Rick Springfield - Karma

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Free Music Notes for Karma

Free Music Review: More mature...just like his audience! Awesome record
Hit: 5 Stars

The album starts out with the mid-tempo poppy "Prayer". The standout on this track is the killer blended vocals. When RS sings "send a prayer to Heaven", the rich textures jump right into the center of my head. Totally awesome! The production work on this track alone is "worth the price of admission", but  it gets better! "The White Room", is a slower paced song, but it has all the rich harmonies and a really nice "subliminal" keyboard riff throughout. Track 3 is the "ballad" if there is one to be called on this album. "Free" appears (to me - I have found since that my interpretation is way off) to be a track written directly to his wife. He sings "when we are one, I am complete...". I'd say that's a pretty strong track - didn't Jack Nicholson say something like "you make me want to be a better man" to Helen Hunt in the "As Good As It Gets" ? This song is that line, 10x over. "Free" has the potential to slam it big on the radio, primarily because of its lyrical content.

A quick "sidebar" on lyrical content - this is the most "deep" stuff RS has ever attempted. "Its Always Something" has radio hit written all over it, except that the lyric just isn't "trite" enough! Doesn't that just burn you!

Rick sings about his father defending his guitar playing when he was young, and then, when he was "breaking it", his father passed away. He sings "it's always something" as a tongue in cheek way of saying "with every silver lining there is a cloud". "Religion Of The Heart" is next up. The guitar riff's on this one were a tad annoying at first, but they grow on you. My interpretation of this song is that he's singing to a person who "has to have someone", telling them to first have faith in themselves. This song has since become my sons favorite.

"Shock To My System" brings us to the middle of Karma. Starting out with a simple keyboard and drum track, interspersed with a slight acoustic strum. Rick goes "electronic" on the chorus to this one, singing "Shock To My System" in a "computer" voice. The song feels & sounds like it would have been right at home on TAO, which to me was the most experimental effort of his (until this one!).

Next up we have the title track, "Karma". Some intense keyboard strings with some acoustic finger picking starts off this one. It's a simple concept - what comes around goes around, and we should all be aware of that. The song has a very early RS sound, something that could have fit well on "Beginnings" with it's overall feel. I guess that's Karma!

The next track is a very very serious track, with some a very dark message. "Beautiful Prize" deals with a girl and the incest/abuse she has had to suffer through. Many have stated that they don't quite understand the reasoning behind releasing this "dark" track as the first single.

I now, can see the reasoning. #1, it has a country rock feel to it, or maybe even a Tom Pettyish sound (except that here we have a much better vocalist). #2, it's got a very very catchy riff throughout. To get radio airplay, this song would probably do well, and in these "politically charged" times, I'm sure it would do very well.

"Veronica's Head" is the "all out rocker" if there is one. Not that it "all out rocks" or anything, but this is definitely more along the lines of the tracks off of Rock Of Life. This *is* the catchiest song on the album, all about a woman finally gaining freedom from what appeared to be an oppressive husband. The guitar work on this song is fantastic, especially throughout the chorus. I'd have to say this is my favorite song on the album. "Ordinary Girl", is the "upbeat" love song. It talks of, presumably, his wife, and how they are both just ordinary people, and that's exactly what he wanted, etc. She is everything he wanted, she's an Ordinary Girl.

Whew! we're almost finished with this ride!

"Act Of Faith" is a song about healing. Its all about losing someone you love, and the fact that you have to believe that as bad as it seems, things will work out. Lifes like that I guess! Last (but not least) is the acoustic re-recording of Ricks biggest hit, "Jessie's Girl". As acoustic versions go, this is the epitome of acoustic. This could be RS sitting at your local radio station doing a quick on air track. His voice holds this song up for the world to hear it in all it's raw essence, and being in acoustic form, the emotion he intended the song to convey oh so many years ago comes out in fine form. Karma is Rick Springfields finest moment, laid out for all the world to enjoy. Rick Springfield fans must have this album, to complete their collections, and also to hear Rick at his most "emotional" stretches ever.

This album is exactly what the music industry needs more of. Welcome back Rick!

Karma Poster

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