on guitar, John Puerta, also on guitar, Burleigh Drummond on drums, Rick Cowling on guitar as well, Mary Harris on keyboard, and Shem Von Schroek, who is also on guitar. There have been many members of the band come and go, but those listed are what currently make up the band, with four of them being the original group. The only exception is Mary Harris, who joined the band in 2012. They still arrange performances in America, although–and I say this respectively–they are rather old, so opportunities to see them in the future might get rarer as the years go on. However, you can easily find their music online. With that being said, let’s get to the music.
Ambrosia’s selection of songs is plentiful, despite only having five published albums. One of their most notable songs is “How Much I Feel,” a song released in their third album Life Beyond L.A. The song is composed beautifully with a main piano accompaniment, while also keeping company with a bass guitar and the band’s iconic choral sections. The Song’s lyrics detail the singer’s love for a woman, despite the past between them and his efforts to move on, only to give in to the memory of her, and for him to ultimately want to confess. The song is a perfect blend of mellowness and hopefulness, nailing the dynamic curves that turn the song from somber to outspoken, and the emotion that Puerta’s tone inflicts makes the song that much more impactful to hear.
Other great songs include; grammy nominated hit “You’re the Biggest Part (of Me)”,
with a soothing electric piano and again, beautifully recorded choral sections and a groovy bass; “Heart to Heart”
with a simple acoustic base and hopeful tone, complemented by Puerta’s vocals; and “Dancin’ By Myself”,
an energetic display of the singer’s frustrations with love, packed with an energetic vigor and groovy guitar, remains a satisfactory of product of Yacht Rock from start to finish. With multiple hooks and a tempo that keeps things moderate and upbeat, This remains to be one of my favorite songs ever. However, these are only a few of the many great songs by the band. As such, I implore you to listen to them yourself, and maybe you’ll take a liking to Yacht Rock too!
