Bruce Springsteen

Re: Bruce Springsteen

Thunder Road is my favorite song of all time, Dev. RIGHT ON THE MONEY.

I never got into Bruce, but Candy's Room is pure genius.

Was it on the boards - and if so, who was it - who said that Springsteen writes melodramatic, overly-patriotic crap?

Craziness.

Buddy o' mine told me that he dislikes Bruce because he writes music for "people who peaked at 22." I told him that it's actually the opposite - Springsteen writes songs with desperate protagonists fighting, clawing, and begging for something better than that kind of failure - and knowing that how shitty the world is might just mean it'll never happen.

Yes, he's sappy sometimes. Yeah, melodrama abounds - especially in his latter day, post E-Street stuff (Springsteen as the Angry Young Man always wins out over the second-coming-of-Bob-Dylan stuff - which grates on me like I'm a block of Parmasan) - but there's such goodness to balance it all out.

And the guy has yet to roll a "Tears in Heaven" style botch, so he's got that going for him.

Nebraska and Darkness on the Edge of Town are untouchable. Just fantastic records.

I don't understand how anyone could say that "Born in the USA" is patriotic. It's a much different song than what most people think it is, but because it has USA in the title and has an upbeat tempo, it gets used at rallies all the time.

I love Springsteen. I saw him twice on his last tour and he was like a force of nature.

Racing in the Street has always been one of my favorite Bruce songs. I love how that song, along with Darkness on the Edge of Town, takes the mythology of Born to Run and turns it totally on it's ear. The heroes with their Hemis cruising up and down the boulevard are revealed as sad, empty, burned out people trying desperatley to live a dream. It's a brilliant and totally heartbreaking song.

Born in the USA is my least favorite album of his, only because of wasted potential. It's a collection of wonderful songs that suffer from bad 80's production. I'd love to hear him go back and redo the whole album stripped down. It was a huge hit for him which is great, but I think sometimes the heart of the songs gets lost behind the poppy production. Only My Hometown, one of his saddest songs I think, and the frighteningly intense I'm On Fire make it out unscathed I think. I look to the original demo of Born in the USA that shows up in the box set for an idea of what the whole album COULD sound like.

Nebraksa is gold. That album is flawless. I really like Ghost of Tom Joad also, it's like Nebraska Part 2.

What did everyone think of The Rising? I thought it was great. Springsteen has consistently gotten stronger as a songwriter over his entire career and I think he remains a poingnent, relevant artist.

Ever heard "The Promise?" It's another song where he turns the concept of "Born to Run" and, specifically, "Thunder Road" on its ear. He did a solo piano version for that abbreviated version of Tracks a few years ago, but there's a great, never-released full-band studio version floating around the internet. Not better than "Racing..." but still really good.

I used to dislike BITUSA a lot more than I do now. I've come around to thinking the version of the title song on the album packs a bigger punch than the acoustic because it's more subversive, and the 80s synths somehow work on "Dancing in the Dark." But "Bobby Jean," "No Surrender," "Glory Days," and most of the others could benefit from different arrangements.

I loved Ghost when it first came out, but never listen to it now. Still, it's underrated.

Loved most of the Rising, but it's a little too long and unvaried. I wouldn't say he's gotten stronger, since my favorite stuff is still his 70s output, but he's never slid into complacency like a lot of artists do. He's always striving to put out meaningful work.

What's the name of that song.........I think its Lost In The Flood of off Greetings From Asbury Park.

So fucking good!


"And I said, 'hey gunner man, that's quicksand. that's quicksand that ain't mud...."

My dad and I love the Boss. He took mom to see him and the E-Street band a couple summers ago, and he said that they played for around 3 solid rock-out hours with no intermission. That's fuckin stamina. I want to go see him the next time the opportunity arises.

Well said. I think the title track and "The Fuse" from that record are essential to the Boss canon.

Love. I couldn't pick out a favorite song, they're all so great. There was a time when I was religioso loco for the Boss. But one of the most personal, enduring favorites for me is "Drive all night."

ps. I've seen him twice, once in concert and once at Barney's where he was shopping with Patty.

I haven't heard anyone try to make Springsteen out as any sort of patriot since 1984. I really don't think it's a problem anymore.


And The Rising was 80% junk with a couple of great songs thrown in.

Lucky Town is my favorite Springsteen.

Shamefully, I only really discovered Springsteen of my own accord this last couple years. I'm glad I waited til I was, I guess, ready to come to it on my own.

Because The Wild The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle is now perhaps my favourite album of all time, only narrowly beating Born To Run. And while Jungleland, Born To Run, Backstreets and Thunder Road match anything on the former, it's The Wild...'s second side that utterly kills - a triple whammy of Incident on 57th Street through Rosalita to the sublime New York Seranade - that is pure, unadulterated, musical abandon.

I really like Greetings From Asbury Park and Darkness On Edge of Town though there are less standout tracks on those two.

Of course Nebraska is stunning and The River's Hungry Heart is the greatest pop song Phil Spector never wrote.

When he lost the shirt sleeves and beard, he lost a little of something else as well and I'm not crazy about the stadium years, though I can say he writes bland-ish filler with the best lyrics bland-ish filler was ever privy too....

As for favourite songs, find it impossible not to repeat Born To Run the song at least once, every single time I hear it. And I can say, hand on heart, that the impassioned, yearning wail he lets out after the line: "Chrome wheeled, fuel injected and steppin' out over the line" is one of the most joyous musical outbursts I've ever heard, encapsulating in one note the whole ethos behind the song.

But it's the unconventional choice of Jungleland that comes out on top for me, with it's closing lyrics "...and the poets down here don't write nothing at all, they just stand back and let it all be..." that steals it for me.

Really like The Rising, which has a more sustained, controlled mood, but with the sheen and verve of the earlier 70's discs shining through on more than a few tracks. This meld maybe why some people are put off by the almost ersatz-E Street sound. Tight as ever though.

The Boss is my fondest, most infinately pleasurable musical discovery.

I thought Malachi came pretty close to doing that in this thread. And even if you don't equate it with "patriot," faux blue-collar everyman isn't really that accurate, either. The guy sings songs in character more often than not.

I can see how one might think that way, though I disagree.

I can't see how anyone might think that way. Madness.

Wrong wording in my post. I was in a bit of a hurry.

I meant to say something along the lines of Springsteen hasn't been mistaken for a typical idea of cheesy American patriotism (Lee Greenwood style) for a loooong time. Until I read that other thread. Whoops. It's morning in America again for Malachi....

Hey, I coulda gone with Human Touch.....

I saw Lee Greenwood rock his "God Bless The USA" at the season opener for the Tennessee Titans last year. My high school principal used to play that song over the PA every single time we had a patriotic holiday, or anything remotely patriotic and newsworthy. At least this time it was him. I think he's gay, not that there's anything wrong with that, but I think he should just come out and say it.

I'm no Springsteen fan (like some - "Badlands" is just a GREAT FUCKING TUNE - not so hot on others - "Glory Days" and "Dancing in the Dark" in particular), but I respect the dude.

So don't bring that overrated shithack Clapton into his thread. Guy was worth listening to back in the early 70s....maybe.

Malachi Constant.

My love for the Boss is well known amongst my friends and on the boards, so I won't go into how much I love him and how much his music means to me again. I'll just say that as many times as I've heard "Born To Run," when Bruce goes "ONE TWO THREE FOUR!" you can't help but shout along with him. And that's one of many reasons why I love Springsteen.

Also, while the Live 75-85 album is mandatory for fans (and a great Live album in general), I'd say that picking up the Live in New York City from a few years back, when he was on the E Street Reunion tour, is worth it, if only for the break in the middle of one of the songs where he preludes an introduction of the bands with a near religious revival speech. And as great as hearing that speech is, it was something else to see it live. Anyone who says that you can't find faith and spirituality in the soul of rock and roll needs to go to a Springsteen concert.

Oh, and I used to love The Rising, now I'd say I just really like it--"Mary's Place" in particular, is the track that I think makes the album. Darkness on the Edge of Town and Born to Run (with Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ a close second) are probally tied for my favorite Bruce album, with "Thunder Road" my favorite track.

For some reason, I've always embraced Dylan and Neil, but for the most part, skipped over the Boss. Well, after listening to the Sirius "E-Street" channel for about a month, recently bought the whole 70's run (almost on a whim and w. low expectations).

Wow! Get it now. First three albums are especially a revelation. (I think "Spirit of the Night"-with a too on the nose aping of Van Morrison--is the only track I don't out right love) Tracks I'm loving: "Growin' Up", "Lost In The Flood", "It's Hard To Be A Saint In The City", "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" "Thunder Road".

The song "Born To Run" in the context of the album really comes alive; taken on a whole new life for me.

The 75 live record is also fantastic. But so far, have to say, I'm a little underwhelmed by "Darkness On The Edge Of Town". Its reputation as a big step up perhaps hung over the listening experience. Lyrically powerful and mature. Lacks the punch and out-of-the-gate fire of the earlier stuff. (His "John Wesley Harding? A grower I'm sure)

Sometimes, I feel like I'm the only defender of 'Tunnel of Love'. It's a dark, introspective album written at a very low point in Bruce's personal life. He was at his dark and brooding best on this album.

You are not alone, brother. I stand with you.

Seriously, though. A very emotionally intense album.. more so for me, because I was going through some serious issues myself when I first listened to it.

For my money, Brilliant Disguise is the best track on it.

I'll actually bring up Tunnel of Love. Yes, some dated and heavy handed '80s production, and it's often derided as a lesser follow-up to USA, but it's really an underrated album with some of his best and most autobiographical writing. Some of the songs sound like Nebraska outtakes, but the subject matter deals more with love and romantic desperation than the economic desperation of that album. His marriage was falling apart at the time, and it shows. "Tougher Than the Rest," "Walk Like a Man" and "Brilliant Disguise" all rank up there with some of his best in my book. For me, it's his last consistently great album.

"Atlantic City" is probably my favorite, though "I'm On Fire" is a close second (Greg Dulli's Twilight Singers do a great version of the latter).

Edit: Sorry, Judas, you hadn't posted when I posted this. Glad we're on the same page.

'Brilliant Disguise' is probably the highlight of the album for most, but I'll always be partial to 'One Step Up.'

The thing with Tunnel of Love is that it has the weirdest sequencing in his catalog, and it was probably even more evident if you first heard it on vinyl, as I did. There are a couple good songs in the first part, but all of the great stuff is in the second half.

IMO, Magic is far more consistent than Tunnel or pretty much anything he's put out since. Maybe even his best album since The River (although the Seeger Sessions have their charm, too). I'm pretty lukewarm on the new one, though.

Now we're talking. Got my floor tix for the Pittsburgh show, just two months from now. It'll be my third E Street show.

"Least favorite" may be a bit harsh, but the production definitely brings it down a few notches. A friend of mine assembled what he considers a superior version of BORN IN THE USA using live cuts, alternative versions and bootlegs of all the songs. The slower piano-driven NO SURRENDER is fantastic. I still love DARLINGTON COUNTY in all incarnations, though.

Not as great as MAGIC, which is a masterpiece, but still pretty damn good.

Ridiculous. Although I'd agree that it's underrated. HUMAN TOUCH flat out blows, though.

Eh, too much keyboard; not enough melody. But even lackluster Springsteen albums will include some gems. In TUNNEL's case ... ONE STEP UP, TOUGHER THAN THE REST and BRILLIANT DISGUISE, all great songs.

Not much to add except that Springsteen is the full package. He's a brilliant songwriter, lyricist, performer, and Born to Run is probably the best example ever of how to utilize the Phil Spector "wall-of-sound" technique.

The guy is a living legend. Not only has he given great music for decades, he comes across as a genuinely nice person. And he campaigned for Obama, that only added to his awesomeness.

I always thought of the song "Lucky Town" as Springsteen doing Steve Earle doing Springsteen. For this reason, it's immensely enjoyable.

I wish I liked him as much as anyone else. I've tried listening to his classics several times but for some reason his music doesn't connect with me at all and I mean at all. Oh well I admire him at least.

It may be because you're dead inside. You might want to check into that.

Stranger things have happened

I couldn't get into Springsteen until I heard Nebraska, then it all became clear. I love the classics now, mind you, but that's not always the best place to start.

I didn't get him until I hit 19. Up to that point I thought he was, like Devin said in the first post, a jingoist songwriter. I didn't get a boot to the head, but I started reading up on him and actually LISTENED TO THE SONGS and came away thinking "Holy crap, was I wrong."

I still have a soft spot for We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions, but that's not a knock against HIS material...it's just a pretty damn fun cover album.

The River is probably my favorite song by him. Just so amazingly worded. A really beautiful bit of writing.

I love the lyrics of Tunnel of Love more then just about anything Bruce has done ('cept Nebraska) but have to agree with Dave on the production. Very odd little album. Brilliant Disguise sounds brilliant live though.

While I'm pimping Springsteen though I really want to pimp The Hold Steady's version of Atlantic City. A lot of fun.

The recent-ish "Live in Dublin" is one of my favorite albums from the last few years. I love Springsteen, and I love the music he's visiting on that one and "Seeger Sessions." The LID record just rips apart the earlier Seeger one, I think, he just brings so much passion to that performance.

Just recently got into him, so my Springsteen collection has some gaps, but what I have, I love.

Too drunk to read the whole thread, but just wanted to say that I love that XM/Sirius has the channel devoted to nothing but Bruce. On top of that, can't wait to see him next month, even if it is from the nosebleed section at the back of the stage.

I wish Bruce Springsteen were Warren Zevon. Or Tom Waits.

Zevon was just as good, if not better than, Springsteen... he just never broke out like the Boss did.

On the plus side, I think he drank/took more drugs than the entire E Street Band despite being sober (mostly) from like 82-death.

I put Zevon on at my work the other day, and it was taken out due to "questionable lyrics". Fucking pussies.

Zevon was trashed for like the last six months of his life.

No, he was pretty straight for the last 6 months of his life.

t-minus 6 to terminal diagnosis, however, were a bit spotty (and by "spotty" I mean "drugs and booze trainwreck")

See what happens if you play gg allin.

Well, if I had terminal cancer, I'd stay fucked up too.

I actually do have a GG Allen CD at work, but I like my job security too much. Now I'm the pussy.

I'll respectfully disagree with Rath's assessment - by all my research, Zevon stepped up to the plate and greeted his immminet demise with what one can only describe as "grace" over the past year and a half....

....again, the time period before that was pretty well a trainwreck (from what I've heard).