Am embarking on a new project, listening to all of Bruce Springsteen's albums in order of issue. Have never paid much attention to the early studio albums, knowing most of the songs only from live versions, so a bit of a voyage of discovery for me. Hopefully Lucky Town and Working on a Dream will turn out to be pleasant surprises when I get to them.
Two down. Already much more like the finished article and some live favourites in the bag. Next up is Born To Run, where he really has hit his stride.
Bruce gets off the bus at 82nd Street, buys a car (probably a Camaro - whatever they are) and picks up his girl from her house. Thunder Road is his best ever song, I'll hear no argument; title track is the ultimate rock and roll catharsis and Jungleland is a movie in song. Even the lesser known tracks would stand out on any of his other albums. BUT...not my favourite album, that comes next, Darkness On the Edge of Town (right, time for a lie down)
Maybe Prefab Sprout's 'Cars and Girls' wasn't an uninformed attack on one of rock's greatest artists. Perhaps instead Paddy McAloon was reflecting on Darkness on the Edge of Town, where Bruce acknowledges that some things do indeed hurt more than cars and girls. His protagonists have to go out to work and find that it isn't always easy. The automobiles and women provide a distraction from the daily grind at the Factory as they go Racing in the Streets of Fire to escape after work. Perfect.
So Bruce thinks, 'If I'm gonna do 3+hour shows I need some nailed on rockers and measured, introspective pieces to see me through. Just so I've got enough I'll do a double album'. This is the last of 3 albums that I've never owned, so I don't know it well in its entirety. It sets the pattern for the next 2 (Nebraska - Introspection and Born in the USA - Rockers). For me, the live version (on '1975-1985') of the title track where he introduces it by recounting how he failed his army medical and his father's subsequent relief is definitive, making full use of the opening harmonica solo. Not a dry eye in the house. One last thing, 'The Price You Pay', he must have really liked 'The Promised Land' from Darkness cos he seems to have just recorded it again.
1982It's a quiet Friday afternoon. No meetings, so let's crack on! Recorded in his bedroom apparently. If so I think we can be sure that at this stage of his career he probably had decent enoungh equipment even there. Personal faves are Atlantic City and Johnny 99. Highway Patrolman is a tune with a tale, but will not be featuring on the Graham Norton radio show any time soon. I remember also the gratifying use of State Trooper over the closing credits of a Sopranos Episode. Cheer up Bruce!
1984I hardly ever listen to Born in the USA. There always seems to be a better option, and yet...there is not a bad song on here. It's over-produced and therefore a bit clinical to my ears. Maybe he was overcompensating for Nebraska. Revelation to me on this hearing? Downbound Train. Lesser known but a great song. It sealed his reputation I think, possibly unfairly (our old friend Paddy McAloon probably only ever listened to this album (cf Darkness on the Edge of Town)). After this he certainly drew back from the big sounds and stadium rockers for a while...and lost that stupid headband.
Tunnel of Love was the first of Bruce's albums that I bought around the time of release, probably in HMV in Sunderland and as part of a deal that icluded the purchase of the 75-85 live boxed set. Honourable mention at this time goes to John Atkinson who, in between playing Talking Heads and Donald Fagan on constant rotation in our chilly student house on Eden Vale, introduced me to the transformative power of Mr Springsteen. This is his most personal album, informed by the breakup of his first marriage. Standouts are Spare Parts, tragedy and redemption dealt with in about 3 verses, the ultra-extended metaphor of the title track, Walk Like a Man and Valentine's Day. I'll not be bothering with the live compilation on my Brucathon, but lest we forget, of the tracks not featured on previous studio albums I would rate Because the Night, Seeds and War as my faves.
Bruce accompanied me on my 5K run this morning and I did it in a best ever sub-29 minutes. I expressed doubt about Lucky Town at the start of the Brucathon, but my judgement was clearly clouded by its sister album, Human Touch. Bruce reputedly always records far more than he needs and then trims it down to the final album. This time he just released two albums and hang the quality control. Most of the good stuff is on this one and I particularly like Lucky Town itself, a good headlong rocker. The coordinating cover artwork on both albums is nice too.
1992Confirms my theory that Lucky Town got the best of the double-release approach. It's all a bit Bruce-by-numbers really and there are some genuine mis-steps (57 Channels) along the way. He rallies toward the end, I love Man's Job and I Wish I Were Blind. Real Man sounds like Huey Lewis and the News, nothing against them, but it's not really Bruce's style. At the last he descends into nursery rhyme with the bewildering Pony Boy. Still like the cover art though. Tom Joad next. Gulp!
1995The one and only time Judith has seen Bruce Springsteen live was at the Brixton Academy when he was promoting this album with a solo acoustic tour. It was not for the Bruce novice, she fell asleep and has never been back. And you know what, she has a point. At risk of creating an Emperor's new clothes moment, I don't think this is all that great. To me it sits alongside his other two mumbly albums Nebraska and Devils and Dust, and I like both of them more. The title track and Youngstown are good, but I prefer the beefed up live versions (and yes, the Tom Morello collaboration of the former on High Hopes). My music teacher, Mr Ennis, used to tell us to open our mouths when we sing. Good advice.
2002On to The Rising. My younger son S. was born in July 2003. We were on holiday in Weymouth at the time and J. should have had two weeks to go. She spent the rest of the week in Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester and I travelled the 20 minute drive between our holiday cottage and there on a regular basis. In the car I had two tapes, The Rising and Best by S Club 7. Both uplifting albums (there ain't no party like an S Club Party) but it is the Rising that reminds me most of that journey. Nothing Man contains the lyric 'You want courage, I'll show you courage you can't understand'. That pretty much summed up the way I felt J. was coping with the situation. This was his response to the 11th September attacks on the world trade centre and contains superb songs on loss (Nothing Man and You're Missing) and joyous defiance (The Rising and Waiting on a Sunny Day) and in the case of the closing My City of Ruins, both in one go. At the same time he topped up his supply of crowd pleasing stadium stompers. In my recent 12 albums on Facebook that have stayed with me, this was my Springsteen choice. Now you know why. Magnificent.
2005In my Tom Joad post I grouped this with that album and Nebraska. This has better tunes than Tom Joad and is a much easier listen. He embraces some country-stylings on 'Long Time Coming' and 'Maria's Bed', the production is lusher and he generally sings better on it (not sure about the falsetto on 'All I'm Thinkin' About' though, could've done with a Strepsil). In comparison with Nebraska, it doesn't have the same depth of storytelling. Probably more for the completist than the casual Brucophile but a pleasingly low-key and varied album nevertheless. Into the home stretch now, just Magic (good), Working on a Dream (perhaps i'll be surprised), Wrecking Ball (Outstanding) and High Hopes (new) to go.
2007About as close to a 'standard' Springsteen record that you'll get.By which I mean it's packed with above average rock songs. 'Radio Nowhere' is as good as anything on Born in the USA.' I'll Work For Your Love' drives forward with real purpose and even the wife likes 'Girls in Their Summer Clothes'. Even the more humdrum 'Last to Die' is worth its place. Clarence Clemons is on top form throughout. My CD version contains a touching tribute to his friend Terry Magovern as a bonus track, When They Built You Brother, They Broke the Mold.
2009OK. Lets get this over with. You can probably guess that I'm going to claim that it's not as bad as anticipated, and it's not. Where I said that Magic was a standard Bruce record, meaning above average, this is sub-standard, meaning average. It's patchy and stylistically all over the place. 'Outlaw Pete' is catchy enough, but the lyrics are stupid. There is whistling on the title track. 'This Life' appears to be by the East Street Lounge Band and by the time he gets to 'Tomorrow Never Knows' he's reworking the theme to The Littlest Hobo. 'Surprise Surprise' is a breezy number with too much reliance on the rhyming dictionary. I like the bonus track, 'The Wrestler', which adds a touch of melancholy. However, I can forgive him this, given that he came right back with the mighty Wrecking Ball.
2012There has been a banking crisis and Bruce is as mad as hell about it. It seems global crises bring out the best in him as evidenced by The Rising and 9-11. He's learned his folk/protest songs lessons well from the Seeger Sessions. It opens with 'We Take Care of Our Own', which revisits the ambiguous messages of pride and criticism of his country that featured in Born in the USA. It does ruin it for you slightly if someone mentions that it sounds like 'Life of Reilly' by the Lightning Seeds. Throughout there are two themes, anger at the 'greedy thieves' who have brought the world to its knees and hope and belief that we'll all pull through. Given that he's as rich as Croesus, it's a smart trick to convince that you hate the money men and want to 'shoot the b*****s on sight'. It's also a long way from the young man who burst forth on Born to Run all those years ago. For me the stand out tracks would be 'Wrecking Ball' itself, 'Death to my Hometown' and 'Land of Hope and Dreams'. 'Rocky Ground' draws on gospel inluences, a regular feature of the live shows and also features (gasp!) a rap. 'You've Got It' is probably the weakest song, if only because it strays from the a folky sound of the rest of the record. Nearly there now, one more to go.
2014and now, the end is nigh...Despite the title there is no Sinatra influence here. He kicks off with the title track in which the intro resembles Steve Winwood's higher love. Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine is much in evidence doing his guitar strangling riffs. I've always liked American Skin from the live versions I've heard. The reworking of Tom Joad works for me, I think it needs a bit of force behind it. Now...who's next?
ONE LAST THING
So, one last thing to do before I close the book on Springsteen for now. My Bruce First XI:
Safe Pair of Hands: Thunder Road (Born to Run)
Mercurial Full Backs: Radio Nowhere (Magic) and The Rising (The Rising)
Tough Tackling Centre Backs: You're Missing (The Rising) and Spare Parts (Tunnel of Love)
Midfield Playmakers: Badlands (Darkness) and Born to Run (Born to Run)
Wide Players: Johnny 99 (Nebraska) and Valentine's Day (Tunnel of Love)
Surefire Matchwinners: Death to My Hometown (Wrecking Ball) and Lucky Town (Lucky Town)
On the bench:
Jungleland (Born to Run)
Streets of Fire (Darkness)
The River (The River)
Glory Days (Born in the USA)
My City of Ruins (The Rising)
Transfer List:
Pony Boy (Human Touch)
Outlaw Pete (Working on a Dream)
57 Channels and Nothin' on (Human Touch)
Safe Pair of Hands: Thunder Road (Born to Run)
Mercurial Full Backs: Radio Nowhere (Magic) and The Rising (The Rising)
Tough Tackling Centre Backs: You're Missing (The Rising) and Spare Parts (Tunnel of Love)
Midfield Playmakers: Badlands (Darkness) and Born to Run (Born to Run)
Wide Players: Johnny 99 (Nebraska) and Valentine's Day (Tunnel of Love)
Surefire Matchwinners: Death to My Hometown (Wrecking Ball) and Lucky Town (Lucky Town)
On the bench:
Jungleland (Born to Run)
Streets of Fire (Darkness)
The River (The River)
Glory Days (Born in the USA)
My City of Ruins (The Rising)
Transfer List:
Pony Boy (Human Touch)
Outlaw Pete (Working on a Dream)
57 Channels and Nothin' on (Human Touch)
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