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Re: Springsteen
[Re: goombah]
#396168
05/27/07 01:17 PM
05/27/07 01:17 PM
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 6,762
Anytown, USA
goombah
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I couldn't find it on youtube, but I'm sure someone's got it. Here is the text, although it doesn't do justice to Bono's delivery, when he inducted Springsteen into the RR Hall of Fame in 1999:
"Bruce is a very unusual rock star, really, isn't he? I mean, he hasn't done the things most rock stars do. He got rich and famous, but never embarrassed himself with all that success, did he? No drug busts, no blood changes in Switzerland. Even more remarkable, no golfing! No bad hair period, even in the '80s. No wearing of dresses in videos. No embarrassing movie roles, no pet snakes, no monkeys. No exhibitions of his own paintings. No public brawling or setting himself on fire on the weekend.
Rock stars are supposed to make soap operas of their lives, aren't they? If they don't kill themselves first. Well, you can't be a big legend and not be dysfunctional. It's not allowed. You should at least have lost your looks. Everyone else has. Did you see them? (Points toward backstage area) It's like Madame Tussaud's back there.
Then there's Bruce Springsteen. (Cheers) Okay -- Ohhh!!! Handsome, handsome mother with those brooding brown eyes, eyes that could see through America. And a catastrophe of great songs, if you were another songwriter. Bruce has played every bar in the U.S.A., and every stadium. Credibility -- you couldn't have more, unless you were dead. But Bruce Springsteen, you always knew, was not gonna die stupid. He didn't buy the mythology that screwed so many people. Instead he created an alternative mythology, one where ordinary lives became extraordinary and heroic. Bruce Springsteen, you were familiar to us. But it's not an easy familiarity, is it? Even his band seems to stand taller when he walks in the room. It's complex. He's America's writer, and critic. It's like in Badlands, he's Martin Sheen and Terrence Malick. To be so accessible and so private...there's a rubric. But then again, he is an Irish-Italian, with a Jewish-sounding name. What more do you want?!?
Add one big African sax player, and no one in this room is gonna fuck with you!
In 1974, I was 14. Even I knew the '60s were over. It was the era of soft-rock and fusion. The Beatles were gone, Elvis was in Vegas. What was goin' on? Nothin' was goin' on. Bruce Springsteen was comin' on, saving music from the phonies, saving lyrics from the folkies, saving leather jackets from the Fonz. (Sings) "Now the greasers, they tramp the streets and get busted for sleeping on the beaches all night, and them boys in their high heels, ah Sandy, their skins are so white. Oh Sandy, love me tonight, and I promise I'll love you forever." In Dublin, Ireland, I knew what he was talking about. Here was a dude who carried himself like Brando, and Dylan, and Elvis. If John Steinbeck could sing, if Van Morrison could ride a Harley-Davidson...It was something new, too. He was the first whiff of Scorsese, the first hint of Patti Smith, Elvis Costello and the Clash. He was the end of long hair, brown rice and bell bottoms. He was the end of the 20-minute drum solo. It was good night, Haight-Ashbury; hello, Asbury Park. (Cheers) C'mon!
America was staggering when Springsteen appeared. The president just resigned in disgrace, the U.S. had lost its first war. There was going to be no more oil in the ground. The days of cruising and big cars were supposed to be over. But Bruce Springsteen's vision was bigger than a Honda, it was bigger than a Subaru. Bruce made you believe that dreams were still out there, but after loss and defeat, they had to be braver, not just bigger. He was singing "Now you're scared and you're thinking that maybe we ain't that young anymore," because it took guts to be romantic now. Knowing you could lose didn't mean you still didn't take the ride. In fact, it made taking the ride all the more important.
Here was a new vision, and a new community. More than a community, because every great rock group is kind of like starting a religion. And Bruce surrounded himself with fellow believers. The E Street -- it wasn't just a great rock group, or a street gang. It was a brotherhood. Zealots like Steve Van Zandt, the bishop Clarence Clemons, the holy Roy Bittan, crusaders Danny Federici, Max Weinberg, Garry Tallent, and later, Nils Lofgren. And Jon Landau, Jon Landau, Jon Landau, Jon Landau, Jon Landau. What do you call a man who makes his best friend his manager, his producer, his confessor? You call him the Boss. And Springsteen didn't just marry a gorgeous, red-headed woman from the Jersey Shore. She could sing, she could write, and she could tell the Boss off. That's Patty right there. (Points toward crowd)
For me and the rest of the U2-ers, it wasn't just the way he described the world. It was the way he negotiated it. It was a map, a book of instructions on how to be in the business but not of it. Generous is a word you could use to describe the way he treated us. Decency is another. But these words can box you in. I remember when Bruce was headlining Amnesty International's tour for prisoners of conscience, I remember thinking "Wow, if ever there was a prisoner of conscience, it's Bruce Springsteen." Integrity can be a yoke, a pain...when your songs are taking you to a part of town where people don't expect to see you.
At some point I remember riding in an elevator with gentleman Bruce, where he just stared straight ahead of himself, and completely ignored me. I was crushed. Only when he walked into the doors as they were opening, did I realize the impossible was happening. My God, Bruce Springsteen, the Buddha of my youth, is plastered! Drunk as a skunk! Pissed as a fart! I have to go back to the book of instructions, scratch the bit out about how you held yourself in public. By the way, that was a great relief.
Something was going on, though. As a fan I could see that my hero was beginning to rebel against his own public image. Things got even more interesting on Tunnel of Love, when he started to deface it. A remarkable bunch of tunes, where our leader starts having a go at himself, and the hypocrisy of his own heart, before anyone else could. But the tabloids could never break news on Bruce Springsteen. Because his fans -- he had already told us everything in the songs. We knew he was spinning. We could feel him free-falling. But it wasn't in chaos or entropy. It was in love.
They call him the Boss. Well that's a bunch of crap. He's not the boss. He works FOR us. More than a boss, he's the owner, because more than anyone else, Bruce Springsteen owns America's heart."
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Re: Springsteen
[Re: goombah]
#396169
05/27/07 01:17 PM
05/27/07 01:17 PM
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 6,762
Anytown, USA
goombah
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Anytown, USA
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[quote=goombah]
Bono's delivery, when he inducted Springsteen into the RR Hall of Fame in 1999:
Something was going on, though. As a fan I could see that my hero was beginning to rebel against his own public image. Things got even more interesting on Tunnel of Love, when he started to deface it. A remarkable bunch of tunes, where our leader starts having a go at himself, and the hypocrisy of his own heart, before anyone else could. But the tabloids could never break news on Bruce Springsteen. Because his fans -- he had already told us everything in the songs. We knew he was spinning. We could feel him free-falling. But it wasn't in chaos or entropy. It was in love. ICE: Here in lies the central topic of Bruce: Born in the USA and Tunnel of Love albums. Why did he break form and produce two albums that are more classified in the "pop" sections? Despite the fact that Born in the USA is one of the most popular albums in the history of modern radio, Bruce always spoke against it and called it his least favorite. Tunnel of Love would of course fall in the same category. But I don't buy that, Bruce. You wanted to experiment with different sounds and these albums offered you the chance to do that. I posted several songs from each of these albums b/c as a Bruce fan I feel that they are as important as Born to Run or Thunder Road. One Step Up, Brilliant Disguise, Born in the USA, etc, are favorite Bruce tunes of mine and always will be. I consider myself to have "diverse" interests in music(As I think most of us do) and these songs helped diversify Bruce and make him the God that he is.
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Re: Springsteen
[Re: goombah]
#396170
05/27/07 01:18 PM
05/27/07 01:18 PM
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 6,762
Anytown, USA
goombah
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There is a great book by Dave Marsh called "Glory Days" that deals extensively with Bruce from "The River" through the BITUSA tour. It ends before "Tunnel of Love" was released.
A short summary:
Springsteen "broke" through with a Top 10 hit in 1980 with "Hungry Heart." He had experienced some commercial success before with "Born to Run," but was still had a large cult following until 1978-80. Had Bruce been going for the quick buck and only been interested in commercial success, he could have released a similar sounding follow-up to "The River." Instead, Bruce released "Nebraska," an all acoustic, sparse account of songs dealing with extraordinary difficult times. The songs were recorded on a 4 track and the demos were released as the actual album after Bruce was not satisfied with the recordings attempted with the E Street Band. Each time they played a song, it lost the intimacy of the original demo. So his friend and bandmate, Steve Van Zandt, suggested releasing the demos as the actual record.
During the same period, Bruce wrote a bunch of other songs, many of which ended up being released on BITUSA. But the title track of what would become BITUSA (released on the box set "Tracks" in 1998) was written acoustically. The original BITUSA came off sounding like a protest song. Bruce always liked the lyrics, but decided to try a rock arrangement. The 2nd take of the song BITUSA was the beginning of his next album, and the rest, they say, is history.
Bruce was very ambivalent about releasing BITUSA because it contained songs that were more commercial sounding than anything he had done to that point ("Cover Me," "I'm On Fire" particularly). He also wrote a bunch of great songs that ended up not making the released version of BITUSA: "Pink Cadillac," "Janey Don't You Lose Heart," "Murder Incorporated," and "Follow That Dream." In all, Bruce recorded sixty songs for BITUSA - only twelve made the final cut.
When the album was nearing completion, Bruce's manager insisted that the album needed a sure-fire hit single. After an angry exchange between the two, Bruce told his manager to write a new song because he had already written enough material. But Bruce went home that night and came back to the studio the next day with "Dancing in the Dark." It was the album's first single and his highest charting song.
"Dancing" catapulted Bruce to superstardom as the single took off and went to #2 on the charts. Six more singles were released and all were in the Top 10. The BITUSA tour, which competed against the Jackson Family's tour, sold out everywhere and tickets for Bruce were significantly more affordable than the Jacksons.
Bruce toured for a year and a half throughout the world. Some of his core audience did not like 12 year old girls coming to the show. It was a difficult adjustment that kids would come to see Bruce based solely on his MTV videos. But Bruce put on some of his most energetic and fantastic shows during that tour. He was everywhere: on MTV, in the We are the World recording, and on the radio constantly. Politicians tried to solicit his support from both the right (Mondale) and the left (Reagan). He was on ABC News and constantly on the cover of Rolling Stone.
After the BITUSA tour, Bruce sought to reign in his iconic image. Years later, Bruce said he was glad to leave behind that period, in which he wore a bandana and displayed his muscular build.
"Tunnel of Love" dealt with adult topics such as marriage and family, a big departure from his previous songs of adventure, cars, and girls. The sound on "Tunnel" is much quieter than BITUSA and the E Street Band's contributions to the record are significantly less. He toured behind the album, but not until a full 6 months after its release. Instead of having Clarence Clemons as his onstage foil, his new girlfriend Patti, also a member of the E Street Band, was his main stage mate. It made sense - the songs were about relationships between men and women, but it confused some of his audience and his bandmates.
Bruce still put on 4 hour shows during the "Tunnel" tour, but he eschewed some of his concert staples: "Badlands," "Thunder Road," "No Surrender." Even "Born to Run" was played acoustically with only a guitar and harmonica.
Bruce may say BITUSA is his least favorite, but it's what got me hooked in the first place. I was 13 years old when it was released and have been a fan ever since. For me, BITUSA ranks with "Darkness on the Edge of Town" as his best album. He still plays many of its songs in his concerts today: "Born in the USA," "Dancing in the Dark," "No Surrender," "Darlington County," and "Glory Days." To me, the album is poppy, but it's still a great record. There's not one song I ever skip when listening. The songs don't sound dated because they are pop songs, which I think is the mark of great music.
"Tunnel" is also a 5 star album IMO. It's best moments are "Tougher than the Rest," "Ain't Got You," "Tunnel," "Brilliant Disguise," "Spare Parts."
I agree Ice - Bruce experimented a bit with both albums. I feel that his biggest experimentation in terms of sound was "The Rising" record. The rich textures, the searing guitars, violin, etc. make it a great album and is a musical departure from his other works. On top of all that, most of the record dealt with 9/11 and its aftermath, which lead to some very emotional lyrics.
My faves in order:
BITUSA and Darkness on the Edge of Town (tie)
Born to Run
The River
Tunnel of Love
The Rising
Nebraska
I guess this could have warranted its own thread...
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Re: Springsteen
[Re: goombah]
#396172
05/27/07 01:24 PM
05/27/07 01:24 PM
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 6,762
Anytown, USA
goombah
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Songs like Streets of Philadelphia and the sort are NOT my type of tunes. Tunnel of Love was still vintage Bruce, though. I guess since I grew up w/ Born in the USA I will always have fondness to that group of songs. Tunnel of Love represented an emotional "coming-down" of sorts for him. He and his wife were going through a split when he wrote most of the album. My tentative top 11 would be...1.I'm going down 2.Spirit in the Night 3.My Hometown 4.Thunder Road 5.Hungry Heart 6.Growing Up 7.Rosalita 8.Born to Run 9.Fire 10.The River 11.Brilliant Disguise Of course, the list is dependant on my mood for that particular day. A song like Born in the USA is too great for any kind of list. It's an immortal song that will live forever, ala Beatles Twist and Shout. But like you, I pretty much love ALL Bruce. I hope to see him in concert as he is going as strong as ever. His new album releases are always an anticipated event. And you're right, we could DEFINITELY have a BRUCE thread. Just ask JG.  Thnx for the insightful info, keep it coming!  I'm going down LIVE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbfBoWZv0oMTHIS might be the best video on youtube.  I'm going down LIVEhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FuBEiJ9H6Y&mode=related&search=Only 1:04. Why must the Youtube Gods torture me.  [/quote]
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Re: Springsteen
[Re: Anthony Lombardi]
#396288
05/28/07 08:26 AM
05/28/07 08:26 AM
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 6,762
Anytown, USA
goombah
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Great point, Anthony Lombardi. Bruce has played a few of Neil's Bridge Benefit concerts. One of the more famous moments was Bruce's "Fire" which was later released as an official video on MTV. Care to elaborate why you like Nebraska the best? I'm always interested in hearing other perspectives as to why a certain record is their favorite, etc. I think it's a great album and it took a lot of guts to release it in 1982, when Bruce had already broken through commercially with "Hungry Heart" as a successful single on the previous album. I think the record is a defining moment in Springsteen's career. Bruce did not tour or do anything to promote Nebraska. In fact, MTV was in its infancy in 1982 and Bruce released a video for "Atlantic City," but Bruce himself never appeared in the video.
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Re: Springsteen
[Re: goombah]
#396434
05/28/07 09:38 PM
05/28/07 09:38 PM
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 5,316
east coast
Anthony Lombardi
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 5,316
east coast
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nebraska is my favorite springsteen album because of the subtlety involved with the record; alot of his music is melodramatic, very produced - not slick, but gigantic in sound. i don't for a minute mean that in a demeaning way either - the entire point to records like born to run is to blow it up, to romanticize the struggle of everyday life. the thunderous sound of his records - complete with spectoresque arrangements - is really effective, undercutting pretense by being flat out dangerous & real, evoking urban & suburban strife alike. however, the hopeless spell of nebraska really strikes a personal vein with me, & the tales of make-it or break-it small time criminals & everyday people at the end of their rope really resonates with me, & always has. even to this day, i put that record on with a pair of headphones, lay on my bed & just envelope myself in the world he creates. i mentioned in the dylan thread that restraint is a major theme that attracts me to music, & saying more with less & conjuring up the heartfelt grief & loss, that sense of desperation with just an acoustic guitar, a harmonica & vocals really hits me close to home. i've always said nebraska is an album easier to admire & respect than to love - to turn out such a blatantly uncommercial record that's so cemented in being stark at such a pivotal moment in his career took guts, which is one thing you could never strip away from bruce.
the power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it. george bernard shaw
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Re: Springsteen
[Re: Anthony Lombardi]
#396557
05/29/07 11:37 AM
05/29/07 11:37 AM
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 6,762
Anytown, USA
goombah
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Great description - thanks! I've heard that from others - it's hard to "enjoy" Nebraska, because of its dark content and mood, but it's nearly impossible not to respect and appreciate it.
For Nebraska, Bruce stripped everything away except the details of his lyrics, combined with his acoustic guitar, quiet vocals & harmonica. Not a single drum, sax, or piano/keyboard on the entire record. All of the optimism and romanticism of his earlier records are gone. Nebraska is like the most despondent moment from Darkness on the Edge of Town times 1000.
Bruce never intended to release Nebraska from the original demos he cut. But every time he tried recording songs with the band, the intimacy of the original demos was lost. Simply singing louder is necessary when there are drums. I can't remember if it was Steve Van Zandt or Jon Landau who suggested that Bruce stop trying to tinker with the demos and just release them. But I always found it interesting that in his live shows, Bruce played "Atlantic City" as a full rock song. In 2003, Bruce started playing "Johnny 99" as a rockabilly.
You can hear the anguish in Bruce's voice during "Used Cars," recounting bitterly the poor days of his youth. The sarcasm of "Reason to Believe" and the haunting voice in which he sings "My Father's House" are unbelievable. My favorite song is "Highway Patrolman" because of the storyline told in the lyrics. The listener gets a glimpse into the life of patrolman Joe Roberts and his criminal of a brother Frank.
I find it just as interesting as to the songs Bruce did not include on Nebraska that were in a similar style: "Shut out the Lights" was written about Ron Kovek, the author of the book (and later Tom Cruise movie) called "Born on the Fourth of July." There was also a song about a farmer being destroyed economically and spiritually called "Sugarland."
Bruce also wrote a good deal of what would become Born in the USA during the same period that Nebraska was coming together: the title track, Working on the Highway, My Hometown, Follow That Dream, and Downbound Train.
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Re: Springsteen
[Re: goombah]
#396937
05/30/07 11:59 PM
05/30/07 11:59 PM
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 2,474
Ice
Underboss
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Underboss
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 2,474
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That's great info on the always interesting Nebraska album. His style really took an interesting turn with that one. And I love how he'll play some of his songs with more than one style, as you said with Atlantic City and Johnny 99. The slow version of Born in the USA is haunting. One of fav Bruce songs is Spirit in the Night. It's a song that gives me feelings of EXTREME gloom and EXTREME glee at the same time. My emotions enter a cathartic like state where I'm not too high but not too low. My feelings lie right in the middle of happy/sad. It's a very hypnotizing song. It's one of those tunes that makes life worth living. During a semester of college I set my alarm clock to play it and would wake up to it every morning! Thnx for posting my videos, Goomby! I sure like them! Can't forget this one, though: ThunderRoad LIVE 1976http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KngiJUNdsu0Simply the best! He's sooo funny in this too. What an entertainer! 
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Re: Springsteen
[Re: Yogi Barrabbas]
#397118
05/31/07 07:17 PM
05/31/07 07:17 PM
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Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 839
Elmwood Park, Illinois
YoTonyB
Neighborhood Guy
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Neighborhood Guy
Underboss
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Elmwood Park, Illinois
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Hard to pick an all time favorite album, but Born to Run would be one of those albums I'd choose if I were stranded on a desert island and could only have a handful of CD's to listen to.
I always felt that Born to Run might be the best collection of eight songs ever assembled on one album with seven excellent songs overshadowed by the overwhelming success of the eighth song, the title track. Recite the song titles, in order, out loud. There is a rhythm and tempo that goes with that song order that you can't match if you put them in any other order. And the way they flow when you listen to them in order...even better on compact disc since you don't have the natural break between album sides. Moreover, having listened to a lifetime of Phil Spector-produced albums, I don't think Spector could have captured his "wall of sound" as accurately and faithfully as Landau did for Springsteen on this album.
During the opening bridge on Backstreets, don't you eventually find yourself singing the words "...in the darkness on the edge of town..."
When I hear Meeting Across the River, I have a Tom Waits moment as I listen to Springsteen's story about a misguided kid trying to experience his perverse idea of a grown-up business deal and sucking his friend down with him.
I agree with Yogi...Springsteen is consistently good...I just happen to enjoy Born to Run more than anything else he's recorded.
tony b.
Tom Waits for no man...
Last edited by YoTonyB; 05/31/07 07:18 PM.
"Kid, these are my f**kin' work clothes."
"You look good in them golf shoes. You should buy 'em"
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Re: Springsteen
[Re: YoTonyB]
#397120
05/31/07 08:09 PM
05/31/07 08:09 PM
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 6,762
Anytown, USA
goombah
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YoTony B - I would imagine, given your love of Born to Run, that you've either seen/purchased the 30th anniversary set with the concert from Hammersmith, Odeon? That is a really neat package with the "making of Born to Run" dvd. I once read a review of the album that "Thunder Road" was like waking up in the Springsteen story at the early sunrise and that the album's closing song, "Jungleland," makes the listener feel like it is midnight. Like you said, it's extremely difficult to rank one of his records over another. As my post above states, I like Darkness and Born in the USA the most. Here are my reasons for Darkness: This record, to me, legitimized Bruce Springsteen's place in rock history. Before this record, and through Born to Run, Bruce Springsteen and the word 'hype' were often said in the same sentence. Bruce was often referred to as "the new Dylan." His future manager, Jon Landau, once wrote a review of the Wild & Innocent and described Bruce as the "rock and roll future." All of these adjectives and expectations led to a lot of pressure and some backlash. The success Bruce had during the Born to Run time was not what he expected and it left him feeling unfulfilled. From the time Bruce released Born to Run in 1975 to the time Darkness came out in 1978, many changes occurred in Bruce's life. He and his first manager, Mike Appel, became entangled in a nasty lawsuit over who owned Bruce's music. After a bitter battle, Bruce was no longer the idealistic kid he was until Born to Run. Bruce emerged wiser, more cautious, but determined to rise or fall on his own merits. He once said that after all the hype and negative experiences he had after Born to Run, he wanted his next record to just appear in record stores one day and not be promoted at all. Darkness on the Edge of Town and its accompanying tour were a watershed in Bruce's career. His new songs no longer were about abstract stories or idealism. They focused on a new found maturity and the every day struggles that Bruce found to be heroic in their own right. He toured for nearly 18 months in support of the album and played some of the most legendary shows in rock history. It was almost unheard of if Bruce didn't play for 3.5 hours and played a varied setlist from night to night. He'd open with cover songs of old rock classics one night and then "Badlands" the next. Perhaps the most defiant song he ever wrote opens the album: "Badlands." Themes about missed opportunities or how life can grind you down (if you let it) were in songs like "Racing in the Street," "Streets of Fire," and "Darkness on the Edge of Town." On Darkness, Bruce isn't writing about the Mary of "Thunder Road," but the bitter girl in "Racing in the Streets" who 'hates for just being born.' As bleak as some of these songs seem, there was also some optimism and reflection in songs like "Promised Land," "Factory," "Prove It All Night," and "Candy's Room." The album is filled with searing guitar & sax solos. It is Springsteen's most "rock-n-roll" album to that point in his career. Again, going back to how prolific a songwriter Bruce is, here are some of the songs not included on Darkness that other artists probably would have centered an album around: "Fire," "Rendezvous," "The Fever," "Because the Night," and "The Promise." I could go on and on, but those are my initial thoughts about this masterpiece. Here is the Rolling Stone 5 star review of Darkness:
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Re: Springsteen
[Re: goombah]
#409403
07/02/07 11:36 AM
07/02/07 11:36 AM
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 6,762
Anytown, USA
goombah
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EDIT: My sources for any reviews include published works by authors Robert Hilburn and Dave Marsh, along with Backstreets magazine.
Album Review: Born in the USA 5 out of 5 stars
Released June 4, 1984, Born in the USA catapulted Bruce Springsteen to superstardom. It remains the biggest selling album in the history of Columbia Records. More than 15 million units were sold in the United States and the album produced seven Top 10 singles.
Born in the USA is somewhat of a departure for Springsteen in the sense that it was a commercial and radio-friendly collection of songs, with no song longer than five minutes. The album consists of twelve songs recorded between 1982 and 1984, a time in which Bruce sifted through over 60 songs before the final track listing was issued. About half of what would become Born in the USA was written and recorded during the time Springsteen released his previous record, 1982’s Nebraska. These sessions yielded the title track, Working on the Highway, I’m Goin’ Down, Glory Days, and My Hometown. Darlington County was actually written even earlier, dating back to 1978.
Since we have become a compact disc society, it is difficult for some to remember that albums and cassettes had two sides of recordings. Side One of Born in the USA is primarily focused on detailed storytelling and specific characters: the veteran in “Born in the USA,” the protagonist and Wayne in “Darlington County,” and Joe from “Downbound Train.” The man from “Born in the USA” is the same character from “Darkness on the Edge of Town,” someone who has lost everything important in his life and who is having a difficult time adjusting after his return from Vietnam:
I’m ten years burning down the road
Got nowhere to run
I ain’t got nowhere to go
The song “Born in the USA” is probably one of the most misinterpreted songs of the past thirty years. The song has a bombastic drum beat and a repeated chorus of “Born in the USA, ” which lead some listeners to believe it was a feel-good patriotic jingle. Casual listeners disregarded the downtrodden lyrics. In fact, Ronald Reagan even tried to co-opt Springsteen’s support by mentioning Bruce at a 1984 campaign stop:
"America's future rests in a thousand dreams inside your hearts; it rests in the message of hope in songs so many young Americans admire: New Jersey's own Bruce Springsteen. And helping you make those dreams come true is what this job of mine is all about."
Springsteen himself was not as politically vocal at the time as he would become in the future. His only public response was at a 1984 concert in Pittsburgh:
“The President was mentioning my name the other day, and I kinda got to wondering what his favorite album must have been. I don't think it was the Nebraska album. I don't think he's been listening to this one." Bruce tore into “Johnny 99,” a story about an unemployed autoplant worker who commits murder and is sentenced to 99 years in jail.
After “Born in the USA” came three toe-tapping rockers: “Cover Me,” “Darlington County,” and “Working on the Highway.” The closing songs of Side One were quieter in tone, with the beautiful “Downbound Train” and “I’m on Fire,” a song about pent up sexual frustration.
Side Two opens with another one of Springsteen’s anthems: “No Surrender.” “Bobby Jean” was written about the departure of Steve Van Zandt from the E Street Band and the friendship that Bruce & Steve had cultivated since their teenage years. The future Mr. Silvio Dante would reemerge in Bruce’s band in the late 1990s and on the small screen as Tony Soprano’s consigliere.
There is not a bad song on the album, but the stretch of “No Surrender,” “Bobby Jean,” “I’m Goin’ Down,” “Glory Days,” and “Dancing in the Dark” comprise one of the best sides of music on any record.
“Dancing in the Dark” was the last song added to the record, but was the album’s first single and Bruce’s highest charting song, reaching #2 on the charts. It was written after an argument between Bruce and his manager, Jon Landau. The recording sessions had lasted nearly two years and Springsteen was ready to put the record out. But Landau felt it was lacking a “unifying song” that would demonstrate to listeners where Bruce Springsteen was lyrically and musically in 1984. The two had a heated verbal exchange and Springsteen reportedly said, “If you want another one, you write the damn song.”
But Bruce went home that night and picked up his acoustic guitar. He wrote the entire song that evening and recorded it the next day with the band. Landau played it for Columbia Records soon thereafter. One of the record execs asked Landau what the song was called. Landau responded, “it’s called ‘the first single.’”
As great as this record turned out to be, here are some other prominent songs that Springsteen left off of Born in the USA: Pink Cadillac, Stand On It, Murder Inc, Janey Don’t You Lose Heart, This Hard Land, My Love Will Not Let You Down, and Frankie. Some of these songs were later released on other compilations or as B-side singles.
Springsteen sustained his position in rock history after the tidal wave of success that Born in the USA became. He didn’t become a recluse or a continual tabloid posterboy like Michael Jackson, who was going through the peak of his popularity at the same time as Bruce. While Springsteen never again approached the enormous sales again in his career, he remains a top draw in the music business today. His Greatest Hits, Tunnel of Love, Live 1975-85, and The Rising records all debuted at the #1 spot on the album charts. He reunited the E Street Band in 1999 for an enormously successful tour that lasted midway into 2000. Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 20001, Springsteen was the first artist to release an album, The Rising, that responded directly to the events of that day and its aftermath.
Last edited by goombah; 07/10/07 08:02 AM.
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Re: Springsteen
[Re: goombah]
#409565
07/02/07 01:32 PM
07/02/07 01:32 PM
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 2,474
Ice
Underboss
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Underboss
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 2,474
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One of fav Bruce songs is Spirit in the Night. It's a song that gives me feelings of EXTREME gloom and EXTREME glee at the same time. My emotions enter a cathartic like state where I'm not too high but not too low. My feelings lie right in the middle of happy/sad. It's a very hypnotizing song. It's one of those tunes that makes life worth living. During a semester of college I set my alarm clock to play it and would wake up to it every morning!
Here's a cpl of vintage performances I found of this song that were recently added. Spirit In The Night LIVE 781.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Mi0g9JMo14&mode=related&search=2.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDHmWjLBHic
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Re: Springsteen
[Re: klydon1]
#410111
07/03/07 12:06 PM
07/03/07 12:06 PM
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 6,762
Anytown, USA
goombah
OP
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OP
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 6,762
Anytown, USA
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I bought the Born in the USA cassette in 1985, and between moves and the years, I lost it. A couple of weeks ago I was at a church festival that had a flea market. I was walking through the aisles with my daughter, and because it was the last night and getting late, they said if you see anything you like, just take it. There I saw the old Born in the USA cassette along with the River. It was like reuniting with an old friend.
That's cool, Klydon - funny how stuff like that sometimes works out. I still have all of the Bruce stuff on vinyl up until the Live 1975-85 album. There's something still very nostalgic about an old cassette or record, minus the poorer sound. In even more useless trivia, Born in the USA was the first cd Columbia ever released. It's still around, but nowhere near as great as it used to be, in Cleveland - a fantastic radio station called WMMS 100.7. A DJ named Kid Leo, famous in the 70s and 80s, was a huge Springsteen supporter. He used to get advance airings of his releases and play a lot of rare stuff. Not only was Springsteen on the airwaves with the BITUSA material from 1984-85, his songs like "Trapped" from We are the World, "Light of Day" sung by Joan Jett, and "Pink Cadillac" were always on the Cleveland airwaves during that timeframe.
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Re: Springsteen
[Re: bogey]
#430475
09/01/07 03:25 AM
09/01/07 03:25 AM
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Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 31,285
New Jersey, USA
J Geoff
The Don
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The Don
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 31,285
New Jersey, USA
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And I think Bogz said she wanted to see him in Jersey... right?
I studied Italian for 2 semesters. Not once was a "C" pronounced as a "G", and never was a trailing "I" ignored! And I'm from Jersey!  lol Whaddaya want me to do? Whack a guy? Off a guy? Whack off a guy? --Peter Griffin My DVDs | Facebook | Godfather Filming Locations
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Re: Springsteen
[Re: Yogi Barrabbas]
#447288
10/31/07 11:56 AM
10/31/07 11:56 AM
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 6,762
Anytown, USA
goombah
OP
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OP
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 6,762
Anytown, USA
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Has anyone here gone to a show on the current tour? I'm going to the Cleveland show on November 4th and looking forward to it. I read that it's a good mix of old and new material. There are clips from recent shows on Bruce's website. Setlists are also available, with more detail, at Backstreets.com. It says Bruce came out for his Oct 30th concert in a coffin, much like he did in a 1978 Halloween performance.  I like the new cd, Magic, for the most part. Anybody else have it? Definitely a return to the sound utilized so well from the periods of Born to Run through The River, without sounding nostalgic. In other words, lots of guitars, sax, and harmonica.
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