Bruce Springsteen

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95) Bishop Danced
Album: Tracks (1998)
*New entry*

“With fire on their fingertips and Indian screams”

Rather obscure pick for number 95. It has a Greetings feel to it, in regards to both music and lyrics. Kind of that “jangly” feel Spirit, Does This Bus and Blinded By The Light have to it. The accordion gets a good run and I am not so sure it would have been out of place on the album.

Couldn’t tell you what it’s about, much like a lot of Greetings. Lots of words and not much sense. The one time it got played live Bruce seemed to enjoyed himself. Very loose and fun, not his best work, but good enough.

 
94) Hungry Heart
Album: The River (1980)
*New entry*

"Everybody needs a place to rest, everybody wants to have a home"

It’s the song a lot of people love to loathe. I can understand why. It’s incredibly cheesy and doesn’t have much of a wow factor. However, it is fun live (so happy to say I can say that now), and good to get the crowd going. When Bruce crowd surfs, it’s like moths to a flame and everybody wants their chance to lay a hand on him.

But back to the song, it’s a catchy radio tune and nothing more than that. Its lyrics aren’t at all amazing and musically, it’s fairly standard and definitely doesn’t shine bright among his catalogue. Don’t think it will ever be near the top of a die hards favourites list, I could be wrong, but I would wager more than likely I’m not. However, it’s fun live like I mentioned, but apart from that, nothing to go bananas about.

Having said all of that though, this version is great

 
Hungry Heart is awesome, I'm not ashamed to admit I'm a fanboy of it. What is cheesy, is the horrible 92/93 era music video he did for it with the Other Band.



= cash in

I liked the story in the Bruce book about how it came to just letting the crowd sing the first verse. This took me by surprise at Bris1 :oops:
 

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Cruyff14 said:
You know that's just the studio version with him singing live, right?

What are you thinking so far?
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Of course I know that. But why do a video for it 13 years later with a completely different band? Laaaame.

You're Missing and Hungry Heart would be in my top 50 well and truly. Nice to see It's a Shame get some recognition from somewhere other than my own mind. I just can't listen to Bishop Danced, I know it makes just as much sense as the rest of the Greetings sessions, but man, take a breath Bruce. The Wrester is awesome, but it is Magic's poor cousin.
 
DrVanNostrand said:
Of course I know that. But why do a video for it 13 years later with a completely different band? Laaaame.

You're Missing and Hungry Heart would be in my top 50 well and truly. Nice to see It's a Shame get some recognition from somewhere other than my own mind. I just can't listen to Bishop Danced, I know it makes just as much sense as the rest of the Greetings sessions, but man, take a breath Bruce. The Wrester is awesome, but it is Magic's poor cousin.
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Who knows, bored I guess.

Bishop Danced is okay, like I said, not amazing but good. Very much in that Greetings era.

Wrestler is good, I don't listen to it much though, much prefer other songs though.

Few more obscure songs to come with some more recognised ones in the next 10 or so.
 
Cruyff14 said:
If you add ******* Ties, Growin Up, and I'm Goin Down, it takes it over 100 ;)
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Ties. Ha. I'd rather have my head slammed in a car door than have to sit through that chorus.

It should be over 100, but I don't have the whole Tracks boxset on here, only 18 Tracks so I'm a few short. Roulette would make a round 100.
 

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DrVanNostrand said:
Ties. Ha. I'd rather have my head slammed in a car door than have to sit through that chorus.

It should be over 100, but I don't have the whole Tracks boxset on here, only 18 Tracks so I'm a few short. Roulette would make a round 100.
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Ah man! It's so good, get on a live version, so catchy!

I have barely any of tracks on my computer and have well over 150 songs I think lol
 
Why is the Blood Brothers EP not on iTunes?! :mad: Would love to get a hard copy but they're not cheap on the interwebz. Anybody got the song files they'd like to send over? :)
 
Shirts in the closet, shoes in the hall
Mama's in the kitchen, baby and all
Everything is everything
Everything is everything
But you're missing

The imagery of this verse and the next two is so simple yet so stark to what happened to families of 9/11 victims. But its also the imagery of whenever you lose someone unexpectedly. I doubt any other artist captured in words so simply and eloquently what a post 9/11 life felt like for those families of victims.

This is not my favourite Bruce song, but I can't think of another one that's more powerful in capturing the pain and bewilderment of loss.
 
RussellEbertHandball said:
Shirts in the closet, shoes in the hall
Mama's in the kitchen, baby and all
Everything is everything
Everything is everything
But you're missing

The imagery of this verse and the next two is so simple yet so stark to what happened to families of 9/11 victims. But its also the imagery of whenever you lose someone unexpectedly. I doubt any other artist captured in words so simply and eloquently what a post 9/11 life felt like for those families of victims.

This is not my favourite Bruce song, but I can't think of another one that's more powerful in capturing the pain and bewilderment of loss.
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Spot on...that's exactly how I feel about this track. I got incredibly emotional the first time I heard it, listening whilst reading the lyrics from the CD. Would be somewhere in the 50-60 range on my top 100 list. I feel the same way about Nothing Man.
 
DrVanNostrand said:
Ties. Ha. I'd rather have my head slammed in a car door than have to sit through that chorus.

It should be over 100, but I don't have the whole Tracks boxset on here, only 18 Tracks so I'm a few short. Roulette would make a round 100.
Click to expand...

If Bruce had somehow managed to cobble together a better chorus, Ties would nearly be in my Top 5. It was one of the very first Bruce songs I learned to play on my guitar back in the early 80's and I still love it. Great sing-a-long song in the car with the kids (who also love Bruce). The key change to the final verse is killer.
 
93) Better Days
Album: Lucky Town (1992)
*New entry*

“It’s a sad man my friend who’s living in his own skin and can’t stand the company”

I was fortunate to hear this Melbourne3. Another hidden gem hidden deep in the Springsteen catalogue. Says a lot when this was the first time he had played it in nearly 10 years (he last played it in May 2003), so somewhat historic.

Again like stuff he barely plays, this deserves more of a run. Fits well early on in the set. It’s a typical sounding Springsteen song IMO. Bruce really goes for it, you can hear the conviction in his voice and it comes across too in the performance. Backed with ESB “choir” the chorus is enhanced and gives it a somewhat of a church/gospel feel.

While Lucky Town may have flopped and not be a favourite among fans, this is one of the better songs on a considerably weak album, for Springsteen standards anyway. The song writing is solid and while it may not have been with the ESB, Bruce certainly did not lose his touch when it came to song writing.

 
Cruyff14 said:
93) Better Days
Album: Lucky Town (1992)
*New entry*

“It’s a sad man my friend who’s living in his own skin and can’t stand the company”

I was fortunate to hear this Melbourne3. Another hidden gem hidden deep in the Springsteen catalogue. Says a lot when this was the first time he had played it in nearly 10 years (he last played it in May 2003), so somewhat historic.

Again like stuff he barely plays, this deserves more of a run. Fits well early on in the set. It’s a typical sounding Springsteen song IMO. Bruce really goes for it, you can hear the conviction in his voice and it comes across too in the performance. Backed with ESB “choir” the chorus is enhanced and gives it a somewhat of a church/gospel feel.

While Lucky Town may have flopped and not be a favourite among fans, this is one of the better songs on a considerably weak album, for Springsteen standards anyway. The song writing is solid and while it may not have been with the ESB, Bruce certainly did not lose his touch when it came to song writing.

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Great choice, but I'd have it a bit higher for personal reasons.

After a miserable couple of years in the early 90's, I met an awesome girl (who is now my wife) about 2 weeks before the Human Touch & Lucky Town albums came out. Better Days was the absolute perfect song for me at that time of my life and still means a helluva lot to me 21 years later.
 
92) Working On A Dream
Album: Working On A Dream (2009)
Previous rank: 41 (down 51)

“The sun rises up, I climb the ladder, A new day breaks and I’m working on a dream”

Working On A Dream is probably the album that is least popular amongst fans. A lot of it seems like it’s just filler and Bruce released it just for the sake of it. I mean Good Eye, really?

However, much to popular belief, and as contradictory as it sounds, there are some songs that aren’t half bad on it, like the title song for instance. It’s got that pop sound, which in turn makes it catchy. There is nothing fancy about, it is just straightforward. No fancy tricks here, just sounds like simple pop music. Lyrically it’s fairly middle of the range and it’s not Bruce’s finest moment, but I’m pretty sure it’s the only song to have a whistling solo!

I do have a sense of optimism when listening to it and can empathise with the character in the song.

 

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