OT: Bruce singing Thunder Road Over 41 Years

[Saint Puppy]

I don't go to a lot of concerts, but I was blown away by Bruce when I went. Young Bruce was dazzling, and current Bruce is like a fine wine. Thought this was awesome-enjoy....

http://womc.cbslocal.com/2016/03/01/watch-bruce-springsteen-sing-thunder-road-over-41-years/

 

[brodo]

I really enjoyed that. Thanks.

 

[JMORC2003]

Great song. The line "Ohhhh come take my hand, we're riding out tonight to case the promised land" has to be one of my all time favorites.

 

[mildone]

I don't get his popularity. But each to their own.

 

[Knight Shift]

Great song. The line "Ohhhh come take my hand, we're riding out tonight to case the promised land" has to be one of my all time favorites.

"It's a town full of losers and I'm pulling out of here to win" is a great line too.

 

[Rutgers36]

Absolutely awesome! Thanks for the link! Big Bruce fan and that isn't a bad peak into what it is all about. All I can say is, if somebody doesn't get THAT, then I can't help you.

 

[JMORC2003]

I don't get his popularity. But each to their own.

U2 is that way for me. Never got why they're as huge as they are. I know some people love them but they always seemed kinda boring and generic to me.

 

[mildone]

U2 is that way for me. Never got why they're as huge as they are. I know some people love them but they always seemed kinda boring and generic to me.

Is how art and music are I guess. In the eyes and ears of beholders.

With Bruce, I just hear a bunch of energetic yelling by someone with a not great sounding voice over some mostly formulaic, simplistic music. It's not that it's awful. It's just that it's not particularly good in any way I can understand. And as I recall, it lacks all subtlety. Which to me is never a great thing in music, among other things.

Thing is, I can point at any of my "complaints" above in some music I like a lot. So I guess I have to conclude that Bruce's music just doesn't speak to me.

It obviously speaks loudly to a lot of people though. So that's good. I guess.

 

[RU848789]

I don't go to a lot of concerts, but I was blown away by Bruce when I went. Young Bruce was dazzling, and current Bruce is like a fine wine. Thought this was awesome-enjoy....

http://womc.cbslocal.com/2016/03/01/watch-bruce-springsteen-sing-thunder-road-over-41-years/

I've estimated that I've probably seen over 1000 bands perform live over the past 40 years (25 per year sounds about right - probably 40+ per year when I was 15-30 and maybe 15 per year in the other years) and was always a pretty big fan of Bruce, but didn't get around to seeing him until about 6 years ago (thanks to @PiscatawayMike) and that show, featuring the Born To Run album (my favorite of his), is definitely in my top 10-20.

The rest of my top 10-20 would consist of bands/shows such as the following (my years might be off a little here and there as this is from memory):

• U2 (my favorite show ever, was their show in 1983 on the pier; saw them about 10 times in the early/mid-80s)
• Green Day ('94 under the big top in AP)
• Yes ('77, in the round at the Spectrum in Philly)
• The Who ('79 at the Spectrum; was 11 days after a dozen people were trampled to death at Cincinnati and people were selling t-shirts with footprints on them, saying "I survived the Who")
• Pink Floyd ('80, the original Wall tour)
• REM (Busch Pub, '83)
• The Cure, Echo and the Bunnymen and New Order ('83, Jones Beach)
• Dramarama ('87 at the old Green Parrot)
• The Wonder Stuff ('90, at the Fastlane, when they did my proposal to my wife on-stage, as arranged by Matt Pinfield)
• Elvis Costello and Squeeze (Barn in '82, iirc)
• The Decemberists (2007, Central Park)
• Fountains of Wayne (1997, Fez in NYC)
• Whiskeytown (1998, Beacon Theater, I think)
• Old 97s (2001, Irving Plaza)
• Cloud Nothings, Wavves, and Dom (2010 at the Knitting Factory with my then 15-year old son - first real bar show and mosh pit for him and none of the bands were known back then, but blew us away and he got autographs from all of them)
• Girls, Real Estate, and King Krule (2014 at Terminal 5 with my son)
• Gaslight Anthem (2011 at the Stone Pony)
• Vampire Weekend (2012 at All Points West in JC in the pouring rain)
• Neil Young and Foo Fighters (2013 in Central Park)
• Strokes (2002 at Irving Plaza)
• Ray Charles (1994 at Jazzfest in New Orleans)
• Countless bands at the Court Tavern in the 80s: Smithereens, the Dickies, Crossfire Choir, the Blases, the Cucumbers, the Groceries, Jonathan Richman, Sonic Youth, the Feelies, Bad Brains, and Bigger Thomas were some of my faves from then...

 

[RU848789]

Is how art and music are I guess. In the eyes and ears of beholders.

With Bruce, I just hear a bunch of energetic yelling by someone with a not great sounding voice over some mostly formulaic, simplistic music. It's not that it's awful. It's just that it's not particularly good in any way I can understand. And as I recall, it lacks all subtlety. Which to me is never a great thing in music, among other things.

Thing is, I can point at any of my "complaints" above in some music I like a lot. So I guess I have to conclude that Bruce's music just doesn't speak to me.

It obviously speaks loudly to a lot of people though. So that's good. I guess.

I can vouch for the fact that mildone has horrible taste in music - he only likes music that's not in 4/4 time. We never let him near the laptop when we have parties. :>)

 

[LevaosLectures]

What happened to the tempo on Rosalita and Thunder Road over the years? The former in particular used to be blistering....now he plays it really languid.

 

[mildone]

I can vouch for the fact that mildone has horrible taste in music - he only likes music that's not in 4/4 time. We never let him near the laptop when we have parties. :>)

Haha. I have great taste in music. It's eclectic is all.

I like lots of 4/4 music. I just don't like it when all the music is in 4/4 time and at a tempo that rarely varies. Variety being the spice of life and all. Music really gets interesting when a particular piece has several different time-signatures. But yeah, if I had to choose a favorite time-signature, it would probably have to be 6/8.

 

[Ataylor1989x]

Is how art and music are I guess. In the eyes and ears of beholders.

With Bruce, I just hear a bunch of energetic yelling by someone with a not great sounding voice over some mostly formulaic, simplistic music. It's not that it's awful. It's just that it's not particularly good in any way I can understand. And as I recall, it lacks all subtlety. Which to me is never a great thing in music, among other things.

Thing is, I can point at any of my "complaints" above in some music I like a lot. So I guess I have to conclude that Bruce's music just doesn't speak to me.

It obviously speaks loudly to a lot of people though. So that's good. I guess.

I would agree that "Born to Run" and "Born in the USA" and most of what you would hear as a casual listening to the radio lacks subtlety....however, he is known as a respected songwriter because he completely gets subtlety in much of his work.

 

[zappaa]

What happened to the tempo on Rosalita and Thunder Road over the years? The former in particular used to be blistering....now he plays it really languid.

Funny, Bruce slowed down to much and the Stones play way to fast now.
Listen to Satisfactions tempo from 1965 compared to now.

 

[Kbee3]

What happened to the tempo on Rosalita and Thunder Road over the years? The former in particular used to be blistering....now he plays it really languid.

Having seen the Boss in his prime on many occasions, I can tell you that he is nowhere near as good as he was back then. That would be impossible. Even the idea of expecting 60 and 70 year old rock artists to perform at the same level as when they were young and at their peak is absurd.
O.K. with the exception of Keith Richards.
I love me some Bruce. But time does have a way of slowing everybody down.
And BTW, I don't get Yes or Green Day. I remember one person described Green Day as the Bay City Rollers with a pissy attitude.

 

[RU848789]

And BTW, I don't get Yes or Green Day. I remember one person described Green Day as the Bay City Rollers with a pissy attitude.

People seem to love or hate Yes - I always thought it was because of Jon Anderson's high-pitched voice and their usually ethereal lyrics. Musically, hard to argue with their virtuosity. They were my favorite band from about 76 to 79 - smoked a ton of dope and listened to Yes in the headphones - I also became fairly expert in drawing their fancy logo. Saw them live, in the round, about 4-5 times, all at the Spectrum in Philly. Was lucky enough to have a best friend in HS, whose older brother worked at the Spectrum ticket office - free tickets to tons of great classic rock shows in the late 70s.

I don't really get the Green Day comparison to the Bay City Rollers, though, unless the comparison was made years after they first hit it big and went more mainstream. There's no questioning their punk "cred" as they were neck deep in the DIY punk scene in the Oakland area for years before breaking through a bit with '92's "Kerplunk" their last independent label record and then hitting it big with '94's "Dookie," which launched them to superstardom. Both of those albums are punk rock masterpieces (if there's such a thing in the punk world) and the next few albums were also very good, although they softened things up a bit. I can understand someone not liking their punkier music, but it ain't the BCR's.

 

[Kbee3]

RU848789 said:
"They were my favorite band from about 76 to 79 - smoked a ton of dope and listened to Yes in the headphones -"

You should have tried Pink Floyd instead.
Yes is the only concert I ever walked out of.....can't stand Anderson's castrato

"I don't really get the Green Day comparison to the Bay City Rollers, though, unless the comparison was made years after they first hit it big and went more mainstream. There's no questioning their punk "cred" as they were neck deep in the DIY punk scene in the Oakland area for years before breaking through a bit with '92's "Kerplunk" their last independent label record and then hitting it big with '94's "Dookie," which launched them to superstardom. Both of those albums are punk rock masterpieces (if there's such a thing in the punk world) and the next few albums were also very good, although they softened things up a bit. I can understand someone not liking their punkier music, but it ain't the BCR's."

You should have tried The Clash.
I'm not really anti-Green Day, but I've never heard anything they did that I wanted to hear another time.

BTW, RU848789...what do you think of The War On Drugs....the band ?

 

[Kbee3]

Is how art and music are I guess. In the eyes and ears of beholders.

With Bruce, I just hear a bunch of energetic yelling by someone with a not great sounding voice over some mostly formulaic, simplistic music. It's not that it's awful. It's just that it's not particularly good in any way I can understand. And as I recall, it lacks all subtlety. Which to me is never a great thing in music, among other things.

Thing is, I can point at any of my "complaints" above in some music I like a lot. So I guess I have to conclude that Bruce's music just doesn't speak to me.

It obviously speaks loudly to a lot of people though. So that's good. I guess.

It's your loss.
His first four or five albums contain the bulk of his better work IMO.
And as a live performer....again, when he was in his prime...he was in a class by himself.
And that's coming from someone who has been going to concerts since the mid-Sixties and seen more shows than even RU848789.

 

[zappaa]

It's your loss.
His first four or five albums contain the bulk of his better work IMO.
And as a live performer....again, when he was in his prime...he was in a class by himself.
And that's coming from someone who has been going to concerts since the mid-Sixties and seen more shows than even RU848789.

Mildy can always go twirl around to The Greatful Dead 30 minute jams

 

[Kbee3]

Mildy can always go twirl around to The Greatful Dead 30 minute jams

I've actually done that more than a few times. It's called having friends who were big Deadheads.
I was never a big fan...although I do own Workingman's Dead. Even with mescaline they get boring quick IMO.
I even saw them when they opened the Meadowlands, with Willie Nelson on the bill. I thought Willie and his band were better, although I wasn't telling that to the girl I was with.
:pimp::pimp::pimp:

 

[RU848789]

RU848789 said:
"They were my favorite band from about 76 to 79 - smoked a ton of dope and listened to Yes in the headphones -"

You should have tried Pink Floyd instead.
Yes is the only concert I ever walked out of.....can't stand Anderson's castrato

"I don't really get the Green Day comparison to the Bay City Rollers, though, unless the comparison was made years after they first hit it big and went more mainstream. There's no questioning their punk "cred" as they were neck deep in the DIY punk scene in the Oakland area for years before breaking through a bit with '92's "Kerplunk" their last independent label record and then hitting it big with '94's "Dookie," which launched them to superstardom. Both of those albums are punk rock masterpieces (if there's such a thing in the punk world) and the next few albums were also very good, although they softened things up a bit. I can understand someone not liking their punkier music, but it ain't the BCR's."

You should have tried The Clash.
I'm not really anti-Green Day, but I've never heard anything they did that I wanted to hear another time.

BTW, RU848789...what do you think of The War On Drugs....the band ?

I said, above, that I had Pink Floyd in my top 20 shows; I also didn't list the Clash, but they're one of my favorite bands ever (and am also a big fan of Mick Jones's BAD and some of Joe Strummers solo stuff).

I like War On Drugs - I have some of their songs (I often just download songs, now). Saw them with The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and Guided By Voices in Central Park in 2012 with my son and 2 of his friends. The boys were mostly there to see TPOBPAH and didn't have much great to say about War On Drugs (or GBV), but 17 year olds are like that.

 

[Kbee3]

I said, above, that I had Pink Floyd in my top 20 shows; I also didn't list the Clash, but they're one of my favorite bands ever (and am also a big fan of Mick Jones's BAD and some of Joe Strummers solo stuff).

I like War On Drugs - I have some of their songs (I often just download songs, now). Saw them with The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and Guided By Voices in Central Park in 2012 with my son and 2 of his friends. The boys were mostly there to see TPOBPAH and didn't have much great to say about War On Drugs (or GBV), but 17 year olds are like that.

Sorry, RU848789. I was just trying to figure out why you were listening to Yes when you could have been listening to Pink Floyd instead ?
BTW, the Clash at the Capital Theater in Passaic was one of MY favorite shows....though I haven't made a list.
Oh, and The War on Drugs 2014 album "Into The Dream" is my favorite right now...has been for about a year. Yes....I still buy cds.

 

[eyebugs]

Great thread... Bruce I appreciate more than I like, but I will tell you this His music creates a scene, a moment, an emotion and places the listener right there... He has the uncanny ability of description backed up beautifully with melody and sound.. Its as if you live a springsteen classic rather than just listen to it... Listen to the end of Jungleland and I think you will get what I am trying to convey

 

[Kbee3]

OK. I'm gonna start working on my top 10/20 shows list.
Springsteen at the Capital Theater in Passaic would dominate the list.
The Kings of Leon at the Starland Ballroom just as they were hitting big is probably the most recent one.
I think the Allman Brothers Band when they first hit New York at the Fillmore back in the early Seventies would be the earliest one.
I gotta work on the damn list. I hope my memory doesn't fail me. Sure wish I took notes back then.
So many great shows. I'm sure I'm gonna forget some excellent ones....gotta try and remember.

 

[Kbee3]

,

Listen to the end of Jungleland and I think you will get what I am trying to convey

To have actually SEEN Bruce perform Jungleland (with The Big Man on the sax)...in a place small enough for you to actually SEE him perform it...NOT AN ARENA OR STADIUM....was true awesomeness. Hiding On The Backstreets, Kitty's Back, and Tenth Avenue Freeze Out were pretty awesome too. Actually the whole friggin show back then was awesomeness...all three and a half hours of it. In his prime, nobody was even close to the Boss. Maybe I don't need a list. Maybe he IS the list.

 

[GoodOl'Rutgers]

Bruce is a poet, not a rock star. You feel his music and words more than listen to it and marvel at its "quality". He's a songwriter/performer that is like a haiku machine.. capturing a time and place and feeling... at his best.

If you cannot appreciate that, fine. If you don't "get it", you don't get it.

I will never forget the night I drove up to Asbury Park to go some auto show and I SAW "Born to Run" come to life before our eyes. That was the day that I "got it".. that his lyrics captured the whole scene.

 

[zappaa]

My best concerts:
Allman Brothers
Marshall Tucker
War
Tower of Power
Skynard
Joe Walsh
Joe Jackson
Pearl Jam
Guns and Roses
Waylon Jennings
Foreigner
Stones
The Band
Levon Helm's Barn
Eric Clapton and Stevie Winwood

Obviously I have not attended many concerts the last 10 years

 

[Kbee3]

My best concerts:
Allman Brothers
Marshall Tucker
War
Tower of Power
Skynard
Joe Walsh
Joe Jackson
Pearl Jam
Guns and Roses
Waylon Jennings
Foreigner
Stones
The Band
Levon Helm's Barn
Eric Clapton and Stevie Winwood

Obviously I have not attended many concerts the last 10 years

Judging from your list I would guess it's been more like 20 years, old man.
[roll][roll][roll]

 

[zappaa]

Judging from your list I would guess it's been more like 20 years, old man.
[roll][roll][roll]

I forgot, brought my kids to Taylor Swift last summer....thoroughly enjoyed her and her positive message to kids.
Forgot STP, awesome before Scott went nuts

 

[PaKnight]

My best concerts:
Allman Brothers
Marshall Tucker
War
Tower of Power
Skynard
Joe Walsh
Joe Jackson
Pearl Jam
Guns and Roses
Waylon Jennings
Foreigner
Stones
The Band
Levon Helm's Barn
Eric Clapton and Stevie Winwood

Obviously I have not attended many concerts the last 10 years

No Frank and the mothers?

 

[RU848789]

,

To have actually SEEN Bruce perform Jungleland (with The Big Man on the sax)...in a place small enough for you to actually SEE him perform it...NOT AN ARENA OR STADIUM....was true awesomeness. Hiding On The Backstreets, Kitty's Back, and Tenth Avenue Freeze Out were pretty awesome too. Actually the whole friggin show back then was awesomeness...all three and a half hours of it. In his prime, nobody was even close to the Boss. Maybe I don't need a list. Maybe he IS the list.

That's how I felt about U2, REM, Green Day, the Smithereens and a bunch of other bands that I saw in bars/small venues before they became big to huge. Saw U2 at the Fastlane in '81, REM at the Busch Pub in '83(?), Green Day at Roseland in '93 and the Smithereens countless times at the Court Tavern in the mid-80s. Something about catching on to something before everyone else does (and frankly, before they know it), which is pretty cool.

And that's why I still prefer to see small indie bands when they're starting out, before they become big, although that's harder to do, since it just seems like there are less "big" bands than there used to be. In the past 5-10 years the only bands I saw at really small venues which are moderately to major-ly successful now would probably be the Black Keys, Wavves, the Decemberists, MGMT, and Arcade Fire - and probably only the Black Keys are as big as bands like REM and Green Day (but not U2).

 

[zappaa]

And that's why I still prefer to see small indie bands when they're starting out, before they become big, although that's harder to do, since it just seems like there are less "big" bands than there used to be. In the past 5-10 years the only bands I saw at really small venues which are moderately to major-ly successful now would probably be the Black Keys, Wavves, the Decemberists, MGMT, and Arcade Fire - and probably only the Black Keys are as big as bands like REM and Green Day (but not U2).[/QUOTE]
Obviously I Know Green Day and U2
Black Keys, Wavvs, Decemberists, MGMT, Aracade....I'm clueless.

 

[Phi_1055]

My best concerts:
Allman Brothers
Marshall Tucker
War
Tower of Power
Skynard
Joe Walsh
Joe Jackson
Pearl Jam
Guns and Roses
Waylon Jennings
Foreigner
Stones
The Band
Levon Helm's Barn
Eric Clapton and Stevie Winwood

Obviously I have not attended many concerts the last 10 years

Do you remember what songs they played when you were coming to the plate? Did you get to choose them in your day?

 

[RU848789]

Obviously I Know Green Day and U2
Black Keys, Wavvs, Decemberists, MGMT, Aracade....I'm clueless.

Zap - we need to get you out more and I think you'd actually like at least the Black Keys (straight ahead rock, with blues influences) and Arcade Fire and the Decemberists (both play somewhat folky rock with great instrumentalists and lyrics - some Dead/CSN similarities for both). MGMT and Wavves are a bit more indie and also not quite as popular as the first three.

 

[NJbound]

Was never a big Bruce fan until I saw him live at the Capitol Theatre in Passaic. After that I was hooked. Nobody gives more of themselves in a show, and the energy and connection with the audience is amazing. Granted, the large arenas don't translate as well, but he is still one of the best live shows ever.

 

[zappaa]

Do you remember what songs they played when you were coming to the plate? Did you get to choose them in your day?

"Here comes the sun" in Pittsburgh, to be perfectly honest I never gave it one seconds attention, I didn't even know they were playing it until someone told me

 

[Kbee3]

Something about catching on to something before everyone else does (and frankly, before they know it), which is pretty cool.

Nah. For me it's just being able to see and hear them. I remember an interview with Springsteen back in the day.....before he played the big venues.....where he spoke about the reasons he hadn't (up to that point) played arenas. He talked about the sound and the intimacy getting lost in those bigger places.
Damn, I miss the Capitol Theater and the Fillmore.

BTW, big fan of Arcade Fire and the Black Keys.

 

[Scarlet dollar]

My sister had front row seats for Bruce, in an auditorium, at Ohio U in 1974. After playing Thunder Road, he handed my sister his harmonica, which still has a home over her fireplace!

 

[RU848789]

Nah. For me it's just being able to see and hear them. I remember an interview with Springsteen back in the day.....before he played the big venues.....where he spoke about the reasons he hadn't (up to that point) played arenas. He talked about the sound and the intimacy getting lost in those bigger places.
Damn, I miss the Capitol Theater and the Fillmore.

BTW, big fan of Arcade Fire and the Black Keys.

You missed the first part of my post, where I was agreeing with you on how amazing it is to see an incredibly talented band in a small, intimate space where you're usually just a few feet to maybe a few yards away. Which is another reason I like seeing bands that I like, but aren't well known - I have a huge preference for being able to see a band from reasonably up close (and for a few bucks instead of a few hundred) and before they've become big "stars" - as success often goes to a band's head. Apart from festivals - which are a cool way to see a few dozen bands - I almost never see bands in big venues, as I hate being far away from the performer.

Never went to the Fillmore, but loved the Capitol Theater...

 

[zappaa]

I recently saw Robin Trower in a bar that fit 150 people...tops.