Bruce Springsteen - Classic or Dud ?

I should probably add Stevie Wonder ("Tell Me Something Good," "Tears of a Clown," "I Can't Help It," "Until You Come Back To Me," Perfect Angel, etc.), maybe Public Enemy, especially if the Bomb Squad counts as an extension during their prime, and of course Kanye West and Kendrick Lamar.

Boy, the lyrics of "Tunnel of Love" (the song, not the album, but of course the album, too) are so good.

Not just the content but rhythmically too - I love how each verse flows, especially the first:

Fat man sitting on a little stool
Takes the money from my hand while his eyes take a walk all over you
Hands me two tickets, smiles and whispers good luck
Well cuddle up angel, cuddle up my little dove
We'll ride down baby into this tunnel of love

Seeing it on paper (or rather a screen) won't do it justice, you have to hear it

That actually might be the one Springsteen song where, much as I like the lyrics, I like the way it sounds even more. I just love the sha-na-na-na-ohs and the creepy overlapping backing vocals that feel like they're coming at you from all sides. I once managed to startle myself into jumping at my own shadow, walking along listening to it on a sunny day.

xp Yeah, I think about that opening verse a lot.

Turning to a different track – I thought this was kind of interesting:

Bruce Springsteen – Walk Like A Man

A true sleep-cry masterpiece built on almost nothing besides Linn 9000 and M1. A jarringly morose and despondent performance juxtaposes perfectly with the bitter-sweetness of the music and the aeolian cadence before the outro. A bedroom-pop classic.

xp i don't know how many times i've heard "tunnel of love" at this point but i'd say at least 75% of the time it comes up on random/in a store PA/etc. the intro always throws me and makes me think i'm listening to a early NIN track.

Speaking of "Tunnel of Love," it just occurred to me that the song features I think the only stylized, virtuoso guitar solo in the entire Springsteen studio catalog (ignoring whatever bullshit Tom Morello did decades later on "High Hopes"). That's Nils for you. It says a lot about the guy that his two most famous, steadiest sideman gigs have been with meat and potatoes rockers. I mean, I'm sure I've posted this before, but:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fd6c6z2owak

I was concerned that the current Bruce drama would mean the end of his radio show, but it looks like he's got a show planned for the 24th - which I think is also the day he goes to court.

maybe he’ll do the show live from the courtroom 😂

Bruce and Obama are co-hosting a podcast where they talk about masculinity, dads, and America. It sounds cheesy as hell and I will be listening to all of it.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/22/arts/obama-springsteen-podcast-spotify.html?smid=tw-share

I already made my wife cry by playing the preview

Wow. That's going to be incredible. Two of the best, most compelling, most charismatic storytellers of all time.

i’ve only listened to about 20 min but its v good so far

2 eps are up already

lol I can imagine that podcast being a good listen but my initial reaction was the biggest OK BOOMER of all time.

Charges of DWI and reckless driving dropped; he pled guilty to drinking in a closed area and has to pay a fine. .02 BAC confirmed.

I listened to the first episode of the podcast and I have very mixed feelings about it but I'm trying not to overthink it.

What are your mixed feelings? Just curious.

“Mr. Springsteen is pleased with the outcome of today’s court appearance,” a statement from his rep reads. “The prosecutor was unable to provide the necessary evidence and facts as it related to the charge of Driving under the Influence (DUI) and Reckless Driving and therefore, dismissed both of those charges. Mr Springsteen, who has no previous criminal record of any kind, voluntarily plead guilty to a violation of consuming an alcoholic beverage in a closed area, agreeing to a fine of $500. We want to thank the Court and will have no further comment at this time.”

xp I like Bruce, I like his stories even though I've heard them all before, I like that he's making a genuine effort to actually talk about race. I sometimes find him a little self-satisfied these days, a little in love with the sound of his own voice and with the narratives that he's created about his life, but I can deal with that, because he's earned it imo and there are still genuine, charming moments when his natural weirdness still comes through.

You put him and Obama together, though, and Obama actually has a kind of similar vibe to me - that charming openness that goes only so far and no further, that glossy expertise in controlling the narrative and making it seem natural - and together they reinforce that quality in each other, where a good outside interviewer would have cut through it.

Or maybe it's just that it's a lot easier to let myself be charmed by Bruce Springsteen, rock star, than by a former president, even if he's a former president that I still like okay. That Bruce and Barack took a while to become friends because Bruce was shy, but then they got drunk together and sang show tunes, should be a really cute story, but I can't help bringing to it a whole bunch of preexisting attitudes about celebrity friendships and the policies of the Obama administration, along with the mental image of a script with "relatable!" and "humanizing!" scribbled in the margin.

That's why I said I'm trying not to overthink it - because overthinking it is clearly my natural instinct, and I do enjoy hearing Bruce's voice and his thoughts and stories.

it's definitely too important to Obama to be friends with celebrities. (i say as someone who used to love Obama and who learned not to love politicians from my intense disappointment with him during and after his presidency.)

he pled guilty to drinking in a closed area drunkenness on the edge of town

what is the closed area they speak of? a car?

the soul of a man who's seen it all, worked his fingers to the bone, and just can't catch a break

i would like the record to reflect that i was in the dumps with the mumps when along came those chumps with a little promise of some relief

You put him and Obama together, though, and Obama actually has a kind of similar vibe to me - that charming openness that goes only so far and no further, that glossy expertise in controlling the narrative and making it seem natural -

I just finished the new Cary Grant bio, in which the author reaches a similar conclusion and Grant himself acknowledged it when alive.

what is the closed area they speak of? a car?

― tobo73, Wednesday, February 24, 2021 11:28 AM (twenty-two minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

he was in a park that was closed at night iirc?

A national park where there's no alcohol allowed.

Parkness on the edge of town

Even if we're just drinkin' in the park

If the story about fans ambushing Bruce so they could offer him tequila is true, then I guess he is, indeed, easily found.

xp to Alfred:
"Everyone wants to be Cary Grant. Even I want to be Cary Grant." - Cary Grant

"People see you onstage and, yeah, I'd want to be that guy. I want to be that guy myself very often." - Bruce Springsteen

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

Free tequila, jump a little lighter
Free tequila, come sit by my fire

Okay, this one is good ^

Huh:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8AClJsbO6o

Isn’t that great? WXRT used to play it with some regularity in the ‘80s.

I’ve heard of Stanley Clarke but I’m afraid I am unfamiliar with this gentleman.

That's actually a brilliant idea - one wonders if it was inspired by Grandmaster Flash. I wish it eased off on the echo and the gimmicky effects.

(The idea being a hip-hop cover, that is a Black perspective, of a massively popular rock song about Vietnam vets.)

I keep having to stifle the instinct to duck to avoid being hit by one of those sprung bass strings.

Better sounding version here, because we all deserve it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgGtViqj-ps

Kinda wish their prior album was called "Fuck Around".

A+ post

haha wow that's really something

This thread went from "Bruce is an alcoholic who betrayed an auto corporation" to "Bruce took a shot with fans and Ranger Dick pulled him over."

Definitely scuttled whatever controversy the Jeep ad engendered! It's a multiple win for Bruce. Jeep ad goes away, NJ police look foolish busting the Boss for stupid reasons, and reaffirms his man of the people status in a way that no car commercial could ever do. I hope he writes a silly song about it.

The Jeep ad is back, fwiw

This thread went from "Bruce is an alcoholic who betrayed an auto corporation" to "Bruce took a shot with fans and Ranger Dick pulled him over."

Yup, I fucked up. In my defense, Bruce admits to lots of drunk and reckless driving in his memoir, and how often do rich famous white guys get busted for stuff and turn out to be innocent? Still, I definitely overreacted. This came out on the same day as the Joss Whedon allegations, and I think I was just on a general anger kick.

I wish they'd used this as an excuse to suppress the Jeep ad forever.

Has anyone advanced the theory that is was all an elaborate ruse timed to coincide with the launch of the Spotify podcast (the way they do when pop stars get engaged or something right before an album drops)?

This thread went from "Bruce is an alcoholic who betrayed an auto corporation" to "Bruce took a shot with fans and Ranger Dick pulled him over."

biggest surprise twist itt this week is: i'm not sure anymore who does my favorite version of 'born in the usa'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzbl6n7Mqjo