Bruce Springsteen - Classic or Dud ?

10. Stones

1. Hitch Hikin’

13. Moonlight Motel

tee hee

I love this picture of dad Bruce next to his boyfriend-smooching daughter:

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/04/23/17/12621386-0-image-a-32_1556036048947.jpg

i unreservedly love "hello sunshine" in a way i haven't loved a bruce springsteen song in i can't remember when.

!

More than a few shades of ... Jimmy Webb?

Calling this a solo album, though he made it with many collaborators including his longtime producer Ron Aniello, original E Street Band keyboard player David Sancious, and the multi-instrumentalist and genius song-shaper Jon Brion

!!! Who else is on it?

For others. This is slight but ... maybe not so slight, and lovely.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icJjlg5e6l8

Can see him doing a solo tour next year now.

"You fall in love with lonely, you end up that way"

Great song, and I'm by no means a fan. Glenn Campbell vibes.

Also "Everybody's Talkin'," but yeah, Webb out the wazoo. My wife loved it.

this is great.

best thing i've heard from him in... wow ok it's been a while

i really loved that song he did for the wrestler, this feels quiet and unassuming in the same way but also the way the strings and piano gradually work their way into the mix is p masterful

feels good to hear the boss over production that is not complete garbage, i gotta say

yeah, pleasantly surprised by this song, considering how much i disliked high hopes. it's really lovely.

xpost OTM. This is what overproduction should be! Nashville sound, etc.

glad Jon Brion is involved :-)

Playing Moog and celeste! Did he arrange the strings or was there someone else? I guess we will find out!

wow this sounds great. HE sounds great.

I hope Fred Neil got a credit, tho

it seems ok but derivative enough that I'm not gonna rave about it

20 seconds in and Fred Neil otm

I haven't wanted to replay a Bruce record since The Rising. This isn't quite there but agree re: production.

It sounds a little like early 90s REM doing "Baby Blue"

Very nice - first time I've liked something new of his in a while. Reminded me of Lucinda.

when someone you already love does something that makes you love them even more & then your heart explodes

^basically me right now

also the percussion takes me straight to john paul young’s “love is in the air” and i’m not mad

Good song
Hope the album has more like this

this sounds great, nice sense of space

agreed about the sound of his rock records since the 90s, such off the rack modern rock tones and production

Now it reminds me of “Skyway”

This seems promising but not quite ready to jump on the bandwagon yet.

Sounds a bit like "Everybody's Talkin'" too, in case that hasn't been mentioned amongst the things it is reminiscent of.

Wondering if he was actively channeling Glen Campbell what with his recent passing and long illness leading up to it.

Okay, I see this upthread, sorry.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjc79mlluKA

https://variety.com/2018/music/news/bruce-springsteen-talks-trump-new-album-and-hints-at-an-upcoming-tour-1203078221/

“Really, that record is influenced by Southern California pop music of the ’70s,” he said, referring to orchestrated-pop music of that era by “Glen Campbell, Jimmy Webb, Burt Bacharach, those kinds of records. I don’t know if people will hear those influences, but that was what I had in my mind.

WE HEAR IT BRUCE <3

Ha!

Jimmy Webb FB page gave a nod to this

Best vocal on an "Everybody's Talkin'" (even if it's the worst arrangement):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjw0yE8mQVc

Wow

You know I always liked my walking shoes
But you can get a little too fond of the blues
You walk too far, you walk away

Songs where it's fun to say HOOS in place of the actual lyrics

I kind of think Lana Del Rey took the same SoCal influences, went in a different direction and ended up with Mariners Apt Complex

not so sure about "there goes my miracle." on first listen, it's exactly what i feared this album would be. not sure he has the voice for these arrangements. i'd kinda like to hear scott walker singing this, though.

(also, i'm secretly hoping it's about miracle the horse from mel brooks' "history of the world part 1.")

(and still completely enthralled by "hello sunshine.")

This new one is kind of a misfire, though it's interesting to hear him try something so different. Docked several points for super-generic drum machine cameo and distracting production poo, which undoes whatever good the strings do.

Sounds like a Morrissey song.

Lol, indeed it does. The high notes on the chorus sound a little auto tuned maybe

Another new one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsH4URIWNRE

Kinda ... "Lucky Town" (the album) vibes? It's not bad, pretty slight, but the video implies he may tour with a different band again. Also ... no Tele! I think he's playing a Gretsch Country Gentleman? Maybe that will be this cycle's bolo tie.

Speaking of Springsteen, I'm a little surprised there's been no word of a BitUSA boxed set. It's the 35th anniversary this year, and fans have been speculating on a dual BitUSA/Nebraska box, though I think it would make more sense to split them up. Nebraska could easily be a 2-disc set, esp. if they unearth the legendary electric sessions. But BitUSA ... there's a ton of leftover stuff, some of it already released on other comps and collections, but I think Springsteen would rather keep things simple and collect any leftovers into collections that flow like albums (like he did with Darkness and the River) rather than just dump a bunch of stuff out there.

One of the my faves:

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

I forgot that the second volume of remasters came out. I'm listening to the cleaned up Tunnel of Love right now, and no joke, it sounds great, I'm hearing things I've never heard before!

I wonder if the BitUSA stuff will happen next year. I saw somewhere that there's be an E-Street tour in 2020, so maybe that'll tie-in to the reissue.