I am going to see Rick Springfield for the ____th time on Saturday night here in Denver. I leave that blank because I have no idea how many times I've seen him. I could try to count. And maybe soon I'll blog about each one. At least the ones I can remember! You see...little Hooky Jo was quite a drinker...and some of his concerts I don't even remember due to being inebriated. I even got a DUI after one of them...driving home from Denver to Greeley (caught one block from my house in Greeley). Doesn't matter. Rick and drinking somehow combined. Didn't matter that I was too young...or that I missed my idol...I always had to drink! Why??
So, this will be the first concert...aside from the very first on November 1st, 1981...where I'll be stone sober...as I have quit drinking...COLD TURKEY! I do not drink now AT ALL. Shocking maybe...but, it started to affect my health, my finances, my life. Besides...I missed seeing...really seeing Rick Springfield!
But, this blog is not about that per se. I wanted to write about how we change. How he's changed. How everything changes.
I look in the mirror and often don't like what I see. I see my mother sometimes. I see my dad sometimes. I even see my Grandma! But, I do see the aging process. Now, when I look at old Rick and current Rick...I almost can't believe it's the same person! Seriously. Just looking at his pictures from the 80s...brings back a flood of memories, admiration and love for this man! I don't know why...but, he just absolutely took me over! Not just me of course, thousands of women adored and adore this man...I thought it was only me...but, NOOOOOOOOOO....he has quite a fan-base.
But, the now Rick...looks so different. And I'm not sure he holds the same allure for me. There's many reasons why. Not only have his looks changed tremendously. I always greatly suspected he's had work done. I've never been able to tell exactly what. I remember a friend and I looked at his old and new pics in 2009...and he decided he'd had a chin implant. I think that could be. I am now positive that he had his teeth capped...a la Hillary Duff...which totally changed her looks too! That sweet mouth of his from the 80s...might have been what drew me to him? Might have been the thing that really had me going!
Oh...don't get me wrong. The sound of his voice still hasn't changed and it still sends me! When I hear the beginning notes of Jessie's Girl...I still scream. Literally. Probably will til the day I die. You know that I will always have these phenomenal memories of that song...Summer of 81...when it was the best song I'd heard (and brought me back to pop music from country!). Anyway...his looks have indeed changed greatly. Yes, yes, yes...age will do that. But, I'm certain there's been work done. And I am not one to judge. I have had my eyes done. It was due to my sight...but, it was definitely an eye job! And it ruined me. Not ruined maybe...well, I hate it. My perfect eyes...the thing that made me so pretty...are now asymmetrical. Different. People say they don't see it...but, I do. And now I can't afford...nor do I really want to keep messing with them to try to fix them back...because I fear turning into a Michael or Joan...trying for constant perfection!
Do I wish I'd never done it? Yes. Do I wish Rick had never done it? YES! How would we look now with our 'natural' aging process? We'll now never know! Isn't that kind of sad? I appreciate technology and the ability to correct things that are wrong. But, now...I will always miss my eyes. And I will always miss Rick...then. The true love of my life.
So, I'm excited for the concert. But, there are some 'buts'. Aside from his looks...I also no longer clamor for his new music. The last album I really listened to and liked a lot was 'Shock Anger Denial Acceptance' ...2004. I also liked his cover album...'The Day After Yesterday' (which I always just called, 'Today' ha!). Since then, he has released 3 or 4 albums? See...I don't even know, as I didn't listen. I did try to listen to 'Venus in Overdrive'...2008...which coincided with his first fan cruise...that I had to go on! I grew so tired of the incessant playing of ' What's Victoria's Secret' on the cruise which I guess was the go-to song on that album. Well, it wasn't my favorite song...sorry to say. VERY pop. And the hook lyric..."Can we ever really know her name"...made no sense to me and I'd still love to ask him what the heck it's supposed to mean. If it's about Victoria...and her secret...then, why don't we know her name? I don't get it. But, I digress.
I don't feel his music touches me like it used to. There are a few good ones. But, don't get me started on his latest album...with songs like...'Little Demon' and 'Santa is an Anagram' (get it...Satan!). Well...I'm kind of old school...a little prudish. I am open minded...but, I don't care for all the demon, dark, dank songs...which his new album seems to have! I saw the video for the song, 'The Voodoo House'. Again, no thanks. Songs about Voodoo? Doodoo!!!! What happened to old Rick? His albums contained songs about religion...specifically 'Beginnings' ('Speak to the Sky'), 'Comic Book Heroes' ('Father Do You Love your Children', 'Mother Can You Carry Me'),'Wait for Night' ('Celebrate Life'), 'Tao' ('The Power of Love', 'Surrender'), 'Karma' ('Send a Prayer to Heaven', 'An Act of Faith'). Well...those are just some of his past albums with songs that were truly spiritual. What happened? Why did he change to darker music and themes??
Well, another reason my feelings have changed a bit is because he wrote his tell-all bio in 2010...'Late, Late at Night'. I thought I knew the man. I always admired the fact that he married in 1984 and stayed with the wife! They're still together...a rarity in entertainment. BUT, this book really burst my bubble in that he was...probably still is...a serial philanderer!!! Wow. Why did he write this? Some cathartic reason to be able to share all his personal foibles? A cleansing of sorts? He blames Mr. D...his depression. Hmmmm...well, we all got problems. But, to air it like this? I was disappointed. I always wondered how his wife would allow this to be written about...as although he goes out of his way in the book to say what a wonderful person she is...a saint. Ya think? Is it about the money? OK...I hate to disparage women...because God knows I've had THE worst luck with men...talk about DUMB when it comes to men? My picture is in the dictionary under the words DUMB WITH MEN! But....why oh why let him write about it? I like to think the scenario of him explaining writing this book to his wife like this..."Honey, they want me to write a bio. I think I will write about all my affairs and sexual encounters. Is that ok?". Wife: "Absolutely not! I don't want people to know how you've cheated on me all these years!". Rick: "But, I'll get $3 million dollars for it". Wife: "OK...fine with me!". Ha! I'm not saying she stays with him only for the money. Who wouldn't want to be Rick Springfield's wife. Well, maybe I wouldn't if he was this philandering jerk!!
Lastly, another book came out that he wrote...a fictional novel called "Magnificent Vibration". OMG...sorry...I didn't get that either! It was a tad weird. Ok...I know it's a subjective art...but, it just wasn't my cup of tea! He got accolades for it from fans and even some critics. But, not this fan and critic.
So, my love has waned a little. Because he's changed...and I've changed too. My feelings have changed. Oh...not to mention that particularly in my drunken states at his concerts...that I've not been impressed with him. One...he sometimes takes off his shirt. OK...I don't like young men without shirts. Old men without them...oy vey! Keep your shirt on! Second...his act is getting old. Having kids sing 'Don't Talk to Strangers' gets very very old very very fast. And coming into the audience for 'Human Touch'...ha! He started that on his tour in 1983. I even 'caught' him as I was in the front row and also helped get women off of him. Yes, I was often his 'protector'...but, that's another story! MY Rick. Well, it's cute...and the audience loves it of course...but it's gotten old...when you've seen it dozens of times (see my blog about all the concerts I've been to). And third....he does covers of other peoples' music! Taylor Swift...'Shake It Off'? Really? I do not come to see him do other people's pop! Also, 'Roar'...that Katy Perry song. He has so many songs...hundreds...sing those!
Well, I'll look forward to a sober concert tomorrow and am hoping he changes it from the last time I 'saw' him in 2014. (I tried to see him in 2016 but was too drunk...got cut off...so, I left!...Oy vey!).
These are my feelings. Just my opinions. I love him still...and always will. Such a great, crazy influence in my life. I don't understand the adoration myself. Why? Well, the music. The music and the way he looked when he performed. I just melted. October 24, 1981 was the day I fell in love when I saw him on 'Solid Gold'. It will always be special. But, like all of us...he's changed. I've changed too. Maybe I'm not the 19 year old that fell in love. Maybe I'm jaded. Or maybe my tastes have changed? Or maybe it just is. He is a deep thinker and terrific lyricist. I know he has a lyric that addresses this feeling...just doesn't come to me right now. Maybe it will.*
PS. My favorite album of his is 'Karma'...1998...which was the year I left my husband and moved home. It was also his 'comeback' album and he toured that summer. I saw him then and he saw me with my shirt on from his 1981 concert...he motioned at me...20 years ago now. Maybe it is 'Karma' that it comes to this. My last concert of his...stone sober. Maybe.
*Yes...the lyric came to me...from the 'Karma' album...the song 'Act of Faith'. Great song. And the lyrics: "There is no purpose served in holding on. Love is a healer. There is no understanding why. Love is a healer. There is no sin in you that brought this to your door my love - it just is". Man. Could be my favorite lyric of all. It just is...
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