Bruce Springsteen...

[twistedAM]

Don't be ridiculous. He'd go down a storm at Glasto. His live show is excellent.

Why would anyone want to pelt him with mud anyway? It's not like he gives it the big one or anything.

Did you actually see that Superbowl fiasco? It really was dire. Am sure it's on Youtibe if you have 12 minutes to waste.

Maybe it's not a true reflection of his live show and he had trouble condensing 3 hours into a cameo performance (but Tom Petty did it brilliantly the year before).

I was truly shocked at how bad it was (and it was mimed as well!) as I have mates who travel all over the place to see him and rave about him.

 

[editor]

Nah, Tom Petty. He just never really made it over here though.

I've seen both Tom Petty and Springsteen in relatively small venues, and Bruce's show was the one which blew me clean away. And I like Tom Petty too.

 

[newbie]

Don't be ridiculous. He'd go down a storm at Glasto. His live show is excellent.

Why would anyone want to pelt him with mud anyway? It's not like he gives it the big one or anything.

just watch what we saw t'other night and then tell me his "live show is excellent". It may be capable of being excellent, plenty of people have told me they really liked it, but that's what he chose to showcase himself with and that's what I've judged on, and it was so, so bad.

 

[Voley]

I had a listen to The Ghost Of Tom Joad after Rage Against The Machine covered it and quite liked it in a Dylanny protest song way. Other than that I've never heard anything by him I've liked.

 

[editor]

just watch what we saw t'other night and then tell me his "live show is excellent". It may be capable of being excellent, plenty of people have told me they really liked it, but that's what he chose to showcase himself with and that's what I've judged on, and it was so, so bad.

If you mean the that Superbowl event, well that's hardly a normal gig, is it?

If I was at Glasto I'd probably watch him, but I certainly wouldn't go out of my way.

 

[El Jefe]

His live show is excellent.

see, any live footage I've ever seen has struck me as bombastic and awful.

 

[Idaho]

I like some Springsteen stuff. I bought Born in the USA when I was young. There was some good songs on there.

 

[Nanker Phelge]

see, any live footage I've ever seen has struck me as bombastic and awful.

Most boring gig I've ever been to - didn't get it at all.

 

[Idaho]

see, any live footage I've ever seen has struck me as bombastic and awful.

Live performance should be theatrical.

 

[Voley]

Live performance should be theatrical.

Not necessarily.

I tend to have more time for bands that put all their effort into playing their songs.

 

[Nanker Phelge]

Live performance should be theatrical.

Yeah, if your Fish from Marillion!

 

[sojourner]

pretty much can't stand any of it. the bluster of his "big" stuff, the down homeness of his "small" stuff. I'm sure he's a great bloke and all, but this blue collar catholic 3 hour stage show "i'm one of you really" work ethic sticks in my craw.

this

 

[kerb]

Been listening to him today actually.

Atlantic City is a great great song. My g/f and I love it.

Human touch and the eighties were a bit wayward and not really too keen on his latest stuff apart from the odd tune or two but his early songwriting is class imo. And yeah seems like a decent guy

 

[El Jefe]

Live performance should be theatrical.

ridiculous comment:

1) some live performance needs to be theatrical, it doesn't suit all artists.
2) there's more than one kind of theatrical. The Cramps were theatrical and they were great, it's just a different kind of theatrical from Springsteen, which I found sweaty and workmanlike but lacking style or excitement. Just a lot of grunting

 

[Idaho]

Not necessarily.

I tend to have more time for bands that put all their effort into playing their songs.

Personally I prefer to see some presence and stagecraft - rather than moody folk playing music and expecting that to be entertaining enough.

 

[danny la rouge]

Springsteen to hide at play park.

Hope nobody finds him for ages.

 

[Idaho]

ridiculous comment:

1) some live performance needs to be theatrical, it doesn't suit all artists.
2) there's more than one kind of theatrical. The Cramps were theatrical and they were great, it's just a different kind of theatrical from Springsteen, which I found sweaty and workmanlike but lacking style or excitement. Just a lot of grunting

You don't think that Joy Division could have done with a laser show and some microphone air guitar?

 

[Voley]

Joni Mitchell's missing a few flying pigs, tbf.

 

[danny la rouge]

Joni Mitchell's missing a few flying pigs, tbf.

She's a pig short of a Floyd gig, tbf.

 

[goldenecitrone]

Guana Batz did a good I'm on Fire.

 

[sojourner]

You don't think that Joy Division could have done with a laser show and some microphone air guitar?

now I KNOW you're taking the piss

 

[damnhippie]

i think in some circles he's one of those ones that just gets a knee-jerk slating, regardless of his musical output. like, music for salesmen, shuhuh.

it's also easy to laugh at any artist who is so devoid of irony. and sweaty.

i like a lot of bits and pieces he's done - don't have any albums but tar1984, listen to Maria's Bed, it's a great tune.

 

[tar1984]

^^^cheers man, will do.

 

[bouncer_the_dog]

My Top 5 Bruce tracks:

1.Thunder Road
2.Born to Run
3.Atlantic City
4.Jungleland
5.The Rising

Although there are loads more. I think Bruce is great, he's one of the all time great American songwriters. His folk influenced album with the Sessions band - especially the Live one recorded in Dublin is worth checking out if you want somthing different.. I liked his recent Album 'Magic' and saw him at the O2 and the Emirates stadium on that tour - I'd love to see him in a smaller venue. The Emirates was too big!

 

[Paul Russell]

Early LPs are good:

(2) The Wild, The Innocent, and the...
(3) Born to Run
(4) Darkness on the Edge of Town
(5) The River

Not keen on a lot of his later stuff.

Born in the USA might have been a good LP if it wasn't for the hideous 1980s big synthesizer sound. (And before anyone says the song "Born in the USA" is jingoistic tosh, have a look at the lyrics...)

 

[Paul Russell]

My Top 5 Bruce tracks:

1.Thunder Road
2.Born to Run
3.Atlantic City
4.Jungleland
5.The Rising

I'm with you on Atlantic City. Can't really understand why the LP Nebraska is so highly rated though. A couple of good songs and a lot of dirgey three chord dullness.

 

[twistedAM]

I'm with you on Atlantic City. Can't really understand why the LP Nebraska is so highly rated though. A couple of good songs and a lot of dirgey three chord dullness.

Nebraska was kind of a concept album with the ghost of Charlie Starkweather running through it. The cover was a very apt piece of artwork too.

 

[belboid]

Bruce was absolutely cracking up til, and including, Born In The USA. I reckon everyone would still rate BitU as a cracker if it weren't for the fact that Reagan tried to appropriate the title song for himself during his 84 re-election campaign. the fact that he obviously hadn't bothered listening to the track, or realising it was deeply anti-everything he stood for, was rather lost on him. And plenty of other dumber americans (and others) who only ever heard the title.

My Hometown, Downbound Train, Working on the Highway, not to mention I'm On Fire would all ensure the album took its place in the pantheon of greatness, were it not for Ronnie.

My, off the top of me head, top 5:

Candy's Room
Jungleland
Badlands
Reason To Believe
Hungry Heart/Rosalita

And, cme Glastonbury, I will be attempting to take the Courtney Cox role - I have better legs than her these days.

 

[belboid]

Nebraska was kind of a concept album with the ghost of Charlie Starkweather running through it.

A modern day story of Tom Joad.

 

[Andy the Don]

Anything before "Born in the USA" (1984) is excellent and I would include his 1987 album "Tunnel of Love" as very good. Since then.. well have not brought any of his stuff. If I have to pick my top five Bruuuuuuce tunes they would be..

• Rosalite (Come Out Tonight)
• Thunder Road
• Racing in the Street
• Hungry Heart
• Atlantic City