Springsteen - The Rising

Borrowed it for 2 days, overall conclusion as above really. Very much a 'Springsteen and Band' album, rather pedestrian in places and a bit grating to my ears. Not one for those like me who prefer the more folky, reflective stuff such as Tom Joad.

Bruce

Like many people I had always dismissed Springsteen as a Ted Nugent style cockrocker largely on the basis of a classic misreading of "Born in USA" as a nauseating piece of chest thumping US patriotism. I was also put off by the obvious awfulness of "Dancing in the Dark" and that horrible Courtney Cox association.

A few years ago, however, I was introduced to the album "Nebraska" which is absolutely stunning. I can honestly say I have never been so genuinely and pleasantly surprised by an album from an artist I had previously dismissed as not worth bothering with.

Everything else I've heard by him though is either a lesser version of Nebraska or else involves the E-Street Band who I would quite happily bludgeon to death with that bloody saxophone.

Matthew

Thanks for the replies.

I liked the Tom Joad album, so I hoped it was like that.

I've never heard the Nebraska lp. I'll have to give it a go.

I think he is a major talent but he does need a better 'editor'. I do not have any of his LP's but have a soft spot for 'born in the USA' which I lost many years ago. If I see a 2nd hand copy of Nebraska I will check it out.

Be warned that Nebraska is quite a challenging listen and I imagine most Springsteen fans hate it. See the review at http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=Aji8zefqkhgf4 and listen to samples at http://cdnow.com/switch/from=sr-314021/target=buyweb_purchase/lcc=7464+38358+2

Matthew

quote:

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Originally posted by count.d:
Thanks for the replies.

I liked the Tom Joad album, so I hoped it was like that.

I've never heard the Nebraska lp. I'll have to give it a go.

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Nebraska and Tom Joad are cut from similiar cloth. Nebraska being a kind of home made Bruce Springsteen record. There's a great reading of 'Born in the USA' on 66 Tracks, it's on the '18' track version of 66. 18 tracks is currently available at www.amazon.fr for 8,99€.

I particularly like 'Tunnel of Love' but wouldn't rate it as highly as Nebraska & Joad.

Peter

quote:

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Originally posted by Matthew Robinson:
Be warned that Nebraska is quite a challenging listen and I imagine most Springsteen fans hate it.

Matthew

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Let's say that it's the 'first' springsteen album that is a), lyrically succinct & b) lacking in bombast. Some of the cuts on the River were already showing the direction. I like the album 'Born in the USA' but was over exposed to the song. Apart from the title cut 'Born in the SA', which is horribly compressed, the album is actually pretty well recorded.

Peter

Peter,

I try and buy USA artists on USA pressings. You can find all stuff you need on Ebay.

You'll find the compressed sound opens up a lot on pressings made in the artists country.

Vinyl that is.

quote:

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Originally posted by count.d:
Peter,

I try and buy USA artists on USA pressings. You can find all stuff you need on Ebay.

You'll find the compressed sound opens up a lot on pressings made in the artists country.

Vinyl that is.

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It's a good rule of thumb, but it's not universally applicable. My comments about 'Born in the USA' apply to a c. 1984 copy bought in the USA when it first came out. The cut 'Born in the USA' is hopelessly compressed, the rest of the album is fine.

I have the first Stevie Ray Vaughan album on UK vinyl and I bought a US press, thinking it would be better, it wasn't. Likewise I had a US copy of 'Love over Gold', Dire Straits, gave it to my nephew because I was convinced a UK copy, which I later acqured, would be better - it wasn't.

Finally, what about Led Zeppelin ? The masters are owned by Atlantic Records in the USA.

There are too many variables to stick blindly to the country of origin credo.

Peter

Peter,

quote:

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Finally, what about Led Zeppelin ? The masters are owned by Atlantic Records in the USA.

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The recent "Classic Records" releases are the best by far. Taken from the original master tapes.
Although I've never heard original first pressings.

quote:

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Originally posted by count.d:
Peter,

quote:

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Finally, what about Led Zeppelin ? The masters are owned by Atlantic Records in the USA.

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The recent "Classic Records" releases are the best by far. Taken from the original master tapes.
Although I've never heard original first pressings.

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Yes, these are on my birthday wish list. To get back on topic .... I saw the vinyl of The Rising for 17,06€ at Gibert Joseph (downstairs), Blvd St Michel in Paris, but i'm hesitating. I listened to bits of 'The River' today and some of it is plain awful, in glorious early 80s digitarama - I'm talking of the LP, I can't believe I thought it was great 20 years ago. I rate the songs 'The River','Hungry heart' & 'Independance day'.

Peter

Peter,

have you ever been to that tiny red store just around the corner (going west) from GJ, I don't know if they have vinyl, but they do have a couple of nice s/h cd bins? (Love that area, where the publishing houses are. Plus a lot of nice looking women.)

Getting back on topic: there's a long review of the Springsteen album in next week's New Yorker magazine. I don;t recall ever having heard one second of B.S.'s music, but I can report the review was guardedly positive.

Herman (recuperating from a massive computer breakdwon )

Nick,

The led Zep albums repasteurized by Jimmy Page hisself, on 'Classic records' super vinyl and from pristine neverbeen used before masters, if what I reading Stereopil can be believed.


Peter

Peter

quote:

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Originally posted by herm:
Peter,

have you ever been to that tiny red store just around the corner (going west) from GJ, I don't know if they have vinyl, but they do have a couple of nice s/h cd bins? (Love that area, where the publishing houses are. Plus a lot of nice looking women.)

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pOpped in for the first time today! Great Jazz selection on CD ... its' called CD Corner.

Peter

Hi Peter,

glad you liked it. I spend way too much time there every time I'm in Paris (the hotel I stay is a little further south on Rue Monge). GJ has a substantial s/h section as well.

Herman

Nick,

The Led Zep remasters are out on Classic records. These are/were available from Vivante. They're not cheap at £25 or so each, but they do sound better than I've ever heard them before.

Vuk,

Don't ever infiltrate my thread you twat. I'll see you in the Padded Cell where I can dissect your pensive mind.

Vuk,

There is, for sure, a certain amount of crossover betwen the worlds of jock and cock rock. However, Jock Rock is typically that music enjoyed by the frat boys at college and is generally, relatively speaking, somewhat lighter and more poppy than cock rock. It is often humourous in intent. A good example would be "Enema of the State" by Blink 182:



Note the combination of toilet humour, bad puns and large breasted young women is typical of the genre.

In contrast Cock Rock is an all-together more serious proposition firmly from the school of hard rock where the only thing bigger than the guitar rifss are the guns. So Kiss, Guns 'n Roses, Alice Cooper, Judas Priest and so on.

King of the Cockrockers is without doubt Ted Nugent and I highly recommend his website www.tnugent.com which is equal parts hilarious and disturbing. Oddly I rather think you would approve of some aspects of "The Nuge" (as I believe he is known to his followers, who in turn are known as "Tribe Nuge") as he is very much the exact opposite of the "Girly Man". In particular I think you might find much to admire in his latest cookbook for non-Girly Man recipes entitled "Kill It & Grill It".



As regards Springsteen, the Guardian review of "The Rising" said that it would be easier to accept his claims of "Born in the USA" being an ironic Liberal anti-US protest album if he hadn't put a bloke in Levis in front of a US flag on the cover and done all that punching the air with his fist while singing the chorus. It also noted that arguably the best thing about "The Rising" was that at least an album all about 9/11 meant there was no danger of another album about former steelworkers returning from Vietnam and getting angry and depressed about being unemployed.

Matthew

PS I am fairly confident you will hate Nebraska.

"Vuk",

I'm not your mate, even if you do aspire to be me. It must hurt badly to be an underachiever. I know what it was like when I was eighteen. So many people in the studio, great photographers making loads of money, popular aswell.

Your 36!

Christ, what have I done wrong. Ahh sod it, I can always waste my time on the net releasing my hostility.

I'm busy retouching some shots I've done for Hoya lens. What are you doing?

Maybe you should find a mate. Those coals are wasted on one meal.

"oh yeah and the 'classic misreading' of born in the usa'.For 'classic' read stupid"

Got me there johnh. I alone missed Bruce's brilliant irony and shamefully admit my unique stupidity in this respect. If only I'd known those stadiums full of people singing along and punching the air were joining Bruce in his savage condemnation of US Colonialism in SE Asia I would have been standing shoulder to shoulder with them. I would even have helped organise Courtney Cox's petition calling for the inditement of Kissinger for war crimes.

Matthew

Nick,

I had a discussion about Led Zep releases with some people on a USA forum which included one particular clever guy. Everyone rated these remasters as the best you could get unless you could find an original first pressing in mint condition. Pretty unlikely.

They really do sound superb. The Obelisks react to the drums and bass guitar like no other speaker I've heard. I try to forget paying over £100 for 4 lp'S in one go, but they are used as a test record for my guests.

"Vuk",

You ruin the forum. You are your own worst enemy.

You are the audience on this thread. Collect your belongings and sod off.

P.S. Just read something about you re-photographing a B+W neg to get a B+W trans. You are beyond belief. Ever heard of a copy tran? I'll probably post it on the Padded cell to show up what a real thick twat you are.

[This message was edited by count.d on SUNDAY 04 August 2002 at 00:23.]

Anyone using offensive or foul language, should be banned from the forum and not allowed back.

There really is no excuse for such behaviour.

J.N,

Sorry you're offended by some of the language on this thread. Many of the problems on the Naim forum are brought about by the instigative behaviour of "Vuk"

He never really has much to say of any use and some of it is quite laughable. He pops up now and then, insults people, then goes. He has a reputation on another forum for the same behaviour.

The best way to treat these patients is to bring them down to show what they really are.

While I have an interest in this forum, I will do this to "Vuk" on every thread I'm involved in.

count.d

"The best way to treat these patients is to bring them down to show what they really are"

Given statements like "Don't ever infiltrate my thread you twat" are you sure that the cure might not end up being worse than the problem?

Matthew

Matthew,

You could be right.

I have a lot of work on at the moment retouching images and I get bored.

If you can't beat them, join them.

Insults seem to be appreciated on the Naim forum.

quote:

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Originally posted by herm:
Hi Peter,

glad you liked it. I spend way too much time there every time I'm in Paris (the hotel I stay is a little further south on Rue Monge). GJ has a substantial s/h section as well.

Herman

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Drop me a line when you're next here. There's a number of used CD stores in the rue monge too, or around there, particularly Paris Jazz Corner, expensive but great selection of LPs mostly and CDs.

i managed to trawl one interesting record at GJ today, Patrick Moraz 'I' ... somebody will tell me it's a load of crap surely ?

Peter