Bruce Springsteen

[Anonymous]

So I was here, watchin' the DVD from 'Devils & Dust' and thought I could pop this question over at the ol' Roth & Roll Army.

So waddya think of the Boss, eh? D'you believe him to be "the real stuff" or just a poser?

What are your favorite songs/albums, if any?

Speaking for myself, I do believe the Boss to be the Boss... ain't noone who can entertain me with just a six stringer and a mississippi saxophone like Springsteen does. And even though 'Devils & Dust' is a bit more "dressed up" than 'Nebraska', on the DVD he proves the songs to sound just as good - if not even better - raw as they do in the album.

As for my favorite albums, I only listened to and own the ones I believe to be the essential:

Nebraska
The Ghost of Tom Joad
Devils & Dust
Greatest Hits

I say "essential" because even though I love the 'Greatest Hits' album, there are some I tend to skip forward... namely 'Hungry Heart' - I think he should've just given that song to the Ramones, I'm sure they would've done a better job with it - 'Dancing in the Dark', and even 'Born in the U.S.A.' and 'Atlantic City', though the latter is simply because I listen to it on 'Nebraska'.

And if those made it to the 'Greatest Hits', I shudder to think what other pieces of shite has the man released just to put some food on the table, though I don't blame him... he wouldn't be half of what he is today without the E Street Band - of course, opinions may vary on the subject.

Now, your thoughts?

Cheers! :bottle:

[Terry]

I like Nebraska, Darkness On The Edge Of Town...even Born In The USA I can still stand, despite it being overplayed to fucking death in the mid-1980s...and Tunnel Of Love had some great tunes on it as well. Pretty much stopped listening once LuckyTown/Human touch were released. Have heard his stuff since then, but haven't really bothered with it.

Was never really swept up in 'Brucemania' in the mid 1980s, and never really quite saw what all the rock critics of the mid 1970s were blathering about when they salivated all over his records, but he did put a lot of effort/thought/work into his songs and lyrics...wouldn't put him in quite the same league as Woody Guthrie or Bob Dylan as David Marsh has, though...seemed like when he was really peaking commercially in 1985, a lot of people were plain missing the message of his lyrics - he was kinda put up on a pedestal by a lot of Reagan Republican yuppies who liked the chorus of Born In The USA, but really didn't bother listening to the verses.

He's kinda like U2 for me in a lot of ways - has written some great songs and has put the songwriting craft before other less important aspects of the rock biz (promo videos, self-seeking publicity for the sole purpose of vanity, etc.), but I have pretty much whittled down his/their representation in my own collection to just a few albums I consider essential, and I don't listen to even those all that much anymore unless I'm digging through the collection (kinda like "oh, I forgot I had this in here" kinda thing).

[DrMaddVibe]

"The Boss" = Crap.

[Cato]

something like Combine. he's popular only among the boring people.

[Jimmy Jingles]

Re: Bruce Springsteen

Originally posted by Imapus Sylicker
State your opinion...

He sucks balls.

[jackassrock]

Great songwriter, not such a good singer.

Many huge rockstars fit into this category though. Neil Young, David Bowie, & Tom Waits to name a few.

Also, I've always hated the whoah oh oh oh ohhhhh tagline in a song. Springsteen and Billy Joel are both major violators on this one.