Rick Springfield - Karma [Green]

After more than a decade away from the studio, Rick Springfield came back with real conviction on Karma, and this limited green vinyl pressing gives the 1999 album a well-deserved spotlight.

Springfield spent the 1980s as one of rock radio's most reliable hitmakers, but by the time Karma arrived he had not released a studio album since Rock of Life in 1988. Rather than simply chasing his old sound, he came back with something more searching. Song titles like Religion of the Heart, Prayer and Act of Faith hint at a writer with weightier things on his mind, and many longtime fans still rank it among his finest records.

The singles It's Always Something and Karma carry the hooks, packing the kind of sharp, punchy choruses that made him a household name in the first place. Richard Page of Mr. Mister lends his voice to Prayer and Act of Faith, adding rich harmonies to two of the album's most reflective moments. Running to twelve tracks, from His Last Words to Act of Faith, it plays like the work of an artist with something to say and the craft to say it well.

For listeners who know only the early-1980s hits, Karma is a revelation, and the green pressing makes it a standout on any shelf.