Bruce Springsteen Band • Page 83

Well I will be buying that REM book for sure

 

It’s so good. It has a very detailed accounting of their first show, which was super fun.

 

This is quite unbelievable tbh. The outtakes and electric versions.... Stunning

 

This is fun but I think it will be inessential Bruce for me in the future. I've never been one of those Bruce fans that felt like Electric Nebraska was the holy Grail to be honest.

 

Oh man, Johnny 99 is absolutely brutal on this.

 

In a good or bad way?

I am enjoying that, Atlantic City and Reason To Believe the most off this.

 

It's terrible and hokey in the worst possible ways.

 

This is dope

 

I quite like it as it matches the energy of the full band live version which is very fun, but I get it.

Most of these songs aren't meant to be given the full band treatment. They lose something.

 

Electric Nebraska rips! Never expected it to be better than the album, and it's definitely not, but it's super fun to hear after all this time. Springsteen fans are EATING this year.

 

I wasn't expecting much out of the electric versions, knowing that some would lose their magic, or that some would just have slight flourishes added to them, like Nebraska, but was not prepared for how they'd take everything from Johnny 99 and turn it into a big joke.

I did enjoy Atlantic City, and am loving all the outtakes on this.

 

The electric Johnny 99 sounds like how it’s typically been performed live for decades? I know the 1975-85 version is more sparse but this full band honky tonk version is definitely nothing new. Weird to say the arrangement turns the song into a “big joke” regardless

 

Now this version of Downbound Train? Definitely unexpected!!

 

'Weird" you're so up in arms about it. When I saw it live it was a stripped version and not a bad attempt at honky tonk. If theres one thing that has held true about Springsteen is that he always plays songs the same way so if you saw it live one way you know everyone else has. If the attempt at honky tonk was good it would be one thing, but it's a bland and uninspired attempt at it, and it takes a relatively serious, dark song on the album and turns it into a gimmick where all seriousness is lost. They were wise to steer clear of it on the album and on the live set from the 80s.

 

The electric version of Atlantic City rules but is rather subdued compared to live versions from 85

 

idk i like this honky tonk version of Johnny 99...it's fun

 

electric nebraska good and fun

 

Loooove electric reason to believe. Shoutout mighty max

 

Yeah, I'm digging these but I will say Born in the U.S.A. is still the standout from the crop. Love that version.

 

I think the light version works for Johnny 99 because there's a juxtaposition between the lyrics and the music and Bruce is so good at.

Anyway, I don't think Johnny 99 is a particularly dark song. There's a playful sense of humour in the lyrics despite it being about a guy on death row.

 

Oh baby.

 

need to listen to this once i get some sleep

 

Electric "Atlantic City" really goes.

 

It does but he holds back vocally compared to the live versions from the born in the USA tour, but yeah it’s still awesome