Wednesday, September 30, 2020

We Interrrupt Paul Revere and the Raiders Week for This Astoundingly Great New Song by Bruce Springsteen

I could go on at length about how amazing this record is -- and what an absolute Springsteen classic it is -- but I'm just gonna say one thing, apart from how epic the guitars are etc. blah blah blah. At the 4:24 point when Bruce screams one of his patented "ONE TWO THREE FOUR!!!!" deals, he does something absolutely brilliant.

He pronounces it WAH TWA WAH TWAH THWAHHH FWAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And don't even get me started on this lyric --

I shoulder your Les Paul and finger that fretboard

I make my vows to those who've come before

-- which contains the meaning of the universe.

True story -- the Friday of August 25th, 1975, Columbia Records messengered me a test pressing of Born to Run...

...that I got to take home for the weekend before the rest of the world got a chance to listen to it.

It changed my life. On a million levels.

I have not had a comparable experience since then till tonight. That's all I'm gonna say.

POSTSCRIPT: On vacation today and Friday. Music stuff resumes on Saturday.

5 comments:

paulinca said...

Agreed, Steve. "Ghosts" is an old man singing about his younger self. It's not a valedictory lap, it's a psalm to rock and roll and those who joined him in his journey. On the backstreets until the end...

paulinca

Anonymous said...

That makes up for the monotonous Western Stars in a big way! Nice to hear that big guitar sound again. Hopefully the rest of the albums rocks.

-Paul in DK

pete said...

When Music from Big Pink came out in 1968 it seemed to be upholding the East Coast verities of craft, experience, professionalism in the face of the dominant California scene. BTR upheld these verities without the Band's aloof cool. Their music wasn't about telling you who you were. Bruce's was.

pete said...

Enjoy your vacation, Steve - you deserve it! (So does she.) But please return to PR&R when you get back. You are the guy whoo hipped me to the greatness of "Him or Me,"" after all.

steve simels said...

Check this space out tomorrow. :-)