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The 80's icon Rick Springfield (Richard Lewis Springthorpe) is releasing his 17th studio album called 'Songs for the End of the World'. I bought many of his albums in the beginning of the 80's: 'Working Class Dog' (-81), 'Success Hasn't Spoiled Me Yet' (-82), 'Living In Oz' (-83), 'Tao' (-85) and 'Rock of Life' (-88). Great productions and a whole bunch of radio hits like "Jessie's Girl", "Don't Talk To Strangers", "Don't Walk Away", "Human Touch", "Kristina", "Love Somebody" and "Ive Done Everything for You" and so on.

I lost my interest to this Australian/American rocker after the 'Rock of Life' album and he became another echo from the happy 80's. Rick is now 63 years old and I expected nothing from this new album. Huuuh, time has been very gentle to this voice and Rick sounds like he did in his glory days and this artist has aged as well as fine wine or single malt whiskey.

He just blew me away in the intro song "Wide Awake" with an aggressive up-tempo, very sharp guitars and splendid vocals. It's almost like a Green Day song. Very positive and I'm hooked. "Our Ship's Sinking" is a true Springfield track with catchy melodies and awesome vocals from one of the big voices of the 80's. Rick hasn't been known for sad songs or any melancholic tunes. In the track "I Hate Myself" I get a happy mood, though the sad lyrics. I like the guitar playing throughout the whole album and the production is at a world class level. Nothing to complain about. Just brilliant work from the studio workers. The smooth ballad "You & Me" is a great love song for all love birds. "Gabriel" is another gentle ballad with acoustic guitars and marvelous vocals. The track is growing into a super tune with very nice middle part.

Best song on the album is "My Last Heartbeat" with quite rough sound and strong vocals from Rick again. A beautiful track, which will stay in my save folder is "Love Screws Me Up" - a classic na-nana-na-na-nana song with easy-to-learn lyrics. Another song that will be saved in my special folder is the charming song "I Found You", which is a very melodic track and a sensitive song with a lot of emotions. "Depravity" is a progressive song with nice rhythms and a odd part in the middle. I'm glad that Rick breaks off a bit from the clinical sound.

A rock wallop ("One Way Street") concludes the album and this is a fun re-acquaintance with my old idol from the decade when people had colorful clothes and bleached hair. If you liked Ricks earlier albums or is a fan of the melodic rock genre, this is worth buying.

This is not a disc for the death or thrash metal guys, too soft.  I didn't find all the twelve tracks edible, but most of them is easy to digest and is very enjoyable.

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