After writing this turntable rant I realized something: I know absolutely nothing about Richard Marx.
When I picked up his self-titled debut album from the dollar bin at the record store, Mark said “I should be paying YOU to take this!” so I knew I was getting into something REALLY good.
I enlisted the help of my parents (mostly my Dad, which you will soon find out why) to help me review this album. It was my first time listening to it, but my parents had it on a disc and were familiar with it. So, my parents and I listened to this gem in the backyard on my Crosley (which has a permanent home in the upstairs garage to play beat-up records outdoors) and we reviewed the album.
The only picture I could find of my Dad and I on the internet – our Quebec City trip in 2008 when we saw Paul McCartney.
I credit my parents for how much music is a part of my daily life, blah blah blah. My Dad’s tastes mostly revolve around classic rock and a little bit of country, and my Mom’s is a little classic rock and a lot of Canadian alternative/indie. Insert the overused “there was always music in my house growing up” sentence here. Actually, in reality, it was mostly outdoors – my parents have a really killer system and we have speaker wire running from the living room, out the window, and strung to the upstairs garage. Kinda hilarious to look at, but you get used to it. Anyways, it’s their wedding anniversary, so of course they jumped at the opportunity to have their bossy, slightly hungover kid demand them to turn off what they were listening to in order to get this review done.
The album started with Should’ve Known Better, a pretty lively track.
Kallie: Do you know this song?
(My Dad gave the thumbs up here – he was trying to put some boards together in the entrance to the upstairs garage.)
Dad: Richard Marx. He’s kind of like the big haired, late eighties – early nineties Jackson Browne.
Mom: Really.
Dad: He can rock, he does ballads, and I think he was a studio musician for some big acts including Eagles and maybe even Jackson Browne.
My Dad was sort of right here – Richard Marx had several background singer gigs for musicians like Kenny Rogers, Madonna, Whitney Houston and Luther Vandross. However, he was really influenced by the Eagles.
Kallie: So he has some connections.
Dad: I think he was generally known as a really nice guy, like, everyone liked him.
Kallie: Would you go see him now?
Dad: Yes. Just to see him play Don’t Mean Nothing.
Kallie: This might be on this album, I don’t know. Mom said you guys have this on a CD?
Mom: He has it on a CD.
Dad: Yep. He has a song Right Here Waiting that came out probably within a month or two of my brother dying, and every time I hear it I think of my brother.
Kallie: I kind of like this, it’s super eighties. In a good way. Like, driving really fast alone at night and you’re pissed off, or stressed out about something, like, “my girlfriend is kidnapped, I have to go find her!” soundtrack.
Dad: Yeah. And all you see is the flashing street lights as you’re clipping down the road. Camera’s on you, lights on the back window. Haha.
Dad: He probably stuck around for about four or five years on the charts, with three or four songs.
Time for the second track, Don’t Mean Nothing.
Dad: I love this! It’s a great song – you gotta listen to the words too. I think it’s about the music scene.
He’s right – the song was about the super competitive music scene in California at the time.
Kallie: Do you remember the first time you heard Richard Marx?
Dad: Nope. But I know that it didn’t take me long to begin to appreciate his music, and I would say much quicker than it did for most other musicians in my life… I would say top three. I embraced him rapidly. Because you know me with my music – it takes me a little while.
Dad: He’s talking about coke here – the white snow in California.
Kallie: What’s that?
I take things really literally… I was thinking that the white snow was a reference to a time it ever snowed in California, for real.
Dad: Coke.
Kallie: Ohhhh.
Dad: This is his best, in my opinion. I’m pretty sure he plays guitar.
Kallie: That’s what I thought too but I’m hearing a lot of keyboard action.
Dad: No! Guitar solo Joe Walsh on this track.
Kallie: Oh no way! That’s pretty cool.
Dad: Doesn’t look like he’s playing guitar on anything! That’s pretty good, if you can get Joe Walsh to join you on your first album. That’s impressive. That says to me that he was respected.
Next track: Endless Summer Nights.
Dad: Wow, another great song. Yeah, he’s got five hit songs off of this. The song that reminds me of my brother isn’t on there though.
Kallie: NO DON’T POOP ON THE GRASS!!!!!!!
Two dogs from next door came into our yard and were doing dog stuff.
Dad: This track made it to top ten on the radio. I’d say it’s probably one of his lesser-known songs, but still known.
Dad: Okay. I met Richard Marx in Toronto. He offered to buy me a beer, but I had to lend him twenty bucks. He still owes me. He doesn’t answer my emails.
Kallie: Are you serious?
Dad: Nope.
Next track: Lonely Heart.
Dad: I don’t know this one. I think this was probably on the radio too though… I seem to know it, but probably because I had this disc.
Kallie: This is pretty good.
Next track: Hold On To The Nights.
Kallie: Oh! I know this one.
Dad: What do you think of this one?
Kallie: I think it’s the weakest track on this side.
Dad: Yeah, it’s the first real ballad.
Kallie: Alright, on to the second side.
Next track: Have Mercy.
Kallie: What do you think of this so far?
Mom: I don’t like it and I never will.
Kallie: Did you listen to it a lot?
Mom: I didn’t, he did. It was on the radio.
Kallie: Sounds a little bit like Kenny Loggins.
Mom: Yeah, I don’t really like any of those bands. They just all sound the same, every single song… they change a few notes here and there.
Dad: I didn’t know this one, but I like it too. What did you think of that one?
Mom: Richard Marx?
Dad: Yeah.
Mom: I don’t like him. It’s pop music.
Dad: Did you like him at all ever?
Mom: Nope!
Next track: Remember Manhattan.
Kallie: This track kind of reminds me of a song that would be in an animated movie, like Oliver and Company.
Next track: The Flame of Love.
Dad: It flips back and forth, eh? From heavier sounds to ballads.
Kallie: Yeah.
Dad: Heavy on the drums. Crisp snare drum in all of his songs. Did I tell you that I met him in Toronto?
Mom: Maybe?
Dad: He walked up and says “can I buy you a drink?” I had to give him twenty bucks. He never gave it back.
Mom: Are you making that up?
Dad: 100%.
Next track: Rhythm of Life.
Kallie: This is okay.
Dad: It’s kind of in the middle. Piano, good drums, horns too.
Kallie: Yep.
Dad: I never knew this song.
Mom: Is there one more song?
Kallie: Yep!
Mom: Oh god.
Dad: I don’t like this song.
Kallie: Worst on the album?
Dad: So far.
Kallie: The last track is called Heaven Only Knows and I’m guessing it’s a ballad.
Dad: Yeah, probably.
Time for Heaven Only Knows.
Kallie: Yup. A slow song.
Dad: I would bet that he could still fill 10,000 seat venues. Popular with the baby boomers, except Monika. [my Mom]
Dad: Okay, I’ll give you a wrap up. Four points about him then I’ll rank ’em.
Kallie: Okay!
Dad: Background depth, I’d give that an 8/10, which is pretty good. Vocals, 8. He can be a little edgy when he does heavier songs, but when he does the slower songs like this he can do well.
Mom: He’s got some serious help though, listen to the echo in his voice.
My Mom really hates Richard Marx, it’s hilarious.
Dad: Popularity and his reach, I’d give him a 9, for hitting the market at the right time. And his hair, fucking 10.
Kallie: Okay, the verdict – on the “Damn, this is good” scale?
Dad: 4.25/5 just to mix it up a bit.
Dad: The wrap-up – when I hear a Richard Marx song, it usually picks me up. Having this record in your collection, in my view, is not a bad thing – it’s an asset.
Overall, I kind of interpreted this as a way to get out his jilted lover, wrongfully-ended relationship feelings. Some of it was catchy as hell, but on a whole it seems a little cheap. The first three tracks were the best.
vinyleyes 