From Zoot to Chrome - The Rick Springfield Retrospective - The Red Locusts

2021

Lollipop Records

If The Beatles were fronted by Rick, it would sound like this. Because that's what this is. "Locusts"? "Beetles"? 

Remember that Zoot did a fantastically bizarre version of "Eleanor Rigby" in the late 60s? This is just keeping that fire burning.

Thing is...while it's deeply John and Paul flavored, it's 100% Rick. 

Where Utopia's Deface the Music was seemingly designed to say, "See? It's easy to do what they did!" The Red Locusts seems to be saying, "Man, we loved what they did. We hope we came even slightly close."

Paul Ramon was the name Paul McCartney would use as a pseudonym in his very early days with the silver beetles.

So, it makes sense that, when he would write an album in the style of The Beatles and early Power Pop, Rick Springfield would use that name as nod to the great Paul McCartney.

He teamed up with the Bissonette brothers and the three of them, along with a keyboardist and an additional guitarist to create The Red Locusts. Rick said, “We wanted to do an album that was influenced but would send us to Beatle jail”

Give a listen for a sec.

The song Miss Daisy Hawkins is based on the original name for Eleanor Rigby and could definitely get them in that jail.

As an inveterate lover of all things Rick Springfield, when I learned that this was available on vinyl, it became a grail.

It's a perfect Power Pop homage to the greats.

4.25 out of 5

ASide: Another Bad Day for Cupid, Miss Daisy Hawkins, Honestly

BlidSide: Sons and Daughters, Glow Worm

DownSide: