A Western movie every day
I've mentioned here before that I don't really "get" most of Bruce Springsteen's solo acoustic stuff. Given the incredibly high highs and low lows Bruce has brought to us over the years, to me the quiet, Guthrie-esque material just sort of shuffles along.
On his latest album in this line, however, there's a song that really speaks to me. The lyrics are here. Now there's the young poet who walked the streets of Asbury and the City 35 years ago.
| Posted at 2:44 PM | Permalink |
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Comments (14)
In the spirit of nice... It was nice to see Bruce solo and acoustic at the Grammy's. So nice that his performance showed up any other artist there.
Posted by Dave W | February 22, 2006 4:23 PM
I, on the other hand, don't really like the E Street Band all that much (pass the cheese!) but love Springsteen's songwriting. It's nice we both can like him!
I'm officially bored of Nice Week.
Posted by Libertas | February 22, 2006 7:11 PM
Hey, that wasn't nice.
Posted by Jack Bog | February 22, 2006 7:42 PM
Bored? Yawn....then take a nap every now and then. That would be nice. But not when Bruce is playing.... that would not be nice.
Posted by Harry | February 22, 2006 8:18 PM
As with most music it comes down to the specific songs. The one that clobbered me - the one that I still think captures the true greatness of Bruce Springsteen is "The E Street Shuffle"
How's this for the opening lines:
Sparks fly on E Street when the boy prophets walk it handsome and hot
All the little girls' souls grow weak when the man-child gives them a double shot
Them schoolboy pops pull out all the stops on a Friday night
The teenage tramps in skintight pants do the E Street dance and everything's all right
Well the kids down there are either dancing or hooked up in a scuffle
Dressed in snakeskin suits packed with Detroit muscle
They're doin' the E Street Shuffle
Posted by Bill McDonald | February 22, 2006 11:04 PM
Sorry! I know. I'll be nice. Most E Street songs are very nice.
Born to Run—
L.
Posted by Libertas | February 23, 2006 8:32 AM
Jack,
Do you include Nebraska when you say "Solo accoustic"? Cuz I can see not liking Ghost of Tom Joad and the newer stuff as much, but Nebraska? I love the rock stuff, but if I were forced by some cruel tyrant to only keep 1 Springsteen album I would have a hard time picking something else
Posted by Eric | February 23, 2006 10:55 AM
but if I were forced by some cruel tyrant to only keep 1 Springsteen album I would have a hard time picking something else
I think I might have to go with "The River" or "Darkness on the Edge of Town." I think The River is a good transition from Darkness to Nebraska--it's got the rockin' stuff in there, but the darkness of Nebraska starts creeping in.
As for Tom Joad, it's OK, but "Youngstown" is a brilliant song.
"Well my dad he come on the Ohio Works
When he come home from World War II;
Now the yard's just scrap and rubble,
He says them big boys did what Hitler couldn't do..."
Posted by Dave J. | February 23, 2006 3:39 PM
I agree about Youngstown, I think it and Land of Hope and Dreams are the best things he's done since Tunnel of Love (a very underrated album IMHO)
I'm not sure which version I like better the original or the rockier version in concert and on live in NY CD.
Posted by Eric | February 23, 2006 4:04 PM
Tunnel of Love is very underrated, absolutely. I think anything after USA would have been, though--how do you top that??
One nice thing about Bruce's later work (including Tunnel) is that he's put out some sweet and sappy love songs. "Tougher than the Rest," "If I Should Fall Behind," and, from "Tracks," "Happy," which is a great song. (First dance at my wedding, in fact.) My wife used to dislike Bruce, but then, while we were dating, I made her a mix tape of all his sappier songs, and now she listens to Rosalita and Jungleland with the best of them.
Posted by Dave J. | February 23, 2006 4:29 PM
I know where basically just agreeing about this which makes for kind of boring back and forth, but hey it is nice week so we should just build on posts this way:-)
I think what makes Tunnel so good is that they aren't sappy love longs; it has some of the most mature, serious ruminations on relationships, and growing older that you can find.
Posted by Eric | February 23, 2006 4:54 PM
Tunnel was all about the divorce. When it first came out, we thought the woman in all the songs was Bruce's first wife -- news of marital difficulties hadn't surfaced publicly yet. Later on, it turned out that at least a few of the tunes were about the other woman. So over time the songs came to mean entirely different things. It's like you got two albums for the price of one.
It's hard to single out a Bruce album. There are a few clunkers down at the bottom, but at the top, there are some glorious collections that shouldn't have to compete with each other.
Posted by Jack Bog | February 23, 2006 5:32 PM
After the divorce, Bruce was pretty into his new wife Patti Scialfa, who just happened to be a "red head".....Unplugged MTV 1993....saw Bruce singing
>>Well brunettes are fine man
And blondes are fun
But when it comes to getting the dirty job done
I'll take a red headed woman
A red headed woman
It takes a red headed woman
To get a dirty job done
Well listen up stud
Your life's been wasted
Til you've got down on your knees and tasted
A red headed woman
Posted by haha | February 23, 2006 10:32 PM
Ewwwwwww, way too much information.
Posted by Jack Bog | February 23, 2006 11:38 PM