Deborah Bonham

Debbie Bonham had a hard act to follow, even after she'd put together this so-assured debut album. Pre-publicity for the October 1985 release dwelled almost morbidly upon her big brother, with full-page ads in the metal press adding to the burden. Robert Plant helped her get the demos together, you know...why, all the girl had to do was cover "Moby Dick" and she'd have been set for life. It was obvious from the opening moments of "Sanctuary," however, that Bonham was neither fronting a female Led Zeppelin, nor at all interested in doing so. True, that same opening cut roars in with a certain sense of drama, but first and foremost, For You and the Moon is a great pop album, shades of Fleetwood Mac's Rumours crossed with the sort of record Kim Wilde might have been making if she hadn't started yearning for independence as soon as she had a few hits under her belt. Well-crafted and beautifully performed, with Bonham's voice as delightful as her songwriting, For You and the Moon shook off all preconceptions by emerging one of the most dramatically engaging rock albums of the '80s. A shame it would take Bonham close to 20 years to follow it up. ~ Dave Thompson, All Music Guide