Category Archives: Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen, Great albums, Music Calendar

June 4: Bruce Springsteen released Born in the USA in 1984

Bruce Springsteen

June 4: Bruce Springsteen released Born in the USA in 1984

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):

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Bruce Springsteen, Great albums, Music Calendar

June 2: Bruce Springsteen released Darkness on the Edge of Town in 1978

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darkness shoot 2

June 2: Bruce Springsteen released Darkness on the Edge of Town in 1978

It is 36 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.
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Bruce Springsteen, Bruce Springsteen concert, Bruce Springsteen video, Classic Concert

May 22: Bruce Springsteen played Milton Keynes in 1993 (videos)

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Bruce Sprinsgteen-milton keynes 1993-poster

 

May 22: Bruce Springsteen played Milton Keynes in 1993 (videos)

Great 93-concert – 22 years ago today!

The concert (all or some of it) was professionally shot with multiple cameras for an (never happened) upcoming DVD release. Instead a DVD bootleg is circulating:

Bruce Springsteen The lost 1993 TV Special

I’ve always had a weak spot for “Downbound Train“.. and this is a great version:

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Bruce Springsteen, Bruce Springsteen concert, Bruce Springsteen video

April 30: Bruce Springsteen – New Orleans 2006
bruce springsteen new orleans 2006
David Grunfeld, Times-Picayune archive

In 2006, during the first Jazz Fest after Hurricane Katrina, Springsteen delivered what was arguably one of the most powerful and emotional performances in the festival’s four-decade history.
~Keith Spera, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune

Bruce and the band open the tour with a well received, emotional show at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. The city was still recovering from the effects of Hurricane Katrina, and Bruce’s comments about the government handling of the crisis were appreciated by the audience. “How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times And Live” is dedicated to President ‘Bystander’.
~brucebase

Start of the “Seeger Sessions” tour

Great versions of “Poor Man” (Great intro as well) & “My City In Ruins”.

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
New Orleans Fair ground
New Orleans,LA
April 30, 2006

  • Bruce Springsteen (vocals, acoustic guitar, harmonica)
  • Marc Anthony Thompson (acoustic guitar, backing vocals)
  • Patti Scialfa (backing vocals, acoustic guitar)
  • Frank Bruno (acoustic guitar, backing vocals, washboard)
  • Soozie Tyrell (violin, backing vocals)
  • Sam Bardfeld (violin)
  • Greg Liszt (banjo)
  • Marty Rifkin (pedal steel guitar)
  • Charles Giordano (piano, organ, accordion)
  • Jeremy Chatzky (upright bass, electric bass)
  • Larry Eagle (drums)
  • Lisa Lowell (backing vocals)
  • Curtis King Jr. (backing vocals)
  • Cindy Mizelle (backing vocals)
  • Art Baron (tuba, trombone)
  • Eddie Manion (saxophones)
  • Mark Pender (trumpet) (some shows)
  • Curt Ramm (trumpet) (some shows)
  • Richie “La Bamba” Rosenberg (trombone) (some shows)
  • Clark Gayton (trombone) (some shows)

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Bruce Springsteen, Bruce Springsteen concert, Bruce Springsteen video

April 27: Bruce Springsteen LA Sports Arena 2012 (Videos)

bruce springsteen LA 2012

April 27: Bruce Springsteen LA Sports Arena 2012 (Videos)

Early-birds in the LA Sports Arena get an unexpected treat – an hour before the show Bruce appears on stage with a party (Bruce claimed they were his relatives, but we’re not so sure!) and plays an acoustic version of “For You“.
~Brucebase

For You:

The three-hour set opens with “No Surrender”, the first of two tour premieres from Born In The U.S.A. – “Bobby Jean” is the other. The “this train” introduction is dropped from “Land Of Hope And Dreams” for the second and final time of the first American leg. Tom Morello joins Bruce on stage for the same songs as the previous night, plus “Land of Hope And Dreams”. Springsteen’s guitar tech Kevin Buell is honoured on the occasion of his 1000th show – Bruce lures him to the front of the stage with a fake guitar failure. “My City Of Ruins” includes “People Get Ready”.
~Brucebase

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