Springsteen

[Edgy MD]

Not a fan, find his voice often irritating.

But if you jump ahead to 7:15 of that video, um ... well ... .

[Frayed Knot]

Bruce was first signed as, and is almost always billed as, a solo artist. Only the live album from MSG was credited to 'and the East Street Band'.
His induction to the R&R-HoF was also as a solo artist with the band being inducted separately as a backing unit many years later.
That said, it's been a remarkably stable group both in personnel and longevity. As Nils Lofgren said at the E St Band's induction, "I'm the new
guy, I've only been here 30 years". As far as I can recall only early keyboardist David Sancious ever left on his own. Original drummer Vinnie
Lopez was fired under circumstances that have never really been made clear (at least to me) and Steve VZ left for a time to do his own thing.
But that's not a lot of change for a half century and of course he's now out-lived two of the original crew.

So, yeah, Bruce has gone off without them at times either for solo projects or with various different sets of musicians as he saw fit [Nebraska,
Lucky Town/Human Touch, Seegar Sessions, Western Skies] in much the same way that Neil Young hasn't always worked with Crazy Horse
during the various tangents that he's gone on over the years. I'm sure those dry spells were tough on the musicians. I remember a stretch
where Max did a short stint as a co-DJ at WNEW with Richard Neer and it quickly became apparent that the reason he was there was to get
the word out that he and his drumsticks were free (desperate?) for work. Not sure if that was what led to his eventual TV gig with Conan.

[metirish]

Bruce Springsteen with The Sessions Band: Live in Dublin, definitely a bit different for him, good album though

[metirish]

I remember as a young teen getting the Live 1975-85 and playing it over and over, it certainly painted a vivid picture of America in my mind

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

I've never understood his appeal, musically. I don't play any of his songs, own any of his albums, or perform any of his songs in my own sets.

You should take this up as a challenge.

Springsteen is hard to cover. Nobody can replicate his passion for the material so they usually have to turn them into country songs or otherwise fuck them up in some way.

[A Boy Named Seo]

Bruce was first signed as, and is almost always billed as, a solo artist. Only the live album from MSG was credited to 'and the East Street Band'.
His induction to the R&R-HoF was also as a solo artist with the band being inducted separately as a backing unit many years later.
That said, it's been a remarkably stable group both in personnel and longevity. As Nils Lofgren said at the E St Band's induction, "I'm the new
guy, I've only been here 30 years". As far as I can recall only early keyboardist David Sancious ever left on his own. Original drummer Vinnie
Lopez was fired under circumstances that have never really been made clear (at least to me) and Steve VZ left for a time to do his own thing.
But that's not a lot of change for a half century and of course he's now out-lived two of the original crew.

So, yeah, Bruce has gone off without them at times either for solo projects or with various different sets of musicians as he saw fit [Nebraska,
Lucky Town/Human Touch, Seegar Sessions, Western Skies] in much the same way that Neil Young hasn't always worked with Crazy Horse
during the various tangents that he's gone on over the years. I'm sure those dry spells were tough on the musicians. I remember a stretch
where Max did a short stint as a co-DJ at WNEW with Richard Neer and it quickly became apparent that the reason he was there was to get
the word out that he and his drumsticks were free (desperate?) for work. Not sure if that was what led to his eventual TV gig with Conan.

I think this is kinda remarkable. The Nebraska book talks a little about Stevie's ambition, how he quit or threatened to quit more than once and how Bruce kicked him a producer credit on something, seemingly to pacify him a little. It is a bummer it took 15 (?) years, three studio albums and a terrorist attack to reunite them, but it seems like everyone was happier and the product was better when they were all together.

[A Boy Named Seo]

I've never understood his appeal, musically. I don't play any of his songs, own any of his albums, or perform any of his songs in my own sets.

You should take this up as a challenge.

Springsteen is hard to cover. Nobody can replicate his passion for the material so they usually have to turn them into country songs or otherwise fuck them up in some way.

I second this. I feel like I've heard about 10 fucking billion (country) covers of "Atlantic City" but I will still listen to them all. I nominate Fman99 to cover "Johnny 99".

[Frayed Knot]

Yeah, if a solo singer is looking to cover Bruce, material from the NEBRASKA album would be the place to start your mining.

[Centerfield]

I've never understood his appeal, musically. I don't play any of his songs, own any of his albums, or perform any of his songs in my own sets.

He just doesn't do it for me. Not sure why that is.

Part of it may be cuz you live in Syracuse.

When I was up there, they never played any Springsteen. It's only after I moved to the city that I began to know his stuff.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

I think Fman should learn "Tougher than the Rest" above.

[Marshmallowmilkshake]

I have a complicated relationship with Springsteen. I either love an album or it leaves me cold. I think Born in the USA, Tunnel of Love and The Rising are perfect. If you combine Human Touch and Lucky Town, I think you get 1.5 great albums. But otherwise, it's one or two songs here and there. I like Radio Nowhere.

[Edgy MD]

I think Fman should put aside Springsteen and cover a couple of Enya tracks.

[Edgy MD]

Look, it's a shlubby Mike Piazza on vocals! And Seawolf on keys!

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

workin' pants

[Fman99]

The key to picking out songs that work best for a solo cover musician myself is that the songs should be popular enough that people know them, but not so overplayed that they've been beaten into people's brains. "Tougher than the Rest" is too obscure by that measure.

I think in that popularity lane, the one Bruce song I could see myself doing would be "Spirit in the Night," probably the Bruce song I like best.

[Edgy MD]

C'mon Slim, slip me in, man.

[Marshmallowmilkshake]

I really like the Manfred Mann versions of Bruce songs, especially "For You."

[A Boy Named Seo]

I think Fman should learn "Tougher than the Rest" above.

I was harassing him on Threads to play some Bruce

[Frayed Knot]

The Nebraska book talks a little about Stevie's ambition, how he quit or threatened to quit more than once
and how Bruce kicked him a producer credit on something, seemingly to pacify him a little. It is a bummer it took 15 (?) years, three studio albums and a terrorist attack to reunite them,
but it seems like everyone was happier and the product was better when they were all together.

Steve was a songwriter himself (wrote a chunk of the Southside Johnny/Jukes material), a font of musical knowledge and history (particularly concerning R&B), and a much more outgoing personality than Bruce so he knew just about everyone there was to know in the business. So, yeah, SVZ had ambitions of his own while in Bruce's band Bruce was always going to be ... well, The Boss, even to Steve who was often his most trusted advisor [Bruce = Tony Soprano]
During the E St Band's R&R HoF induction Bruce himself told the story about how, during the time leading up to his own induction, Steve tried to convince him to insist to the powers that be that the whole band needed to go in as a unit and that he should refuse the honor if they didn't agree. But Bruce, clinging to the solo artist status that he wanted all along, didn't buy the argument. He had been in a band as a teenager but found he didn't like the compromises one needed to make so charted a course on his own ever since.

[whippoorwill]

Don’t remember half of the damn stuff you guys are talking about.

Another sweet memory for me is singing ‘Darlington County’ to my baby granddaughter.

Pure and simple and no deep tracks.

[whippoorwill]

Oh and she’s 10 now and beautiful. :D

[kcmets]

Don’t remember half of the damn stuff you guys are talking about.

That's ok, they don't either. They're all addled by decades of slurpin'
the Bruce Juice. I jest, joke... make fun fun...

This thread needs Gwreck to chime in. I believe he is the resident Bruce
authority here. (not that ya'll ain't handling your own)...

[A Boy Named Seo]

Don’t remember half of the damn stuff you guys are talking about.

That's ok, they don't either. They're all addled by decades of slurpin'
the Bruce Juice. I jest, joke... make fun fun...

This thread needs Gwreck to chime in. I believe he is the resident Bruce
authority here. (not that ya'll ain't handling your own)...

I'm surprised Bruce Juice isn't a Hazy IPA they sell on the tour for $24 a can.

I forgot about Grweck's long-form Boss stories. Yes, need that homie's input.

[A Boy Named Seo]

Check out this new Bruce book, only £600.

https://www.snapgalleries.com/product/l ... #iLightbox

[whippoorwill]

Geez.

Reminds me of the book my actual favorite singer , Cat Stevens, put out that most of us fans can’t afford.