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This video starts out looking like it was shot where the CD pics were
taken. I'm not sure if it is the same place, or somewhere similar intended to look like
the CD cover/back cover. The wind is blowing trash over a rail (not sure if train or maybe
cable car?) and I paused it a couple of times because the graffiti on the wall looked like
it said "EFX". Of course it didn't, just my mind playing tricks on me :-)
Wardrobe! Woohoo, denim with the white tank under open sport coat. I was a fan of this
"period" of Rick's. That and the long flowing hair....sigh. The only thing about
his appearance in this video that I hated was the endless bouncing Rick does with that
guitar. After about my 5th time in a row watching this video, I was getting a little
seasick.
The endless fire, flame and destruction was a little much to drive the point home in my
opinion. We get the picture, all right. It does fit in well with the lyrics of waking up
blind with the house on fire, but gee-whiz someone was having a real pyrotechnical moment,
eh? Putting Liam in the crib was a cute gesture, somehow I knew it was Liam before I even
saw interviews with Rick saying it was his son. The kid was apparently on a sugar high the
way he bounces around in that thing. Or maybe he was just trying to imitate dad? :-)
The paper airplane sails throughout this whole video. There must be a meaning to this, but
it totally goes over my head (pun intended). I like how it is launched by the child at the
beginning, and the slicked back Rick catches it at the end. God, I hope that is not Rick's
vision of himself at that time. Speaking of which, what is up with the crosses on that
"character"? One around the neck, and one on the arm? A nod to his wife maybe? I
also noticed that this character walks in behind the bouncing Rick at the end. He's in the
same frame with himself! Pretty cool.
The scene with the older man packing and the younger man standing by the truck makes no
sense to me either. I did want to mention this scene though because the man by the truck
looks like a young Bruce Springsteen to me. Check out Bruce's Glory Days video, where he's
wearing the baseball hat. I swear they look very similar.
Flashback ~~> 1988. I sit anxiously perched on the
edge of my sofa, remote in hand, awaiting MTV's "world premiere" of "Rock
Of Life"......new music by Rick Springfield. AT LAST!!! It's been a long, grueling 3
year wait between albums, if only I knew that The Man's next musical "hiatus"
would be far longer. I watch intently as the video starts - Fade in music "I hear the
big beat, Rock of Liiiiiiiiiiiiife". My expression alternates between a huge
shit-eating grin, so happy to see Rick, and jaw-dangling delight at the videos
pyrotechnics for the length of this little musical film. As Rick's slicked-back image
fades, I love the little "cameos" Rick makes in his own vids, the VJ re-appears
with an enthusiastic "Wow!!", as his simple comment. "Wow!!",
indeed...I had to agree. This video is terrific and Rick looks fabulous!! The intent stare
- shiver, indicates the serious nature of the lyrics and Rick's long, flying hair as he
flails away at his guitar shows me that The Man can still "rock out".
A thought provoking juxtaposition between the song's urging of adult responsibility and
the wild abandon of the letting loose "Hey, Woooooooo".
"Waking up blind with the house on fire" is stunningly punctuated by the
explosion and burning of the nursery and a flaming baby rattle, a very powerful image of
Rick's fear of fatherhood. And just when my mind is being assaulted by this heavy
imagery, I suddenly fall into fits of laughter. Rick's weird and wacky sense of humor
rears its self-deprecating head!! There is an obvious Springsteen "look-alike".
The backwards baseball cap and all, slamming his fists onto the steering wheel of a pick
up truck, looking annoyed as HELL!!! LOL. Rick has obviously come to terms with the
constant "confusion" between himself and "The Boss". He no longer is
aggravated by it, as is evident in the lyrics of his '70s song "Bruce", but is
now able to poke fun at it, fueling the fire and fanning the flames of the
"mix-up" by the addition of this "imposter" into his latest video.
Even with all the popularity and constant exposure of both artists through the '80s,
people are still confusing them!!! And as we all know, this "confusion"
abounds even into the 21st Century.....sigh.
I like the fact that Rick put his baby Liam in the crib. Such a cutie pie and so full of
energy, Like Father, Like Son. I recall Rick saying in an interview at the time
that he was so proud of his two year old son, so naturally he used him as the baby in the
video. He also commented that although Liam loves watching himself on TV, he still prefers
Sesame Street.....LOL. As for the greasy, slick, slightly sinister character Rick creates
as his "alter-ego" in the story, I've always thought of this character as the
"darker" side of all of us. The side we must keep under control. The side we
must never show to our children. This may be "stretching" the symbolism a bit,
but I like to "delve" into the psyche of our gorgeous Guitar God and see what's
"under the surface".
Again Rick provides the viewer with the tools to explore their own feelings and extract
from the images what is applicable.
Did I mention how fabulous The Man looks in this video? Tight jeans, the knees fashionably
torn, piercing green eyes - - he's looking right at me!!! Thud, shoulder length hair
blowing in the breeze, showing off those taut neck muscles, fingers strumming, practically
brutalizing his preferred instrument, body contorted into a rock and roll frenzy.....
I don't think I ever saw this video in it's
entirety until a couple of years ago. I saw a clip of it when Rick did the Today show back
in 1988, and I remember thinking it was chaos. Still when I watch it today, it reminds me
of chaos.
The first thing that stands out for me is the watch, it's so clear and in focus, it's like
time is the thing you're most aware of , the passing of time, possibly a biological clock.
What's up with that little guitar? Maybe that was a cool style in 1988, I like the second
one that shows up in the video, better. To me, it has more of a rock n roll feel.
The family pictures on the mantel being destroyed, to me, represents "normal"
life being shattered or disrupted. The little boy and the paper airplane seems like the
airplane represents his dream. It looks to me like the little girl jumping rope tries to
catch it as it goes over her (not sure what that means). I have no idea what the guy who
is in the old car is supposed to represent (maybe a friend who needed a job :-) or the
preacher.
Rick at the end, seems like a sleazy character. He catches the plane, aka catches the
dream. Not sure if I take that to mean that he had to become sleazy to catch the dream, or
if that's not him, but the character is some other sleazy guy, maybe represents the record
industry and the sleaziness in that.
He's wearing a cross, which I found interesting. I'm sure there's so much intertwined in
this video that I'm just not getting, would love to know the scoop.
Liam was one cutey patooti, and his dad was one hot papa :-)
This CD (as with Karma) let me breathe a sigh of relief
because it confirmed Rick was back. After Tao came that long silence and I will admit, I
panicked. He cancelled our Tao concert and all the radio stations said it was due to
illness. I feared it was due to lack of record sales, only to learn years later he blew
Seattle off for Live Aid. Okay, famine in Africa, I guess I can share Rick for a good
cause. But the 18 year old with 3rd row seats would probably not have been so rational
even if she had known the truth. I thought Rick might be gone forever. And that thought
killed me. I called record stores monthly for 3 years (much to my families dismay) just to
make sure I was not missing Rick....somewhere. Nothing.
So I am in college, dating my future husband, making out to Friday Night Videos, when what
comes on, the Rock Of Life video! I froze when I heard them introduce it. I leaped
from the couch, my mouth gaping open. My boyfriend thought I might be having a seizure.
After yelling at him to SHUT UP several times.....he finally got the message I was
ok......and then he saw who was on the screen. Now, up until this point Rick was a part of
my life that he knew about (I still had the "white poster" on the wall, a few
8X10's on the closet doors) but I don't think he fully understood how my life as well as
his (hee hee) would be impacted by this glorious man for the rest of our lives.
I was glued to the video, tears of joy in my eyes. He
was back. In all his glory, although....okay, I am just going to come out and say it, and
I think I am in the minority here, but I am not a fan of the ROL look for our handsome Mr.
Springfield. I am sorry. Maybe it was the really long hair or maybe I was just clinging to
the Human Touch/What Kind Of Fool Am I videos. But I longed for that look to still be
there. Shallow...I know.
However....the shockingly long hair was overshadowed by my complete euphoria at the fact
that I was seeing him back on TV, singing a new song. I am not kidding, I was in tears. In
my head I had everything summed up perfectly. I thought Tao did so poorly that it
killed his music career and I would never see him again. Now I had NOTHING to base these
assumptions on. I did not know about his marriage, Liam or his depression. It was just the
21 year old in me thinking I knew everything. So I looked past the complete chaos of the
video: the fire, the hair, the ridiculously small guitar, the family frames being smashed
and all I saw was that my glorious Rick Springfield was back. Life was good.
It was not until A FEW MONTHS AGO (I am SO ashamed) when a friend TOLD me that the
sleaze-ball in this video was RICK SPRINGFIELD that I finally saw him as the sleaze-ball.
I think the hair and the greasy little mustache was so repulsive to me that I could not
think for a minute it was Rick. But wow....talk about shocked. I am so puzzled by the
cross he is wearing and the fact that he catches the plane, which I thought symbolized his
"dream" as well. I also did not know that the adorable child was Liam. Very
cool.....that was (and still is) one of my favorite things about ROL, Liam singing and
playing the piano at the end. It is just too adorable.
So to sum up....not a big fan of the video at all, except for the fact that it signified
that Rick was coming back to us all. And I completely agree......he is one "hot
papa"!!! : )
I love the look of this video. I also think the
intensity of all the explosions and fire add to the emotion of the song. I also love his
look in this vid. The jeans, white t-shirt and jacket. Yum. :o) I also love the hair.
What was up with the strange little guitar he was using for this vid??? Eeeeek.
Liam is a freakin little cutie. :o)
Boy throws the paper airplane that flys through the entire vid and then caught by Rick as
the older (what's with the slicker look?) man. Boy to man reference??
Not sure what is up with the little girl sort of "running after" the paper
airplane and then later jumping rope. I really didn't tie that to anything.....
This vid was the first time I had seen Rick in quite a while. I definitely liked what I
saw. :o) |