Rick Springfield - Working Class Dog
#83
By Tami Fitzkoff
March 1981
Rick Springfield
Working Class Dog
Genre: Rock Springfield
Allen’s Rating: 5 out of 5
Tami’s Rating: 5 out of 5
Highlights:
Love Is Alright Tonight
Jessie’s Girl
Carry Me Away
I’ve Done Everything For You
(Allen’s additional Highlights:
Hole in My Heart
The Light of Love
Everybody’s Girl
Daddy’s Pearl)
Rick Springfield stole my heart the moment I heard the song “Love Is Alright Tonite.” I was only eight years old but I fell hard for the music and for the handsome dude who was singing and playing. Rick had this beautiful vulnerability that I couldn’t put into words at that age. His self-deprecating, insecure and earnest lyrics combined with his gorgeous looks, punchy-rock music and his electric guitar licks… ah… a girl can still swoon 39 years later.
When Allen so kindly gave me this record to review, I was all ready to just give it 5 stars for nostalgia’s sake. But you know what? After listening to the whole thing about three times, I’m convinced it actually deserves 5 stars. The first six songs would make it 5 stars easily for being perfect 80’s power pop/rock. His lyrics are heartfelt and sincere. Three of the last four songs are kinda forgettable and add some serious cheese to the mix, but as a whole Working Class Dog is an 80’s power pop gem.
LOVE IS ALRIGHT TONITE
Fantastic song. The quick guitar licks capture your attention immediately, the driving beat and the lyrics are great. Although, admittedly, it’s a bit weird to hear the following words now… “Don’t worry daddy I’ll have her home a respectable hour. Go to sleep daddy you won’t think about tonight”….”gonna love her daddy she’ll be feeling it tonight.” Slightly creepy! But the song is just kick-ass.
JESSIE’S GIRL
C’mon. Is there a person alive who doesn’t like this song? A classic. This is one song that when it comes up on my music shuffle I will never skip it. It’s just the quintessential perfect 80’s rock song. And isn’t it interesting the man singing can get anyone to sleep with him? BUT, of course, he wants the one person he can’t have. I just wanna hug him and say, “Rick, I’m available even though I’m married to a woman.”
HOLE IN MY HEART
A kind of power rock ballad that sounds Cheap Trick-y. I like it.
CARRY ME AWAY
Love love love. Just a great, catchy song. He’s afraid of love. He wants something real. Carry him away. “You’ve got the power you’ve got the love to take me to heaven or lead me to heartbreak.”
I’VE DONE EVERYTHING FOR YOU
Another gem. When you hear the opening riff of this song, followed by the fast drums it makes you want to put your pedal to the metal. You can’t drive 55 when listening to it because Sammy Hagar penned the lyrics to this ditty. It’s the only song on the whole album that Rick didn’t write, but it feels like he did— which is why it works so well. So many good lyrics in this song and one of my faves, “I’m going out on the town tonight and get as wild as I can be. I’m gonna find out what it’s really like to be loose, high and free.”
THE LIGHT OF LOVE
This sounds like the background music of every 80’s movie. It’s catchy and pumping.
He also hints at his next album’s biggest hit with this lyric, “Baby Are you lonely? Don’t Talk To Strangers.”
EVERYBODY’S GIRL
The reggae/power pop song. Hated it the first time I heard it but it’s grown on me.
DADDY’S PEARL
The music sounds like The Cars with the drums and the guitar licks and Cheap Trick’s vocals. Its undeniably catchy.
RED HOT AND BLUE LOVE
Rick gets breath-y in his vocals and tries to make a serious blues song. He probably wanted to showcase his guitar skills. It’s not bad, but it’s skippable.
INSIDE SILVIA
Rick gets even more breath-y in this ambient love song about (ahem) being inside his lover. The music reminds me of the opening of STYX Mr. Roboto with the keyboard and ethereal music. After quite a few listens the song is growing on me. Pun intended?
https://open.spotify.com/album/4KKFWTePKtgb6mOwFDqxYa?si=F1gMYLx9SImXp5L_cHQznA
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