Richard Marx
Beautiful Goodbye
Zanzibar Records
2014
After the previous compilation “Inside My Head” (read the review here) in 2012 where Richard also presented 4 new tracks it was about time to strike with a new studio album. This album has been released under a different label but that’s not much of a thing for a musician like Richard.
My major objection is that out of the 11 tracks, 3 have been released before. “Suddenly” (original a duet with Toni Braxton), “Have a Little Faith” and “To My Senses” all had originally been on “Sundown” – Marx’s previous studio work in 2008. Why’s that? If Marx didn’t have enough new tracks, he could easily use a couple of newer tracks from “Inside My Head” instead of putting the aforementioned tracks on new albums again and again. They all are good tracks but what’s the point in including them in every new release? Mega mistake.
Every track here has been written and produced by Marx himself (Walter also helped him on the production) apart from “Beautiful Goodbye” (co-written with Daisy Fuentes), “Forgot to Remember” (co-written with Vertical Horizon’s frontman Matt Scannell & Chris Mann), “Turn off the Night” (co-written with David Hodges [Evanescence, The Age of Information etc.] & Steven Miller) and “Getaway” (co-written with Walter Afanasieff).
The album is quite laid-back overall. Richard is giving some wonderful performances and all tracks have several orchestral arrangements. Some modern elements are here & there… and honestly I do not fancy them at all. For sure, you will find a few nice tracks on this album. Some may even fall in love with Marx’s amazing voice. The fact that this ain’t the late 80s or early 90s anymore doesn’t mean that we cannot enjoy several tracks from an artist who built up his fame back in the day. “Beautiful Goodbye” is a bloody solid album but personally I expect so much more from an artist who has offered us quite a few classic ballads so far… “Eyes on Me” is indeed an emotional ballad which has a “past feeling” all over it…
My major objection is that out of the 11 tracks, 3 have been released before. “Suddenly” (original a duet with Toni Braxton), “Have a Little Faith” and “To My Senses” all had originally been on “Sundown” – Marx’s previous studio work in 2008. Why’s that? If Marx didn’t have enough new tracks, he could easily use a couple of newer tracks from “Inside My Head” instead of putting the aforementioned tracks on new albums again and again. They all are good tracks but what’s the point in including them in every new release? Mega mistake.
Every track here has been written and produced by Marx himself (Walter also helped him on the production) apart from “Beautiful Goodbye” (co-written with Daisy Fuentes), “Forgot to Remember” (co-written with Vertical Horizon’s frontman Matt Scannell & Chris Mann), “Turn off the Night” (co-written with David Hodges [Evanescence, The Age of Information etc.] & Steven Miller) and “Getaway” (co-written with Walter Afanasieff).
The album is quite laid-back overall. Richard is giving some wonderful performances and all tracks have several orchestral arrangements. Some modern elements are here & there… and honestly I do not fancy them at all. For sure, you will find a few nice tracks on this album. Some may even fall in love with Marx’s amazing voice. The fact that this ain’t the late 80s or early 90s anymore doesn’t mean that we cannot enjoy several tracks from an artist who built up his fame back in the day. “Beautiful Goodbye” is a bloody solid album but personally I expect so much more from an artist who has offered us quite a few classic ballads so far… “Eyes on Me” is indeed an emotional ballad which has a “past feeling” all over it…