Bruce is playing in 2012 and it's made me think. I have never "got" what he is about and wondered if you fans could set me right.
I've never heard an LP of his because the singles have left me untouched (Born to Run, River, Dancing in the Dark, Born in USA, the Xmas one etc, all heard on the radio).
When Born to Run came out in 1975, I was 14 and soaking up new music. I would have read NME and Sounds every week and must have been exposed to Bruce but didn't 'bite', as it were. But I did get into Bob Seger at that time and found Live Bullet, Night Moves, and Stranger in This Town to my taste.
Strikes me Bruce and Bob both major on that blue collar American thing. You know, the "I work so hard, my boss doesn't value me, I feel like a number" but its ok because I can "strap myself into a throbbing Chevvy, put on my Foster Grants, pick up a 5' 6" brunette with high heels, and drive into the sunset" type vibe.
And Bob does it with top tunes, a kicking band, and a great voice, and I like it.
So why aren't I getting Bruce?
Please could you fans list me, say, 5 essential Bruce album tracks to hear which showcase the bloke, and a word or two on each to say why? Perhaps lesser known tracks from albums which demonstrate a range over his life - ie not the big singles?
I would be grateful, before I give up on Bruce (or myself for that matter) for ever.
Regards
Click
Posted on: 02 January 2012 by hego99
- Badlands (1978, Darkness-album)
- Prove It All Night (1978, Darkness-album)
- Ghost Of Tom Joad (1995, GoTJ-album)
- Restless Nights (197x, 1998, Tracks-box)
- Be True (197x, 1998, Tracks-box)
The Darkness-album/era for the sheer power/intensity/passion,
the GhostOfTomJoad (and Nebraska) for the words/stories as well as the music.
Posted on: 02 January 2012 by HuwJ
The more I listen to Bruce, the more I like him. A bit like you, I was not keen on him in the 70s and 80's. As time has gone by, I have come to enjoy his music.
One track that I love at the moment is off his Live in NYC album called American Skin (41 Shots). it's a true story and I heard about it while reading a Psychology Text Book, where it was used as an example of bad decision making. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amadou_Bailo_Diallo
It's his ability to tell a story that I love.
The River is another track I love, a great story. I don't know your background but i come from an area of high unemployment, often made worse as factories and mines close down, and songs like The River and others highlight the on going struggle to get some pleasure out of life and how fleeting it can be.
Terry's Song, while not a great song of itself, shows great sentiment for a friend.
My City of Ruins - see the river above.
Finally, I would say listen to his live albums, each is interesting and different.
and always listen to the story...............
Posted on: 02 January 2012 by mrclick
Well it has already been pointed out to me in a private e-mail that I am "brave" (for which read reckless) to confess to being as yet 'untouched' by Bruce in public.
I may need to leave the forum for a few months and re-emerge as someone else!!
Thanks already for such patient and constructive posts. Funnily enough just found the track Nebraska on grooveshark and liked it. Obviously this guy has more than one string to his turbo-thrusted engine powered six string guitar!
Seriously, I particularly value your post HuwJ - generally lyrics are not my thing with music (my idiosyncrasy, I know) - but I do find some Dylan stories absorbing, and am going to dig into the tracks you all mention with open ears and mind.
Looking forward to it.
And will report back - although it might need to be with a different identity!!
And how am I going to break it to you all if I remain unconverted????
Cheers
Click
Posted on: 02 January 2012 by Gale 401
David,
I have a few of his albums,They dont get much play these days though.
If you can? go and see him live.
Bruce is always at his best when standing on a stage playing live.
I saw him play Wembley pool in the early 90s.
One of the best gigs i have been to.
Stu.
Posted on: 02 January 2012 by sonic
I have seen him play live three times and he surely give´s a 100% every time.
I really respect him as an artist and the fact that he never has a supporting act
because he wants to play for at least three hours or sometimes more.
You really get your money´s worth when going to his shows.
Another cool thing about Bruce is that he does not care for sponsors, ie miller light,coca cola
budweiser tour etc, wich he could make even more millions out of if he wanted to.
I am not THE biggest fan but love tracks like:
Restless Nights
Cover Me
Roll Of The Dice
Posted on: 02 January 2012 by roymarshall
I'm a massive Bruce fan for over 30 years , vaguely remember hearing Born to Run on the radio in the 70,s then he disappeared of my radar until I saw the performance of The River on tv late 70,s early 80,s possibly , completely changed my life , it's on you tube , it's terribly dated and nearly laughable but that pull is still there today. It's not just the songs it's individual lyrics that hit home .
Badlands - " you waste your life waiting for a moment that just don,t come"
The Price you pay - " you,ve come so far , and waited so long , just to end up caught in a dream ,where everything goes wrong"
The River - " is a dream a lie if it don,t come true , or is it something worse , that sends me down to the river"
Backstreets - " stranded in the park and forced to confess to hiding on the backstreets"
There are many others , you need The River , Darkness on the edge of town , Born to Run , Live at Hammersmith , if that does not get you going there's something very wrong with you.
Roy
Posted on: 08 January 2012 by mrclick
Originally Posted by roymarshall:
.... if that does not get you going there's something very wrong with you. Roy
Fair point well made Roy!!
I can't claim that there is nothing wrong with me, but thought I would get back to you all with a report.
Thank you everybody for your posts and track suggestions. I spent time the other day listening to every one mentioned on Spotify, and Grooveshark. And having done that, bought all the folllowing titles, on LP (which I think fits for an artist like Bruce):
Wild Innocent
Born to Run
Darkness
River
Nebraska
Born in the USA
Tunnel
Ghost of Tom Joad
Rising (my fave so far)
Not heard them all yet, but have started with the 1st three chronologically, then hopped to the later ones. I am impressed by the soul of the bloke - he reminds me of Van Morrison at times even. I get it.
In hindsight I reckon it may have been the track Born in the USA which led me to believe the bloke was a tub thumping American nationalist, and I wrote him off during that Reagan period. He so isn't like that, of course.
And as a side effect all this encouraged me to blow the dust off my old Southside Johnny, and Graham Parker LPs from the mid 70s. In a similar vein to "His Bruceness" and still so fresh and vibrant.
Next thing is persuading the other half to come to the Hyde Park show.
May see you all there!!
Regards
David
Posted on: 08 January 2012 by J.N.
Hi David,
It's part of the rich and indefinable enigma of music that we don't all 'get' everything. Nothing wrong with that. I think with Bruce that it can help to get beneath the surface power-chords and bellowing about cars 'n girls to discover the brilliance of some of the man's songs.
You may well know that 'Nebraska' (a cheery little number) was recorded at home on a 4 track Tascam 144 multi-track cassette recorder. Bruce was clearly having a bad day when he recorded 'State Trooper' very simply with nought but a lot of pain and an acoustic guitar. It never ceases to send shivers up my spine.
The story goes (validated in that fine book you leant me) that Bruce tried and failed to re-create the magic spontaneity and angst of that recording in the studio and failed. And so the grubby cassette, from the pocket of the great man's trousers became the master tape of the album.
Similarly, I have a live recording of Mary-Chapin Carpenter singing a stripped-back acoustic version of 'Dancing in the Dark', and only then did I realise what an achingly sad song about loneliness it is. I never got it with Bruce belting it out in rock-song mode.
Good listening.
John.
