Rick Springfield - Living in Oz

I make no apologies for liking Rick Springfield. I had to flip a coin to pick whether to play Working Class Dog, or go with 1983's Living in Oz. Tales you lose, if you want to read about "Jessie's Girl" it'll be another day on a different post. From 1981 through 1984 Rick Springfield put out an album a year, each going platinum in the States. Oddly enough in Canada Living in Oz sold less than Success Hasn't Spoiled Me Yet and that one sold less than Working Class Dog - he was trending down. 

Which was a shame as Living in Oz was pure power pop driven by the guitar wizardry of the incomparable Tim Pierce. Funny if you read the reviews that were out at the time Rick was a bit of a conundrum as he was supposed to be the pretty boy pop star who wasn't supposed to have actual musical chops. He was also an (gasp) actor on a soap opera, the man had no shame. Since I didn't watch daytime TV I never saw him with a stethoscope draped over his white coat.

The biggest criticisms seemed to be around his inability to pick a lane - was he a teen idol, or a rocker, it was too confusing. Besides he was too good looking to be this good. (His follow up Hard to Hold didn't help with this assessment either). It didn't matter to me, I liked him, and the album charges right out of the gate with "Human Touch" and the first side didn't let up. I still get a buzz from the guitar riff from the title track. The first side was all killer and no filler.

It's been a long time since I've actually sat and listened to this all the way through, this is really good. The second side, leads off with "Motel Eyes" a song that for me never really clicked, I can't put my finger on why - it should have worked, and even now as it's playing I really like parts of it. Goodness Tim Pierce is killing it, but it's not one of my favourites on the album. "Tiger by the Tail" was a harbinger of things to come, and would have been right at home on his 1985 release Tao - an album I really wanted to like but never got into. So yeah, this song didn't make it onto any of my mix tapes.

Rick salvages the second side with a one two combination in "Souls" and "I Can't Stop Hurting You" that are great songs. Heck the guitar to "Souls" still ranks as one of the best pop solos I've ever heard - although the rabbit Mr. Pierce pulls out of his hat on "I Can't Stop Hurting You" is just as mind blowing. I know I keep going on about Tim Pierce, but my goodness the man has incredible chops and his work throughout this album is mind blowing. The 80s really were the best of times.

The album closes with "Like Father, Like Son" that's an odd duck. It's an orchestrated lament that doesn't really fit with the rest of the album but as a closer feels right. Some times I really like it, some times I don't but I always let it play through.

Rick Springfield is one of those guys who doesn't seem to age or slow down and has never really gone away. If you want to feel old, the guy is in his 70s now and he's still killing it - bastard.

I was pretty happy finding this for a couple of bucks. Other than a pop or two at the start of side one, it was a very clean copy. Score. I think my favourite part was seeing how someone had cut out Rick's picture with a pair of scissors. At least whoever had the crush on Mr. Springfield, left me the side with the lyrics and credits.