OPO - Bruce Springsteen

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Reading the Uncut Bruce Springsteen special (where they picked their top 40 Bruce songs) reminded me of just how many great songs the man has written. And contrary to the opinion of many that he's pretty one-dimensional, there's a huge range there. From 'The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle', through 'Born to run', 'Darkness...', 'Nebraska', 'Tunnel of love', '...Tom Joad' - these are very different records (and all great).

So, what's your single favourite Springsteen track? Or, for the many Bruce-haters out there, is there one song of his that you like?

― James Ball (James Ball), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 14:22 (twenty-three years ago)

I think I'd have to go for 'Thunder Road', personally.

― James Ball (James Ball), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 14:23 (twenty-three years ago)

BORN TO RUN

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 14:24 (twenty-three years ago)

"The River."

― My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 14:25 (twenty-three years ago)

"Thunder Road", I'd say. Just. If I wasn't in love at the moment, it'd probably be "Murder Incorporated", though.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 14:29 (twenty-three years ago)

"The screen door slams
Mary's dress waves
Like a vision she dances across the porch
As the radio plays.
Roy Orbison's singing for the lonely
Yeah, that's me and I want you only..."

is a brilliant way to start a record.

I cam close to picking 'The River', too.

― James Ball (James Ball), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 14:32 (twenty-three years ago)

Well, there were ghosts in the eyes of the boys that you sent away
They haunt this dirty beach road in the skeleton remains of burnt out Chevrolets
They scream to you at night from the street
Your graduation gown lies in rags at their feet

I've been studying English literature now for, what, 9 years? I've never seen a piece of poetry come within 30 foot of the inherent beauty of those lines.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 14:34 (twenty-three years ago)

"My Hometown" and "The River" are both great, although possibly the best thing he has ever done is "4th July Asbury Park (Sandy)" from his underrated 1973 masterpiece "The Wild, The Innocent & The E-Street Shuffle"

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 14:37 (twenty-three years ago)

He's too growly on "My Hometown".

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 14:38 (twenty-three years ago)

"Working on the Highway"

― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 14:41 (twenty-three years ago)

He's too growly on "My Hometown".

The poor guy cannot use another singing voice than the one he possesses anyway.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 14:44 (twenty-three years ago)

"Atlantic City"

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 14:54 (twenty-three years ago)

Candy's Room

― willem (willem), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 14:56 (twenty-three years ago)

THIS IS A DIFFICULT QUESTION YOU FUXORS, FIRST SIOUXSIE AND NOW THIS? I think you're all trying to make my brain explode.

If you put a gun to my head it'd be Born to Run cos that's the best one to listen to in a bar with another 5 people and you all just sing it and make the ridiculous "Bruce Springsteen Singing" face. Also Dancing in the Dark is good for this, because it has the added bonus of doing the "Courtney Cox-Bruce Springsteen Dance" all throughout. Of course, this totally ignores the fact that Thunder Road has better lyrics than either and Atlantic City is the most beautiful song and Brilliant Disguise has this fantastic atmosphere and story to it...

However, when it really comes down to it, I'd pick Rosalita if JUST for the lyrics "Now you're sad/Your momma's mad/And yer papa says he knows that I don't have any money (x3 times?)/Well tell him this is his last chance/To get his daughter in a fine romance/Because the record company, Rosie/Just gave me a big advance"

Somewhere hidden deep on my blog is a big piece on Bruce Springsteen as existential character in song versus Bruce Springsteen the actual person or some bullshit like that.

― Ally (mlescaut), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 15:57 (twenty-three years ago)

"Rosalita" is a gorgeous tune, but I have to opt for "Racing in the Street." A beautiful song with one of my favorite lines: "There's wrinkles 'round my baby's eyes..."

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 16:07 (twenty-three years ago)

"Born to Run"...when covered by Frankie Goes to Hollywood rather than the yeah-whatever original.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 16:17 (twenty-three years ago)

"Brilliant Disguise"

or "Tougher Than the Rest"

― Amateurist (amateurist), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 16:36 (twenty-three years ago)

(Yeah yeah or the last side of the The River etc.)

― Amateurist (amateurist), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 16:40 (twenty-three years ago)

aaaarrghhh Born to run.

― girl scout heroin (iamamonkey), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 17:43 (twenty-three years ago)

'candy's room' is the best song ever right before it turns into the WORST song ever

i like 'streets o'fire' and 'prove it all night', 'darlington county' a lot too

but if i could only pick one, maybe 'johnny 99'

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 17:49 (twenty-three years ago)

state trooper

― dan (dan), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 17:50 (twenty-three years ago)

(is it just me or does early springsteen share a lot of the soulful horn-fired mystic smalltown playboy schtick that's generally ripped to shreds on ilx when van morrison does it?)

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 17:53 (twenty-three years ago)

Wait, wait, I'm changing my response to "Bobby Jean."

― My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 17:54 (twenty-three years ago)

Springsteen doesn't emphasise the mystic, and he certainly doesn't emphasise the soulful, in the same ways Van does. The comparison's interesting, though.

Also, Astral Weeks has tons of defenders on ILX, and a POO thread that isn't straying much beyond the singles is by its nature hardly evidence of a massive love affair with the Boss.

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 17:56 (twenty-three years ago)

I wonder why people don't rate Tunnel of Love more highly, especially the "popists" among us (what with the album's homages to Lou Christie and The Drifters, etc.)

― Amateurist (amateurist), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 18:04 (twenty-three years ago)

"I'm On Fire" - the video had Bruce and his chesthair driving a car.

― Chris V. (Chris V), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 18:05 (twenty-three years ago)

corks has no-one really siad 'Hungry Heart' til now?

― stevem (blueski), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 18:07 (twenty-three years ago)

"I'm Going Down"

― Burr (Burr), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 18:07 (twenty-three years ago)

I know Tunnel of Love is supposed to be great, but I've never picked it up. I don't own a single post-Born in the USA Bruce record.

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 18:09 (twenty-three years ago)

Darlington County, hands down. No song has ever captured the spirit of two young men looking for fun and adventure, only to fuck up gloriously.
I also love the fact that Bruce kept the take on the album, even though his voice was completely shot. Must have been the end of a long recording session.

― Jazzbo (jmcgaw), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 19:44 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm On Fire is a magnificent song.

― Ally (mlescaut), Wednesday, 19 March 2003 04:55 (twenty-three years ago)

dancing in the dark

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Wednesday, 19 March 2003 04:56 (twenty-three years ago)

favorite - "Dancing in the Dark"
best - "Working oh the Highway"

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Wednesday, 19 March 2003 05:20 (twenty-three years ago)

would have to be off 'Nebraska': State Patrolman, Mansion on the Hill or the title track. Haven't heard the album for many years now, therefore, cannot OPO.

― j.a.e, Wednesday, 19 March 2003 05:49 (twenty-three years ago)

I enthusiastically second "Atlantic City"

Now I been lookin' for a job but it's hard to find
Down here it's just winners and losers and don't get caught on the wrong side of that line
Well I'm tired of comin' out on the losin' end
So honey last night I met this guy and I'm gonna do a little favor for him
Well I guess everything dies baby that's a fact
But maybe everything that dies someday comes back
Put your hair up nice and set up pretty
and meet me tonight in Atlantic City

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Wednesday, 19 March 2003 05:53 (twenty-three years ago)

"candy's room"

― Tad (llamasfur), Wednesday, 19 March 2003 06:45 (twenty-three years ago)

"Mansion On The Hill".

― Chris P (Chris P), Wednesday, 19 March 2003 08:23 (twenty-three years ago)

Ooooooo that's a good one.

― Amateurist (amateurist), Wednesday, 19 March 2003 08:30 (twenty-three years ago)

It used to be "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" then "Rosalita." Now it's "Pink Cadillac." *shrug*

― weatheringdaleson (weatheringdaleson), Wednesday, 19 March 2003 09:01 (twenty-three years ago)

is it just me or does early springsteen share a lot of the soulful horn-fired mystic smalltown playboy schtick that's generally ripped to shreds on ilx when van morrison does it?)

Van Morrison's actually whinged about this before. The quote was something along the lines of "I'm fed up with all these monkeys on my back, the Springsteens and the Bob Segers, ripping me off".

― James Ball (James Ball), Wednesday, 19 March 2003 11:53 (twenty-three years ago)

"Prove It All Night"

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 19 March 2003 11:56 (twenty-three years ago)

As to Van Morrison, very few singers arrange horns as well as he does.

― Jazzbo (jmcgaw), Wednesday, 19 March 2003 13:26 (twenty-three years ago)

I'd take Tunnel of love over the rest of his back catalogue any day. Honourable exceptions Philadelphia and The River (song not album).

I like him best when he's lovelorn and cut up inside, it's more truthful and unnerving. With Van you know that whatever happens he's got his 'spirituality', whatever it is that week, to pull him through. With Bruce, when his love goes or when the party finishes, you're left with a void, 'nothing but road'. He communicates better than anyone the unmentionable failure of secularism and late period capitalism.

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Wednesday, 19 March 2003 14:30 (twenty-three years ago)

Van Morrison is kind of a bitter bastard, judging by how often I see him on tv whinging. It's like, DUDE YOU ARE FAMOUS WHY ARE YOU SO UPSET ABOUT BEING NOT FAMOUS? Other targets of ire are basically every Irish musician that came out after him for riding on him. I mean, he gave them a pass on the show I seen because "Well, it's good for Ireland" but he seemed pretty pissed off. I mean, who wouldn't be, those goddamned Corrs really are ripping off Brown Eyed Girl. And Enya!

You know what else is good, Backstreets and also Badlands.

― Ally (mlescaut), Wednesday, 19 March 2003 18:04 (twenty-three years ago)

"Atlantic City" thirded.

― mike a (mike a), Wednesday, 19 March 2003 18:10 (twenty-three years ago)

yeah, ally's got a point. even if billy dods is right and bruce has nothing but unmentionable emptiness at the end of the day and van still has his mysticism, we all know who'd be more fun to split a sixpack on the roof with.
(fuck, i just realized where i'd rather be right now)

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Wednesday, 19 March 2003 18:19 (twenty-three years ago)

"Tougher Than the Rest" is a great honky-tonk song with little but Bruce's echoed-out voice, that HUGE synth riff, and a bass drum in the verses. It's spectacular. I'm surprised more people don't like it.

― Amateurist (amateurist), Wednesday, 19 March 2003 18:21 (twenty-three years ago)

I think it'd be more fun to split a six pack with Russel Crowe but that's just me.

― Ally (mlescaut), Wednesday, 19 March 2003 18:42 (twenty-three years ago)

Van must be the most miserable bastard in the music industry. Narrowly edgeing out Lou Reed.

Which is why I was shocked and stunned to once see him break into a rendition of "Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work we go", the Seven Dwarfs song from Snow White. Truly bizarre.

(For what it's worth I love his music and Bruce's and would find it hard to choose between them. But Fritz is obviously right.)

― James Ball (James Ball), Thursday, 20 March 2003 09:37 (twenty-three years ago)

eight months pass...

"growin' up"

― gygax! (gygax!), Friday, 12 December 2003 17:40 (twenty-two years ago)

my favorite that hasn't been mentioned: "Out In The Street"

― Al (sitcom), Friday, 12 December 2003 17:47 (twenty-two years ago)

'Backstreets' It could be a movie.

― John Bullabaugh (John Bullabaugh), Friday, 12 December 2003 17:55 (twenty-two years ago)

"Atlantic City" fourthed.

― rainman (rainman), Friday, 12 December 2003 17:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Right now it's "Atlantic City" for me too.

― Allyzay, Friday, 12 December 2003 18:43 (twenty-two years ago)

three months pass...

Open All Night

― Sym (shmuel), Friday, 26 March 2004 12:56 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm changing my vote to "The River"

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Friday, 26 March 2004 13:00 (twenty-two years ago)

My favorite Broose is the whole of 'Tunnel' (excepting "Spare Parts" and "Cautious Man"), and prolly the first four tracks of 'Tom Joad'--maybe the title track of that is my favorite. But also I think "Lonesome Day" (!) is amazing. Etc

― John 2, Friday, 26 March 2004 14:02 (twenty-two years ago)

eight months pass...

As much as I am a huge Springsteen fan, I saw him last year and was utterly disappointed. His passion has left him like a punctured bagpipe (still able to hold air, but all wheeze). Worse yet, was that his wife has taken over his shows, which no longer rock like they did back in the late 1970s and early 80s. Now they drone on and the soul has vanished. I thought he was sleep walking or performing on vicodin.

― E Street, Sunday, 28 November 2004 14:21 (twenty-one years ago)

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