Customer Reviews

Hard To Hold (1984 Film)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I know Rick Springfield has albums he's more proud of than this one, but this one is one of my favorites. The first track, Love Somebody, is a driving, perfectly constructed pop-rock tune with jangling guitars and stops and starts in all the right places. The melody feels a bit like a roller coaster and doesn't let you go till the last chord. Don't Walk Away is somber and moving, if a bit dated by now. Taxi Dancing is a beautiful ballad duet with a jazz singer whose name unfortunately escapes me now. Randi something. This is the only cd that has the album version of Bop Till You Drop, which is more progressive and much funkier than the top 40 version, and much better, by the way. SFO is a rockin' fusion instrumental. Jazz saxophonist Tom Scott had a hand in arranging on this album, and if memory serves, he arranged the horns on Stand Up, a live scorcher that's a bit James Brownish and lots of fun. Great Lost Art of Conversation, another very beautiful ballad. The tunes by Graham Parker and Nona Hendryx are fun, and the live I Go Swimmin by Peter Gabriel is a nice way to round out this interesting and well-rounded cd. If you think Jessie's Girl is all there is to Rick Springfield, you need to check this out.

I have been a die hard Rick Springfield fan since the eighties. His music has tremendous talant and heart and he is truly underestimated as an artist. Hard to Hold was his best album to date, you can't help but sing along to all the wonderful songs. As far as the movie? Rick is great, but don't waste your time......

This is an item that fills that hole in every Rick Springfield fan's cd cabinet. You can't ignore "Hard To Hold". It's the best thing going in Rick Springfield soundtracks today. You know "Bop Til You Drop" and "Love Somebody". "The Great Lost Art of Conversation" is worth the price alone. The only real clunker is the Nona Hendrix song. The Graham Parker and Peter Gabriel are not their best stuff and they pale next to Rick, but you're not buying it for their songs; now, are you?

I may be the only reviewer who actually likes Nona Hendryx's offering here, "The Heart of a Woman". Otherwise, although Rick was generous in spotlighting other (some, I believe, among his favorite) artists on this soundtrack, it might have been a more cohesive effort if it had all been Rick's show. Think about it; didn't "Purple Rain" make better sense for excluding The Time's "Jungle Love" and "The Bird"? Anyway, "Love Somebody", "Don't Walk Away", and "Stand Up" are as enjoyable today as they were 15 years ago. "Taxi Dancing" and "The Great Lost Art of Conversation" are good efforts, but seem a little too much like typical soundtrack ballads. Still, this is worth owning for true fans; you're not gonna get "Stand Up" from a best-of (though, strangely enough, you will get "Taxi Dancing". Go figure). Don't worry, Rick; in the long run, people will remember a soundtrack longer than they'll remember the movie anyway.

Rick Springfield's 1984 soundtrack featuring 7 Rick tracks with great musicians including Peter Gabriel is a nice album to add to your CD collection. LOVE SOMEBODY, WALK AWAY, and BOP TIL YOU DROP are no doubt classic hits (particularly I love Bop Til You Drop). TAXI DANCING ended up with a minor hit eclipsed ironically by the re-release of Beautiful Feeling is a nice duet. STAND UP is really exciting live track somewhat like that of Heuy Lewis and Eddie and the Cruisers. Peter Gabriel's I'm Not Swimming is so so track. Recommended for Rick fans old and new.

After releasing two Platinum albums, becoming a famous TV personality for his role on daytime's "General Hospital", and after having numerous concert tour sell-outs, Rick Springfield dove into motion pictures when he was paid a handsome salary of over one million dollars to do "Hard To Hold", a film about the life of a rock singer and his attempts to have a relationship. Rick hated the script, but was impressed by the money so he took the role. With the film (which became a box office flop) came this soundtrack, mostly now forgotten by music fans, but still stands out as one of Rick's best recordings. The album didn't fare too well on the charts, but the first single released, the Springfield-penned "Love Somebody", went all the way to #5 on the singles charts and became a fan favorite.

Other greats here include the duet "Taxi Dancing" with Randy Crawford, "The Great Lost Art of Conversation", and "Stand Up!".

The album received a limited release on compact disc when it came out in 1984 and has gone on to be a collector's item going for a lot of money as this was the early days of the CD era and RCA records only pressed so many copies, co if you come across one grab it.

Side A
1. Love Somebody - Rick Springfield, Drescher, Bill
2. Don't Walk Away - Rick Springfield, Springfield, Rick
3. Bop 'Til You Drop - Rick Springfield, Springfield, Rick
4. Taxi Dancing - Rick Springfield, Springfield, Rick
5. S.F.O.
Side B
6. Stand Up
7. When the Lights Go Down
8. Great Lost Art of Conversation
9. Heart of a Woman
10. I Go Swimming - Rick Springfield, Gabriel, Peter [1]

as a rick springfield fan, this cd is a great collection adder. hearing his other works and then a soundtrack is going to be different. you shouldn't expect a person to only hold to their own music when another song could add more to a scene. i enjoyed the cd and had wanted it since i had seen the movie. i had to replace my cassette and this was the time to do it. RICK REALLY ROCKS!!!

I am a big fan of ricks and have been since the 80's ..seeing this movie came out back in the 80's i really don't feel this album should cost $30 it should be $12 to at least $14..so is why i am giving this a low rating the $ is way to high for an old album that came out back in the 80's sorry..

This album only has a few good songs on it. Half of the songs are really bad and they have the audacity to charge $42.98 for it? I'm glad I bought my copy at a pawn shop for $3.00. If you want the few good songs on this cd, just buy the "Best of Rick Springfield" cd for a lot less.