SOULS
Directed By Doug Dowdle

According to US


 I love the opening shot with "scruffy" Rick.  I think  the video fell a little short, could have gone so much deeper (although maybe it went really deep and we just didn't get it).  I thought Rick looked really good as both characters, but I did not like the cream colored outfit.

I loved it when "scruffy" Rick does the little leg dance, and I liked the split screen shot when both Rick's were showing at the same time.  I noticed one of the works of arts was titled "City of Shadows" and was wondering if there was a meaning behind that.  To tell you the truth, I never really noticed the singing clay statues until we started talking about it here.  [it's kind of like at EFX - Dancers?   What dancers?]  At the end of the video, it's like he ran out of time, all the sand was gone through the hour glass, and those streamer things fell from the ceiling.   I guess most of it just went over my head.  I noticed the bus had it's right blinker on, not sure about that, and I have no idea what was with the use of the clips from some of the previous videos. - rlh
Souls is probably my least favorite Rick video, which is difficult for me to say considering I love the song as much as I do. I think this might be one of those songs that would be better off without a video…better off left to the imagination. With that being said…Rick Springfield is the star, so I do like it, to a point. What's not to love about seeing Rick set to Rick music? I just don't like it as much as some of the others, style-wise and character-wise. The song is beautiful and rockin' as always, except something just isn't `right' about Souls in video form. The video doesn't give the song justice in my opinion. 

*Some of the things I DO like about Souls:

I adore that first peek at Rick with the `shadow' on his face, and then the following car scene when he lets out that audible *sigh,* or a breath. NICE! That was a great opener…

I thought the effect of the statues coming to life and singing the chorus was pretty cool. :-P Are they in an art museum? That's what it appears to be, but I'm still not 100% sure. 

I like the scenes with the band that are scattered throughout. I dig the shot of Rick singing "rolling the dice, looking for a seven," and the band coming to life on the wall art behind him. And included with this scene…Rick had some nice hair going on…what a gorgeous `mullet.' Sweet! 

I think I prefer the jeans and dark jacket (casual) outfit in this video over the tan suit. Although, Rick sports a suit beautifully! He looks nice escorting his `date' at the museum! (the lady in red) ;-)
**A few of the points in this video that I don't like or understand:

At the risk of sounding `mean'--- what is UP with the girl who played his soul mate?? Why is it that she didn't exactly fit the image I had in my head each time I'd heard this song? I'm sorry. Maybe it's just me! I think I almost expected the girl from What Kind of Fool Am I. I don't know…but another actress please! 

Is it me, or does it look like Rick and his band played a cruel toilet paper joke on the `museum,' after they invaded their space for the night?! LOL! In a few parts, it drops out of nowhere from the ceiling, in big rolls. What the HECK is that? :-P I doubt it's supposed to be T.P., but it sure looks like it! 

The outfit `Rick`s chick` is wearing! Yikes. I do believe if I thought I'd spotted my soul mate & might see him again, I'd get some clothing advice. It's `blah' to me. But hey, this was the 80's! So what am I thinking?! Was this a dress style from back then? Times & styles have changed…

So I only found three points in the video that bother me. Not bad! It does have it's pluses. It tells a story….just not with as much pizzazz as I'd like to see here. The slip of paper that she (the `soul mate ' he was seeking) sent to him says, "one spirit looking for the other." That's a nice touch I thought. But just as Rick is about to get the slip, it ends up in the hands of his date. So we have a mini soap opera going on for a bit. But it seems just as it got started, it was over too quickly. 

There are forms of `time' everywhere, creating a visual & matching the lyrics---"To the tick, tick, ticking of time gotta beat the clock." There are clocks (a big one in the car with Rick), number shadows on the wall & hourglasses of different sizes. There's also a clock on the bus that his girl leaves on. Rick tries to chase her down, leaving his angry date behind. But when he hops the bus in search of her, he finds she's not there. He's too late. 

The music continues and we have Rick looking very confused and torn. In the end, both women are shown, his `true love' walking alone down an alley. (?) Rick catches up to her. They go arm in arm and she smiles at him. So it has a happy ending, which I do love…but I'm still bugged by it for some reason. I think I just believe there are some songs, such as Souls, that are too deep and personal, & best left to the listener's imagination…painting your own images as you hear the song. For me…and I know it's because the song is so special to me…a video is not a plus. If I watched this one too much (which I don't for this reason), then it would detract from the song, constantly leaving my mind with images that I don't want. Ever had that happen before with a music video?? Where the video could spoil the song if you let it? I'd rather have seen a video for Motel Eyes and skipped the visuals for Souls. I sound like I'm ragging on Rick…but I'm not. I like a lot of things about this video, but for me it pales in comparison to many of his others. It lacked the usual spunk that I've come to love with Rick music videos. - Kelley Pearson