Rick Springfield:C or D?

Self-described by Rick as an eclectic mix that's warm and soulful,
'The Day After Yesterday' features Rick's interpretations of all hit
songs that, he says, "I wish I'd written". the release date is
scheduled for July 12, 2005.
Scheduled tracks for "The Day After Yesterday:
Broken Wings (Mister Mister) duet with Richard Page
For No One (Beatles)
Under The Milky Way (The Church)
Imagine (John Lennon) feat. guitarist John 5
Human (Human League)
Waiting For A Girl Like You (Foreigner)
Baker Street (Gerry Rafferty)
I'm Not In Love (10CC)
Miss You Nights (Cliff Richard)
Life In A Northern Town (Dream Academy)
Holding On To Yesterday (Ambrosia)
Blue Rose (Liz Wright)
Let's Go Out Tonite (Blue Nile)
Cry (Rick Springfield)

Definitely would give these a d/l, at least.

Anyway, his 80s material is undeniably classic. Some great powerpop stuff.

The guy is so talented, Tao aside.

The Hard to Hold movie is a bit cheezy but amusing.

So, he's had some embarrassing moments but is on the whole classic.

(I barely do, myself. But I think it was classic, from what I remember...)

"Don't Talk to Strangers" sounds moody and marvelous whilst stuck in traffic.

Rick Springfield's List of Music You Should Hear

Blue Nile: Hats
"Great songs. Real moody stuff. Buchanan has such a melancholy voice it’s hard not to cry, even on the happy songs. The keyboard work is really stand out."

Queens of the Stone Age: Songs for the Deaf
"Inspired writing and performances. I love this guy’s voice. His guitar playing (especially soloing) is pretty unique. The whole album has a great sound to it, not a lot of the high end that is usually cranked on rock albums."

The Church: The Blurred Crusade
"This is an oldie but it's worth hunting down. I much prefer quirky voices (can you tell?). This is a perfect pop album with shades of The Cure and The Psychedelic Furs. "

Mute Math: MUTEMATH
"More great songs. They copped some stuff from Radiohead but they don’t need to because their songs are so good. Very different sounding production too."

Imogen Heap: Speak for Yourself
"If I was a girl (and there was a time in my late teens when I thought I could be) I would be Imogen. Her songs are so smart and she has the best voice out there."

Filter: Title of Record
"Nice and dark. Richard Patrick has one of the best rock voices today. Intelligent songs and the production is good and heavy."

Django Reinhardt: The Best of Django Reinhardt
"The first rock guitarist in Swing Jazz. He is a god. What he would have done with all 5 fingers on his left hand is anyone’s guess."

Deftones: Deftones
"I love this band and this is my favorite album of theirs so far. Every song is a great combination of the light and the dark."

The Cretones: "Thin Red Line"
"This was one of my wife's and my 'dating' albums. It is quintessential pop and the writing is stellar."

Chris Whitley: Perfect Day
"This guy’s voice was so smooth and his slide playing so unique that he didn’t have to write songs...but he did...on other great albums. This one is a collection of stuff he didn’t write and it’s played live in the studio. It's brilliant."

Beirut: Gulag Orkestar
"Wacky stuff but the singer has a hypnotic voice and the 60's Eastern Bloc 'marching band' tracks are a wild step away from the norm."

Alice in Chains: Dirt
"Another great singer gone but the albums he left are amazing. This is my favorite and the band kills every song."

Aesop Rock: Labor Days
"My favorite hip-hop dude. Incredible lyrics and freaky sounds. Always has something to say, never at a loss for words on any topic."

Graham Parker: The Up Escalator
"This guy has inspired me to be a better writer since day one of this album. He still hasn't gotten his due but is out there making good stuff."

U2: Joshua Tree (Remastered / Expanded) (Deluxe Edition) (2CD)
"I still haven't gotten enough of this one."

That's actually an interesting list (except I can live without U2). I always felt that Rick Springfield was like an actor that was better than the scripts he had to work with. But still-in-all, pretty good power-pop for its time (Love Somebody is gr8).

He made two really good albums in the '00s, actually. Here's something I wrote on him (and Lindsey Buckingham, whose 2008 album was less good):

http://blog.rhapsody.com/2008/10/rick-springfield-and-lindsey-buckingham-go-their-own-ways.html

I'm gonna take credit for hipping xhuxk to Springfield's Shock/Denial/Anger/Acceptance, a tremendous album from start to finish, kicked off with a blazing version of the "I'll Make You Happy" by the Easybeats. So I fiddled and dawdled on reviewing for the Voice and eventually someone who spoke gibberish/in tongues submitted one and xhuxk printed it. My bad. Never woulda happened if I hadn't been lazy I bet.

Anyway, the next album, Venus in Overdrive was also good. Just about the only artist who established their rep in the Eighties -- but who's most recent albums I listen to more.

Springfield spat out a killer live album in the Nineties, usually only seen at the time in the bi box stores, which put together everythihg he did to that point in a way that greased the formula used to produce Kiss Alive.

Guy still writes great tunes, plays ruling guitar, and knows how to sound hard and soft when it
counts. Does great Louie, Louie and Gloria riffs. Invented much of emo, the Jonas Bros. -- who have never done anything quite worthy of a Springfield album except "Year 3000", and countless Brit bands like Busted.

Matt Willis's "Crash" from Bean's Holiday totally channels the teen hard guitar pop thing Springfield originally ruled.

Springfield does crushing drop D riff, pop and Ted Nugent stuff in promotion for Venus In Overdrive. Missing in action the version of "My Generation" and the rendition of the title cut.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5hXcg8YEaE

Also recommended "It's Always Something," of which no good sonic quality exists on YouTube.

Too much live audience video on YouTube to quickly sift out the gratuitous dross.

Just about the only artist who established their rep in the Eighties -- but who's most recent albums I listen to more

Me too. And given that he first went Top 20 in 1972 (with "Speak To The Sky"), and had three other Top 100 hits in the '70s, and was therefore one of the very few charting '70s artists to improve in the '80s, he might be absolutely unique as a major pop star who has actually managed to keep getting better over the past four decades. (Though I have never heard his '90s album; maybe he fell off then.)

That list of recommendations from him that Scott posted is interesting, and makes me feel jaded, since it's mostly stuff I'd scoff at. But I totally take him at his word. And from his descriptions, it sounds like he's hearing something on those records that maybe I should listen for.

(Also not claiming that any individual song on his past two albums is the equivalent of "Jessie's Girl," of course. But I'm not sure he's ever put out an album as good as those two before, even in the '80s.)

I actually heard "Bop 'Til You Drop" on satellite radio the other day!

i've noticed over the years that alice in chains is a band that a lot of musicians like. and not just hard rock/metal musicians.

Guy . . . plays ruling guitar

Yeah? Don't get me wrong, I like Rick Springfield a lot. But the guitar work in the songs I know (admittedly, the singles) wasn't terribly memorable/breathtaking.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e5NlaM8bgI

Listening back to old record, it has struck me that the production of "Tao" predated the current compression overhill by quite some time. Extensive dynamic range compression was a very typical thing about his 80s sound.

Rick Springfield su-hu-cked

Isn't it time you found another sandbox to play in?

Hey Googler, what brings you to ILX?

Rick's 'Bruce' brought me here

I'm really feeling Rick today. Love is alright tonight :D

and "Love Somebody" -- one of the great lost post-power pop singles

Hilarious how the chords from "Love Somebody" so often recall those from "Born to Run" played in a different order.

oh man Love Somebody is like my ultimate dream pop song

disappointing at dave grohl's all-star sound city shindig in LA a couple weeks ago. played the hits, looked great, but didn't quite get into it the way fogerty, nicks and even corey taylor did. still fun to see him, though.

aw really? I thought he'd rock it out the most! bummer. Maybe he was nervous?

those bent notes in the "Love Somebody" chorus!

(xp) maybe. but mostly I think he was taking the show as a bit of a goof whereas nicks and fogerty were taking it completely to heart.

I'm also in love with 'Souls'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhT97glh3zE

um sidenote: I just re-discovered that the version of Human Touch on the best of that I have is SEVEN MINUTES LONG. Why.

Actually it's kind of amazing that a movie called "Hard to Hold," created as a vehicle for an of-the-moment pop star, did not have a song called "Hard to Hold" on its soundtrack; but that the phrase "hard to hold" appears briefly in the song "Bop 'Til You Drop" elsewhere on the soundtrack.

would still do this SOB in a heartbeat.

morbs otm

he's SO handsome!

also he occupies the category of handsome male singers whose voices even SOUND handsome

hey wow I had no idea he covered this.

I loooooooooove the Mondo Rock original, man that Aussie has good taste :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEfPxUF4OQ8

I love "Hole In My Heart" "Carry Me Away" "The Light of Love" "Everybody's Girl" and "Daddy's Pearl." None of these had been mentioned here yet.

I only had a greatest hits -- guhhh the tail end of that thing is just yuk. Went back and am now listening to the first two albums. LOVE Working Class Dog.

yeah every song on WCD is awesome.

When I was seven I had a dream in which there was a huge lodge (like a Girl Scout camp group cabin) full of sleeping bags (and people sleeping in them), and I had the privilege of sharing my sleeping bag with Rick Springfield.

so WCD is worth owning in its entirety?

omg LL can I buy that dream off you

wow

It's amazing how many Top 40 hits he scored beyond the ones we know.

xxpost Alfred: I'm def looking at picking up WCD. Way more consistent than I expected. Great listen

it's on spotify minus bonus trax

"Working Class Dog" is the "The Cars" of its genre.

albums by "General Hospital" alums?

so WCD is worth owning in its entirety?
yeah, no duds. 10 songs 10 singles. i think it's stronger than any Cheap Trick LPs, and more solid than any Todd Rundgren or Hall & Oates LP.

Love Is Alright Tonite is 100% a lost Cheap Trick single. Such a jam

also the production is weird and unique but not in a way that's distracting. i could see people possibly being turned off by the production.

idk it just sounds kinda compressed and 80's to me

"Love is Alright..." was used SO WELL in Wet Hot American Summer.

there's a specific keyboard patch used throughout most of it that slightly clashes with the guitars. (it's in the very end of "Jessie's Girl.") it's also mastered with a lot of high-end. although I've mostly heard this album on scratchy vinyl, it sounded similar on spotify. i'm nitpicking though... this is one of my favorite albums.

I'm def in love with it

i declare this week SPRINGFIELD WEEK

PAGING DOCTOR LOVE

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-39EJ7JxivVw/UIliiuUG9_I/AAAAAAAACsQ/vqRVguOPROk/s320/rick.jpg

damn 'Everbody's Girl' and 'daddy's pearl' are killer

1982 universal amphitheater

holy air splits + midriff top batman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rs5Y0NMPXc

In other news I have been listening to Shock Denial Anger Acceptance -- xhuck mentioned it upthread, so otm. Surprisingly awesome!
I'm not ~totally~ sold on the husky vocals, has a bit of a late-period Soundgarden feel too it. but if you can handle the grungy style the songs are pretty great!

he's a pretty good rhythm guitarist, I've learned!

One thing that makes me very happy is that my five-year-old son knows Rick Springfield only as a superhero who battles evildoers on the other side of the blackboard with Miss Tickle and friends. I'm very much on the fence about ever letting him know that there's a real-world Rick Springfield.

xposting, This is obvious, but those Sound City clips just show what a victim so many acts were to shitty production and bland backing bands.

yeah, no duds. 10 songs 10 singles. i think it's stronger than any Cheap Trick LPs, and more solid than any Todd Rundgren or Hall & Oates LP.

I dunno, may be true for the latter two acts, but the first two Cheap Trick albums are a lot better than "Working Class Dog." Rick's best is pretty pro forma 80s AOR, but I do think he did the best he could.

Maybe it's the anemic production or the marketing focus, but I do like how this album defaults pop rather than hard rock, which means you lose some of the phony tough guy swagger of Foreigner, Billy Squier and, I dunno, Eddie Money. But you do get this distinctly '80s non-swagger insteaf, which makes everything sound like bumper music for the local news, and is what ultimately lets down the songs.

the other problem is I'm a defender of H&O albums from this period.

Too priceless not to post. Prepare to be cuddled.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1lXFXEhH53k/SISdRaUaPqI/AAAAAAAABPA/3jxVDS7BS0c/s1600/16_vol15_no8_jan1974_back.jpg

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1lXFXEhH53k/SISdRoiSqgI/AAAAAAAABPI/P40CpPdObuI/s1600/19_Vol_16_no4_Sept1974.jpg

someone hand me a bucket of icewater

I HAD TO.

sorry.

This documentary sounds interesting and insane at the same time:

http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/06/05/rick-springfields-affair-of-the-heart-flattering-yet-strangely-compelling

The hesher who became a cardiologist is an amusing touch.

must see

1) super fans
2) "Rick fix"
3) His friends Mark Goodman, Linda Blair, and Corey Feldman speak to his past. To Goodman, Springfield was a "dick" and a "lightweight," who's only gotten better and more humble with age.

don't try to tell me you think
IT'S ALL PHYSICAL

lol I just got a screener of this -- hmm looks like I have some weekend viewing :D

"Affair of the Heart" holds up well. Most of his singles hold up well.

he holds up well

Rick Springfield covers Fleetwood Mac's "Oh Well" for The AV Club: http://www.avclub.com/articles/rick-springfield-covers-fleetwood-mac,100132/

Jesse had a butt

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2015/01/emotional_day_in_court_for_rick_springfield_in_butt-injury_lawsuit.html

the pictures are so amazing. like renaissance paintings.

http://imgick.syracuse.com/home/syr-media/width960/img/post-standard/photo/2015/01/13/-e56dd0f5c0589c69.jpg

Annie Zaleski said on FB that he was a great, thoughtful guy to interview but that his fans are the most out and out insane out there.

the documentary on netflix was definitely worth watching. mostly about his fans.

i mean i think rick springfield actually made the documentary, but still worth watching. once you get over how the live footage sound is completely canned.

I saw him live last year - his fans are kinda mental. (myself excluded lol)

Just noticed that Comic Book Heroes is on Tidal. Best thing Rick ever did.

tidal.com/album/46195275