The Bruce Springsteen Appreciation Thread

[john_rambo]

http://img2.timeinc.net/ew/dynamic/imgs/041202/151559__springsteen_l.jpg

What do you guys think about Bruce Springsteen. I think that he is simply amazing. Born in the USA is in my opinion in the top 10 songs ever written. I love that song. He sings it wish such passion. You can tell he was really in to it. I am not just going to appreciate the old Springsteen either. I was just listening to the Seeger Sessions, and it is an amazing album. Not your typical Bruce. I have never really listened to Pete Seeger, so I can not compare them to the original, but his take on the songs (some of which I have heard from various artist covers) are great. Pay Me My Money Down is my personal favorite off of that album. I remember seeing him perform it on Conan O'Brien one night and it was just awesome. There was a huge band behind him, and even Conan was on a guitar singing backup. Hell, even Jimmy Fallon came out and played harmonica during the performance. Another great one by The Boss is Thunder Road, love that song. Over all Springsteen is the man. What are you're guys thoughts?

[Psychocandy]

In the pantheon of great American songwriters he's up there with Neil Young. He doesn't quite attain Bob Dylan levels of greatness. But he does come within spitting distance. I'll post more later. I'm a huge fan of Springsteen.

[Romero's Dead]

In the pantheon of great American songwriters he's up there with Neil Young.

Hehehe.

I know what you're saying though. He's pretty much as important to American music as other bands like The Band are.

As for Bruce, not a big fan, but I haven't heard enough from him. Nebraska, from what people have told me about it, sounds like a record that I'd like very much though.

[Brando @$$ Fat]

I actually think he's better than Dylan. For one, he's incredibly consistent, whereas Dylan has had several slumps in his career (what's especially sad is that the Saved era wasn't his worst). As someone who's been inspired more by singer-songwriters than bands, I really owe a lot to him. And as far as living songwriters go, the only equals he has are Neil Young and Joni Mitchell, but even they're too stylistically different to be compared to him.

An amusing anecdote will show how fond I am of the Boss. There was this one time I had to drive from North Carolina, go to Georgia to pick up a friend, and then down to South Carolina. Surely enough, I left my iPod back at my apartment in North Carolina, so all I had were my cassettes. I had copies of Born in the U.S.A., Nebraska, and Born to Run. Surely enough, after a 9 hour drive, not only did I not get tired of any of those albums, I continued listening to them on the way back.

[HannibalGuy]

I think his folk albums (Nebraska, The Ghost of Tom Joad, Devil's and Dust) are his best. I enjoy the E Street Band records, but I dig the acoustic stuff more.

[notchreturns]

Love the guy.

Oh and Neil Young is Canadian, but now we're just getting picky.

Anyway.

Seeing Bruce and the E Street Band around 78 (Darkness tour) would have probably been the best show ever.

Look at this performance of "Prove it all Night"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3vUKBOJ5sU

Just incredible.

[Psychocandy]

Love the guy.

Oh and Neil Young is Canadian, but now we're just getting picky.

Anyway.

Seeing Bruce and the E Street Band around 78 (Darkness tour) would have probably been the best show ever.

Look at this performance of "Prove it all Night"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3vUKBOJ5sU

Just incredible.

Firstly...I actually know that Neil Young is Canadian. So let's just put that down to tiredness.

Secondly...thanks for the Bruce vid. That version of Prove It All Night is just fucking scorching. Amazing stuff.

[Brando @$$ Fat]

I think Neil Young has dual citizenship, but I might have to recheck that.

Speaking of "American," does anyone else find it sad that people still think "Born in the U.S.A." is meant to be a chest-pumping, flag-secreting, pro-America anthem?

[athf1980]

Bruce Springsteen rules

He probably is the one of the most consistent artest of all time. even this decade. All his albums have been to good to great. To me He is one of the greatest song writiers there is.

Bruce Springsteen was the very first musican I got into. I remember sining born in the usa when I was like four years old. My dad conferms it.

Going to a Bruce Concert is one of the key things I wanna do before I die. according to latest Rolling Stones issue. He was the best live concert to go to of last year

My favorite album of his is Born in the Usa & Born to Run. A new favortie here. I finally discovered the greatness that is darkness on the edge of town. such a great album
My fav. song of his The River

[Scarfather]

I saw him and the E Street Band live just on April 22nd, my birthday, with perhaps the best seats in the the forum, and it was probably the best show I have and will ever see in my life, and being that it was their first show since Danny Federici's death it also happened to be the best tribute to a musician I've ever seen as well.

It's phenomenal to see that these guys, all in their fifties, can rock longer and harder than any other band around. They played for well over three hours straight. Clarence Clemens needed to sit down every once in a while to take a breather, but even then, he had this badass throne on stage that he sat on.

Goddamn awesome show.

[Le_Big_Mac]

I think Springsteen truly embodies American rock 'n roll better than any other artist. And he's a great songwriter to boot.

[speedbeaver]

My fav. song of his The River

YES! The River is AMAZING.

I just got into Bruce within the last year, after realizing I was really fond of "Dancing in The Dark" so on a whim I bought The Essential Bruce Springsteen 3 disc set. then, a couple months later bought Magic. Also scored The River double album on vinyl at a rummage sale last month. There isn't a song out of all that music that I haven't at least moderatly enjoyed. Probably my favorite songwriter of all time.

Rosalita, Thunder Road, Long Walk Home, Dancing in The Dark, Born in The USA, Darkness on The Edge of Town, Atlantic City, Girls in their Summer Clothes, Hungry Heart, Glory Days and the afformentioned The River are my favorites, but I could listen to his stuff for days. Amazing.

[Tree0404]

Amazing.

Born to Run is flawless.

The River is actually one of my least favorite - I find a lot of filler in there.

Darkness on the Edge of Town is also nearly flawless.

Some of his most overlooked songs are my favorites (Lost in the Flood, Meeting Across the River, Jungleland, etc.)

Do yourself a huge favor and pick up his Live @ Hammersmith CD....or even the live 75-85 box set.

Those are amazing.

[a7xfan]

i like the guy, havn't heard much, his new album was great.

[jdparker]

I used to give my buddy a really tough time for being a Bruce Springsteen. Conversations would go like this:

Buddy: Bruce Springsteen is the shit man.
ME: Yeah.. if you like middle America...

I'm Canadian and I think I was pissed off by his ultra-patriotic persona. But I was sooo wrong. I've come completely 180 on him and love the shit out of him. It was the Seeger Sessions that really turned me around on him. I think my favorite song though is Tunnel Of Love.

I denied liking him for sooo long to try and save face but one day I had to just admit it... he's the Boss for a reason.

[HannibalGuy]

Bump

"Girl's In Their Summer Clothes". Seriously. It's one of the best fucking songs I've heard in a long time. Without a doubt my favorite song off "Magic". The melody is gorgous, and the lyrics, my god the lyrics. Boss writes like no other.

[Psychocandy]

Bump

"Girl's In Their Summer Clothes". Seriously. It's one of the best fucking songs I've heard in a long time. Without a doubt my favorite song off "Magic". The melody is gorgous, and the lyrics, my god the lyrics. Boss writes like no other.

I agree 100%. It's a beautiful, bittersweet masterpiece. There are other songs on Magic that come close. But close is all they come. It's definitely my favorite song on the album. And the album is his best since Tunnel Of Love (although The Ghost Of Tom Joad is quite brilliant as well).

[speedbeaver]

Bump

"Girl's In Their Summer Clothes". Seriously. It's one of the best fucking songs I've heard in a long time. Without a doubt my favorite song off "Magic". The melody is gorgous, and the lyrics, my god the lyrics. Boss writes like no other.

I'd argue that "Long Walk Home" is just a touch better, but this is my 2nd favorite song on the new album. Both amazing, amazing songs. The Boss is probably my favorite songwriter of all time. That man can write a lyric like no-ones business...

[athf1980]

well,Bruce Springsteen has another classic song under his belt with the song the wrestler. I'm so waiting for his next album.

[detective mills]

I'm a new fan of his. I've had his Greatest Hits cd for a while now, but never paid much attention to it. I recently got to listen to both The Rising and Magic and thought that both were great rock cds. I'm planning to listen to the rest of his discography.

Just wondering, how would you guys rank his studio cds, and how do they compare to The Rising and Magic. Just curious as to what I should listen to next.

[athf1980]

1. Darkness on the edge of Town
2. Born to Run
3. Born in the USA
4. The River
5. The Rising
6. Greetings from Asbury Park
7. Magic
8. The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle
9. Seger Sessions
10. Devils & Dust.

also
1. Live 75/85-great live album
2. 18 tracks-box set of unlreased tracks

[notchreturns]

Born To Run is probably the best place to start. It's his most well-known record, but maybe also his best.

After that,

Darkness, Nebraska, Wild, Innocent & E Street Shuffle, The River, Greetings From Asbury Park, Tunnel of Love, Born In the USA and so on.

All these are great.

[Tree0404]

1. Born to Run
2. Darkness
3. Born in the USA
4. The Rising
5. Greetings from Asbury Park
6. Wild, Innocent & E Street Shuffle
7. The River
8. Magic
9. Nebraska
10. Ghost of Tom Joad
11. Lucky Town
12. Tunnel of Love
13. Human Touch
14. Devils & Dust

[echo_bravo]

Cant wait to see him perform at the Super Bowl.