Springsteen

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

306. Other than the fact it sounds like The Fixx for the first 30 seconds, I kinda like "Soul Driver" from Human Touch. It's ranked #285.

Here's to our destruction.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

307. Bruce reminisces about his big date with Carol, the innocent joys of summer and the rockin' sounds of James Young and the Immortal Ones in "County Fair," which was a Born in the USA leftover. Sounds like a County Fair, doesn't it? Ranked a lofty #62

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

308.

Man at the top says it’s lonely up there
If it is, man, I don’t care

Second day in a row with a Born in the USA leftover, this one a sweet, soulful rumination on ambition that ironically is left off a billion selling album and not released as a single. Nice background vocals. "Man at the Top" is ranked #94

[Frayed Knot]

Bruce posts a note on social media to Freehold, N.J. native Joseph DePugh, 75.

“Just a moment to mark the passing of Freehold native and ballplayer Joe DePugh, He was a good friend when I needed one.
He could throw that speedball by you, make you look like a fool. Glory days, my friend."

They played some ball together as youngsters and apparently actually did run into each other "walking in/walking out" of a bar
(in Neptune, NJ 1973) before going back in for drinks and reminiscences, all of which got turned into the song's origin.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

309. Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers!



"I Wanna Be With You" sounds a lot like "Change of Heart" to me even if Bruce did this one before TP did his, while working on Darkness. Apparently it was inspired by the Raspberries who also had a song called "I Wanna Be With You."
Ranked #85

[Gwreck]

Good news/bad news:
Springsteen will soon be releasing a “Lost Albums” box set consisting of 7 discs worth of material he recorded between the mid-80s and 2000s.

Not sure if we have a ruling from the judges yet as to whether Lunchbucket will be obligated to continue this thread for an additional several months as a result.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Oh shit. I'm nearing the 1 year mark on this and was looking forward to getting those 15 minutes a day back.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

310. "When You Need Me" is one of the Bossman's most straight-head love songs, although it may be written from the perspective of the dumped. Recorded and not used for Tunnel of Love and ranked #276

Details coming on the big release. I think my strategy may be to take it in first then return to this thread. Only 30 songs left to go!

[Edgy MD]

"I Wanna Be with You" is certainly the germ of a good song (as Petty would certainly later prove), but it ain't no top-100-er.

This 'un goes I-V-IV-V / VI-V-VI-I, and the "CoH" progression goes I-V-VI-V-IV / I-V-VI-V.

That major sixth by Petty is the inspired burst that takes him down the pathway Springy can't quite find, out of the realm of the solid-but-cliched power popper that BS clearly recognized wasn't up to DotEoT's standards.

It probably would have made a good BitUSA B-side, but clearly the band had no shortage of quality B's at the time.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Lol/\

311. An upbeat gospel song about a grieving 9/11 spouse, "Lonesome Day" was a terrific thematic album-opener from The Rising that I didn't know had an official video. Ranked #149



And here's Bruce talking about his 7 new albums, along with some unidentified guy with glasses talking about "sonic landscapes." 82 new songs coming in June to help us get through the world war and crippling economic times on the way.

[Gwreck]

And here's Bruce talking about his 7 new albums, along with some unidentified guy with glasses talking about "sonic landscapes."

A little surprised they didn’t identify him. That’s Erik Flannigan, a journalist/music industry exec (among other things, he manages The National) — he’s one of the world’s foremost authorities on Bruce’s music.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

And here's Bruce talking about his 7 new albums, along with some unidentified guy with glasses talking about "sonic landscapes."

A little surprised they didn’t identify him. That’s Erik Flannigan, a journalist/music industry exec (among other things, he manages The National) — he’s one of the world’s foremost authorities on Bruce’s music.

Yeah well if Bruce saw the comprehension and penetrating insights we've all experienced in this here countdown I'm pretty sure that could be me up there.

312. One thing I didn't necessarily know was that even original songs only recorded live should actually count but that's the case with "Seeds," which was a BiTUSA tour concert staple that appeared on the Live album. It's about used-up, pissed off oil workers in Texas.

Here is the fiery version from Live 1975-85 but below is an interesting interpretation that sets the angry words to the gentle swing of "Rockaway the Days" which you'll certainly remember as song #237 we listened to back on Day 59.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

313. Carl is a widowed veteran who takes a job with the border patrol. Hijinks ensue.

"The Line" is a very touching, pared-down, 30-year-old story song with fleshed-out characters, conflict and lots of present-day relevance. My only gripe with it is not even trying to rhyme a few couplets, but he's Bruce so I can go pound sand. This Tom Joad song is ranked #259

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

314. What day did the Lord create Springsteen and couldn't he have rested on that day too?

Just kidding folks, it's the hymnlike "Jesus was an Only Son" from Devils & Dust ranked #280

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Some of you may have seen Bruce dropped the first song off his upcoming 7-album jizzfest yesterday. You can look it up online--my goal is to make it through these last 15 days.

315. Bruce does a "Peggy Sue" homage and Clarence adds a sax solo recalling Richie Cunningham at Arnold's. Plus a dose of Bruce's ferocious histrionic vocals. "Outside Looking In" from the Darkness era, is ranked #308.

[Edgy MD]

The Buddy Holly treatment is great, but the over-the-top vocalizing really contrasts with it.

And he's showing his early interest in adding that Texas twang in his vocals — more Texan than Buddy — that he would jump whole-hog into by Tunnel of Love. His articulation at times gets distorted beyond decipherability despite the clean backing track.

Sometimes, you've just got to respect your own song, man.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

316. Behold "Backstreets." An epic about a summer romance that breaks apart in the bridge. Over the years this one has grown on me to the point where I prefer it to the more-exposed Jungleland, BtR or Thunder Road. And the histrionic vocals serve it well-- Dave Marsh came to the rescue after a Bruce critic complained he repeated the phrase "Hidin on the Backsteets" 25 times in a row. He counted and it wasn't accurate.

Ranked #6

[Frayed Knot]

And even if it was an accurate count, it's a ridiculous thing to complain about. The tune clocks in at 6:32, including a minute long musical intro before the vocals even kick in, so it's not like it's using repetition (however many there actually are) to cover up for a lack of other lyrics or as mere padding just to get it to a regulation length song. There are plenty of songs where that does happen but picking on this one as a way to rail against that sort of thing totally misses the point. As you say, the vocal emotions in this one serve it well and that repeated phrase towards the end is a huge part of that.

[Edgy MD]

It's a pretty funny criticism of young Springsteen to suggest that he wasn't coming up with enough words.

I count the word "fame" appearing 55 times in David Bowie's "Fame," including 25 times in a row during the outro. At least you knew what to ask for at the record store.

[Frayed Knot]

Upon the death of Melanie Safka a year or so back several of us here chimed in on what a great song/recording 'Lay Down' was and that song is totally repetitive. It starts off with the chorus that winds up being repeated five times, and has two different verses each of which is used twice. But we also agreed what a great record it was mainly because of the vocals, both lead and chorus in that case, and that, even closing in on six decades later, it still doesn't sound dated despite being essentially a lyrically limited hippie anthem from a very different era.


I wonder if this particular Springsteen critic was the same one who wrote a similar critique I read many mons ago (during the 'Darkness' era IIRC) where he listed about a dozen words -- Night, Streets, Fire, etc -- telling readers that, they too, could 'Build your own Springsteen song' out of them. Missing there forest for the trees there, dude.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

317,. "Rainmaker" is about the liveliest thing on Letter to You, although the actual recording is said to date back to the early 2000s. It tells the tale of a snake oil salesman visiting parched farming communities promising he could bring much-needed rain but you'll never guess--it's a metaphor! Ranked #146

RAIN-mak-errrrrrrrr

[Marshmallowmilkshake]

Upon the death of Melanie Safka a year or so back several of us here chimed in on what a great song/recording 'Lay Down' was and that song is totally repetitive. It starts off with the chorus that winds up being repeated five times, and has two different verses each of which is used twice. But we also agreed what a great record it was mainly because of the vocals, both lead and chorus in that case, and that, even closing in on six decades later, it still doesn't sound dated despite being essentially a lyrically limited hippie anthem from a very different era.


I wonder if this particular Springsteen critic was the same one who wrote a similar critique I read many mons ago (during the 'Darkness' era IIRC) where he listed about a dozen words -- Night, Streets, Fire, etc -- telling readers that, they too, could 'Build your own Springsteen song' out of them. Missing there forest for the trees there, dude.

My parents didn't have a ton of albums, but Melanie's "Candles in the Rain" with "Lay Down" on it was one of them. Mom loved that song.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

318. "Linda Let Me be the One" was the subject of a battle between Bruce and Landau, who wanted it to be a part of the Born to Run album, and Mike Appel, who said this shit didn't belong with Backstreets and Jungleland. And it seems like Mike was right (he also lobbied for "Meeting Across the River"). Nothing wrong with Linda as a girl-group style pop song. Ranked #298

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

319. There'll be action going down on Shanty Lane tonight as we hit on #27 and the brilliant "Incident on 57th Street."

I think the "incident" referred to is not the romance but whatever awaits Spanish Johnny when he leaves Puerto Rican Jane to make some "easy money" now that the maximum lawmen have busted up the underworld. Bruce's volubility which overwhelms much of his early stuff is so well executed here and the band is right there with him.

Always liked how he waits forever to rhyme the line

With bruised arms and broken rhythm in a beat-up old Buick but dressed just like dynamite

with

All them golden heeled fairies in a real bitch fight pull thirty-eights and kiss the girls goodnight

There is much more to discuss and analyze including why "Streets of Philadelphia" is ranked 13 slots ahead of it.

[Frayed Knot]

We once had a thread of great opening lines to song where the subject heading was, Spanish Johnny drove in from the underworld last night