Karma (Rick Springfield album)
Encyclopedia
Karma is an album by Australian
singer-songwriter
Rick Springfield
. Following about a decade without a new album from Springfield, its 1999 release took place amid a resumption of touring as well. The album hit the #189 spot on the Billboard 200
, and none of its singles managed to chart.
, Springfield ceased with his music (releases as well as touring) in order to spend more time with his two boys and his wife. He released Karma during a popular resurgence of interest in 1980s society/culture (particularly among Generation X
), which Springfield noticed. CNN
reported that "There's relatively high interest in Springfield's return. Platinum Entertainment says advance orders for Karma have reached 100,000 copies." Karma was initially released Japan and then an American release took place a few months later. The two versions differ in respect to three songs.
Springfield made the first single, "It's Always Something", as a tribute to his father who died just before his release of Working Class Dog
and breakout commercial success. He said that "My dad is a very strong figure in my life and certainly in death he's become even more meaningful" as well as that "there's still a lot of things going on in me that pertain to him and my relationship with him".
After the release of Karma, Springfield resumed his touring. The album hit the #189 spot on the Billboard 200
, and none of its singles managed to chart.
The album represented a continuation of Springfield's same pop rock
style in his 80s albums. Stephen Thomas Erlewine
wrote a mostly positive review for the All Music Guide
, stating that "Karma is certainly the work of a more mature artist... a thinking man's AOR". A CNN
reviewer commented that the album has "a vanilla mix of 80s redolent pop tunes."
.
All songs were composed by Rick Springfield except where noted.
Australian people
Australian people, or simply Australians, are the citizens of Australia. Australia is a multi-ethnic nation, and therefore the term "Australian" is not a racial identifier. Aside from the Indigenous Australian population, nearly all Australians or their ancestors immigrated within the past 230 years...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Rick Springfield
Rick Springfield
Rick Springfield is an Australian-born singer-songwriter, musician, and actor. He was a member of pop rock group Zoot from 1969 to 1971 and then started his solo career with his début single "Speak to the Sky" reaching the top 10 in Australia. In mid-1972, he relocated to the United States...
. Following about a decade without a new album from Springfield, its 1999 release took place amid a resumption of touring as well. The album hit the #189 spot on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, and none of its singles managed to chart.
Background and reception
The album followed a period of about ten years without a new release. After his last work, the 1988 LP Rock of LifeRock of Life
Rock of Life is an album by Australian singer-songwriter Rick Springfield. He originally released it as an LP through RCA Records in 1988. The album was reached #55 on the Billboard 200 album chart, the least successful of his six RCA releases. The title-track also was a success as a single,...
, Springfield ceased with his music (releases as well as touring) in order to spend more time with his two boys and his wife. He released Karma during a popular resurgence of interest in 1980s society/culture (particularly among Generation X
Generation X
Generation X, commonly abbreviated to Gen X, is the generation born after the Western post–World War II baby boom ended. While there is no universally agreed upon time frame, the term generally includes people born from the early 1960's through the early 1980's, usually no later than 1981 or...
), which Springfield noticed. CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
reported that "There's relatively high interest in Springfield's return. Platinum Entertainment says advance orders for Karma have reached 100,000 copies." Karma was initially released Japan and then an American release took place a few months later. The two versions differ in respect to three songs.
Springfield made the first single, "It's Always Something", as a tribute to his father who died just before his release of Working Class Dog
Working Class Dog
-Album cover:The unusual album cover features a picture of a Bull Terrier dog dressed in a white shirt with a black tie. The dog was Rick's pet named Ronnie, who died in 1994...
and breakout commercial success. He said that "My dad is a very strong figure in my life and certainly in death he's become even more meaningful" as well as that "there's still a lot of things going on in me that pertain to him and my relationship with him".
After the release of Karma, Springfield resumed his touring. The album hit the #189 spot on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, and none of its singles managed to chart.
The album represented a continuation of Springfield's same pop rock
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
style in his 80s albums. Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...
wrote a mostly positive review for the All Music Guide
All Music Guide
Allmusic is a service of music guide, owned by All Media Guide. Allmusic was founded in 1991 by popular-culture archivist Michael Erlewine as a guide for consumers. Its first reference book was published the following year...
, stating that "Karma is certainly the work of a more mature artist... a thinking man's AOR". A CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
reviewer commented that the album has "a vanilla mix of 80s redolent pop tunes."
American version
The final song is a hidden trackHidden track
In the field of recorded music, a hidden track is a piece of music that has been placed on a CD, audio cassette, vinyl record or other recorded medium in such a way as to avoid detection by the casual listener...
.
All songs were composed by Rick Springfield except where noted.
- His Last Words
- It's Always Something
- Religion of the Heart (Jeff Silverman/Rick Springfield)
- Beautiful Prize
- Karma
- Shock to My System (Bob Marlette/Tim Pierce/Rick Springfield)
- Free (Marlette/Springfield)
- Prayer (Marlette/Pierce/Springfield)
- White Room (Springfield/Vallance)
- In Veronica's Head
- Ordinary Girl
- Act of Faith (Marlette/Pierce/Springfield)
- Karma [Remix]