Re: Bruce Springsteen
Posted: Tue June 25, 2019 7:54 pm
Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. (3.5 stars)
A wonderful introduction to a legendary artist. I had a CD in my car for years that had both this album and The Wild, the Innocent, & The E Street Shuffle, so it is strange to hear it alone. Both are so similar in both theme and the “cram 1000 words into each song” tendency of his early work. Lots of variety here, with some more singer/songwriter tunes like Growin’ Up and Mary Queen of Arkansas, but also some full band stunners like Spirit of the Night. An uneven relisten, but the highlights make up for the low moments. Wish the production captured the full depth of the performances.
Blinded By the Light (4 stars) - love the sax in this one. Other than being too wordy, this song really highlights Bruce’s songwriting skills and is an excellent opener to his career.
Growin’ Up (3.5 stars) - maybe should have been the opener. Lovely little tune.
Mary Queen of Arkansas (3 stars) - stripped down singer/songwriter song. Like his voice/delivery in this one. Pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this upon the revisit.
Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street? (2 stars) - this song just kind of exists. Doesn't outstay its welcome, but doesn’t really bring anything interesting either.
Lost in the Flood (5 stars) - Just stellar, then and now. Once the drum kicks in it just goes to another level. Heavy themes covered with the right amount of poetry, weight, and musical substance.
Angel (2.5 stars) - Don’t really care for the vocal delivery. A little too strained. Piano is lovely though. Kind of forgettable.
For You (3 stars) - Chorus highlights the excellent drumming and accompaniment. Production lacks some punch.
Spirit in the Night (5 stars) - Top tier Bruce. The sax is flirty, the vocals are playful and earnest, and it just has an irresistible groove to it. A 23 year old wrote this? An unforgettable ode to uninhibited youthful nights. Was one of my wedding songs.
It’s Hard to Be a Saint in the City (3 stars) - This one has never really clicked with me. Seems a bit out of place? I’m starting to come around to it though. Abrupt changes between sections keep it moving.
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The Wild, the Innocent & The E Street Shuffle (3.5 Stars)
Bruce is really starting to stretch and develop both his storytelling and arrangement chops in this release. Each song has defined, detailed characters that become go-to archetypes for his later writing. This seems to have a defined theme and is consistent throughout with each uptempo song having a discernible groove to it. Several truly standout moments in his catalogue can be found in these long, often bloated, songs. Every track could benefit from some editing. Even Steve Windwood would call this album a bit organ heavy. Being a staple of bar bands across the country, I can see the appeal, but the reliance on the instrument overshadows some otherwise excellent playing. His voice is mostly in control and sounds good, though he is still a bit wordy. Doesn’t seem like he uses his thesaurus as much on this one. Hard to believe both this and Welcome to Asbury Park were released in the same year. A single album of the best songs from each would easily stand among his best.
Luckily, Bruce learns to dial it back a bit for the unrivaled stretch of his next five albums.
The E Street Shuffle (4 stars) - a fun, toe tapping number that showcases his mastery of the bar band. The performance with the Roots a few years demonstrates how timeless this song is.
4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy) (3 stars) - the buildup to the climax meanders a little too much. A nice come down after the shuffle. Lots of organ.
Kitty’s Back (4 stars) - the intro is killer. This song has the potential to be a top tier Bruce song, but the 40 second organ solo is superfluous and somewhat shrill. Everything is great though!
Wild Billy’s Circus Story (2.5 stars) - this guy sure loves the circus. Good little glimpses of the different aspects of carnival life, but there’s not much here.
Incident on 57th Street (3.5) - Love the outro. His performance is great. The guitar tone is spot on.
Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) (4.5 stars) - The bridge is an all-timer, no matter how many times you hear it. Sax heavy, which later becomes a staple. Just wish the song was about a minute or two shorter.
New York Serenade (3.5 stars) - A fitting closer, clocking in at almost 10 minutes. Love the vibe. Another strong closing/outro. Like the piano in this one.
A wonderful introduction to a legendary artist. I had a CD in my car for years that had both this album and The Wild, the Innocent, & The E Street Shuffle, so it is strange to hear it alone. Both are so similar in both theme and the “cram 1000 words into each song” tendency of his early work. Lots of variety here, with some more singer/songwriter tunes like Growin’ Up and Mary Queen of Arkansas, but also some full band stunners like Spirit of the Night. An uneven relisten, but the highlights make up for the low moments. Wish the production captured the full depth of the performances.
Blinded By the Light (4 stars) - love the sax in this one. Other than being too wordy, this song really highlights Bruce’s songwriting skills and is an excellent opener to his career.
Growin’ Up (3.5 stars) - maybe should have been the opener. Lovely little tune.
Mary Queen of Arkansas (3 stars) - stripped down singer/songwriter song. Like his voice/delivery in this one. Pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this upon the revisit.
Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street? (2 stars) - this song just kind of exists. Doesn't outstay its welcome, but doesn’t really bring anything interesting either.
Lost in the Flood (5 stars) - Just stellar, then and now. Once the drum kicks in it just goes to another level. Heavy themes covered with the right amount of poetry, weight, and musical substance.
Angel (2.5 stars) - Don’t really care for the vocal delivery. A little too strained. Piano is lovely though. Kind of forgettable.
For You (3 stars) - Chorus highlights the excellent drumming and accompaniment. Production lacks some punch.
Spirit in the Night (5 stars) - Top tier Bruce. The sax is flirty, the vocals are playful and earnest, and it just has an irresistible groove to it. A 23 year old wrote this? An unforgettable ode to uninhibited youthful nights. Was one of my wedding songs.
It’s Hard to Be a Saint in the City (3 stars) - This one has never really clicked with me. Seems a bit out of place? I’m starting to come around to it though. Abrupt changes between sections keep it moving.
_____________________________________________________
The Wild, the Innocent & The E Street Shuffle (3.5 Stars)
Bruce is really starting to stretch and develop both his storytelling and arrangement chops in this release. Each song has defined, detailed characters that become go-to archetypes for his later writing. This seems to have a defined theme and is consistent throughout with each uptempo song having a discernible groove to it. Several truly standout moments in his catalogue can be found in these long, often bloated, songs. Every track could benefit from some editing. Even Steve Windwood would call this album a bit organ heavy. Being a staple of bar bands across the country, I can see the appeal, but the reliance on the instrument overshadows some otherwise excellent playing. His voice is mostly in control and sounds good, though he is still a bit wordy. Doesn’t seem like he uses his thesaurus as much on this one. Hard to believe both this and Welcome to Asbury Park were released in the same year. A single album of the best songs from each would easily stand among his best.
Luckily, Bruce learns to dial it back a bit for the unrivaled stretch of his next five albums.
The E Street Shuffle (4 stars) - a fun, toe tapping number that showcases his mastery of the bar band. The performance with the Roots a few years demonstrates how timeless this song is.
4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy) (3 stars) - the buildup to the climax meanders a little too much. A nice come down after the shuffle. Lots of organ.
Kitty’s Back (4 stars) - the intro is killer. This song has the potential to be a top tier Bruce song, but the 40 second organ solo is superfluous and somewhat shrill. Everything is great though!
Wild Billy’s Circus Story (2.5 stars) - this guy sure loves the circus. Good little glimpses of the different aspects of carnival life, but there’s not much here.
Incident on 57th Street (3.5) - Love the outro. His performance is great. The guitar tone is spot on.
Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) (4.5 stars) - The bridge is an all-timer, no matter how many times you hear it. Sax heavy, which later becomes a staple. Just wish the song was about a minute or two shorter.
New York Serenade (3.5 stars) - A fitting closer, clocking in at almost 10 minutes. Love the vibe. Another strong closing/outro. Like the piano in this one.
