Random Vinyl Review: Bruce Springsteen - Born in the USA

rogneeb · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 1:07 pm **Posts:** 12618

I'd wager he has a scraggly beard, greasy hair, and his only companion is an overpowering odor of feces

Dalen · **Posted:** Mon Apr 25, 2011 1:12 pm

i'm picturing folds, and layers.

Cap'n Squirrgle · **Posted:** Mon Apr 25, 2011 1:15 pm

Surely we can bribe Semke to spill the beans on this

MontyTheMongoose · **Posted:** Mon Apr 25, 2011 4:19 pm

Cap'n Squirrgle Wrote:

Surely we can bribe Semke to spill the beans on this

I did a search, quickly, for jerkass + new orleans -- I was/am pretty sure he did a photoseries, a la Monger Colin's sxsw06 & cats's county fair foods experiment -- but couldn't turn anything up. Pretty sure there are photos in such place, though.

FT · **Posted:** Mon Apr 25, 2011 4:58 pm

Cap'n Squirrgle Wrote:

Surely we can bribe Semke to spill the beans on this

he and semke did a wacky livestream from a party they were both at a couple of years ago

jerkass appeared to be wholly average on every count (height, weight, etc,) - if i recall correctly, he vaguely resembled an edgier version of noted comedic supporting actor andrew daly (the principal from eastbound and down, the play-by-play man from semi-pro, ben franklin from that one episode of the office where they brought in strippers)

FT · **Posted:** Mon Apr 25, 2011 4:59 pm

FT Wrote:

Cap'n Squirrgle Wrote:

Surely we can bribe Semke to spill the beans on this

he and semke did a wacky livestream from a party they were both at a couple of years ago

jerkass appeared to be wholly average on every count (height, weight, etc,) - if i recall correctly, he vaguely resembled an edgier version of noted comedic supporting actor andrew daly (the principal from eastbound and down, the play-by-play man from semi-pro, ben franklin from that one episode of the office where they brought in strippers)

http://www.obner.org/board/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=38926

Senator LooGAR · **Posted:** Mon Apr 25, 2011 5:24 pm

So I guess Bob's THE MOTHERFUCKING CLUEMASTER now, eh?

MontyTheMongoose · **Posted:** Mon Apr 25, 2011 5:25 pm

Vic Da Baron LooGAR Wrote:

So I guess Bob's THE MOTHERFUCKING CLUEMASTER now, eh?

Bob's always had a little bit of Monty to him, i.e. FILES.

Senator LooGAR · **Posted:** Mon Apr 25, 2011 5:34 pm

I FOUNT HIM

Dick Meatwood · **Posted:** Mon Apr 25, 2011 5:49 pm

makes a good av

catswilleatyou · **Posted:** Mon Apr 25, 2011 5:50 pm

he's a normal looking person.
you just can't take him anywhere.

Dick Meatwood · **Posted:** Mon Apr 25, 2011 5:55 pm

Avatar-ready and up for grabs!

FT · **Posted:** Mon Apr 25, 2011 6:08 pm

Tee Wrote:

Vic Da Baron LooGAR Wrote:

So I guess Bob's THE MOTHERFUCKING CLUEMASTER now, eh?

Bob's always had a little bit of Monty to him, i.e. FILES.

I'm still not entirely convinced Monty isn't the Brad Pitt to my Edward Norton.

Cap'n Squirrgle · **Posted:** Mon Apr 25, 2011 6:46 pm

Drinky Wrote:

Avatar-ready and up for grabs!

lol

Dalen · **Posted:** Mon Apr 25, 2011 6:57 pm

catswilleatyou Wrote:

he's a normal looking person.
you just can't take him anywhere.

seems fun.

jewels santana · **Joined:** Thu Nov 04, 2004 2:36 pm **Posts:** 10198

spray paint dude looks so happy

Yail Bloor · **Posted:** Tue Apr 26, 2011 11:42 am

PopTodd Wrote:

Never liked this album. Still not crazy about it whenever I hear anything from it. I think that it goes beyond the blatantly mid-80's production, getting right into the fact that this is not one of Bruce's better set of songs.
Please note, I still love the hell out of a lot of his stuff. Just not this.

I know this probably puts me in the minority around here, but I think the production of BITUSA blows away Nebraska to the point where I never even listen to that album and only recognize the live versions of the songs (of which there are some good ones)

Rick Derris · **Posted:** Tue Apr 26, 2011 12:01 pm

Eh. They're just different records. Not sure "Highway Patrolman" would carry the same emotional heft if it had been overproduced.

But, I'm with you. This is a GREAT record. It just suffers from overplay (at least on some songs) IMO.

I mean, the atmospheric production and sparse instrumentation and that echo-y guitar absolutely MAKES "I'm On Fire". Same with "My Hometown".

Also, Gar is right, "I'm Goin Down" owns all.

seafoam · **Posted:** Tue Apr 26, 2011 12:15 pm

Never was a Springsteen fanatic but this album I always thought of as the pop oriented culmination of the Springsteen prior. Sure the other Springsteen is great but this is damn strong front to back. To Gar and Derris' point that slick production dates it with pin point accuracy, but makes most of those songs complete. The only problem is Springsteen never really dropped those production values from here on.

tentoze · **Posted:** Tue Apr 26, 2011 12:18 pm

Yail Bloor Wrote:

I know this probably puts me in the minority around here, but I think the production of BITUSA blows away Nebraska to the point where I never even listen to that album and only recognize the live versions of the songs (of which there are some good ones)

I can't listen to Nebraska, regardless of the praise heaped on it. Gives me the overwhelming urge to drive into a bridge abutment.

Radcliffe · **Posted:** Tue Apr 26, 2011 12:29 pm

At the time, I'd already written off Springsteen because of The River, which I thought not only embalmed his typical themes as trite cliches but also committed the sin of being too over-produced (as much as I liked the single "Hungry Heart"), so BITUSA sounded to me like complete commercial capitulation. I mean, "Dancing in the Dark" was a great song made almost unlistenable by the cheesy production and the worst synth line ever recorded. I'm glad this album pushed Springsteen into mega-stardom - it couldn't have happened to a more deserving artist - but this album just isn't for me.

Yail Bloor · **Posted:** Tue Apr 26, 2011 12:41 pm

If The River was only the first disc it would probably be my favorite BS album.

I can totally see how The River must have sounded slickly produced to you at the time, Rads, but compared to something of the same vintage, say Back In Black, I'd say it sounds more "poorly mixed" than "slick"

Kingfish · **Posted:** Tue Apr 26, 2011 10:27 pm

Jerkass Wrote:

Kingfish Wrote:

Jerkass Wrote:

I haven't completely listened to this record in 24 years.
It's a good thing I incidentally discovered the vinyl, because otherwise I would have just skipped around to the singles.
The song writing is good in a trite character-based story-telling sort of way that was already tired in Springsteen terms by this time; but nonetheless it's the most captivating part of the recording.

Musically, it's stale, packaged cookie-cutter bullshit.

The hits: I'm on Fire, Dancing in the Dark, Born in the USA were released because they are by far the best this album has to offer.

Not disappointing, just something I won't be returning to any time soon.

It's a good thing that you were forced to listen to songs that you didn't like? You're such a pretentious twat.

I wasn't forced. I was curious. You're an illiterate Southern shithead.

Learn to write what you mean yankee douche. You said without the vinyl, you would have skipped the non-singles. That means if you had your will, you would not have heard the non-singles. The format compelled you to listen to these songs, which is akin to being forced.

If you are coming to NOLA, let's grab some beers and maybe punch each other in the face.

toots · **Posted:** Tue Apr 26, 2011 10:31 pm

just fuck and get it over with

rogneeb · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 1:07 pm **Posts:** 12618

Came to hear this album years after I'd heard all the others. Not sure of that explains my ambivalence to it, or if I just really font like it. Or maybe it's the overplayed factor. Not sure.

Random Vinyl Review: Bruce Springsteen - Born in the USA

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