Bruce Springsteen

[Wooderson]

I'd better investigate then

He didn't put it out on its own, sadly.

[atomised]

Just ordered the box set on vinyl hoping i won't regret the expenditure. Looking forward to its arrival

[The Nal]

Just ordered the box set on vinyl hoping i won't regret the expenditure. Looking forward to its arrival

Worth it for Nebraska the 2nd side of Wild Innocent alone.

[The Nal]

So, after a few weeks of listening to Bruce without the ESB, I'm really hoping for a solo tour of some sort. Been 10 years since the last one. He usually does a solo album/tour every 10 decade or so. 2005 Devils and Dust, 95 Tom Joad, 82 Nebraska and he was signed in 72 as a solo artist.

[The Nal]

I'd love to see him do what he started to do with the 'other' group (Lucky Town/Human Touch), when he was going to have a much smaller band. But he bottled it. Apparently.

He could something like Jeff Tweedy's done. Do parts of a show on his own, then have a bit with a totally different band. I thought Zachary Alford was amazing on those shows... much looser.

He bottled it because he said the public weren't buying the tunes he was writing. Hence the next album being Joad. Much darker.

He must have a huge collection of tunes in the back pocket that wouldn't work with the ESB? I'd love a stripped back solo tour. The Devils and Dust tour was so dark and yet so intimate. I love that deadly serious side to him. A lot more interesting now that we know he has battled depression. Devils and Dust, Reno, Philadelphia, most of Nebraska, Ghost of Tom Joad etc. About as far away from "Shout" or any of that stadium panto as you'll get.

Also heres a pic of him around the "Other Band" era, before he got the hair and teeth done. Looks a bit David Brent!

Edited November 27, 2014 by The Nal

[Wooderson]

The box set is fantastic.

[Wooderson]

As regards next tour id be happier with more ESB. Proviso: as long as he doesn't fall back onto whole album shows again.

[zero000]

Is it not worth picking up the originals rather than the boxset? I've already got Nebraska, The River, and Born To Run on wax. BTR in particular, sounds fantastic.

[Wooderson]

If you've good copies of those I wouldn't bother mate. I'd none of them on vinyl so it's a no brainer. Born in the USA fr'instance has never sounded so good.

[The Nal]

As regards next tour id be happier with more ESB. Proviso: as long as he doesn't fall back onto whole album shows again.

He been doing pretty much the exact same thing now since Magic. Whats that? 7 years? Good fun and all but hes becoming a parody of himself. He needs to mix it up for his own sake.

[atomised]

Box set arrived today. Looming forward to working my way through it. Very nice package

[Wooderson]

He been doing pretty much the exact same thing now since Magic. Whats that? 7 years? Good fun and all but hes becoming a parody of himself. He needs to mix it up for his own sake.

He's played longer and more varied shows in 2012/13 than any time previous. The summer 2012 shows in particular were a career high point chief. A parody??? Disagree with you fully there. I'm not a fan of album shows but a solo show would be a bit "meh". When the ESB rolls into town there's a real buzz. Solo Bruce is a bit sit tight with arms folded nodding away at his latest interpretation of "Reno" with the pseuds.

[The Nal]

He's played longer and more varied shows in 2012/13 than any time previous. The summer 2012 shows in particular were a career high point chief. A parody??? Disagree with you fully there. I'm not a fan of album shows but a solo show would be a bit "meh". When the ESB rolls into town there's a real buzz. Solo Bruce is a bit sit tight with arms folded nodding away at his latest interpretation of "Reno" with the pseuds.

220 odd songs played. Incredible really. But I just don't think another tour of Bruce rolling out the old hits is good for anyone. He'll be doing a residency in Vegas next. Setlists aside, on a create level, hes becoming less interesting which each tour.

Half of the songs on the setlist are "quick piss?" songs now where as before nearly everything was unmissable.

Edited November 28, 2014 by The Nal

[The Nal]

Yea, I didn't feel the last tour was even close to a parody. Rome was the best show I've seen in decades. A whole show on his own isn't the celebration of life that ESB shows are.

But you saw him do side 2 of Wild, Innocent with a fucking orchestra! Course thats a cracker of a show!

I saw him do Darkness in Stockholm in a very loud venue. Proper teeth shaking guitar parts and ringing ears afterwards. Which was superb. Great, great gig. As good as I've seen from him.

really? why, because you've seen him do them so many times? Waitin' On A Sunny Day was the closest to a quick piss song for me. Even then, he managed to carry it off.

Yeah partly as Ive seen him so many times but Sunny Day, Promised Land, Out on the Street etc and the standards like BTR, Dancing in the Dark and even Tenth Ave, Thunder Road, Badlands etc are losing potency. For me.

Im not saying hes a parody of himself but another tour with the same format and maybe just a new tune or two littered in? Its possible. Maybe parody is the wrong word. "Panto" would be more accurate. "Panto Bruce". He may get bored of it all himself who knows? Anyone that creative must gets bored easily.

I just think he has a shitload of songs in the can that I would love to see presented a bit differently. Doesn't have to be a huge tour or anything. He can record them on the 4 track again! And tour a couple of months doing 90 minute gigs.

Also fully agree that a solo show has none of the celebration of life feeling that an ESB show has but thats the point. But don't discount how important his solo albums are to his career, his credibility, his fans and his catalogue in general. When Bruce digs deep into the well and bangs out a "solo" song it really means something to him. Some of them, dare say, more than his big hits. They're so personal.

Edited November 28, 2014 by The Nal

[Wooderson]

I saw a couple solo pre-shows last year. Lot of fun hearing For You solo piano. Not a patch on full band version.

[Ted Dansons Wig]

Just hoping he'll try something a bit different. Continually re-touring with the huge band he has now just slowly degrades the quality over time.

Been rumours of a country based album for years. Finish that off and tour with a small band. Then last stand with E Street.

[FloorFiller]

after years of thinking i flat out wouldn't like Bruce without actually having heard much of his stuff, i delved in to his back catalogue today and was very pleasantly surprised. that'll be my listening for a good week sorted

[atomised]

Finished listening to the vinyl box set. Most enjoyable revisiting tracks id not listened to for ages

[bocumaroy]

Mad how Silvio from The Sopranos plays a guitar and wears a bandana.

[Ted Dansons Wig]

220 odd songs played. Incredible really. But I just don't think another tour of Bruce rolling out the old hits is good for anyone. He'll be doing a residency in Vegas next. Setlists aside, on a create level, hes becoming less interesting which each tour.

Half of the songs on the setlist are "quick piss?" songs now where as before nearly everything was unmissable.

You could make a case that everything he's done since Nebraska has diluted his legacy just a little. The stadium jump with BITUSA is the line in the sand.

If he'd stopped at Nebraska - what a legacy that would have been. Six albums and three legendary tours. I listened to that one for the first time in ages tonight - it sound fresher and more focussed than anything he's done since to me. He's had the odd moment (one or two on the Rising and much of Magic) but its never hit the consistent heights he's been to before.

Much as I still enjoy seeing him more than anybody else - it gets harder and harder not to see him as a pastiche of himself. Yet more E Street Band? Another round of Waitin' on a Sunny Day? Not for me.

[The Nal]

You could make a case that everything he's done since Nebraska has diluted his legacy just a little. The stadium jump with BITUSA is the line in the sand.

If he'd stopped at Nebraska - what a legacy that would have been. Six albums and three legendary tours. I listened to that one for the first time in ages tonight - it sound fresher and more focussed than anything he's done since to me. He's had the odd moment (one or two on the Rising and much of Magic) but its never hit the consistent heights he's been to before.

Much as I still enjoy seeing him more than anybody else - it gets harder and harder not to see him as a pastiche of himself. Yet more E Street Band? Another round of Waitin' on a Sunny Day? Not for me.

Doesn't look like were getting a tour of any sort. Rumours hes getting his back finally sorted and he did look a little "off season" playing with U2 the other week.

Well deserved rest in fairness.

[zero000]

Agree with a lot of the comments here, I'm a pretty big Springsteen fan, but I was slightly bored when I saw him in Cardiff last year. It's all very well playing 3 hours + , but it's got to be consistent. I'd rather 2 solid hours than a messy 3.

Also that segregation system is ridiculous, plenty of space at the front but we were stuck at the back of the pitch because of all of the bruce nutters who take a day off work to sit in the queue.

[zero000]

There's a relatively small area (the circle) that is seperated from the rest. I imagine it's at least partly there for safety reasons. You can buy reserved seats (usually).

I appreciate that, but they should at least open it on the sides so it acts like the Glastonbury crush barrier. I wouldn't want to sit down for a gig either so that's not on option, They should let the wristband holders in first then everyone else.

In any case it epitomized everything that's crap about stadium gigs, shite view and mediocre sound.

Edited December 22, 2014 by zero000

[Ted Dansons Wig]

There's a relatively small area (the circle) that is seperated from the rest. I imagine it's at least partly there for safety reasons. You can buy reserved seats (usually).

Not at Cardiff mate. Zero is right. The barrier area was half the floor area at least - they'd put the roof on the Millenium and put the stage half way down dividing it in two. As one of the (Zero's words) Bruce nutters who took a day off to queue - we were in the area in front of the barrier and had almost too much room. IT was completely rammed behind the barrier. There were reserved seats - but because of the division they were off at one side. Stadium gigs - meh

Disagree with Zeros assessment of the gig though - I thought it was the best show of the ones I saw on that leg.

Edited December 22, 2014 by Ted Dansons Wig

[zero000]

Not at Cardiff mate. Zero is right. The barrier area was half the floor area at least - they'd put the roof on the Millenium and put the stage half way down dividing it in two. As one of the (Zero's words) Bruce nutters who took a day off to queue - we were in the area in front of the barrier and had almost too much room. IT was completely rammed behind the barrier. There were reserved seats - but because of the division they were off at one side. Stadium gigs - meh

Disagree with Zeros assessment of the gig though - I thought it was the best show of the ones I saw on that leg.

That's fair enough mate. I think my view of the gig was soured by being stuck a million miles away from the stage. The best thing to come out of the gig was hearing Cynthia, what a tune!

Edited December 22, 2014 by zero000