Category Archives: Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen, Bruce Springsteen concert, Live, Music Calendar

Today: Bruce Springsteen played Roxy LA in 1978

2 Comments

roxy 3

“…all them bootleggers out there in radio-land, roll your tapes!”
– Bruce Springsteen (Roxy, 1978)

One of the best concerts in the history of rock took place at the Roxy 7 July in 1978.

Some of you may already be familiar with one of the many bootlegs from this show, but for those of you who haven’t yet had the pleasure. I would strongly recommend you to seek it out, they are fairly easy to find on the web.

Roxy 2

When I first got a copy of “Roxy Night” I played it constantly for four days. In the house, on my discman (google it, young folks) and in the car, I couldn’t get enough. It was and still is the best bootleg I have ever heard.

Roxy 6

It’s a radio broadcast of a show Bruce Springsteen did at the Roxy Theater in Los Angeles in July of 1978, 8 songs from this concert were used on Bruce’s official Live 1975-85 album, albeit in an edited form (and too extensive editing in a song or two, a 5 and a half minute long “Sad Eyes” interlude was cut out of the version of this performance included on the Live 1975-85 release). Once a person hears the unedited version of “Backstreets,” they realize how much that is missing in the released/edited version. This show must be heard in its unedited entirety.

Full Concert at The Roxy 1978:

Roxy 5
I have more than 300 hundred Bruce Springsteen shows/bootlegs on CD/Vinyl or Hard-disk (and I’ve heard a lot more!) and this is one of my all time favorite shows.

roxy78 crowd

It’s from the so called Darkness Tour. The atmosphere is electric throughout due to the intimacy of the venue (The Roxy only held 500 people) and the fact that those who did get in are really big fans (he apologizes at the start of the concert to those poor unfortunates who had queued up all day in the heat and were still unable to get in).

Roxy 7 vinyl

The performance is incredible, and though it is true that there are bootlegs from later on in the tour that collectors often prefer because the songs from the Darkness on the edge of town album are more full, more fleshed out (such as the radio broadcast of the Winterlands show in San Francisco from 15-12-78 or the Passaic shows), but they don’t have the electric energy that runs through this set, it is a perfect Bruce Springsteen concert.

roxy 9 cc
Continue reading Today: Bruce Springsteen played Roxy LA in 1978 →

Bruce Springsteen, Bruce Springsteen concert, Bruce Springsteen video

Bruce Springsteen – San Siro Stadium – Milan, Italy – June 28, 2003 (Videos)

2 Comments

Bruce Springsteen Milan 2003

10 years ago today!

Remarkable show played in remarkable weather. The rain begins to pours down during the full band “The River” and continues for several songs, punctuated with incredible thunder and lightning. A unique “Follow That Dream”. Many other highlights – an Italian story in “Growin’ Up”, the rain sheeting down in “Waitin’ On A Sunny Day”, “The River” and an impromptu “Who’ll Stop The Rain”. Jon Landau plays guitar on “Dancing In The Dark”. First ever performance in Italy of “Follow That Dream”. “Born In The U.S.A.” from the soundcheck is solo acoustic. Released on “Once Upon a Time in Italy” and “San Siro Night” (Crystal Cat). Several DVDs available, including the excellent screenshot “Blood Brothers On A Stormy Night” (brucevideos), plus many others.
~brucebase

Setlist:

  1. The Promised Land
  2. The Rising
  3. Lonesome Day
  4. My Love Will Not Let You Down
  5. Darkness on the Edge of Town
  6. Empty Sky
  7. The River
  8. Waitin’ on a Sunny Day
  9. Who’ll Stop the Rain
  10. Growin’ Up
  11. Worlds Apart
  12. Badlands
  13. Out in the Street
  14. Mary’s Place
  15. Follow That Dream
  16. Thunder Road
  17. Into the Fire
  18. No Surrender
    —
  19. Bobby Jean
  20. Ramrod
  21. Born to Run
    —
  22. My City of Ruins
  23. Land of Hope and Dreams
  24. Dancing in the Dark
  25. Rosalita

Bruce Springsteen Milan 2003 dvd

Here is a fantastic youtube playlist with most of the songs:

Check out:

-Egil

Bruce Springsteen, Bruce Springsteen video, Music Calendar

Today: Bruce Springsteen released Born in the USA in 1984 – 29 years ago

Bruce Springsteen

Born down in a dead man’s town
The first kick I took was when I hit the ground
You end up like a dog that’s been beat too much
‘Til you spend half your life just covering up

Born in the U.S.A. is the seventh studio album by  Bruce Springsteen, it was released on June 4, 1984. A critical and commercial triumph, it found Springsteen marking a departure in his sound.

born in the usa 2

While the predecessor, the dark and acoustic Nebraska featured songs of pessimism and isolation, Born in the U.S.A.’s lyrics expressed signs of hope in the daily fight of the standard American in following the American Dream, a new feeling complemented by synthesized arrangements and a pop-flavored, radio-oriented sound that helped Springsteen to extend his popularity and appeal to mainstream audiences.

Born in the USA (Live Paris, 1985):

Ronald Reagan, during his 1984 re-election campaign, tried to coast on the rising popularity of Bruce Springsteen and  Born in the U.S.A. :

“America’s future rests in a thousand dreams inside our hearts,” Reagan said at a stump speech in Hammonton, New Jersey. “It rests in the message of hope in the songs of a man so many young Americans admire: New Jersey’s own Bruce Springsteen.”

Has a song ever been so misunderstood? Maybe if he heard the following version he would have hesitated…

Born in the USA (acoustic, slow bluesy):

Born in the U.S.A. is not so different from Nebraska, it told stories of the same struggle, but this time it was set to a faster rhythm and accompanied by electric guitars (and The E-Street Band in top form). I played it a lot when it came out, bought all the singles (7 of them reached top 10!). Got the Maxi- single vinyl box and then the CD. These days I’m streaming the album on Spotify but the music is the same and it reminds me of 1984 every time I play it. Maybe it’s the production (those terribly sharp drums) or maybe it’s just a strong 1984 reference for me.

It took a while before I understood the seriousness of the lyrics, the songs where so happy or anthemic. I understand why Reagen made his mistake.

I still like the album, but there are at least 4 Springsteen albums i rather choose to play. Not because it’s bad, but because radio (and MTV) played it literary, to death. When I do put in on the record player it always amazes me, the strong songs the playing and the full force rock’n roll.

Live , the songs shine even brighter!
They have been lifted up and sound thunderous in concert. Springsteen has embraced their anthemic nature and their happy feel live. He is not ashamed to give us a good time and to let us shout along .

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Perform Bobby Jean in London (2013):

My Hometown (1985?):

Today’s chosen album is Born in the U.S.A:

born in the usa

– Hallgeir

Bruce Springsteen, Great albums, Music Calendar

Today: Bruce Springsteen released Darkness on the Edge of Town in 1978 – 35 years ago

2 Comments

darkness shoot 2

It is 35 years since one of the best albums in rock history was released, Darkness On The Edge Of Town is  number 2, (some days it has the top spot) on my list of favorite albums.

Today I think it is the best rock album ever released!

It came out three years after the incredibly successful Born To Run, and three years was an awful long time between albums in the 70s.  Bruce Springsteen had been tied up in a legal battle with his former manager Mike Appel but reached a final settlement in this year-long litigation with Mike Appel on May 28, 1977.

Darkness on the Edge of Town (Houston, 1978):

This meant that for the first time in a long time Bruce Springsteen was allowed into a studio. And he did. The recording of what was to become Darkness On The Edge Of Town began in June 1977 in New York City. He had a lot of material in various state of completion. Many of the songs were written or finished over the course of the sessions. He was in the studio for a long time.

Adam Raised a Cain (Paramount Theatre, 2009):

The material that didn’t make the album seeped out on a lot bootlegs through the years, it is of an incredibly high quality both sound wise and artistic. in 2010 we finally got a Darkness box that in many ways ended the need for Darkness bootlegs . There must still be a few unreleased gems in the vault, as of 2011, only 33 of more than 70 songs have been officially released.

darkness box

It consisted of 6 discs with the following content:

1: Darkness On The Edge Of Town (remastered )
2. Darkness on the Edge of Town (Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park, NJ, 2009)
3:Thrill Hill Vault (1976-1978) + Houston ’78 Bootleg: House Cut
4 and 5: The Promise (double album with outtakes and alternative takes)
6: The Promise: The Making of “Darkness on the Edge of Town”

In effect the most impressive and best box-set ever compiled.
Continue reading Today: Bruce Springsteen released Darkness on the Edge of Town in 1978 – 35 years ago →

Bruce Springsteen, Bruce Springsteen concert, Bruce Springsteen video

Bruce Springsteen – Videos, concerts & other stuff

3 Comments

bruce springsteen 1996 live

This is a collection of published posts @ JV including videos & concerts by Bruce Springsteen.
It will be updated along the way..

If you like what you see… please consider a “like” at our FP page:

Concerts & Videos:

Other:

-Egil