KMA1079 Series – Greatest Hits: Richard Marx

This disc is a good example of how my collection holds many different things. I own Slayer, Iron Maiden, Metallica… Also Miles Davis, Dexter Gordon, John Coltrane… And Black Flag, Bad Brains, Minor Threat… Saint-Saëns, Beethoven, Bach… Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice In Chains… Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Willie Nelson… and many other far-flung points on the musical map are here too. I like lots of stuff.

And I own this greatest hits of Richard Marx. Judge accordingly. He definitely is known for his Lite FM pap. A pretty easy target. But he’s also a whip-smart songwriter with great hooks. Check out the contents of this disc. You’ll know (at minimum) half of the songs here, whether you like them or not.

Don’t Mean Nothing is a great, slinky 80’s rock guitar riff. All over, just a cool track.

Endless Nights is smooth 80s movie soundtrack pop soul.

Now And Forever is a pretty, acoustic guitar ballad. I always thought this could be (should have been?) a country song.

Should’ve Known Better, an 80s pop rock gem, is one you’ll know well.

Angelia, while more 80s smooth pop, is also one of his biggest songs.

Hold On To The Nights has a slow build, but it’s another tune you know inside and out, a huge hit. It’s also a well-constructed balad in the best of the tradition.

Angel’s Lullaby is a piano-driven love song. Slow, gentle, beautiful.

Take This Heart is more 80s template pop rock, but you’ve heard it tons.

Satisfied is funk pop rock. Another radio hit. Cool.

Until I Find You Again is another gentle ballad, just a pretty song. Yes, it’s sappy. No surprise.

Hazard, yet more radio tuneage you know well. This one sounds like a popped-up Eagles song.

The Way She Loves Me is a tamed down pop rock version of Don’t Mean Nothing. Still fun.

Keep Coming Back is anothr slow build, but has a slinky, jazzy blues film noir feel to it. Nice!

Children Of The Night you’ll also know, and by now in this disc it’s just more smartly-crafted Marx radio pop.

Touch Of Heaven is… well, I’ll let Marx say it all (from the liner notes): “This is really fun to sing. I tried to bridge the gap between the old R&B I loved growing up and the new sound and approaches going on now… I really hope, most of all, that many people use this one as their soundtrack for sex.” Attaboy, Richard! Only problem I see is that this song is only 4:52 long. Hopefully, for everyone involved, you have other songs on your sex soundtrack too, to last you well past the end of this one song…

And finally…

Right Here Waiting saves (probably) his biggest song for last. You know this one. Everyone does.

In Sum:

This disc was great. These hits suit their time and their place. And if you ask me, they still work perfectly now. This Dude was a Master at this stuff.