Bruce Springsteen - Classic or Dud ?

People listen to a host of reasons that have nothing to do with lyrics.

tbh I don't wanna hear Springsteen lectures on warrantless wiretapping – that's what Glenn Greenwald's for.

(xp) what's weird about it? he isn't a politician. he's a rock and roll musician. you can get off the music even if you don't agree with the literary/political/psychological influences behind the words.

in other breaking news, people continue to bang their heads, pump their fists and dance to sad songs.

Every Breath You Take gets played at weddings. No one cares.

first dance at my wedding was to born in the usa, just cuz i like the beat.

I used to do a column asking readers to suggest songs about subject x and only then did I realise how many people frequently misconstrued songs or just ignored the lines they weren't interested in. Born in the USA's the obvious eg. More recently, I think that 90% of listeners don't know (or, let's be frank, care) what Hey Ya! is about.

i don't know what hey ya is about! and i don't really have any interest in knowing what hey ya is about. and i like the song.

fwiw, i don't know what stairway to heaven is about either.

seeing this and hearing the opening of "born in the usa" would be fairly easy to misconstrue as a america fuck yeah moment

Part of it has to do with the last line he sings, "I'm a cool rocking daddy in the USA"...what is that doing there?

Being ironic? I dunno.

Normally I'd say none of this matters, just enjoy the music, etc, but politics has been explicitly part of the package for some time now. I have no idea what "Hey Ya" is about - not sure I've ever really listened to the words - but I also suspects OutKast barely cares itself. But Bruce cares, man. He caaaaaaaaaares.

On a more serious note, I've always wondered how the guy could do so many shows at full vocal force and, to the best of my knowledge, never call in sick. What's up with that?

but if he cares, why should we? I'm not trying to be a dick. I just don't understand why his hard work and politics should mediate my experiences with his albums.

I never said it should? It just shouldn't be ignored or overlooked. It's part of the whole package at this point, mostly at Springsteen's own prompting.

xpost Some people are interested in authorial intent. I know it seems quaint.

I recall reading a number of complaints from Republican listeners to Springsteen grumbling about his between-song political comments on a Washington Post concert review thread within the past few years. Yes, people can have any sort of reason to choose to listen or not to a song and get whatever they want from it, but Springsteen's politics is, as Josh noted, definately part of the whole package at this point.

Does his overt liberalism account for how thoroughly uninteresting his last two records have been? Let's hope not.

"Magic" has some pretty strong moments, but that last one was exceptionally meh. I'd suggest his overt liberalism played a part in each's respective successes and failures.

last one isn't particularly political. i liked it plenty -- "my lucky day" and "what love can do" are very strong tunes, and the album's overall sound has a nice 60s pop feel -- but i know many don't. i would readily agree that it's the least of the trilogy formed by it, the rising, and magic.

Yeah, I was being sarcastic.

Magic might have some strong moments, but I wouldn't know because the loudness on that album makes my ears bleed.

Brendan O'Brien should only produce Pearl Jam.

"magic" still a terrible title

sounds like he's not singin in his comfort zone on magic. kinda too
"shouty", at least for me. yeah, magic isn't a very creative title, izzit

"Radio Nowhere" is the only single of his of the last twenty years with any energy.

yeah, no doubt, i was excepting that tune, then

just seems like a conscious decision to sing louder throughout, to my ears

I've mostly hated his singing voice since Tunnel Of Love & while I love that album on the whole, "Ain't Got You" portends the hoarse shouting of the twin releases of 1992 that's been standard since, with a few notable exceptions; e.g. "Streets of Philadelphia", "Lift Me Up", "Paradise". I guess "Reno" was "fun". I was so disappointed when I got Tom Joad & realized that it wasn't the new Nebraska the (hack) reviews suggested; listening to it's the equivalent of eating a 70-year can of sardines from Cannery Row.

"LIft Me Up" is one of the most incredible deep cuts of any act. It's sort of the closest we'll ever get to Eno producing Bruce, and that unlikely combo not totally sucking.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aext39mEYqg

"You're Missing" is a weird 'un, too:

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

tbh i actually prefer the hoarse delivery he's favored since ToL, only hearing more recent live versions of the darkness stuff really brought them home for me

that having been said

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRA7hyYbTf0

Man, that song.

IMO his best single song of the last 20 years (and "Lift Me Up" is right up there) is "Living Proof".

underrated imo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRUVdKin_9w&NR=1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogwksftPfa8&feature=related

"If I Should Fall Behind" is lovely. Grant McLennan did a nice version of it. "Lucky Town" has some gems, most buried beneath the anti-climax that was "Human Touch."

For those that missed it, this solo banjo arrangement of "I'm On Fire" he did is pretty incredible:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4WKYtS4JDk

Hell, here's the amazing demo of "Protection" that Donna Summer did:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3TB1ljTvCE

I just found a 2 disc Best Of some guy assembled that pares it down his subjective faves from the 19 Disc Lost Masters set. It's got some great shit. Google with some specificity and it comes right up.

if this thread is becoming 'rare bruce springsteen' this song has to be mentioned:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0-lXCKqawU

hoos you talking about the essential lost masters or something like that?

"If I Should Fall Behind" is lovely. Grant McLennan did a nice version of it.

woah!

Yeah the Lost Masters, it's just convenient for me to have a 2-disc version from across the eras instead of having to wade through all 19 discs. Then again I guess I can really see the appeal of having outtakes from a specific set of sessions.

Donna Summer and Quincy Jones sound like they just replaced his vocal with hers.

here's the tracklist for what i dl'd btw

Disc 1: 1977 - 1979

Darkness on the Edge of Town studio outtakes:

01. Drive All Night - early demo, subsequently rerecorded for The River
02. The Promise - unreleased full band version, subsequently rerecorded in 1999 for 18 Tracks
03. Racing in the Street - alternate arrangement w/ harp
04. One Way Street
05. Candy's Boy - lyrical predecessor to Candy's Room
06. The Fast Song - musical predecessor to Candy's Room
07. Fire
08. Because the Night - incomplete lyrics (this unfinished song was given to Patti Smith who's subsequent release of the track provided her with her biggest single ever)
09. Spanish Eyes
10. Get That Feeling

The River studio outtakes:

11. Roulette - original version
12. To Be True - original version w/ double tracked vocals
13. Rickie - alternate mix (prominent organ) and slight lyrical changes
14. I Wanna Be With You - slight lyrical changes
15. Cindy - Clarence Clemons harmony vocals
16. Hungry Heart - original tempo
17. The Price You Pay - alternate intro & 3rd verse, extended ending
18. I Wanna Marry You - alternate mix: new vocal, no sax
19. Stolen Car - original version considered for the aborted The Ties That Bind album from 1979

Disc 2: 1981 - 1983

Nebraska solo acoustic outtakes:

01. Born in the USA - subsequently rerecorded with the E Street Band for Born in the USA
02. Downbound Train - subsequently rerecorded with the E Street Band for Born in the USA
03. Child Bride - lyrical predecessor to Working on the Highway
04. Pink Cadillac - subsequently rerecorded with the E Street Band for Born in the USA
05. Losin' Kind - thematic predecessor to Highway 29

Born in the USA solo outtakes:

06. Shut Out the Light - unabridged version w/ 2 extra verses
07. Sugarland
08. The Klansman
09. Don't Back Down - acoustic version
10. Unsatisfied Heart [note - this song is unfortunately rather poorly mixed with an overbearing synthesizer]
11. Bye-Bye Johnny - alternate arrangement w/ cricket sound effects
12. Follow That Dream - rewrite of the Elvis Presley song

Born in the USA studio outtakes:

13. County Fair - E Street Band version
14. TV Movie - alternate mix: sax solo
15. Glory Days - original recording w/ extra verse
16. Murder Incorporated - original recording
17. My Love Will Not Let You Down
18. Frankie

Yeah I guess I have that, def. some v. great stuff in there. Sound quality on my version is pretty spotty in points, like some copies are many generations old.

I wrote a piece once that talked about "Shut Out the Light", and in my piece I talked about the wonderful storytelling economy of that song, and how he left holes in the story about the main character's background and what happens at the end, which to me made it so much more interesting (that is top 5 Springsteen songs for me). And when I heard this version of "Shut Out the Light" with the two extra verses, man, what an amazing insight into his songwriting process. Because those two verses *do* spell it out and leave nothing to the imagination, and the song loses so much (but I'm still glad I've heard it, and this version is interesting on its own obv.) Sent a chill down my spine when I first heard the alternate version, I tell ya.

ugh i just dl'd this show from japan in 96 when he was touring ghost of tom joad, and there's this country blues version of "born in the u.s.a." with slide guitar that just fuckin kiiiiiiiiiills me

never heard dude play slide, he hits it

its so fuckin weird that they were callin him "chairman of the board" in 1978

I could imagine the Pixies, of all people, doing this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ewhMge_MXM

Enjoying this remix of State Trooper.

slow folky/bluesy BITUSA is fantastic, but it's got nothing on weepy acoustic thunder road imo