Rick Springfield - Written in Rock: The Rick Springfield Anthology
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Free Music Notes for Written in Rock: The Rick Springfield Anthology
Free Music Review: A great collection from a great, underrated performer!
Hit: 5 Stars
Rick Springfield doesn't get the credit he deserves. How do I know this? Well, being a frugal shopper, I always try to buy newly released CDs the week they come out because they are usually released at an introductory sale price significantly less than the regular retail price. Well, the Rick Springfield Anthology didn't receive such a release. I discovered the release of the CD accidentally (I forget exactly how) and I said to myself, "How did I miss this?" I missed it because it was relased with almost no fanfare. Well, I finally managed to pick it up the other day, and it was probably the first time in at least 5 years that I paid retail price for a CD. And it was well worth it.
The term "power pop" has been used to describe Rick Springfield's music, and that's an appropriate term. His songs are catchy, upbeat, and meticulously crafted, with choruses that you can't get out of your head. You probably remember more of his songs than you think. Everyone knows "Jessie's Girl" (his most popular and best song), but you most likely also know "I've Done Everything for You", "Don't Talk to Strangers", "Human Touch"(IMHO his 2nd best song, brilliantly composed with a fantastic chorus), and "Love Somebody". Even the songs you probably don't know are fantastic, and will be stuck in your head for moths to come once you hear them for the first time. I am particularly fond of "Speak to the Sky", a folksy early 70s pop song than I never heard before I got this album. Now, it's permanently etched in my brain.
Rick's more recent stuff is more introspective and a bit more subdued, but the music is composed and arranged with the same quality and attention to detail as his earlier stuff. Overall, this is a fantastic compilation by a fantastic singer, songwriter, and composer who does not get the recognition he deserves for his contributions to rock music. Get this album TODAY. You won't be sorry.
Free Music Review: A Marvelous Retrospective ...
Hit: 5 Stars
"Written In Rock: Anthology" is a collection of 42 songs which spand the 30 year career of one of rock music's most underrated (imo) singer/songwriters, Rick Springfield, from his days as a teenybopper rocker as a member of Zoot, through his "glory days" in the 1980's up to his most recent recordings, including "shockdenialangeracceptance" and the forthcoming "The Day After Yesterday".
All of the songs have been newly remastered, which means they sound better than before, and it's such a treat to have this "time capsule" which showcases Rick's talent as a musician and songwriter.
What really makes this 2 CD set worth the price is the liner notes booklet, in which Rick recounts what was going on with him and his life when each song was written. Rick's honesty and sense of humor really comes through in the liner notes, and since this is as close as we'll come to getting to an autobiography from Rick (I hope he'll write one, though, because he's a marvelous storyteller - with or without music), it's fascinating to see how various life experiences shaped his music into the kind of rock music which has managed to stand the test of time and is still edgy and relevant some three decades later.
I'm still amazed by how perceptive Rick is as a songwriter ("Human Touch" immediately comes to mind), and how each song manages to reflect some event which has either happened to the listener or which the listener is going through. This is why Rick's music still has the power to touch the listener and get them thinking about their world ... and if you haven't experienced just how good rock music can be ... GET THIS CD! You won't be sorry. :-)
Free Music Review: A Great Anthology
Hit: 5 Stars
I have been a Rick Springfield fan since I first heard "Jessie's Girl" back in 1981. I have all his albums (mostly on vinyl) including his pre-"Working Class Dog" stuff which I hunted down in the mid-80's. Like most pre-teen girls, I initially liked Rick because he was cute, wrote catchy music and had a great voice for rock'n'roll. But as I got older, so did Rick and the songs got better and deeper. I am delighted that a collection spanning his entire career is now available on CD!
Written in Rock is a pretty complete collection of Rick's 30 plus year career. Though some of my favorites are missing, I definitely think all the important songs are on here (with the exception of "Bruce" as mentioned in other reviews). The songs are pretty evenly weighted throughout Rick's career, which is a relief because I feared they would be heavily slanted toward songs from "Working Class Dog" and "Success Hasn't Spoiled Me Yet," Rick's two most successful albums. (There are some great songs on those two albums, but the subject matter is a bit repetitious (girls, girls, girls)!) I particularly love his mid-80s stuff and that is well-represented here. I also am glad at the inclusion of some live tracks. It's interesting that Written in Rock opens and closes with covers of Beatles songs recorded over 30 years apart!
While Rick Springfield may never be one of the "greatest musicians of all time" this collection shows that he is definitely gifted as a singer, songwriter and musician. It's a great ride down memory lane and a great collection of music! I'm so glad they decided to give Rick's fans such a complete and wonderful anthology.
Free Music Review: Not enough memorable material? Tell that to his fans!
Hit: 5 Stars
My only complaint about there "not being enough memorable material" on this collection to warrant a double CD release is that there most ceratinly IS enough memorable material. The fact that several songs are missing from collection ("Bruce", a hilarious track about mistaken identity, is also a top notch rock & roll song in its own right)...and I fail to see Mr. Springfield's material as being the least bit bland. Listen to "Affair of the Heart" and "Love Somebody" on a really good car stereo or home theater system and I defy you to even think of the word "bland". Better yet, go see him in concert. This is a show full of energy and joy, one of the most self-effacing and funny, not to mention one of the most energetic performers in rock & roll to this day.
I do agree with the other reviwer who said Springfield doesn't get enough credit for what he's done over the years. Oprah herself is one of the guilty parties here...the story is that she was doing a show about "one-hit wonders" and gave Rick a call to ask if he'd do the show. Rick Springfield has had over 15 top 40 hits in his career, and to ignore all of them except "Jessie's Girl" is just plain ignorance, as is calling the man's music "bland and unmemorable". Rick deserves plenty of credit for making music that's made him a lot of friends and exploded out of a lot of radios over the past three decades.
This is a fine collection...but a three-disc collection (and there is definitely enough material for that) would tell the COMPLETE story with a few more B-sides and live or rare tracks. "Tripe"? I think NOT!
Free Music Review: We all need the Rick Touch!
Hit: 5 Stars
I have a lot of Rick CDs. Everything (except maybe the Zoot) contained in this anthology, I already own, most of it multiple times. However, I without hesitation bought during a presale and I don't regret it for a moment. It is so interesting to listen to the progression and changes in Rick's music in the manner that these CDs offer.
A "purer", more music sound at first, then into the synthesizer era of the 80s, the introspection of the 90s, and on into the just plain ROCK of today. Now don't get me wrong; Rick has always rocked, but of course the music changes with the times. What never changes though is Rick's ability to make a guitar sing and to craft lyrics that are timeless, clever, and intriguing.
Every time I listen, I hear something new, I appreciate something more. Just today I was listening to "April 24, 1981/My Father's Chair", and I choked up like I never have before, since we are approaching the 3rd anniversary of my grandmother's death....and Rick's words hit me in a tender spot. I could feel his pain as he sang, and I understand it now like I did not before. Truly, no other songwriter/performer has the ability to get to my heart the way that Rick does.
The liner notes alone make this worth purchasing. Rick talks about each song and what was happening in his life at that time, and his thoughts and feelings add so much to the songs I already know and love. I'm not giving anything away here; you have to check it out for yourself. I promise you will not be disappointed :-)