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RICHARD MARX - MY OWN BEST ENEMY (2004) in english
Before I bought this album, I had only Richard's Greatest Hits CD. That speaks volumes about my impression of this wonderful album, since I immediately went out and bought 6 more of his CDs, with Ballads being the only one I don't have.
There is not a song in the whole album that is not great. Absolutely no filler. My favorite song is Ready to Fly which has been released as a single and has enjoyed a very good reception on the AC charts.
And, The Other Side, Richard's tribute to his deceased father, is more than beautiful. It is a truly heart-rending lament of the void his passing left in Richard's life. Colder is a very edgy rock song and Richards' performance is very masterful. I have always liked his edgier numbers.
A very uptempo Everything Good is a surprise when you hear the lyrics and realize that this is not a happy song after all. But Richard loves to write about the dark side. And you have to admit it is much more interesting than Everything's Coming Up Roses. for example.
Falling is Richard at his best as a balladeer. Very sweet, very soulful, with none of the sandpapery quality exhibited in the rendition of most of the other songs on this disc. When You're Gone was the first single released; another good song with Keith Urban treating us to a guitar solo. I would recomment the whole album to anyone interested in listening to 12 beautiful song, each one as good as the previous one.
Review by Eleanor Guill
RICHARD MARX - MY OWN BEST ENEMY (2004) in english
Today the whole music world seems to be entirely dominated by casted bands and cover-versions. That´s why it´s highly appreciated that there are still musicians who stay true to their beliefs and to the music that once made them successful. Singer, songwriter and producer Richard Marx is fortunately one of them. Although there had been creative breaks, Marx did always release top-quality albums. Some years have passed now since his last output ´Days in Avalon´, so the fans were waiting eagerly for new songs. After listening to the first track on the new album ´Nothing left to say´, we all can sigh with relief. Thank god there are no dramatic changes in the musical direction. The single ´When you´re gone´ keeps up the high standard and impressively shows that Richard didn´t loose his talent for writing great melody lines. ´One thing left´ is the third track and clearly points out that Richard´s music sounds quite relaxed these days. ´Ready to fly´ is a larger than life ballad and the next highlight. So you don´t have to wonder why a german TV-station choose especially this song for their sports broadcasts. ´Someone special´ is really something special, because this song already appeared on the last longplayer ´Days in Avalon´. Still it fits perfectly for ´My own best enemy´. After all, a great new CD. If the name Richard Marx can be found on an album, there´s always Richard Marx in it.
Review by Jörg "DJ Bonne" Bonszkowski
RICHARD MARX - DAYS IN AVALON (2000) in english
This is another splendid album by Richard Marx. The title song is an example of Richard and the way he has with ballads. Beautiful doesn't begin to de scribeit. It is smooth as silk with just a little bit of sandpaper to make the mix exciting. I guess my favorite selection on the CD is Almost Everything which has a very catchy tune and lyrics. Power of You and Me is a rocker as is Too Early To Be Over. I enjoyed both of these songs very much as I love the edgier songs as well as the ballads.
The Boy Next Door is unusual and is reminiscent of Hazard. I really like this one too, especially the part where he sings "before you go to sleep tonight" and whispers "look around!" The rest of the album is a good mix of both soulful and edgy selections. Richard Marx at his best. This album doesn't have a single filler. All of those songs should have charted. It rivals My Own Best Enemy for excellence. Richard has really grown from a handsome little guy of the 80s who drove all the girls wild to a mature songwriter and singer who is still capable of driving the Ladies wild. Straight From My Heart is a fitting closing song for the album. A delightful ballad with Allison Kraus doing a great job of backup. If you have My Own Best Enemy be sure to buy its "companion piece" Days in Avalon You won't regret it.
Review by Eleanor Guill
RICHARD MARX - RUSH STREET (1991)
To me, the Rush Street CD is Richard’s coming of age. His music matured significantly between Repeat Offender and this one. Don’t get me wrong, I love both of his first two albums and Repeat Offender included two songs that are very much in the style of Rush Street. They, ironically, are the last two songs on the album, Wait For The Sunrise and Children of the Night. But back to Rush Street.
Initially I couldn’t stand Playing With Fire or Love Unemotional because they WERE so different from his previous efforts. Now I consider them exceptional “rockin’ songs”. Next comes the three blockbusters, Keep Coming Back, Take This Heart and Hazard. KCB is a great song which shows off Richard’s voice to good advantage and I love Take This Heart, an up-tempo song about finding true love. Hazard, though, is the piece de resistance that is the prophetic voice of what is to come in later albums. Richard MAKES you believe in that poor tormented boy that he depicts (one interview has Richard telling the interviewer that people have actually asked him if he was accused of killing “that girl”). I have seen the video of this, and that will make you a believer if nothing else will.
Hands In Your Pockets tells you to beware of your elected officials, Calling You is a plaintive power ballad, and Superstar you will have to hear for yourself. I think Richard was getting tired of Hollywood by the time he wrote this song.
Streets of Pain is another hard-rocking song as is I Get No Sleep. Big Boy Now is an attempt to convince a lover who rejected the subject that he is not hurting now. Chains Around My Heart is one of Richard’s best selections on the CD and really should have been included among his Greatest Hits: and is another power ballad about a romance that went sour. Your World is one of Richard’s best efforts and apparently was written for his oldest child (if you will remember, Richard is very good at this type of song; as in Angels’ Lullaby from the Greatest Hits CD). All in all this was a very enjoyable CD which I would easily award 5 stars.
Review by Eleanor Guill