Bruce Springsteen Band • Page 74

The 3 old songs he redid for Letter To You are all in serious consideration for best songs post-reunion in my opinion

 

Re: Letter to You, I'm a little less high on "The Power of Prayer" and "House of a Thousand Guitars" than the rest of the album. And with Wrecking Ball, "We Take Care of Our Own" and "Jack of All Trades" are the two I'm a little lower on.

"Lonesome Day" and "My City of Ruins" would both be in my top 5 post-1990 Bruce songs. "The Rising" too, probably. Really love a lot of the songs from that album.

I do think your point about "Queen of the Supermarket" makes sense. I'm not sure it saves the song for me, but I appreciate it more when I think of it that way.

 

I like "We Take Care of Our Own" for exactly what it is: a broad-strokes opener to set the tone. But definitely not one of the best on there.

I am yet to really connect with/process those two you mentioned on Letter to You, plus "Burnin' Train" and "Song for Orphans". Not saying they won't eventually click in for me, just not yet.

Another clue I think supports my take: the checkout beeps in the outro.

 

I just feel like "We Take Care of Our Own" being both the opener and leadoff single to Wrecking Ball obscures how unique that album is in his catalog. He's really playing with some of those Irish folk influences that were creeping in with the Sessions Band and the Live in Dublin album, but you wouldn't know it from that song. Which is fine, but feels a little "rough draft E Street anthem" to me. I think there were more daring choices he could have made to kick off that album, maybe even the aforementioned "American Land."

Oh man, I love love love "Burnin' Train." One of my favorites on there.

 

Btw, timely to note that, to me, the most distinguishing element of Working on a Dream is that it felt like the album where he indulged his Brian Wilson fandom. "This Life" is basically a Beach Boys song, and you can hear it on "Queen of the Supermarket"'s backing vocals, a whole lot of spots on the title track (especially the intro), the verse bassline on "Kingdom of Days", the verse chords on "Surprise, Surprise" that are half Brian, half Spector, all Wrecking Crew, etc.

I went back to it today after reading this conversation and while "Outlaw Pete" doesn't do a lot for me as a song, I really appreciated the music/production a lot more this time.

The only songs that don't hit for me at all now are "Good Eye" which just doesn't have any visceral grit for a song that's trying to do a blues grind, and "Tomorrow Never Knows" which just kinda floats by and is not good enough to repurpose that title

 

See the whole lead single angle stops mattering to me once the album's out. That's marketing. But I do agree that it doesn't really bring in the Irish/folk angle of the album immediately. "American Land" would be a KILLER opener, tbh.

I'm already inspired to go on a latter-years Bruce kick from this chat, so I'll pay closer attention to "Burnin' Train" when I throw it on. Songs that are that big a standout to you always deserve a closer listen.

 

Wrecking Ball is massively underrated IMO

 

I put on tunnel of love for the first time in a while today and my god I forget that the run of two faces - one step up is honestly one of the greatest of all time. Fuck lol

 

My favourite Springsteen album :)

 

It's really Walk Like a Man through the end of the record imo haha but you're not incorrect