Bruce Springsteen - Classic or Dud ?

No Woman No Sex In A Car

Inspired by snagging two tickets to see Jon Brion here next week, did I ever post this recording of Brion and pals improvising a Springsteen show on New Year's Eve here some long time ago?

https://robby-blog.s3.amazonaws.com/2008/jon-brion-does-bruce-springsteen/jon-brion-springsteen-song.mp3

hey Springsteen thread, this is a really dumb + annoying question, but if anyone wants to team up with me to pitch a 33 1/3 book, let me know? They've already done one on Born in the USA, which kind of included Nebraska, but that's it as far as I know. I would be most interested in The River or The Wild, the Innocent and the E. Street Shuffle.

I have nothing to offer the team in terms of writing cred or musical knowledge, so I would not be a very sensible choice of co-writer, but just throwing this out there.

(also if anyone wants to write about the Vulgar Boatmen, lmk)

Springsteen is being sued for "negligent misrepresentation and unjust enrichment" due to the use of a 1968 Pontiac GTO on the cover of Only the Strong Survive. The car's owner, Louis A. Billotti (who later died of COVID):

was asked to bring his classic car, which is registered with the state as a historic vehicle, to Colts Neck, New Jersey, for a photo shoot on Oct. 18, 2021, the complaint said. He did not know who would be involved in the session, but Springsteen arrived, posed with the car and spent some time talking with Billotti about vintage cars.

At the end of the photo shoot, the photographer gave Billotti a check for $450, the court papers said. The words "car prop" were written in the memo field of the check.

Billotti was told by someone "acting with authority" that if the photos with his Pontiac were chosen for the album cover, he would receive a contract offering him terms of compensation, the amended complaint said.

A plaintive note: From the time of the photo shoot and through his hospitalization, the GTO owner "often spoke of the October photo shoot to several witnesses to nearly the day he passed and asked his son about whether the contract had come in the mail," the complaint said.

He should be rolling in dough 'cuz that GTO really sells the cover.

https://www.nj.com/resizer/k_WNhmsw7L8xuz-byOEqPnbYsLc=/1280x0/smart/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/advancelocal/DHFWHFK34RBWVIQLXIHEOF537I.jpg

They totes could have gotten away with a LeMans or Tempest.

Li'l Springsteen cameo in the new Curb Your Enthusiasm season, identical delivery to his High Fidelity cameo. It's as if he says "I'll do it, if I can tape it at home and send it to you, just gimme the lines."

xpost Funny, because this comes about a year after this:

Max Weinberg, the longtime drummer for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, has filed a lawsuit in Palm Beach County court against a classic car restoration company alleging that its owners defrauded him of $125,000 while promising to restore a 1957 Mercedes-Benz to mint condition.

https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/local/boca/2023/12/02/springsteen-drummer-max-weinberg-sues-for-fraud-over-cars-restoration/71754048007/

Classic cars, man, what you gonna do?

I am not a lawyer but I cannot imagine the legal basis of suing someone for *taking a photograph of a thing that exists*.

Like, that describes almost every photograph

And it sounds like this person agreed to having the car photographed, and was in fact paid. Just... not enough, after finding out who would be leaning on it?

Yeah the car doesnt get residuals

Someone should have informed the car that this town rips the bones from you back. I am given to understand this it is, in fact a death trap. One might even suggest that it is a suicide rap.

I have hear that the best remedy is to be (1) chrome-wheeled, (2) fuel injected, and (3) to be willing to step out over the line.

* your, * heard, sorry

I don't know, that sounds like it's a set-up for liability.

"The court will now hear the case of Classic Car Vs. This Town, all rise."

There does seem to be some nuance, in that Team Boss apparently thought that payment was sufficient, but did not follow through with contractual paperwork.

Personally I think $450 and talking to His Bossness would be pretty cool. I would take that and walk, knowing I would have a good story. But clearly the heirs and estate have a different agenda. I can sorta understand that too.

Springsteen is doing another Greatest Hits album, this one spanning his whole career.

https://pitchfork.com/news/bruce-springsteen-announces-new-greatest-hits-album/

Now obviously this is all pointless in the era of streaming when this exact playlist probably already exists on Spotify, but I am curious: given that he seems to be trying to include about two songs per album, give or take, what would you all change about this list?

"Racing in the Street" instead of "Prove It All Night," "I'm on Fire" or "My Hometown" instead of "Glory Days."

Feels more like a “Greatest Hits” (in fact the selections are fairly similar to that 1995 comp) than a “Best Of” (which to me implies more interesting selections).

(To gesture toward answering the question – "Walk Like a Man" instead of “Tougher Than the Rest”)

What’s interesting is that the CD and 2x LP versions up for pre-order both only seem to have 18 tracks. So is the 31-track version just basically going to be a playlist?

I mean, I’m not sure what “digital edition” would mean? I’m assuming streaming and those who pay for FLACs I guess?

xp Same as tipsy mothra except "Darkness on the Edge of Town" instead of "Prove it All Night."

Agree that it feels more Greatest Hits than Best of. If it's genuinely Best of, then I'd like to add in one more each from The River and Nebraska - maybe "Wreck on the Highway" and "Open All Night." I get that he's trying for something that genuinely spans his career, but I think he can still go a little heavier on his classic period. We don't need fully half of the songs to be post-BITUSA, it could be 2/3 early, 1/3 late and people would still get the idea.

I think after "Human Touch" is where my idea of Springsteen's Best of really diverges from his. I'd probably do something like this:

Human Touch
Local Hero
Streets of Philadelphia
Youngstown
Highway 29
The Rising
Living in the Future
Wrecking Ball
Western Stars
Hello Sunshine (or Stones, which I actually like better)
Ghosts (or Rainmaker, or Burnin' Train)
One Minute You're Here

did yall already post that amazing story he told on graham norton's show about his relationship with this family in st louis
really made me happy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lx0GllhVJks

I love how Bruce gives absolutely no explanation of why he did this, because to him it's clearly just "eh, why not?" And meanwhile everyone else is going "OMG this is the craziest thing we've ever heard!"

100%

Local news story on that story where they interview the family:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezPRW1wt0NE

*news report on that story

solid

that's a great story, the kids that approached him must have been terrified it would become a "don't meet your heroes" moment

TIny bit of Rashomon to this but still a great story

The third Passaic night (sept 21st) of the legendary 1978 Darkness tour has now been released officially too (aka Coup De Grace) - and even though it may not one of The Big Five (the 5 shows that were broadcast on the radio & became the most bootlegged & wellknown), you can't go wrong with any of these shows, really.

Been digging a live version of “Because the Night” by Patti…Lupone. She makes it sound like an outtake from The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

From this:
https://playbill.com/article/patti-lupone-at-les-mouches-vintage-lupone-club-act-arrives-in-stores-nov-11-com-155028

Which was a midnight Saturday cabaret show she was doing in 1980 while she was in the midst of doing Evita.

From old cassette tapes! Pretty appropriate.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMRF7PiJBAs

Anyway, sorry for the seeming derail. It’s just the only version I’ve heard that seems to take the Patti version and put a tiny bit of spin on it rather than just being…okay and similar but not quite as good like every other version.

The performance clips from the video are on the verge of being an SCTV parody, and I mean that in the best possible way.

Even redeems a crummy Kinks song.

If one can redeem something terrible by making it terrible in a brand new way. You weren't kidding about SCTV!

Listening to that album now. Almost laughed out loud at the veiled Tina Turner reference in “Heaven Is a Disco”

This thing is from the same universe as that Lou Reed live with The Toys albums.

The Tots, not The Toys. American Poet.

Springsteen joined Mellencamp onstage last night at NJ PAC for "Pink Houses":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Qo_-W4lBe4

Bruce looking lithe, limber and ready to get back on the road.

Wait, hold up, is that Lisa Germano?! She's back!!

Yes it is! I saw Mellencamp at the Beacon and he was awesome. At one point, he let a kid get on stage and let HIM sing one of his hits while he walked off for what seemed like a smoke.

Tour resumes tonight, Bruce lookin' good!
https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/432766426_949567229858904_5539654209860653751_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=5f2048&_nc_ohc=VIQrTwEDuDIAX-pUF_u&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfAb_AU3DFryU1mnOECcjxasUkZHb2Bs1-l5gM3TKWfI8A&oe=65FE75E5

hottest silver fox in town

Some nerd livestreamed the whole show, if you want to watch it:

https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1083363189561218&id=1182636260&mibextid=qi2Omg

More or less the same set, slight tweaks.

Had no idea he was even on tour!