Previously known for his immediate, radio-ready melodic rock tunes, RICK SPRINGFIELD changed the general approach of his music delivery with the mid-Eighties record “TAO“. With a production design, arrangements and studio tricks technically far beyond its year, the album was unleashed to the world at the end of 1985.
It was a stellar departure from anything Rick had ever tried before: elaborated Hi-tech AOR melodies with a complex musical background, a heavy mix of processed guitars, synthesizers, vocal effects, sampling and drum machines.
This Rock Candy Records remastered reissue takes advantage of that huge multi-track glossy original production and gave the album a pristine remastering treatment. As result we hear new layers of sound.
“There is a lot going on, you can really hear it. We covered it with a lot of guitar and bass. TAO is still my favorite album” said Springfield. And although we at 0dayrox love his previous records, “TAO” is our favorite too.
This one has all we love from the ’80s; soaring vocals, multi-tracked guitar parts, big compressed drums, ‘that’ reverb and keyboards galore.
But there’s much more than sonic bombast here. Rick offers deep and rich lyrics like a warning about the devastation of the planet on “Walking On The Edge”, social revolution in “Celebrate Youth” (a hit in Germany), the search for spiritual truth on “The TAO Of Heaven”, and the somber perspective of “Dancing The World Away”.
Simply put, “TAO” is one of the greatest AOR albums from the Eighties.
Behind the wall of hugely produced sounds we still find top notch musicians like drummer extraordinaire Mike Baird, Pino Palladino on fretless bass, Tom Kelly, Tommy Funderburk, Richard Page on harmony vocals, and the exquisite Tim Pierce on guitar (who also co-wrote the great opener “Dance This World Away”).
You must have TAO in your collection, and be sure to get this Rock Candy remastered version.
01 – Dance This World Away
02 – Celebrate Youth
03 – State Of The Heart
04 – Written In Rock
05 – The Power Of Love (The Tao Of Love)
06 – Walking On The Edge
07 – Walk Like A Man
08 – The Tao Of Heaven
09 – Stranger In The House
10 – My Father’s Chair
Rick Springfield: Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Synths, Emulator
Tim Pierce: Guitar, Guitar Synthesizer
Pino Palladino: Bass
Mike Baird: Drums
Mike Fischer: Percussion
Mitchell Froom: Keyboards, Synths, Samplers, Effects
Nicky Hopkins: Synthesizer [Dx7, Jx-3p]
Jeff Silverman: Synthesizer [Gr707]
John Phillip Shenale: Synthesizer [Oberheim 8]
Tom Kelly, Tommy Funderburk, Mike Seifrit, Richard Page: Backing Vocals
RICK SPRINGFIELD – TAO [Rock Candy Remastered] 2008, MP3+FLAC
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