-
Website
http://www.newcritics.com -
Original page
http://newcritics.com/blog1/2007/10/03/springsteen-and-the-american-muse/ -
Subscribe
All Comments -
Community
-
Top Commenters
-
web directory
24 comments · 1 points
-
kathleenmaher
13 comments · 11 points
-
Jason_Chervokas
28 comments · 4 points
-
Dan Leo
25 comments · 4 points
-
Stroke Treatment
63 comments · 4 points
-
-
Popular Threads
But that's like arguing over whether Thunder Road is better than Born To Run. Bruce has made a great record, up there with everything he's done other than BTR, Darkness, and Nebraska in my book.
I admire him for his tough stance against the current administration, especially when you consider that he risks alienating potentially more than half of his fan-base that vote Republican.
If you haven't already, check out his
performance of my favorite new track on The Today Show
But I have to disagree on Darkness - it's my favorite, actually. Love the raw power, and slimmed down lyrics, the guitars and well, the darkness.
Cool. Wish I was.
But I have to disagree on Darkness - it’s my favorite, actually. Love the raw power, and slimmed down lyrics, the guitars and well, the darkness.
Yep - and I think most of his fans are in your camp. Speaking of guitars I thought it was a great decision to add Nils Lofgren as a permanent member of the band.
We do agree that the new record is a winner...
Thundercrack is apparently in the band's set for this tour. Yes!
I'm also not as sold on the lyrical strength of the record (w/ the exception of Gypsy Biker, which I'm coming around to as the best song on the album, the one where the social message finds a home in a human narrative instead of general platitudious musing). I'm really rankled by the mangled syntax of chorus of the otherwise wonderful (and, I think, strictly Catholic devotional song) "I'll Work For Your Love" (What others may want for free I'll work for your love?!??.)
Some of the lyrics are just plain dumb and cliched (Radio Nowhere, which is a rocking performance but a shitty excuse for a song, and Last to Die)--not up to the level of springsteen's greatest songs. And even the songs I like best (besides I'll Work...and Gypsy Biker)--Girls in their Summer Clothes, Your Own Worst Enemy--rely on some pretty pedestrian rhymes and images, particularly for Springsteen, who, at his best, can really dazzle (The Losing Kind, still unreleased from the original Nebraska 4-track tape, is better written lyrically than anything but Gypsy Biker here).
But on balance I agree that it's his best record since he broke up the band the first time in 1987, I really like it a lot. Sounds fresh, something I haven't said about a springsteen record in, well, 20 years.
The speculators made their money on the blood you shed Your fidelity 401k momma’s pulled the sheets up off your bed The profiteers on Jane Street sold your shoes and clothes Ain’t nobody talkin’ because everybody knows We pulled your cycle up back to the garage and polished up the