Bruce Springsteen remains a divisive figure despite his widely documented influence on modern music. There are those who would sacrifice a limb to keep him on the planet for one more E Street band tour and who know his back catalogue so intimately that there is simply no room for any other musician in their lives. To others he is a guy with a couple of cheesy 80s hits, who plays for far too long and is guilty of paving the way for Meatloaf. Either way, here is an attempt at 5 Essentials...
Born to Run - My dad recalls exactly where he was when he first heard this, driving passed ‘Capital Radio’ on London’s Euston Road in 1975. You can understand why, the storming wall of sound, reverberating guitar riff and dramatic crescendos stop you in your tracks. ‘Born to Run’ is about getting out, escaping the world and life laid out for you and not looking back. There is something of the punk ethos here and in a pre-punk World this must have blown the MOR rock of the 70s out of the water.
The River - Bruce Springsteen knows how to tell a story, ‘The River’ is probably the best known example influenced by the plight of his sister and her then future husband. Their story has a happy ending, the narrative is much darker. Young love leads to an unplanned pregnancy letting in the harshness and stark realities of life. The river and its symbolism within their lives evolves as the song progresses. What was once the scene of their burgeoning relationship is now a ‘dry’ place of memories that ‘haunt like a curse’ much like the foreboding harmonica that runs throughout.
Dancing in the Dark - With ‘Born in the USA’ Springsteen really became part of the mainstream, underlined by the fact that this was one of seven singles from the album. Do not be fooled by the infectious synth-led beat or the cheese that is the music video, this is a moving tale of loneliness and self loathing. Springsteen plies us with anthemic stylings but contrasts it masterfully with a cutting lyric “I want to change my clothes, my hair, my face”.
Brilliant Disguise - Springsteen decided not to follow up the monster success of ‘Born in the USA’ with more of the same. Instead he returned in 1987 with a soul searching and at times devastating set of songs on ‘Tunnel of Love’. The performance that Springsteen offers in the music video for 'Brilliant Disguise' depicts the mood of both the single and album. He is filmed performing alone in a kitchen and as the song plays, the camera moves in on the singer, who in turn stares it down blankly delivering a weary live vocal against the accompanying backing track. Things turned out OK in the end, whilst touring the album he would get together with Patti Scialfa, but the album remains a startlingly raw document of a failing relationship.
The Rising - After the tour in support of ‘Born in the USA’ the E Street band had only been re-assembled for short term projects, contributing songs to the 1995 ‘Greatest Hits’ album and playing a series of shows and aborted recording sessions over the course of 1999 and 2000. Following the 9/11 attacks ‘The Boss’ felt compelled to act and delivered an E Street album based thematically on the lives of those affected by the events of that day. The lead single and title track is a defiant anthem that places the listener in the shoes of a firefighter trying to saves lives of those in the World Trade Center. Three more E-Street albums would follow in the next decade but ‘The Rising’ is the true late career highlight.
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