Springsteen

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

320. Everything on The River--the ramrodding, the hair tied back in long white bows, the union cards and wedding coats--all lead to Bruce being first on the scene of a bloody wreck, then being haunted by it into a future that would next generate Nebraska. Very country flavored. Ranked #70

The River was a lot for me back in 1980-81. I was like a Side 1-Side 2 guy back then.

[Edgy MD]

"WotH" kind of stands with "Racing in the Street" — one of those songs that's just a declarative telling of through-the-windshield observational narrative of some ramrod jockey out there on the American road — until by verse three, he brings it around to a tale of existential domestic anxiety.

[Frayed Knot]

... Bruce being first on the scene of a bloody wreck, then being haunted by it into [the] future

How Jim Morrison of him.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

321. Bruce ruminates on getting old and the inevitability of death in "Life Itself" which got the video treatment from Working on a Dream. This is a classic late-period Bruce song in that it reminds me vaguely of some other song by some other artist but it doesn't arrive right away. The guitar in this one seems un-Bosslike. It's not a bad song though. Ranked #248

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

322. The River leftover "Restless Nights" sounds like a jauntier cousin to "Because the Night," with hot guitar and organ solos. Reviewer notes this song is known as Steve Van Zandt's favorite Springsteen song. Ranked a lofty 73

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

323. We're at mile 25 of the Springsteen Marathon and still haven't uncovered the mysterious No. 1 song. But today we complete the remainder of the Top 10 with song #8, "Racing in the Street" from Darkness (not to be confused with "Racing in the Street '78," which we discussed back on day 57).

The thing I learned the most from reading Dave Marsh's early Springsteen bio (after Darkness, before River iirc) was the idea the DotEoT explored what happens to Springsteen's early characters now that they've peeled out of towns full of losers. They establish themselves in other towns, fight the evaporation of their youthful energy, and try not to be losers themselves. And they like to tinker with cars. There's sadness in this song but for sure I see it as solemnly hopeful.

[metirish]

I really appreciate your thoughts on each song

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Thank you! I feel like I've become better at analyzing Springsteen songs as this project has progressed. At first I was pretending to be a demented Casey Kasem who only played Bruce songs; once I dropped that act the shit got better.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

324. Today the wheel hit on #58 and the explosive "Candy's Room" from Darkness in which Bruce falls hard for a prostitute. In addition to its suspenseful buildup this song has one of the best Bruce-bridges you can name, a pretty aggro guitar solo as Bruce songs go, and a moment of Beatle-y guitar at the end I always liked. Here's a well-shot performance video that shows the band in action.

[Edgy MD]

Every section of this song kicks down another door. It is what rawk should be.

I never thought of Candy as a prostitute. Just as a chick who was more world-wise and sophisticated and grimly realistic and detached than the protagonist. How naïve does that make me? Pretty damned naïve would be the answer, I guess.

The spoken first verse gives it an early R&B feel, and I tend to think it has been mined from the same vein as "She's the One." The first time you start the car after hearing either song, you can't believe you had the radio up THAT LOUD when you killed the ignition.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

I could be wrong about the prostitute bit. It just seems like a bunch of guys coming over allatime, then there's poor Bruce who can't afford to bring her shit. I dunno. We discussed another story with hookers in "Incident on 57th Street," but it wasn't so damned intimate.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

325. Today we hit on #164 and "Bad Case of Lovin' You." What's that? Oh, sorry, I meant, "Leavin' Train,"

This late 90s leftover has Bruce growling through a propulsive rocka about doubting what his girl is telling him.

Only 15 left to go! (tho Bruce released another new song from his forthcoming box set yesterday)

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

326. Bo Diddley beat, breathy desperate delivery, monster sax solo. It can only be the under-rated She's the One" (rated #24 so maybe not underrated).



ramshackle early version with lyrics that later wound up in Backstreets:


Cover version worth seeing once before you die:

[Edgy MD]

Cool! I invoked "She's the One" and I end up summoning it out of the ether! (Or down from The Cloud, anyhow.). I told ye's they came from the same vein.


Rank these non-Bo Diddley deployments of The Bo Diddley Beat:

"(Marie's the Name) His Latest Flame" — Elvis Presley
"1969" — The Stooges
"American Girl" — Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
"Cuban Slide" — The Pretenders
"Desire" — U2
"Faith" — George Michael
"Hawkmoon 269" — U2
"How Soon Is Now?" — The Smiths
"I Want Candy" — The Strangeloves
"Iko Iko" — The Dixie Cups
"Inside Outside Upside Down" — Josie & the Pussycats
"Magic Bus" — The Who
"Mickey's Monkey" — Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
"Not Fade Away" — Buddy Holly & the Crickets
"Panic in Detroit" — David Bowie
"Please Go Home" — The Rolling Stones
"Rudy Can't Fail" — The Clash
"She's the One" — Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band
"Willie and the Hand Jive" — The Johnny Otis Show

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

"Don't Let Him Go" REO Speedwagon

327. Bruce sings a powerful rumination on the convenience of hand-held vacuums spiritual toll of war on the soldier in the title track of Devils & Dust, ranked #175

[Edgy MD]

I could get with that Springsteen-as-done-by-ABBA performance by Rhonda right up until the part in the bridge where the blonde singer gets her solo.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

328. Bruce sure junked a lot of perfectly good songs. Southside Johnny gave "Hearts of Stone" a better vocal than Springsteen could, I guess that was one reason so many of these soul pieces ended up with him. Anyway, couples only on the roller rink. Nice sax solo. #117

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

329. Maybe one day, probably upon his death, Western Stars gets reconsideration and wider recognition, sorta like Nebraska. I'm only considering that myself. The orchestration and production makes WS too much at first but then again the rough-and-ready Nebraska didn't go down easy the first time either.

"Chasin' Wild Horses" tells the story of a bad-tempered cowboy who leaves his home to work in Montana corralling wild horses which--wait for it--happens to be a metaphor for the life his younger choices cost him. Ranked #244

[Edgy MD]

If he was going to repeat the title line three times for a refrain, I understand — the man has grown lyrically sparer as he has aged. But it could have used some melodic variation, or dynamics or something.

I think the lush orchestral last third of the song is pretty terrific, though, and would have helped make it a good album closer. (As track seven, it would likely have been a side closer in a traditional LP format). I also like how the piano and guitar arpeggios stand out from the string beds to maintain the song's character.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

330. The rockin'est Bruce song in the last 25 years is probably "Code of Silence" which was released as a live cut only on the special edition 3-disc version of the Essential Bruce Springsteen compilation. Two fun facts:

1- co-written with Joe Grushecky
2- Won a Grammy Award for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance in 2005
Ranked #163. Knock it back!

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

331. "Silver Palomino" is about a horse but it's also about the death of the stylist for Bruce, Sting, Aerosmith and other rockers, who was mother to 2 kids who played with Bruce's sons. Bruce has said the garbled singing on this one was a way to relay the stilted processing of a tragedy. Ranked #284.

If you're just tuning into Bruce A Day, good news-- there's only 9 songs remaining. If you go back to page 4 without encountering too many request errors you can replay the whole thing.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

World peace is gonna break out
From here on in we’re eating take out

332. "Frankie Fell in Love" livens up the largely crappy High Hopes album, going easy on the Meaningful Lyrics and Big Themes of his late-period work for a fun pop-rocker. Ranked #159

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

333. "Countin' on a Miracle" is yet another song about a widow mourning a 9-11 loss from The Rising, albeit one with a big hook at the chorus.

Ranked #202

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

334. "Into the Fire" is a gospelly rumination on the firefighters who charged into the Trade Center.

Bruce's Fire Department
317. Night Fire
120. Fire
115. I'm on Fire
92. Into the Fire
54. Streets of Fire

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

335. It's an open secret that "Bobby Jean" is a song about Steve Van Zandt departing the E-Streeters in frustration over his diminished role as a Brucemaker and his burgeoning career as a bandleader. This song ranks #59