That new Journey CD I mentioned a couple days ago is a great summertime listen, but the album I’m really waiting for — man, that feels weird to even think, let alone admit, because this is the first time in a very long time that I’ve actually been anticipating a new music release — is Venus in Overdrive, the latest from my main man, Rick Springfield. It’s not hitting stores and online sellers until July 29, but the first single from it, “What’s Victoria’s Secret,” is already peeking out from behind the curtain: The Girlfriend heard a few seconds of it on the radio yesterday, and I’ve just found the video below. This may or may not be the “official” video — I’m not sure if this is just a performance on some TV show or if this is the actual promo clip made to go with the song — but give it a click anyhow and see what you think:

I like it — there’s a definite “Jessie’s Girl” vibe there, but that’s okay by me, and it suggests that maybe Rick is trying to get back onto the charts after a long time in the wilderness. The press release for Venus confirms that he’s going for a more light-hearted, radio-friendly sound than his recent efforts (shock/denial/anger/acceptance was a great album and a fine artistic achievement, but song titles like “Every Night I Wake Up Screaming,” “Your Psychopathic Mother,” and “Idontwantanythingfromyou” don’t exactly appeal to a mass audience, you know?), with Rick even going so far as to refer to the new album as “Son of Working Class Dog.” Hopefully that’s a good descriptor of what the fans are likely to be hearing shortly: some good-time pop-rock with strong hooks and maybe just a hint of grit around the edges. (Working Class Dog was, of course, Rick’s big breakthrough record, the one that spawned “Jessie’s Girl” and a couple of other singles; it was also the very first LP I ever owned, and lyrically a bit darker and more grown up than most people remember.)
In any event, it’s shaping up to be a great summer, musically speaking at least…