Revisiting early Springsteen

no guru · **Posted:** Sun Oct 31, 2004 3:05 pm

It's been several years since I listened all the way through Springsteen's first two albums.

And now I'm finding them to be far more satisfying than I used to. The wordiness and rushed feeling, the scampering past melody in the heat of passion is all GOOD, instead of (what I used to think) amateurish.

Regardless of what one may think of Born In The U.S.A, putting aside his iconic status, the man is/was musically brilliant. Not in a technical sense, but in a passion/lyrical/performance sense.

hey look · **Posted:** Sun Oct 31, 2004 3:11 pm

Greetings From Asbury Park is one of my favorite albums ever.

Cotton · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 6:12 pm **Posts:** 17155

if at all possible, track down any live perfromances from this era and i promise you he will smoke you right out of tyour boots. Specifically any show he played at the Main Point in Bryn Mawr, PA or the '76 Liberty Hall show in Boston. I think I have tghe latter somewhere in my slsk files... priceless.

hey look · **Posted:** Sun Oct 31, 2004 4:00 pm

Priceless but you're not sure if you have it in your files? Heh.

Cotton · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 6:12 pm **Posts:** 17155

well i have the one on cassette. the other in mp3. as much as i'd like to find the main point recording on cd or mp3 i've had little luck so i hold onto the tattered tape and play it in my car from time to time.

hey look · **Posted:** Sun Oct 31, 2004 4:12 pm

I <3 cassettes.

gauchebag · **Posted:** Sun Oct 31, 2004 5:51 pm

i've never given him enough respect...one of those big artists that i've never heard an album's worth of.

jsh · **Posted:** Sun Oct 31, 2004 6:07 pm

Chase has got to change that if he wants to play with me in March. It's a prereq, kid.

Polly Six bought me some bootleg vinyl of an early Jersey performance of Bruce's which is pretty hot, and was extremely thoughtful of her. Definitely an inspired performance, and interesting in the context of/in comparison to the grandeur of the 5 LP live boxset 75-85, one of the greatest live records ever put out.

I am a tireless advocate of the records you're peeling thru right now, Sweet Truth. While I think that ones such as Darkness and The River (everything up to Tunnel of Love inclusive) are masterful in their own right, there's something completely charming and energetic, overwhelmingly so, about those first two records. (Born To Run is in an entirely different league.) The glint of mastery that was forthcoming from this bluecollar genius was clearly evident in those 1973 debut records.

Enjoy your rediscovery. Now is the time of year for it, it seems.

no guru · **Posted:** Sun Oct 31, 2004 6:10 pm

He's a victim of his own iconization. Anyone sick of "Born In The USA," and "Dancing In The Dark" isn't all that incentived to seek out gems like "Spirit In The Night" or "Highway Patrolman" or "Kitty's Back."

gauchebag · **Posted:** Sun Oct 31, 2004 6:12 pm

Sweet Spoon Of Truth Wrote:

He's a victim of his own iconization. Anyone sick of "Born In The USA," and "Dancing In The Dark" isn't all that incentived to seek out gems like "Spirit In The Night" or "Highway Patrolman" or "Kitty's Back."

Bingo. That's almost what steers me away, although "Born in the USA" and "Born to Run" are good songs as far as current day classic rock radio is concerned.

I just haven't been able to get past the whole Jersey plus his big hit songs syndrome.

djdan · **Posted:** Sun Oct 31, 2004 6:16 pm

I am an unabashed Bruce fan. I've listened to Bruce far more than I have any other artist, but I have to say I rarely revist pre-Born To Run material. Greetings and The Wild, Innocent... never really grabbed me but good God, the later stuff sure did. With that said, despite appreciating the idea behind the record, I actually traded in "The Rising." Bruce is still a compelling lyricist and a virtually unparalleled live performer, but he has not consistently married his words with compelling music since Nebraska. Huge soft spot for Born in the USA because that's the record I discovered him with although I understand the naysays from older fans. And I may be in the minority, but I absolutely adore "Tunnel Of Love." In my opinion:

A: Born To Run, The River, Nebraska, Tunnel Of Love
B+: Darkness, Born In The USA, Ghost Of Tom Joad
B-: Greetings From Asbury Park, The Wild, Innocent
D: Human Touch, Lucky Town, The Rising

A Northern Soul · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 12:23 pm **Posts:** 3742

bruce springsteen is god. if you dont have any of his albums, youre going to hell.

Senator LooGAR · **Posted:** Sun Oct 31, 2004 10:39 pm

Ish, I'm surprised and pleased you like The Boss so much. Althoughm of his 'iconic' albums, I like wild, innocent the least

jsh · **Posted:** Sun Oct 31, 2004 11:03 pm

LooGs - It was initially a hereditary thing, but in the past few years has developed into full-fledged fandom compounded by a fair dose of sentimentality. I love and respect The Boss without bounds.

My Dad raised me on Born To Run and the Live Box Set. When I bought a turntable, I scoured Dr. Ish's vinyl collexion for all his Bruce, Talking Heads, etc. He had never really played for me Greetings, E Street Shuffle, NEBRASKA, etc. Discovering those records was eye-, mind- and heart-opening.

Revisiting early Springsteen

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