Entertainment For Lively Minds
New Springsteen single
For those that care, Bruce Springsteen's new single 'We Take Care of Our Own' is being released tomorrow. Guess he's embracing the modern era by getting it out there before its leaked. He should release the record at the same time.
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/bruce-springsteen-releasing-new-s...
According to Springsteen's manager, Jon Landau, the new record continues the recent downward spiral in Bruce's recording career but that "he has to put something out to please the suits and generate interest in a tour with a band that barely feature on the record". Ah no, he doesn't say that. He says it extends and deepens the vision in Bruce's work and that it "rocks and is very fresh". Let's see.
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/bruce-springsteen-returns-with-wi...
The one thing it doesn't sound like is an E Street Band record. Which, after Working on a Dream, might not be a bad thing.
Anyway, hurrah if you're interested and forget I said anything if you think he's a denim wearing, lefty chancer who hasn't written a decent song since 1978.
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I, for one, am looking forward to hearing this.
You toddling along to the RDS, John?
Be rude not to.
Oh, I'll be there alright.
Only Irish BS show that I've missed was the first one in '85. I can't stop now even if I wanted to.
Quite intrigued by the new record too. Should be an interesting few weeks.
It's Here!
Life Of Riley
by the Lightning Seeds, surely?
Yes indeed!
yup
you're right!
Plus ca change...
I first saw Springsteen in, if memory serves, 1978 in Manchester and I was hooked from the start. Last year was the first time I missed a UK show since '78 and it was down to two things - 1)I've put a cap on how much I'll pay for any gig ticket and 2)the previous show I saw made me sad because it felt like the spark had been lost; I was no longer 'glowing'after a Springsteen show.
Working On A Dream was, imho, a very sub-standard output from The Boss, in terms of song writing, performance and production. It was lack lustre, shallow and pulled up short on his renowned ability to paint vivid pictures in the minds eye of the listener. In short, is was remainder bin fodder, I'm very sad to day.
John Landau's comments are interesting, not least of all because of the language he uses. It begins to take on the mantle of a rhetorical pre-emptive strike for the new album as it feels like he's trying to mitigate the battle between 'Springsteen as the national treasure (but confined by the suits)' and 'The Boss, still kickin' ass'.
The new single (thanks Ralph for the post) sounds much as I expected any new material would - like a decent quality out-take from the Magic/Working on A Dream sessions. Not bad, but not thrilling either. Heavily produced (forced?) to sound like an E-Street session but suffering from multi-layered filling that detracts from the core , tonal essence that always meant you knew it was Max, Roy, Gary, Steve, Nils, Danny and The Big Man (RIP the latter two).
After all that, yes, I'll buy the album - I'm a fan, it's what we do, even if the material is average. My fingers are crossed that the rest of the album has some nuggets on it. But as for the live shows,I might just keep my powder dry and rely on the 30 years of memories that still make the hairs on my neck stand up and salute when I think about the good times.
The album
appears to be called "Wrecking Ball" - out March the 5th. Includes a studio version of Land Of Hope & Dreams!
Indeed it is
Here's the Tracklisting:
01. We Take Care of Our Own
02. Easy Money
03. Shackled and Down
04. Jack of All Trades
05. Death to My Hometown
06. The Depression
07. Wrecking Ball
08. You’ve Got It
09. Rocky Ground
10. Land of Hope and Dreams
11. We Are Live
12. Swallowed Up (iTunes Bonus Track)
13. American Land (iTunes Bonus Track)
We Take Care Of Our Own and Wrecking Ball were both performed live on the last E Street Band tour and Wrecking Ball was out as a single for Record Store Day. Land Of Hope and Dreams dates from the Rising reunion 10 years ago (great song) and American Land from the Seeger Sessions Band but again played by the E Streeters on tour.
This does somewhat undermine the assertion that this is a new direction but I am happy to wait and see.
This whole round of activity took me by surprise when it was anoounced,I was expecting another project along the lines of the Seeger Sessions.It is perhaps no bad thing as any huge lay off would only increase the issues associated with continuing the E Street Band without Clarence.
IMHO he does more that's right than wrong and I remain a fan
iTunes Bonus Tracks
my God but that pisses me off, Labels and artists, put the songs on the cd or do you not want us to buy it?
itunes
when the Wilco album by Wilco was released a few years back, there was an exclusive itunes track so I emailed the management to question why do bands allow this to happen when they clearly have a solid fanbase and one which is of an age that still buys the physical product. The answer was simple - the power of itunes, if you want your album to be pushed up front in the week of release on the itunes store page then you have to give them an exclusive.
I can understand why Wilco
would 'need' to give itunes an exclusive. I lament the need but understand. But Bruce? He needs the push?
The Bonus Tracks
are on the posh version of the CD with booklet etc going for £3 more than the standard issue. It's coming out on double vinyl too
Something old, something new
I didn't know that We Take Care of Our Own had been played before. When was that? Thought it was a new one. However, as far as I know American Land has been played at every E Street Band show since 2007 (with band intros in the middle) and was a staple of the Seeger tour too. In fact, wasn't there a reissued 'American Land' version of the Seeger Sessions record?
So the new record has at least three songs that are very familiar to Springsteen fans and have already been released officially (Land of Hope and Dreams was on the 2000 live record).
Doesn't this all seem more than just a little bit rushed? I mean, if he doesn't feel he has enough material for a full record, why plump it out with stuff that fans and some casual listeners have already heard. It's not like the world is gasping for a new Bruce Springsteen record.
Having said that, I quite enjoyed the new single so maybe the nine new songs on Wrecking Ball will be worth the price. I'd say one thing to Jon Landau though: it's a bit daft to describe a record that has 3 old songs on it as "very fresh".
Apologies
Went back and checked. The piece I read at breakfast time suggested We Take Care Of Our Own was played live alongside Wrecking Ball on Italian shows but I can't find confirmation of this anywhere else.
Wrecking Ball was the opening song for the final US shows of the tour
Hmmm
a good chunk of the songs that went on to be on The River were familiar to fans before that album came out, thanks to regular appearances in live shows (and don't forget quite a few Darkness shows were broadcast live on the radio, and circulated for years afterwards). Plus, only having ten or less "new" tracks on didn't exactly ruin Born To Run, Darkness, BITUSA or Nebraska, did it?
That said, I do hate American Land.
Wrecking Ball was
written for the last dates at the New Jersey Giants Stadium, Meadowlands 2009 before they knocked the place down.
And yes American land was on the live SS tour album
Stop the Calvary
Watching the video for the new song.
Bruce sings: "There ain't no help, the Calvary stayed home. They're ain't no one hearing the bugle blowin'"
Do you think he meant Cavalry? Like, as in a mounted army? As opposed to the place where Jesus died?
Now who's going to tell him the bad news? I suggest Steve Van Zandt. Thats a conversation I'd like to hear!
While you're at it
Get him to sort this one from The Wrestler
Have you ever seen a one-legged dog making its way down the street?
Can't say I have Bruce I suspect you haven't either.
"I been knocking on the door that holds the throne"
The opening line "I been knocking on the door that holds the throne" immediately made me think of queuing up to use the bathroom!
Aside from that though, I like it.
There's also a line
About "the road to somewhere or other" being dry as a bone
Dunno about other drivers but I always think that dry roads are no bad thing.
Now rivers running dry as a bone, that is a problem....
First feedback on the album
Following a press playback
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/rockandpopmusic/9087360/Bruce-S...
and track by track here
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/cdreviews/9087107/Bruce-Springs...
The inclusion of Land of Hope and Dreams makes more sense as a last sax solo from Clarence. It's always been a fine song.