Bruce Springsteen - Classic or Dud ?

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Ooh. The dark and lonely highways of despair. *plays the violin*

It's not a cultural thing; I mean for god's sake Motorcycle Emptiness might as well be Bruce Springsteen on a literacy trip in terms of subject, and I know Tom likes the song, and I believe Ned does too. Whether that particular statement was tongue in cheek or not, it's a tired excuse and reasoning, one usually used by the saddest of Bruce Springsteen fans, the ones who "identify" with his sentiments, seemingly losing track of the fact that BRUCE'S CHARACTERS NEVER ACTUALLY MAKE IT OUT. Some positive role models to rock out to.

The thing is, I think it's the voice and the earnestness, which was already said. The stylistic values of it....the basic cultural and escape sentiments, lyrically, of Motorcycle Emptiness and Born to Run might be very similar in tone, but the style and vocalisings are entirely, 100% different. Bruce has a very sarcastic bent, a very dark bent, lyrically, but his style of music softens the blow and sometimes people just don't like it.

And those people are wrong, incidentally :P

― Ally, Saturday, 24 February 2001 01:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

2 albums are CLASSIX: 'Darkness on the Edge of Town' and especially 'Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ'.

Nebraska is half good but doesn't deserve the plaudits it gets as the Springsteen album it's cool to like.

The rest is pretty much DUD.

― alex thomson, Saturday, 24 February 2001 01:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

"Oh yes, he's a dud..."

Nevermind that Born in the USA was my first record not meant to be played on the Fisher Price record player (with the STEEL NEEDLE)

Nevermind Tracks Nevermind the fact that Born to Run is one of the best driving albums ever when your top is down and it's summer and the road between Ventura and home stretches out and empty at night with no cops...

Nevermind he has out Dylan-ed Dylan

Nevermind that he can outrage The Man as he pushes the dark side of life. (41 Shots)

Nevermind the line "The record company Rosie, JUST GAVE ME A BIG ADVANCE!"

Nevermind the Live box set, reminding us just how powerful he was

Nevermind Time and Newsweek

Nevermind Thunder-Fucking-Road

Nevermind The cover of Jersey Girl

Nevermind Tracks

Nevermind the MTV Unplugged set where he scrapped the entire notion of an acoustic show and just plugged in and tore down the house

Nevermind everyone on this list who called him a dud.

― JM, Saturday, 24 February 2001 01:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

"Nevermind he has out Dylan-ed Dylan"

well, Bruce isn't *that* bad! ;)

― Omar, Saturday, 24 February 2001 01:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

The entirety of the lyrics to Rosalita are a Great Rock Moment, Jimmy. Don't just single out that line ;)

― Ally, Saturday, 24 February 2001 01:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

I note your list, Jimmy, and yet, somehow, it makes no sense to me. ;- )

La Bruce just collectively calls to my mind a stunted bastard vision of music that presumes he was the sole carrier of the 'spirit of rock and roll truth' that the Beatles and Stones 'started' in the sixties. A CLAIM I HAVE ENCOUNTERED MORE THAN ONCE, though thankfully not here, and happily never from the man's own lips either, at least to my knowledge. Without that rhetoric I would just shrug and ignore him for somebody more interesting, but with it, frankly, he becomes a very very useful target to kick against. Perhaps only a straw man, but one I wouldn't mind seeing go up in flames.

― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 24 February 2001 01:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Springsteen is, doubtless, a spirit of a rock and roll truth, which he has a near monopoly on. I think, maybe, if I had grown up in a real city, instead of a tourist-trap disneyburb retirement town, that whole swaths of music wouldn't resonate with me. But there I was, and I don't know if you have to have that certain feeling to get Bruce. If you have to know that you're suffocating, that you'd rather die than stay, that the air was too think to dream in, if you have to have known that.

The boy has fallen off of late, but... I'm reminded of the Bangs article where he describes how he dismissed this Maoist band as sounding like Bruce, and the band replied "oh, good, the working class like that stuff" or something of the sort, and I'm reading this thinking -- no. no. no. The correct answer is "oh, good. Bruce fucking rocks!"

What I appreciate about Bruce is how he can capture the majesty of a major chord. How so many of his songs have the same progression, but you don't realize it 'till you try to play 'em yourself. How he can take gospel music and write it to a girl instead. And yes, more of them damn anthems.

I mean.. I know that anthems aren't an alien concept to the UK -- after all, The Who were full of them. But maybe British anthems are a different type a "get off of my cloud" or "sod off" type, more cynical and pissy than dreamy and wide-eyed. Maybe this is, after all, because America is The Big Country, The Great Bitch, et cet. Maybe to get America you have to get just how there's always somewhere you might go, maybe.

Along these lines, "Not Fade Away" which is a novel by Jim Dodge is a great rock road story, sort of like the lighter side of Richard Hell's "Go Now" or the more earnest(?) side of Bruce McCullough's "Doors Fan" sketch (on his album, Shame-Based Man). Yes. Get that spirit of the open highway.

― Sterling Clover, Sunday, 25 February 2001 01:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

A dud, but only because of unpleasant memories of listening attentively to my copies of *The River* and *Live 1975-1985* like a good rock-critic-in-training, and finding it impossible to feel anything about them other than apathy. He's done a goodly number of really great ones such as "Hungry Heart," "Dancing In The Dark," and "Racing in the Street" but he invariably makes my mind wander after more than a couple songs.

― Michael Daddino, Sunday, 25 February 2001 01:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

I have to say Classic, though I can see why some could argue otherwise. Looming large is the cultural gap, for our friends from the Eastern Hemisphere. Hard to tune in to what Springsteen has going on from there. But those first three records are great, still, and Nebraska is also excellent when you're in the mood. In 1984 I owned about 15 albums total, and even then I had Springsteen's entire catalog. So I'm definitely biased. All of Born in the USA is horrible now. That production really sinks it, even though half the songs are strong.

― Mark Richardson, Sunday, 25 February 2001 01:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

I should note that, being American myself, the Cultural Gap thing is rather overrated as an explanation. ;-)

I will say, though, that I do lack a car and have never had one. That might serve as a better explanation. ;-)

― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 25 February 2001 01:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Nah... I don't even have a driver's license and I love the man. Cars are my favorite place to listen to music though.

― Patrick, Monday, 26 February 2001 01:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

The Automobile as Stationary Listening Environment. How revolutionary.

I wish I wasn't misinterpreting.

― Otis Wheeler, Monday, 26 February 2001 01:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Uh... I meant when *someone else* is driving, Otis.

― Patrick, Monday, 26 February 2001 01:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Thank god, otherwise it sounds like something Thom Yorke would do.

― Ally, Tuesday, 27 February 2001 01:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Smashing, in loads of ways. You have to get used to REPETITION with the Boss - you have to get used to the idea that he is frequently writing pretty much the same song again and again, and is *not apologizing for it*. On Nebraska (yes, probably still the best LP, for my money; but I like lots of the others) he even repeats the same lyrics. The whole rock-writer idea of originality, uniqueness etc is just not in play with a lot of the Boss's stuff: to stretch a point, it's less like a load of individual songs, more like a single fabric that he is reweaving for as long as he likes. In that sense he's something akin to a bluesman, I suppose.

Inspirational in some ways. I have often felt that England needed a Springsteen, albeit not just a a copycat 'rocker'; I mean, someone who would write about all the lost and found small-town lives. But to be fair, I suppose there is already a UK tradition here: the probably Jarvis Cocker is a case in point.

― the pinefox, Wednesday, 28 February 2001 01:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Ah, but that's what you're doing yourself, Reynard :).

― Robin Carmody, Friday, 2 March 2001 01:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Dud. Never cared much for Brooce's brand of schlock n' roll....Heard "Greetings from.." and "Darkness at the edge of town" and they just sounded like MOR to me. "Nebraska" I do like however but thats even got "Used cars" on it...like used cars are a symbol of poverty...pah!...There isnt too many highways in Ireland and if there was I wouldnt spend time listening to Springsteen...

― Michael Bourke, Sunday, 4 March 2001 01:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

3 months pass...

A part of the reason he's not being taken too kindly by them there "hip" folks is:

1. they don't understand that he's actually not as "pro-america" as they might think he is

2. they don't have as close a connection to "old school" code (which includes "old school" rock)

3. they are mostly college kids on their way up to some office job or whatever that is removed (if not far removed) from the "underworld" (the "blue collar" or "real" world) to get the lyrical sentiments

4. well, and...sometimes people just don't like something 'cause they just don't like it

I, however, do not apply to any of those 4. For I actually do "get" some of the appeal of Bruce (albeit, it took my until my mid or late twenties to get there). Sure, his overly sentimental (downright broadway or maudlin) look at the working class can be a bit (or a bunch) too much. And sure, his music can be too simple and/or too derivitive. But, that's a part of the whole. Familiarity in both music and lyrics, is a large part of the appeal of his stuff (and those like him, ala Mellencamp, etc). He just had the concept to put nearly a whole career on the working class/blue collar life like no other has (not in such a wide reaching broad sense, at least - other than Mellencamp, but Bruce did it a bit better and first).

Classics:

Having said all that, 'Nebraska' and 'Ghost of Tom Joad' are the only two full albums that I would declare anywhere near a "classic" state of existence (with 'Nebraska' being the one clear-cut vote). Many of the rest of his 70's and 80's albums have some good solid worthy singles on them, but. I can't go so far as to get 'The River' (for example) anywhere near a "classic" nod. That one, in particular, I find to be overrated (though still having the wonderful track "Stolen Car" and the title track deserving of 'Nebraska'-like attention).

― michael g. breece, Sunday, 1 July 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Wow. I'm digging this message board "I Love Music". To think one would find a mention of Bruce McCulloch 'Shame Based Man' in a Bruce Springsteen thread, ahhh...the possibilities.

Anyways, I forgot to mention to huge (to the point of shadowing) element as to one of the why's (or why not's) of enjoy/appreciating Bruce. Which is: DRIVING. Cars and driving is such a central and/or reoccuring figure/subject in his work that...I can't believe I forgot to touch upon that (only after reading some of the others posts, darn it). But yea, I do LOVE to drive. Which also helps to explain the appeal of Springsteen (to me, at least).

*By the way, I do own that McCulloch album 'Shame Based Man' and...love it (some really funny stuff and one of the very rare comedy albums worthy of many plays - if not it's own discussion here on "I Love Music"...anyone?). Every single one of my girlfriends (one present, others past) hated it. "And if (after torching the stolen car) you can still hear the Doors playing...then you have become...a DOORS...FAN!" I'm not a Doors fan, however.

― michael g. breece, Monday, 2 July 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

MG Breece (hey, sounds like a car): I wonder whether you agree with me that a large part of the point of the Boss is repetition - the fact that he does the same thing over and over again?

― the pinefox, Monday, 2 July 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

6 months pass...

I listened to Born To Run riding the bus to work today. This is the first CD I ever purchased, back in 1985 (I'd already bought a few LPs), and I still have my original copy. Don't believe that business about CD rot -- it's doing fine.

I hadn't listened to this record in a couple of years, but god, it still sounded great. Actually, I kept getting shivers down my spine when it was playing and it had me close to tears a few times (mostly on "Thunder Road" and "Backstreets.") Listening to this today finally settled an ILM debate for me: Music can never affect me quite as much now as it did when I was a teenager. No record I've heard in the last few years, including Loveless, has had as much affect on me as Born to Run did this morning, and I know it's not just because Born to Run is such a great album. This is a record that got to me when I was young and emotionally vulnerable in a way that I'm not anymore, at the age of 32. I still feel music very deeply and appreciate and enjoy a wider range of music than ever, but music doesn’t completely overpower me the way it did when I was 15. Oh well.

Springsteen is still a big classic, by the way, despite all the incredibly corny lines on Born to Run.

― Mark, Thursday, 24 January 2002 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

I like how he lets the words of "Born to Run" tumble out of his mouth, like a horse taking a dump.

― DeRayMi, Thursday, 24 January 2002 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

I like how he lets the words of "Born to Run" tumble out of his mouth, like a horse taking a dump.

So much for my epiphany...;0)

― Mark, Thursday, 24 January 2002 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Anyway: classic, though not a personal favorite.

― DeRayMi, Thursday, 24 January 2002 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

9 months pass...

I finally bought a Springsteen record! (The G Hits, even though I know it's got lots of shite on, cause I like owning G Hits). It's pretty great up to the point at which it isn't. Let's talk about Bruce again!

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 23:18 (10 years ago) Permalink

the new one that ponefix and dq agreed on is unfortunately quite boring as to its actual like, er, sound – hence i only played it once so far, curse you persuasive fellows

"candy's room" is the grebtest song ever written about being in love w. a prostitute when you sound a bit like david bowie

― mark s (mark s), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 23:22 (10 years ago) Permalink

Tom if you ever feel like owning a whole album I have you pegged as a River man. At what point does G hits peter out?

― Mark (MarkR), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 23:25 (10 years ago) Permalink

"My Hometown" is the first one I didn't really enjoy. "Brilliant Disguise" sounds laboured. After that I don't 'get it' yet (or it sucks).

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 23:29 (10 years ago) Permalink

(It's obviously my Mark Pitchfork day cos I also bought Vision Creation Newsun!)

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 23:31 (10 years ago) Permalink

"candy's room" is the grebtest song ever written about being in love w. a prostitute when you sound a bit like david bowie

Is this a new genre? Cos that'd be fucking incredible.

I still love Bruce Springsteen. Put on Rosalita and you will see me go insane.

― Ally (mlescaut), Wednesday, 20 November 2002 03:01 (10 years ago) Permalink

So will I.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 20 November 2002 03:23 (10 years ago) Permalink

Right, so next time you are in NYC, that's what we shall do.

― Ally (mlescaut), Wednesday, 20 November 2002 03:24 (10 years ago) Permalink

Meat Loaf almost makes me want to like him.

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Wednesday, 20 November 2002 03:24 (10 years ago) Permalink

I didn't explain exactly WHY I would go insane, but hey.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 20 November 2002 03:34 (10 years ago) Permalink

I didn't need to ask ;)

― Ally (mlescaut), Wednesday, 20 November 2002 03:39 (10 years ago) Permalink

All is well. ;-)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 20 November 2002 05:21 (10 years ago) Permalink

"Candy's Room" was the first Bruce song I wuvved.

― alext (alext), Wednesday, 20 November 2002 11:58 (10 years ago) Permalink

i agree with ally about Rosalita

― H (Heruy), Wednesday, 20 November 2002 12:02 (10 years ago) Permalink

Come on everybody: get with the magnificent TUNNEL OF LOVE

― the ponefix, Wednesday, 20 November 2002 13:33 (10 years ago) Permalink

I like his synth-pop. "Born In The U.S.A.," "I'm On Fire," "Dancing In The Dark," "Brilliant Disguise," "Streets Of Philadelphia" stuff like that. He tends to lay off the anus-clenched fifteen-syllables-in-room-for-ten horrid "rock poetry" on those numbers. That said, the lyrics on "The Rising" are categorically his worst ever. His fame peaked with Born In The U.S.A because that's his best album.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Wednesday, 20 November 2002 16:26 (10 years ago) Permalink

Nebraska is perfect, obviously. My favorite Bruce songs otherwise: Rosalita, Racing in the Street, I'm On Fire, Tenth Avenue Freeze Out and Hungry Heart.

― Yancey (ystrickler), Wednesday, 20 November 2002 16:47 (10 years ago) Permalink

what's 'faron young ' all about then tom ?

― piscesboy, Wednesday, 20 November 2002 16:51 (10 years ago) Permalink

The supposed false emotions and promises of country music radio - every other sentiment an antique"; "you offer infra-red instead of sun". He's looking for solace on the dial and not getting it. It's a marvellous but wrong song. Talking about it to the NME later he admitted he loved country now and that he'd been wrong about Faron.

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 20 November 2002 17:05 (10 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, new album is weak. Basically just an excuse for the live shows, though, which according to what I've heard remain wonderful.

Found this at the near start of the thread, dunno if Ned can be bothered to talk about it now:

Odd, because Springsteen's own views are the exact opposite- he was always far less interested in The Beatles and The Rolling Stones than he was in Phil Spector and James Brown.

― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Wednesday, 20 November 2002 20:17 (10 years ago) Permalink

I really like "Dancing in the Dark"

― Kris (aqueduct), Wednesday, 20 November 2002 20:23 (10 years ago) Permalink

Oh man, I forgot about I'm On Fire. That's an incredible song. Also, Daniel_Rf is OTM in terms of Bruce's influences; just listen to the production on Born to Run, Ned.

Though he always does look really tense and "real rock" when he performs.

It used to be such that every time I got drunk, the evening would end with me and a gentleman companion in the group deciding to put on Dancing in the Dark and imitating the Boss & Courteney Cox dance. This has thankfully not occured in a long time now.

― Ally (mlescaut), Wednesday, 20 November 2002 20:57 (10 years ago) Permalink

Odd, because Springsteen's own views are the exact opposite- he was always far less interested in The Beatles and The Rolling Stones than he was in Phil Spector and James Brown.

Ah, to explain my sense further -- there I wasn't referring to exact sound (I hope) so much as the role he seems to be in. I don't like universal idolatry, but personal, and so much around Bruce is "my god, the genius is among us all again! DO YOU SEE!" insistence that just makes me hate him even more. Like I said above in that quote, I don't get the sense that he believes that garbage (if he takes Dave Marsh at all seriously, though, that's a pisser).

And as for the music itself, a lot of people love Phil Spector and James Brown. In my mind, that doesn't give them a free pass for their own efforts. ;-)

My only realization about Bruce recently has been when I finally heard Bat Out of Hell and realized I loved that a hell of a lot more than any Springsteen I've heard.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 20 November 2002 21:29 (10 years ago) Permalink

"Go" works. 15+ remixes = zesty.

― Curtis Stephens, Wednesday, 20 November 2002 21:49 (10 years ago) Permalink

fuck, how did I get in this topic? I was in the dance singles thread!!! ah well, just ignore my post...

― Curtis Stephens, Wednesday, 20 November 2002 21:50 (10 years ago) Permalink

This was my favorite comment on Springsteen :

"One of the things I was trying to convey in my rant was my displeasure with this reeky new trend that found rocknroll stars gill-netting for thematic blue-collar chub in the dank ol' eddies of crummy shit-jobs they'd left behind YEARS ago? if indeed ever. Great musicians didn't necessarily suck, but it might've helped if they had. Anything would've been better than listening to these poachers waft work odes from play stations.

But this wasn't even the true intent of my harangue. Those jabs at rock stars were just quills strewn along the spine of a much larger message. It had very little to do with Bob Seger or John Mellenfarm or Springsteen per se and everything to do with the lethargic concessions being made by workin' stiffs of my own ilk who wouldn't refuse deliverance on out-sourced interpretations of their own workaday milieu. As I suggested at the time, why entrust surrogates to serenade us on how tedious and deprived our lives were? Good GRIEF, couldn't we handle that ourselves?

My sentiments exactly. I grew up in an armpit very much like New Jersey. The last thing I wanted to hear when growing up was how I'm gonna die there just like my daddy or whatever. Plus, I think you could probably dance to Mellencamp, at least.

― Kerry (dymaxia), Wednesday, 20 November 2002 22:49 (10 years ago) Permalink

Skipping 1199 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

my friend is at his Oakland show tonight, she just updated her FB status with this

Holy fucking shit. Bruce just crowd surfed on top of me. Yes i grabbed his tight 501 laden thigh. !!

so many emotions. :D and O_O and O_o and u_u and :D

― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 1 December 2012 05:57 (5 months ago) Permalink

Bruce is playing my hometown!

http://www.limerickleader.ie/lifestyle/entertainment/30-000-to-see-bruce-springsteen-rock-thomond-park-1-4538183

― Michael B Higgins (Michael B), Saturday, 1 December 2012 12:01 (5 months ago) Permalink

Ive posted A LOT of stupid shit on ilx through the years but this is up there

― Michael B Higgins (Michael B), Saturday, 1 December 2012 12:03 (5 months ago) Permalink

And you are man enough to admit it. Respect.

― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 1 December 2012 19:48 (5 months ago) Permalink

haha indeed

― susan dey with jigga (some dude), Saturday, 1 December 2012 19:57 (5 months ago) Permalink

michael b otm

― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 1 December 2012 22:07 (5 months ago) Permalink

I heard Bruce is real big in Ireland. I'd love to see him play there. I'm from New Jersey and it's impossible to overstate just how huge of a presence he is here.

― kornrulez6969, Saturday, 1 December 2012 23:55 (5 months ago) Permalink

tbh you could easily argue Bruce and moreover the E Street Bands is schlock n' roll and still like him/them

― Master of Treacle, Sunday, 2 December 2012 00:15 (5 months ago) Permalink

I think it was about 5 years after that post I did a volte-face on Bruce. Got hooked on "Darkness" (then BITUSA, BTR and Tunnel of Love) and there was a lot of late-night drunken singalongs to "Racing In the Street" around then.

― Michael B Higgins (Michael B), Sunday, 2 December 2012 00:25 (5 months ago) Permalink

Mentioned before that Bruce is actually half-Irish himself, on his dad's side.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertainment/music/news/bruce-springsteens-ancestors-hail-from-ireland-14529170.html

― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 2 December 2012 03:00 (5 months ago) Permalink

On that appropriate link and note, he's playing the Kings Hall (Tom Joad tour) in July

Tried without avail to get tickets for the Magic tour Odyssey dates, they're release this Thursday and I predict mayhem (and disappointment)

― Master of Treacle, Sunday, 2 December 2012 04:02 (5 months ago) Permalink

tbh you could easily argue Bruce and moreover the E Street Bands is schlock n' roll and still like him/them

Beyond being OTMFM, this also speaks to John Sinclair's attempted takedown of Dave Marsh when Sinclair claimed, pejoratively, that Born To Run's antecedent was West Side Story. Apparently (and not surprisingly, since he was an anti-popular music snob prior to managing the MC5), Sinclair had never heard nor heard of anything Phil Spector had been involved with.

― and I scream Fieri Eiffel Tower High (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Sunday, 2 December 2012 23:17 (5 months ago) Permalink

Why not more love for "Sherry Darling"? So simple, so smart-stupid, so perfect, carried entirely by a fantastic ensemble performance. Also: "All That Heaven Will Allow": all emotion, unlike some of his obviously "great" songs, or ones where he's striving for greatness ("out-Dylaning Dylan", pooping out the words on top of one another) (which can be great too, cf. "Sinaloa Cowboys" et. al.), just a thrust at the heart, via the loins.

― DJ Smoove Groothe (staggerlee), Tuesday, 4 December 2012 06:17 (5 months ago) Permalink

i love Sherry Darling

― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 4 December 2012 06:18 (5 months ago) Permalink

Best thing on "The River" imo (or close enough)

― Faster than food (Myonga Vön Bontee), Tuesday, 4 December 2012 17:33 (5 months ago) Permalink

2 weeks pass...

― your damn bass clarinet (Eazy), Saturday, 22 December 2012 06:21 (5 months ago) Permalink

^^ this both really sucks & also kinda endears me to shitty garage band covers of popular classics

― kristof-profiting-from-a-childs-illiteracy.html (schlump), Saturday, 22 December 2012 06:37 (5 months ago) Permalink

Has Bruce ever said a word about Leonard Cohen? I know he was a big Dylan stan, but I've never thought about Cohen as an influence.

― something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Saturday, 22 December 2012 14:44 (5 months ago) Permalink

bruce tracks poll coming soon! gonna be so much fun, hope the real hardcore fans will hip me to some stuff worth voting for

― nobody's bitch speaks again (some dude), Saturday, 22 December 2012 15:40 (5 months ago) Permalink

John Hammond discovered/signed both Springsteen and Chen, but I'd never heard any connection between the two either.

― your damn bass clarinet (Eazy), Saturday, 22 December 2012 15:51 (5 months ago) Permalink

omg when is the bruce poll? i will take time off of school for that thing, i swear!

― horseshoe, Saturday, 22 December 2012 15:53 (5 months ago) Permalink

sorry, kids. some things are important.

― horseshoe, Saturday, 22 December 2012 15:54 (5 months ago) Permalink

iirc Bruce poll is on hold til after the year-end polls. I already did all my homework by assembling a megaplaylist in advance of seeing him a few months ago. (Really hope we get at least 30 picks. 20 would be brutal.)

― something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Saturday, 22 December 2012 16:30 (5 months ago) Permalink

lol horseshoe where you been!

― fanute me or shoot me (some dude), Saturday, 22 December 2012 16:31 (5 months ago) Permalink

hi al!!! i miss you!

― horseshoe, Saturday, 22 December 2012 16:32 (5 months ago) Permalink

we should hang out and listen to Bruce and argue about each other's ballots

― fanute me or shoot me (some dude), Saturday, 22 December 2012 18:31 (5 months ago) Permalink

bruce poll is gonna be awes u guys

― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 22 December 2012 19:45 (5 months ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

I love this photo

http://www.flavorwire.com/340124/david-gahrs-dramatic-black-and-white-photos-of-60s-and-70s-musicians

― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 24 January 2013 18:00 (3 months ago) Permalink

That is awesome.

I just started reading the Marc Dolan book, and as a result am listening to Steel Mill and Castiles clips all over YouTube. Man, Bruce is really slept on as a guitar player, isn't he?

― Gollum: "Hot, Ready and Smeagol!" (Phil D.), Thursday, 24 January 2013 18:13 (3 months ago) Permalink

"Bruce thought that the sheer volume of car parts referenced in that original version of 'Racing in the Streets' was bound to get him some kind of endorsement deal with either an auto parts manufacturer or an auto parts superstore. And then he would save a fortune for the rest of his life on car parts." http://wfmu.org/flashplayer.php?version=1&show=48482&archive=83741

― shaane, Thursday, 24 January 2013 18:26 (3 months ago) Permalink

Btw I love old Springsteen pics.

― shaane, Thursday, 24 January 2013 18:27 (3 months ago) Permalink

lol shaane I lovelovelove that WFMU bit that Tom and Wurster did about Springsteen. Hilarious

― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 24 January 2013 18:31 (3 months ago) Permalink

I'm lollling every 30 seconds.

― shaane, Thursday, 24 January 2013 18:46 (3 months ago) Permalink

On one hand, I wish Bruce would be a little more liberal with the vaults. On the other, he's pretty lenient with sharing:

― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 24 January 2013 20:24 (3 months ago) Permalink

― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 24 January 2013 20:25 (3 months ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

― ARE YOU HIRING A NANNY OR A SHAMAN (Phil D.), Friday, 22 March 2013 14:54 (2 months ago) Permalink

My bro in law was there. Love seeing Morello forced not to be Morello.

― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 22 March 2013 15:05 (2 months ago) Permalink

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