bruce

[headhunter]

"I have left a Bruce concert disappointed twice. Once in Boston on the Tom Joad tour, which IMO was a bad idea gone wrong. The other time wasn't nearly as bad, just not transcendent, though not from lack of the customary energy, effort and commitment from the boss man. It was in Worcester, MA during the Human Touch/Lucky Town tour. That wasn't his best band, those weren't his best albums, that isn't a great venue and the show reflected all of that. Still pretty damn good, just not "Springsteenian."

Never saw the Tom Joad tour nor the HT/LT tour. When Bruce temporarily jettisoned the ESB back around then, I had no interest in seeing him with the group of musicians. IMO, HT/LT are by far the worst in his catalog (also not a fan of Working on a Dream and Magic was imo eh at best).

"energy, effort and commitment from the boss man" is something that you can always count on from Bruce even when the music might not hold up as well.

[Clams]

My two cents: Wrecking Ball sucks. It's an average record at best. Springsteen's overall sound continues to move further from the type of music that I've become more drawn to over the past 5 years. Coming on the heels of Living on a Dream, this makes two consecutive duds. Magic, which came before those, was his last good record. (Rounding out the post-reunion era, I think Devils and Dust and The Rising were both exceptional). But lately, Bruce is losing me with his synthesizers and over-produced records, back up singers, celtic influences, etc. Plus, I think his anti-recession lyrics seem forced. Not forced in the sense that he doesn't believe the words he sings, because I think he does believe them, but forced in the sense that he's making too much of an effort to crank out the "Bruce-ian" lyrics that everyone - including himself - expects from him. The lyrics grate on me, and I don't think they sound good in the songs.

Sorry to be Mr. Negative, but I am equally down on his live show. He still brings it and sings with as much conviction as anyone out there - and that's true even on crappy songs like the one he sang to open the Grammies last month. But it's just too overblown. The stage is overcrowded - backup singers, horn section, the wife, etc. And some of the stuff is just getting old - he's been doing that tiresome preacher routine for 13 years now (though it's good to get a bathroom break, I suppose). Not to mention the war horse songs need to be retired. I love Badlands, Promised Land and Thunder Road as much as anyone, but they just don't have the spark anymore. Throw in the arena factor and... well, you get the point. I've turned down two different invitations to see his shows in Philly later this month.

What's ironic is that much of what I dislike about the current State of Bruce is due to my affection for DBT and the artists and bands I've come to love since joining 3dd. I'd much rather listen to McMurtry or Patterson tell me how and why the times are shitty. And musically, as good as the E Street Band is, I'd rather watch these younger bands come through and see what kind of solos they're gonna play during my favorite songs than watch Nils Lofgren (as good as he is) play the solo from Youngstown for the 100th time (sorry Headhunter). And I can't overstate the arena factor - crappy sound and seats a mile from the stage for upwards of $150 including ticketbastard fees - with a cup of warm Bud Lite for $9. Are you kidding? I'd much rather go to the World Cafe Live and watch Hayes Carll and his ace band - they groove it and make me laugh, all from about 20 feet away with pristine sound and plenty of elbow room, all for about $20 - and they have Sierra Nevada on tap to boot! Or I can catch McMurtry and his three-piece band play Choctaw and Levelland, or see Ryan Bingham rock the house at a packed Northstar Bar in North Philly, or enjoy a sweaty, rowdy DBT show from the rail, etc.

So yeah, I still listen to Bruce. But not so much the new stuff and I'm boycotting the upcoming tour based on musical and live-show principles. I will add that I still have the utmost personal and musical respect for him - he almost always manages to say and do the right things - and that's important to me (though on the heels of the Joe Paterno scandal, I'm trying not to put my idols as high on the pedestal as I may previously have). Anyway, sorry for all the hate! That's all I've got to say.

[Bill in CT]

Clams! Oh no Clams, say it ain't so!

You are turning down tickets to Bruce's tour and I was shut out.
Thunder Road may be an old song, but Bruce doesn't even play it very much. Born To Run is far more commonly played in recent years. Surely you know that.
Also...I know you didn't like the album, but it's called Working On A Dream. Thanks.
I am still looking forward to hearing the new album (I am not a music listener who seeks out leaks) as my copy hasn't arrived yet.
I doubt that Ryan Bingham is still playing the North Star Bar in Philly btw. I saw him at Bowery Ballroom in NYC in 2010.
I first saw Bruce on the Ghost Of Tom Joad tour (unlike Bubba Hen, I thought it was a great tour...at least the 2 Denver shows...the NYC show I saw was far less so). Since then, the only tour I've missed was the Seeger Sessions tour. I hope that doesn't change this year.
Clams...just don't drink beer at arena shows. You're right that it's overpriced and not good. Drink beer with dinner before the show and you're fine.

[beantownbubba]

Plus, I think his anti-recession lyrics seem forced. Not forced in the sense that he doesn't believe the words he sings, because I think he does believe them, but forced in the sense that he's making too much of an effort to crank out the "Bruce-ian" lyrics that everyone - including himself - expects from him. The lyrics grate on me, and I don't think they sound good in the songs.

Good description.

Good advice re arena shows and beer, Bill.

[Clams]

Thunder Road may be an old song, but Bruce doesn't even play it very much. Born To Run is far more commonly played in recent years. Surely you know that.

He should retire Born to Run too. Or at least move it around in the set, maybe open with it, etc.

Also...I know you didn't like the album, but it's called Working On A Dream. Thanks.

Working on a Dream, Living on a Dream, tomato, tomahto. Regardless of what you call it, it's a terrible song!

I doubt that Ryan Bingham is still playing the North Star Bar in Philly btw.

Saw him there myself in Oct 2010, which was his last time here.

I first saw Bruce on the Ghost Of Tom Joad tour (unlike Bubba Hen, I thought it was a great tour...at least the 2 Denver shows...the NYC show I saw was far less so). Since then, the only tour I've missed was the Seeger Sessions tour. I hope that doesn't change this year.

I missed that tour too, but I did see the Devils & Dust tour in 2005 which I think was very similar to the Joad tour. The show I saw was excellent due to the fact that he changed things up - rearranged older songs, played lots of different instruments, etc.

Drink beer with dinner before the show and you're fine.

Beer with dinner? I'll have to give that a try! Thanks!

[Penny Lane]

LOL...Clams, the more people are beside themselves at your abandonment of Bruce, the more they care...

[Clams]

LOL...Clams, the more people are beside themselves at your abandonment of Bruce, the more they care...

Not an abandonment, I just don't like the direction he's heading in and I'm tired of his live show. I heard Gypsy Biker on XM this morning and I cranked it up. That's a relatively new song (from Magic, I think) and the lyrics and music both hit hard. Of course they followed it up with something horrible that I'd never heard before called My Lover Man....

[bovine knievel]

Beer IS dinner around these parts

[cortez the killer]

Of course they followed it up with something horrible that I'd never heard before called My Lover Man....

Tunnel of Love outtake. Disc 4 on the fantastic Tracks boxset. I really like that song a lot. Maybe the Deerhoof dude should cover that one for an hour.

[Bill in CT]

LOL...Clams, the more people are beside themselves at your abandonment of Bruce, the more they care...

I can't speak for anyone else. For myself...I'm hardly beside myself if Clams doesn't listen to Bruce anymore. I just think it's his loss (particularly when it comes to live shows). *shrug*

[Clams]

LOL...Clams, the more people are beside themselves at your abandonment of Bruce, the more they care...

I can't speak for anyone else. For myself...I'm hardly beside myself if Clams doesn't listen to Bruce anymore. I just think it's his loss (particularly when it comes to live shows). *shrug*

Huh. See if I let you clean my leaves again. *shrug*

[Bill in CT]

LOL...Clams, the more people are beside themselves at your abandonment of Bruce, the more they care...

I can't speak for anyone else. For myself...I'm hardly beside myself if Clams doesn't listen to Bruce anymore. I just think it's his loss (particularly when it comes to live shows). *shrug*

Huh. See if I let you clean my leaves again. *shrug*

Can we crank some Bruce while we work next time?

[Penny Lane]

He's playing the Apollo tonight. How hard would it be to get THAT ticket?

[Flying Rabbit]

Bruce albums ranked worst to best

I agree with some, disagree with some. I think while you can pretty much guarantee the top 5 for the most part, the order gets real skewed with personal tastes get involved (obvious statement?).

Tom Joad and Seeger Sessions get a bad rap. Its a bummer too, because both are pretty decent albums.

[beantownbubba]

Bruce albums ranked worst to best

I agree with some, disagree with some. I think while you can pretty much guarantee the top 5 for the most part, the order gets real skewed with personal tastes get involved (obvious statement?).

Tom Joad and Seeger Sessions get a bad rap. Its a bummer too, because both are pretty decent albums.

I thought the Seeger Sessions was highly regarded, but I can't say how i formed that impression. I know i like it a lot, lol. I think the comments accompanying the ranking are quite positive and pretty much dead on, both as to album and tour, and are far better than what one might associate w/ a "10th ranked album."

The best parts of Tom Joad are pretty good, but there aren't a lot of best parts imo. And as I've said before, the accompanying tour was one of the few lowlights in my personal experience of Springsteen shows.

[one belt loop]

Bruce albums ranked worst to best

I agree with some, disagree with some. I think while you can pretty much guarantee the top 5 for the most part, the order gets real skewed with personal tastes get involved (obvious statement?).

Tom Joad and Seeger Sessions get a bad rap. Its a bummer too, because both are pretty decent albums.

I thought the Seeger Sessions was highly regarded, but I can't say how i formed that impression. I know i like it a lot, lol. I think the comments accompanying the ranking are quite positive and pretty much dead on, both as to album and tour, and are far better than what one might associate w/ a "10th ranked album."

The best parts of Tom Joad are pretty good, but there aren't a lot of best parts imo. And as I've said before, the accompanying tour was one of the few lowlights in my personal experience of Springsteen shows.

The idea that The River is ranked above Darkness on the Edge of Town is ludicrous. How anyone can still bear to listen to "Glory Days" is beyond me. While I personally prefer Darkness to Born to Run, I get why BTR is ranked #1. But I take much offense to Darkness being ranked any lower than # 2.

[cortez the killer]

Keeping it to 10....

10. Tom Joad
9. Rising
8. River
7. Wild/Innocent
6. Magic
5. Nebraska
4. Tunnel
3. Greetings
2. Born to Run
1. Darkness

[Gang Green]

I wasn't blown away with wrecking ball upon first listen, but I'm going to give it a few more chances. Unlike many of you I loved the Seeger Sessions

My top 10

11. River - Didn't actually like this one
10. Tom Joad
9. Magic
8. Rising
7. Tunnel
6. Seeger Session, actually liked the live one better
5. Wild and the Innocent, many true Bruce fans (unlike me) say this the best
4. Greetings
3. Born to Run
2. Nebraska, I would like much more of this from Bruce today
1. Darkness, I was really into Bruce when this came out, but ditched him right before the River for punk

[beantownbubba]

The fact that "Glory Days" isn't on The River could be one reason, I guess, OBL.

10. Magic
9. The Rising
8. Seeger Sessions
7. Born in the USA or The Wild, The Innocent
6. Wild, Innocent or Born in the USA
5. Tunnel of Love
4. The River (the one disc in my head, not the 2 discs on vinyl)
3. Nebraska or Darkness
2. Darkness or Nebraska
1. Born to Run

[Bill in CT]

The best parts of Tom Joad are pretty good, but there aren't a lot of best parts imo. And as I've said before, the accompanying tour was one of the few lowlights in my personal experience of Springsteen shows.

I can see that viewpoint if you only saw a show in the early part of the tour. The 12/13/95 show at the Beacon in NYC was my first Bruce show and I don't think he'd really gotten the hang of the whole solo acoustic tour thing yet. Not only that, but the crowd was filled with loud asshats...talkers and people shouting out requests. The two Denver shows I saw in the fall of 1996 were vastly better both from a performance and crowd standpoint. In fact, those shows are two of my favorite of all the Bruce shows I've seen. I only saw one show on the Devils & Dust tour and wish I'd seen more. That show was very good too.
In my experience with E Street Band shows, when Bruce is promoting a new record with the band, the tour starts out rather predictable from a setlist standpoint and gets wilder as the tour moves along. I also think the overall performance improves.

[beantownbubba]

The best parts of Tom Joad are pretty good, but there aren't a lot of best parts imo. And as I've said before, the accompanying tour was one of the few lowlights in my personal experience of Springsteen shows.

I can see that viewpoint if you only saw a show in the early part of the tour. The 12/13/95 show at the Beacon in NYC was my first Bruce show and I don't think he'd really gotten the hang of the whole solo acoustic tour thing yet. Not only that, but the crowd was filled with loud asshats...talkers and people shouting out requests. The two Denver shows I saw in the fall of 1996 were vastly better both from a performance and crowd standpoint. In fact, those shows are two of my favorite of all the Bruce shows I've seen. I only saw one show on the Devils & Dust tour and wish I'd seen more. That show was very good too.
In my experience with E Street Band shows, when Bruce is promoting a new record with the band, the tour starts out rather predictable from a setlist standpoint and gets wilder as the tour moves along. I also think the overall performance improves.

I saw the Joad tour in Boston; don't remember where that fell on the schedule. FWIW I liked the D&D show I saw. And you're right about how the show evolves over the course of a tour.

[Smitty]

personal listening preference:

1. Darkness
2. Nebraska
3. The River
4. Tunnel
5. Born in the USA
6. BTR
7. Greetings
8. Magic
9. The Rising
10. Wild, Innocent

[UncleFrank23]

I'll have to actually sit and do a ranking, but it seems like I rate The Seeger Sessions higher than most. I absolutely love that album.

[Clams]

1. Born to Run tie Darkness

3. The River
4. Nebraska
5. Born in the USA
6. Wild & Innocent tie Greetings

8. Tunnel of Love
9. The Rising
10. Magic tie Devils & Dust

[joelle]

born to run 1
darkness 2
nebraska 3
tunnel of love 4
the rising 5
the river 6
lucky town 7
magic 8
devils and dust 9



today...
not forever, just for now.
I think.

[Tequila Cowboy]

Based on how often I listen:

Greetings- at least weekly
Nebraska- often
The Wild, The Innocent... often
Darkness... often
Born To Run- once or twice a year
The River- occasionally when I can get past the production and hear the songs

That's all the Bruce I listen to although I have listened to the new album twice (first time I've listened to anything new from him since the eighties). I almost like it.

[beantownbubba]

A vote for lucky town! Nice, Joelle. (Not that I agree, but it's always nice to see an iconoclast being iconoclastic )

[Clams]

I have to admit this all looks and sounds pretty cool...
http://www.backstreets.com/setlists.html

[beantownbubba]

I have to admit this all looks and sounds pretty cool...
http://www.backstreets.com/setlists.html

You're making me sick, Clams. I would have gladly trade my 4 tix for boston for one for last nite. After all is said and done, he's still The Boss.

[dime in the gutter]

nebraska
darkness
greetings
btr
live 75-85
wild and innocent
born in the usa
rising
joad
tunnel
river

not knowledgeable enough about the rest of them to have an opinion.