Bruce Springsteen - Page 3

Set list from Albany, NY last night:

Badlands (w/ Jay Weinberg, through the end)
Radio Nowhere
Outlaw Pete
No Surrender
Out in the Street
Working on a Dream
Seeds
Johnny 99
The Ghost of Tom Joad
Raise Your Hand
Thunder Road
Mony Mony
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
The Promised Land
Backstreets
Kingdom of Days
Lonesome Day
The Rising
Born to Run

Hard Times
Kitty's Back
Land of Hope and Dreams
American Land
Glory Days

The part in bold was my favorite part of the show "Promised Land" being one of my all time favorites. "No Surrender" into "Out in the Street" was also spectacular. The back side of the "Mony Mony" sign had "Like A Rolling Stone" on it which would've razed the building but it was not to be.

I've been giving some of his more recent albums a listen. Sorta hated The Rising when it came out (talk about albums that got a free ride due to post-9/11 jitters), and only half-listened to Devils & Dust when I bought it. The Rising I don't own anymore, but I guess I kinda underrated Devils & Dust- that title track is fucking haunting, Bruce's harmonica playing is sweet throughout, and "Black Cowboys" is actually pretty great in its "short story desperatley trying to scan as song lyrics" way (a major problem - or kick, depending on how you feel about it - in late Springsteen in general).

We Shall Overcome, though, is really something else. The world's most earnest rocker doing the world's most earnest folkie's songbook sounds like such a fucking snooze on paper, but I guess Springsteen was aware of that danger, because the actual album is total riotous fun! Love the horn section, love the way Bruce goes all out on the growling lyrics front, love the whole damn thing. It's like Springsteen's version of a good Pogues album or something. Nice to see La Bamba on the back cover, too. Plus, two songs that totally benefit from pop-culture tie-ins: "Mary Don't You Weep" (ending titles for the last ever episode of Deadwood) and "Jesse James" (impossible for me to listen to now without thinking of Assassination - is the song Nick Cave sings in that actually the same one?).

I gave Magic a miss because, god, that title, and god, that cover. What's it like?

Also, it might be kinda trite to point this out, but Bruce is sixty years old! Talk about someone who stays in shape.

The Rising is one of those rare albums that never grew, changed, or shifted in my listening: I still really like the same 4-5 songs I did when I first heard it, there's a couple more I can respect, if not really enjoy, and a few clunkers. I really dislike the production, though: it's like O'Brien wants to make the entire band sound like a single instrument.

Devils and Dust works better than Ghost of Tom Joad, IMHO, but both suffer from the fact that Bruce's melodic ear is attuned to a full band sound, and on those albums, even when the lyrics are memorable, the tunes can drift away before you're even finished. But I'll agree that there's brilliant stuff on Devils, and (though I know it's heresy) I wouldn't mind seeing "Badlands" and "The Promised Land" retired to the "occasional" part of the set, to make room for, say, "Matamoros Banks" or "Long Time Coming".

I like Magic. It's got a great blend of silly and serious that was the hallmark of his best early work, but hasn't been as evident recently. It's his best guitar album since Human Touch, and the songs just explode onstage.

As for Working On A Dream, it certainly hasn't kicked my ass, but I think it's been unfairly slagged for not being another Magic. Bruce doesn't do bliss as well as he does travail, and there's no real grit for the fluff to grind against, but it's nice that he's still willing to try and challenge his fans' expectations. And even if "Outlaw Pete" is kinda dorky and overlong, it's great to hear him telling tall tales again.

As for the Seeger stuff, my parents listened to a lot of folk music when I was growing up, so I was pretty familiar with all of these songs already. I do like the fact that he didn't just come out with his acoustic and do that goddamned Woody Guthrie impression he retreats into all too often. He really did try to re-invent the material, and let us hear it with new ears. Not a home run, but no worse than a ground-rule double with RBI. I just wish he had put the Sessons Band's version of "Rag Mama Rag" on the live album.

Magic's very easily the best album of original music he's done since Born in the U.S.A.* Ignore the title and the cover.

* And, for me, better than BITUSA, because I can listen to it without years of radio overplay fucking it up for me.

I agree, although I really enjoy "Working on a Dream", as well. To me, "Working" is more of a companion piece to "U.S.A." for the reason that it's more of a roots rockin' piece of fluff.

I tend to agree, though if he'd cherrypicked the best stuff from Human Touch and Lucky Town, and recorded them with the E Streeters, it would have had some competition in that regard.

I also think Tunnel of Love gets overlooked too easily. You didn't need to read People magazine at the time to know how much his personal life was bubbling up into his work, and while he's always been good at inhabiting his characters' pain, that album has some of the most nakedly personal writing he's ever done (and provides a good contrast with Human Touch/Lucky Town, where he underlined my point that personal bliss doesn't bring out his muse the way personal pain does). It did need a couple more good tunes, though.

Oh, and I'd question the implied characterization that Born in the USA is a bit of fluff. It does rock wonderfully, and it has the virtue of being able to step back now and again and have a good laugh at things like going wrong and growing old, but "Born in the USA" itself is as "serious" a song as he's ever written, and the bittersweet farewell of "Bobby Jean" can bring a lump to the throat whether you hear it as sung to a lover, a buddy, or to the musical partner that inspired it. "My Hometown" is a bit more on the nose than he's capable of, but it's no less devastating for all that. You'd also be hard pressed to find a more desperate pair of love songs than "Cover Me" and "I'm On Fire." And, no, I really don't want to hear "Dancing in the Dark" ever again.

True, but then we get into hypotheticals - there's a bunch of stuff on the third and fourth discs of Tracks that could have also been turned into a fantastic late 80s or 90s album. But then I also think the second disc of Tracks with all of The River-era stuff may actually give The River a run for its money (well, at least the upbeat stuff - there's no "The River" or "Wreck on the Highway" on there).

ETA - Tunnel of Love is 50% amazing, but the sequence is so weird, with nearly all of the good stuff in the second half.

True. There's more brilliant "theoretical" Springsteen albums floating around out there than most bands come up with in an entire career.

Finally listening to "The River". The uptempo rockers feel calculated for the first time.

Can't help seeing it--at least partly--as a response to "Stranger in Town" Seger. (the new sensation & critical darling) An attempt to emphatically make his case for the crown; that it was still his.

Certainly didn't feel that way to me at the time. Actually, when it came out, it was probably my favorite of his albums (and is still close to that today) because it was the first album that came close to capturing the full range of an E Street concert, both emotionally and sonically. I don't know that the uptempo material is "calculated" so much as that it's structured like the classic oldies that were so important to his live set. Plus, they're funny, which is something that had mostly been missing since "Rosalita."

The production's a little on the dry side compared to Darkness, though. Oh, and I really dislike "The Price You Pay" (sounds waaay too Jackson Browne for my taste), and can't stand "Drive All Night."

That's my bad. The emphasis with regard to "Born in the USA" should be on the roots rockin' aspect. In my opinion, "Born" is Bruce's most "bar band" album. I feel like "Working" has that, but is more optimistic and, as I said, fluffier. Other than that, I agree with your analysis of "Born" completely. And, yeah, "Bobby Jean" gets me every single time: "But just to say I miss you, baby. Good luck. Good bye..."

Hmm. That take makes sense.

Maybe "Hungry Heart" will finally grow on me!

(I've only loved his first two albums right off the bat)

Would it help if you knew he wrote it for the Ramones, but kept it on the advice of Jon Landau?

Nice set. I saw Bruce & his E Street gang in the Twin Cities on Monday and it was a pretty great show. The setlists seem to be about 40% changed each night and the audience requests portion lends to the unpredictability. Loved the combo of No Surrender and Out in the Street. The reworked Ghost of Tom Joad and Johnny 99 were also killer. Would have loved Kitty's Back, but we got Bobbie Jean and Rosalita in the encore, so I can't complain.

If interested, I did write up a review here: http://www.examiner.com/x-1348-Twin-...-May-11th-2009

As I'm sure you know, those first two got virtually no exposure when they came out. I recall hearing "Spirit in the Night" on one of the more progressive FM stations in LA at the time, and I heard side 1 of Wild, Innocent at a friend's house. I had the guy tagged as an interesting disciple of Van Morrison.

Then, with all the hype surrounding the upcoming release of Born to Run, I went to a record store where a friend was working the day it come out, and asked him to put it on. I blew off my afternoon classes to stay there as he played it through three times, and I was a goner. Bought it that day, picked up the two previous albums the next time I had a couple bucks to spend, and quickly fell in love with them, too. Been a fanatic ever since.

Nice writeup. Thanks for the link.

"Downbound Train" might just be my favorite song on that whole album.

Now I'm jealous, my buddy was convinced for some reason he was going to do Rosalita which totally pumped me up, sadly it was not to be.

And yeah, Ghost of Tom Joad rocked, the fret camera on Nils' guitar was fucking cool.

Yeah, how bad-ass was that?

Dude had hip surgery not too long ago as well.

Lost my E Street flower at the XCel Center in Saint Paul back on the 11th. The wife bought me tickets for a wedding gift. One catch, I had to take my mother-in-law. Not a problem. the classy ol' bird loves Bruce just as much as I do. So there was pretty cool bonding going on.

Unbelievable intensity. Jay Weinberg was pretty inspiring. Just seeing him there grinning like his old man was like watching E street get a shot of adrenaline. I was out of the loop somewhat and did not know Jay has only been playing the first sets. So when Mighty Max came out I just about shit my pants.

The biz... (bolded my favorites and added some comments)

Badlands
Radio Nowhere
Outlaw Pete... thanks to Sound Opnions on NPR, I can't appreciate this one. Too much like "I Was Made for Lovin' You"
No Surrender
Out in the Street
Working on a Dream
Seeds
Johnny 99
Ghost of Tom Joad - never really cared for this song. until now. Nils' solos, that's right, more than one, just killed me. holy shit
Raise Your Hand

I heard about the request via signs trend and was intrigued, but it was downrighgt hilarious as he collected dozens of the signs from the front and pondered over them. Saw several I wish he did play, but I wasn't complaining. But I've got an idea involving some beach balls and a marker for my next E Street show.

Good Lovin’ by request (this was interesting because Bruce claimed to have never played it before. Nils checked in, as did Max, and they went right into it. Pretty amazing)
Prove It All Night by request
E Street Shuffle by request (they rushed it. I got sad a little. best version is the Hammersmith Odeon '75. But it was still fantastic.)
Waiting on a Sunny Day
Promised Land
I’m on Fire - this was intense. Just sat there with his head in his hands (probably catching his breath) but the effect was killer.
Kingdom of Days
Lonesome Day
The Rising
Born to Run (no one bothered sitting back down after this one)

Hard Times Come Again No More (Stephen Foster)
Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
Land of Hope and Dreams
American Land
Bobbie Jean - probably one of my favorites. didn't expect to hear it.
Rosalita - this was great because it'll probably be the only time I'll be surrounded by and singing along in unison with 50 year old women to a Springsteen tune.

All in all, amazing. One of the best shows I'll ever get to see.

I didn't see this posted by I came across this GREAT Bruce bootleg site. It has a lot of the shows for the Working on a Dream tour and previous tours. I found the Buffalo show from the Magic tour on there. It's pretty solid quality. Not something I'd go blaring in the car but to listen to at home it's solid. Unfortunately the Toronto show I went to isn't on the Working on a Dream page.

http://btxmp3index.freeforums.org/20...tour-t431.html

I'm sure some of the others some of you went to are on there.

I didn't see this mentioned but awhile ago they added some more shows to the tour. They will play the final concert and event ever at Giants Stadium before it gets torn down. But now... they've finalized the 2009 tour. The last show? Buffalo!!!

19-AugHartford, CTComcast TheatreON SALE
22-AugMansfield, MAComcast CenterON SALE
23-AugMansfield, MAComcast CenterON SALE
25-AugSaratogaSPACON SALE
12-SepTampa, FLFord AmphitheatreON SALE
13-SepFt. Lauderdale, FLBank Atlantic CenterON SALE
16-SepGreenville, SCBi-Lo CenterON SALE
20-SepChicago, ILUnited CenterON SALE
30-SepE. Rutherford, NJGiants StadiumSOLD OUT
2-OctE. Rutherford, NJGiants StadiumSOLD OUT
3-OctE. Rutherford, NJGiants StadiumSOLD OUT
8-OctE. Rutherford, NJGiants StadiumON SALE
9-OctE. Rutherford, NJGiants StadiumSOLD OUT
13-OctPhiladelphia, PASpectrumON SALE
14-OctPhiladelphia, PASpectrumON SALE
19-OctPhiladelphia, PASpectrum30-Jul
20-OctPhiladelphia, PASpectrum30-Jul
25-OctSt. Louis, MOScottrade Center8-Aug
26-OctKansas City, MOSprint Center8-Aug
2-NovWashington, D.C.Verizon CenterTBA
3-NovCharlotte, NCTime Warner Cable Arena 28-Aug
7-NovNew York, NYMadison Square GardenTBA
8-NovNew York, NYMadison Square GardenTBA
10-NovCleveland, OHQuicken Loans Arena22-Aug
13-NovAuburn Hills, MIPalace At Auburn Hills22-Aug
15-NovMilwaukee, WIBradley CenterON SALE
18-NovNashville, TNSommett CenterON SALE
20-NovBaltimore, MD1st Mariner Arena25-Sep
22-NovBuffalo, NYHSBC Arena12-Sep

The September 12 ticket sale date can't get here fast enough!

Yeah, really sucks that they're not hitting the West Coast at all. I keep hoping something will be added; you never know...

Man, September is way too close to my wedding to drop coin on that Tampa show.

Yeah, I couldn't justify paying the cash for halfway decent seats at the Milwaukee show, either. I've seen Springsteen from crap seats before, and while it was outstanding, it was still way too expensive and a little frustrating.

At this point, it's more that I'd really love my daughter to see The Boss once.

I've seen him around twenty times or so, my wife about half that many, but my daughter never has. And while she's not particularly a fan (the only comment she has ever made about Bruce is that she loved the pimp outfits the band wears in the Hammersmith DVD), she's open-minded enough about music that she'd like to go and see what the fuss is all about.

This September will only be my third time, but I'm looking forward to it more than anything else this year. The first time I was way too young to really remember, and the second was at a festival, so I'm excited to see his full on performance. I know it's not like seeing the Born to Run tours or The River tour, but it's still better than most.

Oh, hell yes.

I first saw him in '75, but there's none of this "You shoulda seen them back in the day..." stuff-- Bruce is absolutely right when he says that the band is as strong as it's ever been (with the caveat that sometimes having as many as four guitars, two keyboards AND fiddle playing onstage at once sounds a bit cluttered compared to the lineup from the old days).

I was just watching a DVD the other day of a video of a show from '78, a tour which I remembered as maybe the greatest thing I ever saw. And it's still great, no question: but he's got decades' more material to draw from now, and his ability to build a show around that material has grown over the years.

No one seeing Bruce these days needs to feel that us old-timers had the better deal (apart from the smaller venues... and lower ticket prices!).

Yeah, I saw Bruce and E-Street back in May and they were just about as amazing as it gets.

The smaller venues and lower ticket prices are actually more than enough for me to think you had the better deal. But the real reason you had it better is because you've been around longer to enjoy the music!

The tickets for Buffalo went on sale today and I was able to snag two G.A.'s!! The GM at work let me go use a computer to try and buy them. I'm going with the same "crew" as the past two shows (Buffalo '08 and Toronto '09) I can't wait!

Frustration: I'm visiting my brother in South Carolina, and Wednesday's show in Greenville isn't sold out yet, but I have to leave tomorrow. *Sigh.* Back to the West Coast, which Bruce has evidently completely forgotten about!!!

I forgot to come back and update about the show.

It was freakin' amazing.

As if I wasn't miserable enough about Bruce not coming West this year, here's a report on something I'd have given a few key body parts to see: the live taping (at the Apollo Theatre) of Bruce on Elvis Costello's "Spectacle" TV show (which, by the way, my cable company doesn't carry). From Backstreets Magazine's web site:

You can read the rest of the article about this amazing night here. You'll have to page down past the writeup of the current Meadowlands shows (which sound pretty damned amazing, too).

I saw him at Giants Stadium on Wednesday, it was unbelievable. He played 3 hours and 14 minutes straight. no breaks, no encore formalities. Just straight through which included him playing the Born to RUn album from beginning to end. It was just perfect.

Holy Crap!

For the final shows at Giants Stadium it was announced about a few weeks ago that the albums Born to Run, Born in the USA and Darkness on the Edge of Town would be performed in their entirety on select nights. That'd be awesome to see and I'm happy to hear that you got Born to Run, Calitheus.

Also, on Bruce website they have a video of a new song he wrote specifically for the demolition of Giants Stadium. "Wrecking Ball" can be viewed here.

Our cable service was offering Spectacle as a free "On Demand" option for a while, and then they abruptly stopped before the Jenny Lewis/She & Him episode. If you haven't seen an episode yet, it's basically everything you'd want it to be (depending on guest, somewhat). They need to release it on DVD now.

How did Wrecking Ball wind up angrier and rawer than anything on Devils and Dust and more evocative of the classic sound than most stuff on the last 2 albums?

I just saw the Lewis/She and Him ep tonight. Wow, amazing show. If it came out on dvd it would make for an amazing gift to give or receive.

So after making some comments about "Magic" in the covers thread, I decided to be fair and go back and listen to the album again. I have to admit that I was pretty wrong about calling it "not his best work." It's definitely the second-best, and the best E-Street, album this decade (I'd put the Seeger Sessions album above anything else).

I think my skepticism about "Magic" came from my disappointment in "Working on a Dream" (which I found to be a misfire, by and large, if not without some highlights), and the fact that the six albums Springsteen's released this decade get interlinked in my mind. This probably comes from my theory that you can't listen to "The Rising" without listening to "Devils and Dust" (both are albums about 9/11), and "Seeger Sessions" gets jumbled up a lot with the fantastic Live in Dublin album -- although maybe it's because I prefer some of the live recordings to the ones on the Seeger album.

Anyway, Magic. Good shit.

I like Working on a Dream okay, but too much of it sounds like stuff that got cut from Magic. It's definitely a pale shadow of that far superior album.

Agreed. It's the first Springsteen album on which I just have to skip the first track every time. I was so excited when I heard he was going to be including a long, epic tune on this one, and it's fucking "Outlaw Pete." Minus "The Wrestler," which isn't part of the album proper, there are only a few tracks that even come close to stacking up to the material on Magic.

Me, I just love (in a completely non-ironic way) "A Night With The Jersey Devil."

And the video may be a bit too on-the-nose, but it's still a blast.

Comes out next month, and the solicitation indicates that each episode will have additional material not broadcast.

By the way, the same week that Elvis did the Springsteen show at the Apollo, he did a show there with Richard Thompson, Nick Lowe, Levon Helm, and Allen Toussaint. I believe that these new episodes start up in January.

One show with all of them? That seems like overload for a single episode, but I guess there really aren't that many of us who would want to see a full hour with each (the mind reels at a full Thompson/Costello episode, though).

Certainly sounds like enough material for a couple of episodes..

Awesome news. Just quickly peeked at Amazon and it's also arriving through the power of bluray. Pre-ordered.