Saturday, December 21, 2013

40 Year Itch : Comic Book Heroes




       Eight years before "Jessie's Girl", handsome Rick Springfield is, in his own words, "famous for nothing other than being famous. Kind of a 70's version of Paris Hilton". Signed to Capitol Records, he records an album full of  pop tunes that should appeal to his Teen Beat fans. He even comes up with the album design concept, having a real comic book artist draw him and illustrate the songs in the gate fold. Rolling Stone gives Comic Book Heroes a good review and then the shit hits the fan: Capitol gets busted for payola and rumors fly around that the label paid kids to buy the album. Comic Book Heroes dies a quick death. But those who do pick it up are the lucky ones. Recorded in London, it's full of well crafted pop gems that span the bridge between bubblegum and power pop.


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