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Best Springsteen songs

Johnny Dickshot Jan 17 2006 11:37 AM

Not a double-elimination tourney, just make your list and be ready to defend it. (Swiped this idea from Sosh). My top 5: E Street Shuffle Does this Bus Stop at 82nd street Darkness on the Edge of Town Brilliant Disguise Thunder Road

metirish Jan 17 2006 11:49 AM

Ok here goes... American Skin (41 Shots) [Live]...I Jungleland Rosalita(Come Out Tonight) Streets of Philadelphia Born In The USA.

Elster88 Jan 17 2006 11:55 AM

Born to Run Thanks.

Centerfield Jan 17 2006 12:05 PM

Born to Run I'm on Fire Brilliant Disguise Fire Thunder Road

Edgy DC Jan 17 2006 12:11 PM

Are we rating the song as composed or the song as performed on the record?

Johnny Dickshot Jan 17 2006 12:16 PM

We're going for the whole thing here, an amalgamation of your feelings on a song including but not limited to your personal interpretation of melody, lyrics, recording, instrumentation, impact, personal feelings, how danceable it is, etc etc. In other wortds, your favorite springsteen songs

Lundy Jan 17 2006 12:26 PM

Thunder Road Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) Jungleland Brilliant Disguise Spirit in the Night

TheOldMole Jan 17 2006 12:48 PM

Highway Patrolman Atlantic City Independence Day The River Glory Days

Edgy DC Jan 17 2006 12:53 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jan 17 2006 01:36 PM

'Cuz sometimes a wonderful Springsteen composition gets hurt a one of those over-heated histrionic Springsteen perfomances. "Spare Parts," for instance. Or an over-wordy song by a young Springsteen with diarrhea of the pen takes a re-arrangement by Manfred Mann to make it scan. Top of my head. "Tunnell of Love" "She's the One" (sometimes histrionic is good) "Candy's Room" "Rosalita (Come out Tonight)" "It's Hard To Be A Saint In The City" Others that I'll probably replace that last one with tomorrow: "Jesus Was an Only Son" "Atlantic City" "Into the Fire" "Kitty's Back" "Highway Patrolman" "From Small Things (Big Things One Day Come)" "Human Touch" "Mansion On The Hill" "Fourth of July, Asbury Park" I'm sure that "Born to Run" and "Thuder Road" and "The River" are still fine songs, but I can't hear them anymore. "Mansion on the Hill" is tied with Neil Young's "Mansion on the Hill" and Johnny Cash's "Mansion on the Hill" at the top of the list of the best songs called "Mansion on the Hill." Can anybody write a bad song with that title?

seawolf17 Jan 17 2006 12:57 PM

="Edgy DC"]"Tunnell of Love"

sharpie Jan 17 2006 01:01 PM

Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) State Trooper Badlands I'm On Fire She's the One Lots more. I go in and out of a lot of other ones but these always work for me.

Edgy DC Jan 17 2006 01:03 PM

Yeah, cut an L.there. nice photo, yikes. I'm a fan of the Pirates cylander hats, but...yikes. Lee Tunnell, shop teacher. (No offense intended toward any industrial arts instructors among us.)

Willets Point Jan 17 2006 01:22 PM

My favorites: "Brilliant Disguise" "Glory Days" "Hungry Heart" "If I Should Fall Behind" "The River" Favorite cover:"The Ghost of Tom Joad" by Rage Against the Machine Song I know exists but never heard and want to hear: "Freehold" (about the birthplace the Boss and I share)

seawolf17 Jan 17 2006 01:34 PM

Born To Run Thunder Road Born in the USA Glory Days My City Of Ruins

Elster88 Jan 17 2006 02:44 PM

I'm surprised that Born to Run isn't on more people's lists. I used to think people hesitate to name it because it's one of the best-known, most recognizable, songs and it's more impressive to go with something obscure. (I'm a very cynical person, in case you all haven't noticed yet.) But I've noticed it overlooked often enough when people talk Springsteen that I'm starting to think a lot of people don't think of it as one of the all-time greats.

metirish Jan 17 2006 02:46 PM

I think people are sick and tired of hearing it Elster.....I mean it is a classic..

Edgy DC Jan 17 2006 02:47 PM

Yeah, no, I'm not trying to impress with my Springsteen arcana. (Most of my choices are well known, including a song adjacent to "BtR" on the album, I think.) I just, as I said, can't hear it anymore, as in not being particuarly affected by it, perhaps due to its effect being dulled by overdosage. It happens. Now I can't tell if it's that great or not.

Centerfield Jan 17 2006 02:48 PM

I had no idea Brilliant Disguise was that popular. I think I'm the only one in my circle of friends that knows/likes that song. Although maybe that just says something about my circle...I don't know. I remember I was about 12 years old and being completely blown away by it. I think I liked the song even more because it really pissed off people who were waiting for another "Dancing in the Dark".

Johnny Dickshot Jan 17 2006 02:56 PM

Brilliant Disguise is just ... brilliant. As is Lee Tunnell of Love. Them 2 are better than anything on BITUSA. Born to Run is powerful and inspiring, but so is Thunder Road which is just more, um, musical. I know everybody's got one, but I'm less of a Hungry Heart fan than a Glory Days fan.

Elster88 Jan 17 2006 02:57 PM

metirish wrote: I think people are sick and tired of hearing it Elster.....I mean it is a classic.. ="Edgy DC"]I just, as I said, can't hear it anymore, as in not being particuarly affected by it, perhaps due to its effect being dulled by overdosage. It happens Huh. I never thought of this. Makes sense. I don't listen to classic rock stations and I'm young enough that it is more popular with my parents' generation than mine. Maybe that's why I'm unaffected by the oversaturation.

Willets Point Jan 17 2006 03:01 PM

There's nothing like Classic Rock radio to make one hate great rock 'n' roll.

Willets Point Jan 17 2006 03:07 PM

Centerfield wrote: I had no idea Brilliant Disguise was that popular. I think I'm the only one in my circle of friends that knows/likes that song. Although maybe that just says something about my circle...I don't know. I remember I was about 12 years old and being completely blown away by it. I think I liked the song even more because it really pissed off people who were waiting for another "Dancing in the Dark". I'm surprised too. I figured that once people saw my list they'd rip me a new asshole saying "Willets, can't you pick something other than the most obvious Top 40 Sprinsteen hits?"

Edgy DC Jan 17 2006 03:07 PM Edited 2 time(s), most recently on Jan 17 2006 05:07 PM

Funny thing about "Brilliant Disguise" and "Tunnel of Love" (and "One Step Up'' for that matter) is that they were released as Springsteen press releases assured the public of the happiness of his marriage and peeps were thinking, "Ok, um, sure." The other thing is that they were relaeased with a "new sound" and a pared down version of the E Street Band, featuring Roy Bittan on synth a lot more than piano, leaving Born to Run-era fans highly cynical of Springsteen's direction and his by-then Rambo-sized torso. He also began doing track-by-track recording at this point, whereas previously the band had mostly recorded together in the studio. And for all that trendy stuff to be cynical about, most oldskoolers eventually caved and said, like Dickshot, that "Dammit, those are great songs." Nils Lofgren's guitar solo on "Tunnel of Love" may not cut through the mix and punch you between the eyes like the guitar solo on, say, "Badlands." It's pretty sublimated, in fact. But I've heard it 1000 times and it's still breaks my heart. Am I gay?

Willets Point Jan 17 2006 03:09 PM

Just a gay icon.

metirish Jan 17 2006 03:09 PM

Not yet Edgy but if you tell us you saw 'Brokeback Mountain' then you just might be.

Vic Sage Jan 17 2006 04:56 PM

Its like a pool where you can dip a cup in and pull forth an endless drought of clean, clear water. Picking 5 is arbitrary, but here's a random sampling: Born to Run Thunder Road If I Should Fall Behind No Retreat, No Surrender American Skin i have less patience for his "Hungry Heart"-style pop songs, but even they're better than they have any right to be. I'm talking here purely of composition. His performances are another story entirely. I find 10TH AVE FREEZEOUT an annoying song, but its an incredible piece of performance.

ScarletKnight41 Jan 17 2006 05:00 PM

In a move that could get me banned from this state, I can't generate five Springsteen songs that I would go out of my way to listen to.

Willets Point Jan 17 2006 05:05 PM

ScarletKnight41 wrote: In a move that could get me banned from this state. Like that would be an undesirable thing.

ScarletKnight41 Jan 17 2006 05:06 PM

;)

Vic Sage Jan 17 2006 05:07 PM

Then I'll expand my list to make up for your shortcomings: ITS HARD TO BE A SAINT SANDY BACKSTREETS BORN TO RUN THUNDER ROAD RACING IN THE STREET CANDY'S ROOM THE RIVER REASON TO BELIEVE JOHNNY 99 DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN NO SURRENDER MY HOMETOWN HUMAN TOUCH IF I SHOULD FALL BEHIND BRILLIANT DISGUISE CITY OF RUINS EMPTY SKY THE RISING AMERICAN SKIN LAND OF HOPES & DREAMS DEVILS & DUST