April 1, 1983
Rick Springfield
Living in Oz
4.75 out of 5
Highlights:
Human Touch
Alyson
Affair of the Heart
Living in Oz
Me & Johnny
I Can’t Stop Hurting You
Like Father, Like Son
Human Touch
Alyson
Affair of the Heart
Living in Oz
Me & Johnny
I Can’t Stop Hurting You
Like Father, Like Son
It’s no secret that I am an inveterate Rick Springfield fan. We saw him in concert at the House of Blues a couple weeks after our wedding. How did this happen? How did I become so infatuated with him?
Simple.
We had a turntable in our first apartment. I went on a tear at Amoeba and bought a BUNCH of albums. Knowing that Beth loved Rock I bought Working Class Dog for her as a gift. I figured it would be a laugh. Ha ha.�And then, one afternoon, while she was at work, I put it on.
And that was it. Brilliant. I have been a Rick fan ever since. I even have Sahara Sands on CD. Rick was asked to be on an episode of Oprah featuring 1 hit wonders. He demurred. Cuz he’s had a dozen top 40 hits.
Two of them are here.
But how is this album?
Pretty damned good. But you have to like this brand of Power Pop, emphasis on the Power but still very poppy.
Side One is a relentless onslaught of Springfield at they height of his power rock powers. True story: I’ve never heard Side Two.
Simple.
We had a turntable in our first apartment. I went on a tear at Amoeba and bought a BUNCH of albums. Knowing that Beth loved Rock I bought Working Class Dog for her as a gift. I figured it would be a laugh. Ha ha.�And then, one afternoon, while she was at work, I put it on.
And that was it. Brilliant. I have been a Rick fan ever since. I even have Sahara Sands on CD. Rick was asked to be on an episode of Oprah featuring 1 hit wonders. He demurred. Cuz he’s had a dozen top 40 hits.
Two of them are here.
But how is this album?
Pretty damned good. But you have to like this brand of Power Pop, emphasis on the Power but still very poppy.
Side One is a relentless onslaught of Springfield at they height of his power rock powers. True story: I’ve never heard Side Two.
Some of the record is a wee electronic for it’s own good. Tim Pierce is still the axe man but the synthesizers take up too much. The album is so replete with electronic keys and drums. They isolate the album in a specific time, the way the tropical sounds on Success Hasn’t Spoiled Me Yet almost does, and that’s to it’s detriment since a lot of the songs here are quite excellent. Rick wouldn’t put out an album this solid again until 2016’s Rocket Science (although I have a very soft spot for 2004’s Shock/Denial/Anger/Acceptance and 2008’s Venus in Oblivion.
Told you I was a fan.
Told you I was a fan.
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