Shoot Your Guru
 (Rick Springfield)

(total playing time :55)

This is an instrumental track on shock/denial/anger/acceptance.

This one, going purely by title sounds like Anger. Must be the word: shoot. Why else would you Shoot your Guru? I'm dying to know why it's titled this, and with Rick saying in his journal: "I hope I don't offend anyone with the title.. but if I do.. good" Why? Does he have a guru and was/is not happy with him/her?  However, if you go by the music - it sounds like Acceptance. I really like this itty bitty piece of music, and I do agree that I tend to consider it the opening of Alien Virus. It's like a little oasis from the first 8 songs that got you all revved up, and it leads you into the mellow-ness of Alien Virus. I think it's in a good spot in the album.

When I listen to this, I think of it more as in intro to Alien Virus than a song in it's own right. However, even though he doesn't sing on it, I do love the music. I love when he does blues. I can so easily picture him sitting on the edge of the stage doing this with his "what smells" eyebrows expression on his face. 

I was wondering if this piece was there as a transition from the harder edge of the previous songs to the softer sound of Alien Virus and Angels... That might explain incongruous title and music. Or maybe Rick was just being a smart ass with the title. He never does that, does he?...LOL!