Customer Reviews

Legendary Rick Springfield

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

 

 

A Collection this comprehensive is generally defined by what it leaves out, but first let's look at what you get:

1-Working Class Dog (1981): complete
2-Success Hasn't Spoiled Me Yet (1982): all but one song
3-Living In Oz (1984): complete
4-Hard to Hold SDTK (1985): 3 of 6 songs
5-Tao (1986): 5 of 10 songs

and the LONG out of print

6-Rock of Life (1988): all but one song (making this collection well worth the price of admission were it devoid of everything else)

Strange that the folks who released this CD decided to leave off "American Girl" from SHSMY which was featured in movies and on T.V. a lot around the time of it's release. Perhaps it's because the "Legendary" series is put out by BMG Australia who feel that Australian folks don't need an ode to "American" girls on their Springfield comps (?). I don't however, think it's a completely bad thing that only half of TAO made the cut because what's here should peak the un-initiated's interest. TAO is a VERY good album but it's still widely available and generally quite cheap. The inclusion of all but Rick's cover of The Small Faces "Groovy" from RoL is where you really get your money's worth. RoL is perhaps his smoothest and most substantive record ever. Where BMG really missed the boat was not including more songs from the "Hard to Hold" Soundtrack. This album is selling for stupidly high fundage at online auctions and the like. Criminally missing from HtH is "Don't Walk Away" which was a charted hit in several countries around the world. Still, BMG is to be commended for getting liscense to include early hits "Speak to the Sky" and "Take a Hand," although the latter is bizarrely way out of chronological order.

You should note that even though this collection is relatively new on the scene, it is not digitally remastered. The source material is mastered to itself which makes for an dynamically consistant listen but there are other collections out there with much cleaner and brighter sound.

Overall, a very affordable way to get a tremendous amount of Rick's, until only recently, frustratingly underrated musical output. Only loses a star because BMG clearly had the authority (and the time remaining on the discs) to make this a truly complete anthology, but for some reason didn't.

RICK SPRINGFIELD WAS MY BEATLES. I REMEMBER AS A KID IN THE SEVENTIES,READING INTERVIEW AFTER INTERVIEW WITH THE HEAVY-HITTERS OF THE DAY,THEY WERE ALL ASKED THE SAME QUESTION:"WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO BECOME A MUSICIAN?" "I SAW THE BEATLES ON SULLIVAN" WAS INVARIABLY THE RESPONSE.I WAS ONLY A YEAR OLD WHEN THE FAB FOUR MADE THAT EARTH-SHATTERING APPEARANCE,SO I DIDN'T GET TO SHARE IN THE MAGIC.I DO REMEMBER A HOT AUGUST NIGHT(NOT THE NEIL DIAMOND LIVE SET,GREAT THOUGH IT IS...)IN 1981 WHEN AT ABOUT 2AM I HEARD JESSIE'S GIRL FOR THE FIRST TIME. FOR ME IT HAD THE THE SAME EFFECT AS THE BEATLES HAD ON TEENAGE BOYS ALL THOSE YEARS BEFORE---I WANT TO WRITE A SONG LIKE THAT!---RICK WILL NEVER GET THE RECOGNITION HE DESERVES,WE WILL ALWAYS HEAR HOW UNFAIR IT WAS TO HAVE PASSED HIM OFF AS A TEEN IDOL,BUT THERE HASN'T BEEN ONE "SERIOUS" MUSIC JOURNALIST WILLING TO PUT HIS TESTOSTERONE ON THE LINE AND SAY: "THIS GUY WAS THE REAL THING" AFTER ALL, ONLY CHICKS AND WIMPY GUYS LISTENED TO HIM ANYWAY,RIGHT?---NO,THERE WERE GUYS LIKE ME IN LEATHER JACKETS IN THE NOSEBLEED SEATS,TRYING TO LEARN EVERY CHORD AND STANDING RIVETED AS HE TORE THROUGH THE SAME KINKS AND WHO COVERS THAT WE DID IN OUR GARAGE.SURE HIS STINT ON GENERAL HOSPITAL HURT HIM,YEAH "HARD TO HOLD" EVEN HARDER TO WATCH,BUT THE RECORDS MAN, THE RECORDS..THAT'S WHERE THE MAGIC WAS,AND THAT IS WHAT IS HERE.ALMOST ALL OF HIS RCA OUTPUT IS HERE,WHICH WHILE THAT MEANS NO SURPRISES,IT DOES MEAN THAT THE LONG OUT OF PRINT "ROCK OF LIFE" FROM 1988 IS NO LONGER (COMPLETELY)OUT OF PRINT.FANS THAT STILL DO NOT HAVE "ROCK" ON DISC CAN AT LEAST ENJOY MOST OF THE TRACKS DIGITALLY UNTIL A PROPER REISSUE SURFACES.FOR FOLKS THAT HAVE WANTED TO INVESTIGATE PAST THE HITS PACKAGE THEY'VE BEEN HUMMING ALONG WITH,TAKE THE PLUNGE AND FIND OUT WHAT YOU'VE BEEN MISSING ALL THESE YEARS, A TRULY GIFTED AND TALENTED SONGWRITER!

This is an excellent collection which includes all of his Working Class Hero album. My only complaint is Don't Walk Away is missing from this collection. Other than that it is a well rounded set and a great addition to your collection.

This is easily the best way to get most of Rick Springfield's songs in one place. This package focuses on his songs from 1981 to 1988. It contains two of his albums in their entirety ("Working Class Dog" and "Living in Oz") and two other albums missing just one song each ("Success Hasn't Spoiled Me Yet" and "Rock of Life"). It also contains a couple of tracks from two other albums ("Hard to Hold" and "Tao"). That's 50 songs in total! You can compare this package with any other discs available and you will see that you can't beat this for song selection and price. If you're a fan of Rick's and are looking for an easier way to have all his music in one package then this is for you! If you haven't bought anything yet cause there's so much to try then this is for you too!

AS A HUGE RICK SPRINGFIELD FAN, I LOVE THIS CD SET...I GIVE IT A 10+ RATING OFF THE CHART...GLAD IT GOT TO ME AS QUICK AS IT DID, TOO...

Great - a great compilation of Rick's early & heyday prime songs - carry this with you and leave 4 other cds at home. So glad this was released - listen all the time. Superb collection! Great to pair with Karma - more recent cd not inlcuded in this listing. Buy it, you'll like it. Great variety of Rick Springfield music.

This must be the only collection that can be really called "the best".Along with the well known hits other songs that should be on a collection like this ("cant stop hurting you","one reason"to name a few).Still its a shame that "writen in rock" from "tao" is missing.Since the cd shows deep knowledge on Ricks material the absence of this great song is a real mystery!!
Overall a good effort!

This is the BEST collection of Rick Springfield songs out there and practically the only way to hear all the songs except one from the Rock of Life album. It is worth the price just to have great sounding copies of Honeymoon in Beirut and Woman.