Bruce Springsteen Band • Page 79

I have been taking my time with this but I weirdly think 83 Sessions is my least favorite disc off the rip. I haven’t heard the last two.

 

I’ve been unable to stop thinking that as well listening to these

Two Hearts is a lot of fun live how dare you. Otherwise correct lol

 

THE Bruce and Stevie bromance jam.

 

“Two Hearts” is great, live and on record. Definitely other songs on The River more ripe for getting cut.

 

I take back two hearts…how about I’m a rocker

 

I'll allow it.

I've listened to The River such an insane number of times that even the songs I didn't really care for at first I've developed a lot of fondness for. That one, "Ramrod," "I Wanna Marry You," etc. But I can't believe he had stuff like "Take 'Em As They Come," or "Meet Me in the City," or "Stray Bullet" and just didn't put them on the album. Especially the first of those, which is an all-time Springsteen banger.

 

For sure and that's why I always think of the river as an album a tier below Wild and Innocent, BTR, Darkness, Born in the USA, and Tunnel of love though the highs are just as high and if some of those songs were swapped it would absolutely be in that top tier.

 

Funny enough, it's such a long album that even in it's official iteration there is a whole album worth of top tier material in it, so maybe I'm just being stubborn lol

 

I've definitely made peace more with the "minor" songs on that album over the years, in part because every great Bruce album has such stratospheric heights that you risk overlooking or underrating the songs that aren't quite as good. Like, Born to Run, for instance, given that four of the songs are "Thunder Road," "Backstreets," "Born to Run," and "Jungleland," you could easily write off "Night" or "Meeting Across the River," but I think those are perfect songs in their own way. Or Wild/Innocent, where I have never been able to muster much enthusiasm for "Wild Billy" on its own, but always enjoy it in the context of the album. It's similar for me with The River, where those really frivolous bar band rock songs deepen the sadder, more serious material, and vice versa.

 

Definitely, I kinda feel that way about Darlington County and Working on the Highway, those were always my two skips on born in the usa but within the context of the album they work, I just don't necessarily go out of my way to listen to them like I do with Bobby Jean, etc.

 

Dude, exactly how I feel about "Wild Billy". As I was doing my yearly drive up and down the beach listening to kick-off summer, I realized that you REALLY need that breather in between "Kitty's Back" and the transcendence of Side 2.

Plus there's a lot of great arrangement detail on it that makes me like it more than its brethren like "The Angel" and "Mary Queen of Arkansas"

 

I have great respect for everyone's differing opinions and I mean no offense in this statement in any way, but I'm astounded that people are enjoying Twilight Hours. I mean, to me this would be like a Bruce polka album. DO NOT WANT. Can't imagine ever giving this a second listen.

 

Twilight Hours, to me, is a pretty logical sequel to Western Stars, which I loved. That classic, sweeping style of pop music really works for me, and it brings out colors of his voice you don’t get on most other Bruce albums. It’s not my favorite album here, but what I love about this set is how each disc feels like its own little world, and that album is no exception.

 

Also, finally got to Bruce and “Thunder Road” with the “My Life In 35 Songs” series today. Loved writing about why this song means so much to me.

My Life In 35 Songs, Track 15: “Thunder Road” by Bruce Springsteen

 

I think I've shared this in here before, but I cannot get enough of Aoife O'Donovan's version of Nebraska lately.

 

Has anyone pointed out how much he sounds like Patterson hood on “idiot’s delight” haha

 

Can’t get over Streets of Philadelphia Sessions, an easy album of the year contender. Need to think about where the title track (and maybe “Missing”) should go in the order. I assume they were left off Tracks II because it would complicate the royalties.

 

Listening to his original demo tape from the first Tracks. Is there a better example of an artist calling their shot than when Bruce sings “I swear I found the key to the universe in the engine of an old parked car”?

 

Saw her do this live in full a few years ago, and it was just one of the most pristine sounding concerts I’ve ever been to. She brought out a British folk trio for “Highway Patrolman” and the little flute part around 3:00 still makes me come back to this recording all the time

 

Maybe I don’t know you is an instant classic. It’s criminal how much incredible stuff this dude has sat on for decades but I’m very thankful that it’s all seeing the light of day

 

I said turnstile is the correct number 1 in the best albums halfway through the year post but if I’m being honest there’s like a double album’s worth of songs from tracks 2 that’s actually the best album of the year

 

Great call out. He absolutely does and now this is one of my favorites on here.

 

We’re not talking at all about how “Waiting On The End of the World” is basically a U2 song.

 

I think the title track probably fits best as the end of the A side after “The Little Things”. The problem is then the B side opens with “We Fell Down”, which might be the slightest song in here. I’d just as well drop it, start with “One Beautiful Morning” and roll into the sunshine.

 

Hmm I could see it but honestly the first band that came to mind when I first heard it is the war on drugs