Richard Marx - Limitless (Album Review)

When Richard Marx burst onto the scene with his self-titled debut album in 1987 he enjoyed almost unprecedented success. The album sold more than four million copies propelled by four hit singles which showed Marx was equally adept at penning a hard-rockin' tune as he was a ballad. ‘Repeat Offender’ followed in 1989 repeating (no pun intended) and even eclipsing the success of the debut from a sales point of view. Third album ‘Rush Street’ spawned probably Marx’s best-known song ‘Hazard’ which topped many international charts in 1992. His fourth album ‘Paid Vacation’ was again successful, but Marx’s star was beginning to fade and his sound was becoming increasingly more influenced by soul, R&B and pop which alienated many fans of those early records. Marx has continued to release albums sporadically since his commercial heyday and has become a songwriter in demand penning hits for artists as diverse as Keith Urban, Josh Groban, NSYNC and the wonderfully poignant ‘Dance With My Father’ with Luther Vandross.

In the press release for ‘Limitless’ Marx’s first album release in six years, he claims “I’m in a sweet spot in my life. I’m enjoying my career and touring life more than ever but also have never been happier personally”.  This contented state of mind seems to have worked well for Marx who still has a knack for penning a melody and that gloriously smooth voice has not been diminished by time. In fact, ‘Limitless’ might well contain some of the best songs of his career. The problem I do have with the record is that the production choices are totally alien to me. Try as I might to understand modern production choices, they generally leave me cold and Marx is guilty of employing many of the dreadful production techniques that plague country music these days. To be honest I’ve got a feeling that many artists will look back in a year or two and think “Why did I have that click track/finger snap thing on my record?”  Despite this ‘Limitless’ proves to be an enjoyable ride with some impressive tunes.

Opener ‘Another One Down' produced and co-written by Richard's son Lucas Marx is an enjoyable enough pop tune. Marx sounds his usual silky smooth self and the backing vocals are nicely arranged. The title track follows, and guitars creep into the soundscape as producer Michael Jade aims for an anthemic pop tune with crashing programmed drums, the signs are promising before he ruins the song with a completely unnecessary and bloody annoying keyboard hook. Things aren’t looking promising at this point. Jade’s questionable production techniques are again evident on ‘Love Affair That Lasts Forever’ but the click track isn’t too intrusive, and Marx’s seductive vocal saves the day. I appreciate that Richard Marx is a position where he has free rein to try things out - and the nature of the pop tracks on this record are a fairly natural progression from previous Marx releases - I’m not convinced of the target audience. Michael Jade is a more than capable producer, and the overall sound is crisp and clear, but possibly a less is more approach would give Marx’s songs a little more room to breathe.

Dig a little deeper into the album though and there’s some good stuff sprinkled throughout the record. ‘Up All Night’ finds Marx in the production chair, and the album takes a marked turn for the better with the addition of a full band. An infectious pop-rocker driven by Jerry McPherson’s insistent guitar track should keep older fans interested while ‘Front Row Seat’ written with long-time collaborator Matt Scannell (Vertical Horizon) and Nashville tunesmith Darrell Brown repeats the trick before the Jason Wade (Lifehouse) co-write ‘Strong Enough’ proves a nicely performed country pop duet with a lovely vocal from singer/actress Jana Kramer of One Tree Hill fame. ‘Strong Enough’ is the sorta thing that wouldn’t be out of place on a Lady Antebellum record and that’s no bad thing.

There are very few artists as adept at a ballad as Marx and the stripped back piano and vocal ‘Not In Love’ is lovely. A Sara Bareilles co-write ‘Not In Love’ is prime Richard Marx doing what he does best, even if Marx is on record as claiming he doesn’t want to be just known as a performer of ballads, it’s one of his great strengths. Marx has the ability to sound sincere and never falls into the looming vat of treacle that often lurks under the performer.  Album closer ‘This One’ emphasises the point beautifully as sparse instrumentation allows us to focus on Matt Scannell’s acoustic guitar and Marx’s piano.

All being said and done ‘Limitless’ is a nice record with some expertly crafted songs performed by an artist with nothing to prove - who still wants to release records and tour. Many artists of Marx’s generation are content to reissue endless greatest hits compilations and play casinos every summer. Despite my reservations on some of the production choices, ‘Limitless’ is worth checking out for long-standing fans and Marx will probably pick up new fans along the way who’ve never heard ‘Should’ve Known Better’ or ‘Don’t Mean Nothing’.