The one and only time I ever caught Rick Springfield live was a few years back now in 2013 at Shepherd’s Bush Empire in London, it was a great show and one of the things that really stood out was his exceptional cover of Robert Johnson’s ‘Cross Road Blues’. It was one of those moments that made you think that this guy had the guitar chops and the feel to put out a Blues album before ‘Human Touch’ and ‘Jessie’s girl’ kicked in and you though “Oh well, it was a nice thought.”
But here it is – ‘The Snake King’ is indeed Rick Springfield’s Blues album – a record full of wonderful songs, smoky blues melodies, some fine guitar work and some rather unexpected lyrical content. It’s not of course a take on Robert Johnson and not reaching back to the depths of the genre but from the off with ‘In the Land of the Blind’ you can hear the textures, warm tones and trademark melodies alongside that gentle Bluesy thrust.
‘The Devil That You Know’ has more swing, a Chicago Blues feel, and adds horns and shuffles and shimmies out of the speakers and lyrically takes up a religious theme that cuts through the record. Little Demon’ takes you even deeper though, it’s a more aggressive blues vocal with some nice guitar work and a beautiful, languid breakdown.
Getting into the meat of the album ‘Judas Tree’ starts a move towards a more traditional Blues feel – it’s a standard blues that ticks all the right boxes, whilst ‘Jesus Was an Atheist’ that follows it takes a rather irreverent lyric and continues that more traditional form, before the title track skews things towards country down-home Blues that really sticks with you. Half way in it’s remarkable how well this is working and there’s a real feel that Springfield has taken to this project like a duck to water. It just sounds right.
Musically the second half of the album fares just as well though is a little more varied sonically: from the free and easy bar room Blues of ‘God Don’t Care’ through the wonderful Southern-tinged slide guitar driven stomper that is ‘The Voodoo House’ before the album forges on with a swing-driven rocker: ‘Suicide Manifesto.’
Aside from the songs the album is shot through with sound-bytes – from crowd noise, helicopters and disembodied voices to animal sounds and it all somehow ties the album together, adds a little flavour and intrigue and along with the lyrics that question and poke at religion it makes a point (or points) that are open enough to interpretation to engage rather than preach.
‘Blues For the Disillusioned’ is the first of a diverse trio that close the album – adding a dash of heady AOR before ‘Santa is an Anagram’ (i.e. Satan) bounds in daubed in proto-Rock and Roll or Rockabilly. The final word goes to the epic ten minute ‘Orpheus in the Underworld’ a serious statement in Americana, Dylanesque in outlook and almost Springsteen-like in its grand execution. It may well be Springfield’s most serious artistic statement.
As a long time fan of Springfield I’m really rather pleased by this album and even more impressed, it still sounds like Rick, but this is a mature album, and album that steps out of what you imagine must have been rather comfortable AOR/Melodic Rock corner. It proves what some of us always knew that Springfield can do anything he sets his mind to. Here’s the proof, and you’ll love it.
TRACKLISTING: In The Land Of The Blind | The Devil That You Know | Little Demon | Judas Tree | Jesus Was An Atheist | The Snake King | God Don’t Care | The Voodoo House | Suicide Manifesto | Blues For The Disillusioned | Santa Is An Anagram | Orpheus In The Underworld
Rick Springfield Links:
Official Website: http://rickspringfield.com/ | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rickspringfield
