Rick Springfield - The Snake King (2018)

While Rick Springfield’s seventeenth studio album might seem like quite the curveball – the highly successful melodic rocker having taken a fork on the road, by-passing hook-laden Hitstown for the dustier and darker (certainly lyrically) location of Bluesville – it’s worth remembering the noted Australian musician’s earliest playing days were in blues bands back home in Oz.

Additionally, with a number of original blues songs in his recent "Stripped Down" tour sets, along with the "shape of humanity’s struggle against this amazing planet," to quote Springfield from his own pre-release soundbites, it becomes clear it’s not a strange musical step but the next, logical one.

The Snake King is also by far Rick Springfield's strongest release lyrically (God, the Devil and metaphors for the state of the world making a fair few appearances) but always with interpretations open to the listener.

Musically, opening number 'In the Land of the Blind' is a great big slice of Springsteen-esque, melodic country-meets contemporary rock but, like most songs on the album there’s a lot going on lyrically.
The famous proverb that makes up the title is expressed in a number of sharp, observational or cynical ways, not least the by the line "Cyclops in the White House understands it, keeps everyone snow-blind from the great West Wing; he knows the world’s gonna fry here in the snake pit – it’s the land of the blind, and the one eyed man is king."

The Snake King then raises his blues cowled head for following number 'The Devil That You Know' (a Chicago blues 'n' roll number that hollers with blues harmonica and howls with a short, sharp solo from Springfield) and doesn’t slither away until the closing notes of a 21st century take on 'Orpheus in the Underworld.'
The latter, a majestic ten-minute Americana country-blues, nods to Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp at their own, modern Americana best.

Between those very different but equally effective tracks The Snake King bites down on another nine numbers including 'Little Demon' (a gritty and groovin’ blues that dynamically shifts in its second half to allow Springfield to lay out some expressive (and sadly still underrated) six-string work), the twelve-bar and piano honky-tonk of 'Judas Tree,' the big-beat shuffle of 'Jesus Was an Atheist,' a foot tappin' title track with catchy chorus, the southern and slide guitar affected stomper 'Voodoo House' and a Devil of a funny number in the rockabilly roll of 'Santa is an Anagram.'

You’ll also find a serious does of bluesy venom injected in the lyrics of the bar-room blues of 'God Don’t Care' and the rockin' 'Suicide Manifesto,' while the more mainstream side of Rick Springfield rises to the surface on the AOR friendly and melodically charged 'Blues for the Disillusioned.'

The Snake King is, as the Aussies would say, an absolute ripper and a bonza piece of work, lyrically.

The Jessie's Girl brigade might have to double-check to make sure it's the same Rick Springfield but may The Snake King bite them on their 80s bedecked asses if they can't appreciate and applaud what is already one of the best blues based albums of the year.

Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ

Track List:
01. Land of the Blind
02. The Devil That You Know
03. Little Demon
04. Judas Tree
05. Jesus Was an Atheist
06. The Snake King
07. God Don't Care
08. The Voodoo House
09. Suicide Manifesto
10. Blues for the Disillusioned
11. Santa is an Anagram
12. Orpheus in the Underworld

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