All Hands on Deck

Out of all the songs on “Rocket Science,” “All Hands on Deck” has taken me the longest time to get used to. I admit that although I loved the patriotic message, I typically skipped over it when listening to the CD. (OK, it’s only been one week since I’ve had the CD so it really hasn’t been that long.)

HOWEVER, somebody recently made a beautiful lyric video of the song with incredible images, and now I hear it differently. Maybe it’s because I’m part of the MTV generation – when MTV used to play music videos – and susceptible to the power that videos can have to influence the opinion of a song, but the video changed my whole feeling about the song. Kudos to whoever put this together.

Here’s the video, go ahead and sing along:

“From the mountains to the fertile plains
With the pulse of lighting in our veins
Hallelujah strike the band in hopes
we will survive this shipwreck
Call all hands on deck.”

The next show is a month from today

The next RS show I have tickets to is a month from tonight. It will be my 11th RS concert (my fifth since March 2015, there was a 15-year hiatus before that). I rarely watch movies more than once (“The Wizard of Oz” and “Grease” being among the exceptions) or read books more than once, but when it comes to RS, I just can’t seem to resist attempting to get there if it’s somewhat financially in reach. I’ve gone to Vegas for shows, but beyond that I’ve stayed within state lines.

Anyway, I’m sure I’m not alone in my countdown-to-a-show mentality. But thinking about that got me to thinking about how different it must be for the person on the other end – in this case, RS. Since he does so many shows a year, is each one just another “day at the office” for him?

Does it become routine to wake up, go the airport, hope to avoid the TMZ crew, go through the TSA checkpoint, perhaps sign a few autographs or snap a couple pictures with those who recognize him/are brave enough to approach him, fly across the country, do a radio interview, do the soundcheck, sign autographs/take photos, hear words of adoration from women unable to speak in complete sentences around him (or was that just me?), do the show, do the meet and greet, sign more autographs/take more photos, hear more words of adoration from incoherent fans (I think I mumbled something, but not sure what) have a drink/late-night dinner, go to sleep, and the next day do it all again?

Pay it Forward

In the “Rocket Science” liner notes for “Pay it Forward,” Rick Springfield writes about how he was inspired to write the song after finding out that somebody paid for his drink – and everyone else’s that day – at Starbucks in an effort to “pay it forward.”

And now, in the spirit of “Pay it Forward,” there was a notice on the RS Facebook page today to help the American Cancer Society by sponsoring a cancer survivor to attend Rick Springfield’s Stripped Down solo show on March 3 in Palm Springs, California.

Local area cancer survivors and others would like to attend the show, but some can’t afford to go so RS and his people are encouraging fans to sponsor someone to attend the show. 100% of the proceeds of show go to the American Cancer Society.

Tickets are $49-$129 and must be purchased by noon on March 3. To purchase tickets to “pay it forward,” click here.

 

Press for ‘Rocket Science’

“Rocket Science” is SO good! It’s really great to finally hear the songs we have been waiting for since RS first announced more than a year ago that he was starting to work on a new CD.

It’s also fun to see/hear all the interviews on TV and radio these past few days to promote “Rocket Science.” (Check out weloverickspringfield.com for a nice collection of clips, as well as lyrics.)

Just like when “Ricki and the Flash” promotions were in full-swing, I occasionally get an email or text from friends to tell me that they saw Rick Springfield on… (FILL IN THE BLANK HERE).

Although I have caught up retroactively, I missed the press he did for “Shock/Denial/Anger/Acceptance,” “Venus in Overdrive” and “Songs for the End of the World” (sadly, I was completely unaware of them until mid-2014 when I became reacquainted with his work.) So it’s fun to follow it as it’s happening – and even watch it at the moment it is happening, whether it is a concert, a soundcheck or a CD signing, thanks to those generous fans who share the view via Periscope.

Since RS’s songs typically reflect what’s happening in his life, his songs reveal things about him that appear to be deeply personal. He addressed that in an interview this week on the Meredith Vieira Show, when he spoke about “Let Me In.”

He has said before that his wife is a very private person and since she is his muse for many of his songs (“The Best Damn Thing” on the new album is also about her), I wonder if she has the same sense of excited anticipation as a fan does when he has a new album coming out or if her reaction is more of apprehension wondering what he’s going to reveal next. (When I first heard “Shock/Denial/Anger/Acceptance,” it was right after reading his autobiography “Late, Late at Night” and so I didn’t enjoy the songs at all because I kept thinking of his wife having to listen to them. Since then I have come to enjoy many of the songs, although I can still hear the pain in his voice when I listen to the CD.)

Many of the interviews he did when “Late, Late at Night” was released dealt with the revelation that he has suffered from depression for many years. It appears that his willingness to discuss it was very helpful to others who also experienced it.

In a society where many celebrities try to project the illusion that their lives are perfect, it’s rather refreshing when one is honest about their challenges and struggles. (Although sometimes RS is excessive in expressing his imperfections – his song “I Hate Myself” is an example.)

It’s much more beneficial for humankind when people are honest about who they are because that opens up the opportunity to connect and help one another.

I guess it’s all about finding that right balance – a willingness to open up and reveal things about yourself that can lead to a true connection with others and yet keep certain things private to protect yourself and your family. (Certain reality shows are examples of what divulging too much can lead to.)

 

 

Periscope of RS at the forum

Quick, go now – you have 24 hours to watch the Periscope video of the RS performance tonight at the Forum for the iheart80s party. (Or maybe it will be on YouTube at some point – but it may be difficult to wait that long if you are wanting to watch it NOW.)

RickAndTheNEWSflash ‏@RickNewsFlash

SOOO great! (I wonder if he warned them about the roses beforehand…)

Thank you, RickAndTheNEWSflash for sharing the experience with us!

 

IHeart80s concert

Tonight is the big IHeart80s concert in Los Angeles: Rick Springfield with Tears for Fears, Missing Persons, Billy Idol, Culture Club and Loverboy. Should be lots of fun! Although it has been sold out pretty much since tickets went on sale, you can hear it live tonight on iHeartRadio. (11 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. PT).

I would have really liked to have gone since I heart 80s music, but tickets sold out before I had a chance to coordinate the details in my head. But that’s OK because as of this morning, I already have tickets to my next RS concert – next month in the fifth row!  It’s a two-hour drive, but at least its within state lines so there are no hotel or airfare details to work out. (I would have liked to go to the Stripped Down  show in Palm Springs, which is a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, on March 3 but the drive is too long so by the time you add on the hotel, it became too much of an indulgence.) But tickets are purchased for the next show – a full-band show – so all is good!

UPDATE: March 13: Found these videos on YouTube  from the IHeart80s concert (there are other videos, too, but from further away; here are a couple of the better ones.)

 

Rocket Science CD

One of the bonuses of the CD is the liner notes! It’s a little booklet with stories about each of the songs. Whoo-hoo! And they are really funny.

Between listening to the CD in the car and the digital version at work, I’ve listened to most of the songs several times today – some more than others. It is such a GREAT CD!! The ones I’ve listened to more than others: “Found” “Beautiful Inside.” Immediately liked “That One,” “The Best Damn Thing,” “Miss Mayhem,” “Crowded Solitude” and “We Connect.” After a couple of tries, I started to really like “Pay It Forward.”

I’m not counting “Light This Party Up,” “Down” or “Let Me In” because I’ve heard them all so many times – but I really like all of them. Haven’t had a chance to listen to “Mercy” (one of the Best Buy bonus tracks) very much yet but it’s catchy, as is “(I Wish I Had a) Concrete Heart.”

It’s so great to finally hear “Walkin’ In,” and the funny thing is that I could already sing along because a few months ago when somebody posted the version he played at the Club Med piano bar, I played it over and over again to get the lyrics. And then one day it disappeared, but I still have the lyrics so I’ll share them here. I think they’re accurate except there are a couple of lines I’m still not sure about:

Walkin’ In

Didn’t want to see your taillights
Pulling out of my drive
Reading me my rights
At 2 a.m.
Didn’t want to be the phone call
Didn’t want to be the stone wall
You crashed your heart into, here I go again (?)

Don’t tell me I like goodbyes
Tell the tears standing in my eyes
I love walking in
I hate walking out
But there’s no way to fix
What’s broken now
It’s such a sin
No one learns about about

I love walking in
I hate walking out

I remember your skin
Shining in the mornin’
Your smile against my lips
Your body warm from the sun
I miss that we were once forever
I miss you waking up in my sweater
I hope you find somebody better
I guess I’m not the one

There’s so much that I can’t forget
Looks like I was a sucker’s bet
I love walking in
I hate walking out
I crossed that ridge and burnt that bridge
It’s over now
It’s such  a sin
No one learns about

I love walking in
I hate walking out

I wish we could go back and make it work somehow
We can only do what heaven will allow
I know I’m too late to say this now
But I’m gonna miss you

I love walking in
I hate walking out
But there’s no way to fix what’s broken now
It’s such a sin no one learns about

I love walking in
I hate walking out
I love walking in
I hate walking out.

Bonus songs

I am not sure what it means that I am sitting in my car in a parking lot listening to the Amazon downloaded version of “Rocket Science” as I wait for Best Buy to open so I can purchase the  CD version of “Rocket Science,” but here I am.

I guess that is the genius of having bonus songs on different versions. Plus, just like I prefer reading printed newspapers rather than online versions, I like to have CDs of artists I really like. Although the digital downloads are pretty cool, too.

Anyway, 15 more minutes then I can go in and get one of the four copies with the bonus tracks of “Walkin’ In” and “Mercy.”

Feb. 19

I checked Amazon Music just after midnight and saw that the rest of the songs were ready so of course I had to listen to all the songs at least once before going to bed. Here are my very brief first impressions.

First had to listen to “Beautiful Inside” because I haven’t heard much about it. Love it, such a beautiful song of encouragement.

Then in order of how they appeared on my Amazon Music list (which is not the order they are on the CD, but I’m too tired to move them all around in the right order, sorry):

“That One” – I’ve been singing it for the past few days after hearing it “live” (a video of RS playing it live) last weekend and it’s so so catchy and I really love it.

“Earth to Angel” – didn’t grab me on the first listen, but the lyrics are encouraging someone to stop taking life so seriously and start enjoying “the ride.” Strikes me as a similar message to “Light This Party Up.”

“The Best Damn Thing” – A beautiful song from RS to his wife. This will be a good song for a love line call-in radio show when a guy really messes up and wants to dedicate a song to his girl. (Do they still have those shows?)

“(I Wish I Had A) Concrete Heart”- A nice, catchy song.

“We Connect” – His lyrics are so beautiful, poetry put to music.

“Pay It Forward” – A nice positive message, made me want to stand up and dance.

“All Hands on Deck” – Makes sense that this has been described as a patriotic anthem, definitely a good description.

“Found” – A beautiful love song. Almost has a Beatles-y sound to it, like “Norwegian Wood.”

“Crowded Solitude” – Have I mentioned that I love his lyrics? An introverted rock star.

“Miss Mayhem” – I’ve been listening to this song a lot this week, too, since its debut last weekend. Although the banjo in the beginning initially threw me off, that didn’t last long and it’s one of my favorites on this album. (Do you still call it an album when it’s a bunch of mp3s? I don’t know.)

“Light This Party Up” – Hello old friend. (I’ve been hearing this song for months now). A great opening song for concerts and I envision this song in movies and beer commercials.

“Down” – Another old friend that I listened to many, many times as I watched concert video clips trying to get the lyrics down. Great song!

“Let Me In” – Another favorite. Wonderful song about the changes that can occur in a long-term relationship. Thank you to RS’s wife, Barbara, for being such a source of inspiration for so many great songs!

Listening to all the songs together, I don’t understand all the hoopla about “Rocket Science” being country. Some of the instruments are not traditional rock ‘n’ roll band instruments, but this doesn’t sound country to me. Some have a country twang, but this isn’t a country album. Of course I am not a musical expert – and therefore I didn’t focus too much on the musical aspects of the songs here, as there are experienced music reviewers who are doing a good job of that – I’m just writing as a fan.

I had tried to order the Best Buy exclusive version online, but I guess I waited too long because last week they were no longer available. I called a nearby Best Buy to see if they will have the exclusive version of the CD available. They had FOUR. Is that a normal amount to have on hand for the release of a highly anticipated album? (Maybe I’ve just spending too much time on RS Facebook fan pages, but won’t more than FOUR people be looking for this CD?) Fortunately the person who answered the phone offered to hold one at the customer service desk if I can get there when the store opens. So hopefully I’ll be able to hear “Walkin In” and “Mercy” later today.

Thanks, RS, and all those involved, for another great album and I wish you MUCH success.

(Yes, sometimes I pretend that they are actually reading this blog.)

21

OK, just a quick “Wow, that’s weird” post.

For those who read “Late, Late at Night,” you know the significance of the number 21, right?

OK, so tonight I was at a really fun fundraiser where tables competed against each other in a trivia contest. My husband and I were at table #21 (out of 27 tables). Not only did our table totally win the game – and the prize –  but the one raffle ticket I bought also won one of the prizes (and I rarely win anything).

The game was played on a large screen and when it was going through the rules of the game, one of the last lines said, “It’s not rocket science.”

Ha!