Great Moments In Springsteen Cinema History: Money Monster Trailer

Money Monster, the Wall Street hostage thriller, is hitting theaters this Friday.  While the movie is looking to sell itself with a topical story and high profile actors, it is the song in the trailer that really caught me.  About halfway in, after the characters and plot have been established, we hear the familiar strums of Springsteen's "Devils & Dust".  While "Devils & Dust" isn't frequently discussed among Springsteen fans, I did note in an ancient post that it is one of the few modern protest songs that has held up well.  While originally about the Iraq war, it seems to fit right in with the common man's anger towards the financial sector.

No word as of yet if this is just a song for the trailer, or if it will highlight a particular scene in the movie.  If you see it, let us know!

Album Review: Devils & Dust

Today marks the ten-year anniversary of the release of Springsteen's 13th studio album Devils & Dust.  Usually, I start these reviews with my persona relationship I had with the album at the time it was released (such as my love of The Rising and my hatred of Working On A Dream).  However, this is an album that never quite left a mark on me in any direction.  I was out of the country when it was released, and subsequently never saw any of the shows on the Devils & Dust Tour.  Basically, before going into this album, I remember just having a generally positive attitude about this album.  And, after a couple of listens recently, that's about all I'm left with: a generally positive attitude.



Devils & Dust is a difficult album to review.  While it generally gets lumped in with other acoustic albums like Nebraska and Ghost of Tom Joad, there are much more instruments than the guitar integrating into these songs (when perhaps they shouldn't be).  In fact, many of these songs were old songs Springsteen had written that were cleaned up and recorded, making the album much more like High Hopes.

There are some good songs, but they never quite reach "great" status.  There are some bad songs, but nothing that can't pass as adequate filler.  It wouldn't be fair to call it "average", but it isn't a classic either.  In fact, I think the album is best summarized by it's title track above.  "Devils & Dust" is a protest strong that has held up fairly well over the years, with its evocative lyrics and stark atmosphere.  However after a strong opening minute, it gets bogged down by overproduction, adding in strings and piano.  It doesn't make the song unlistenable, mind you, but it holds it back from being an all-time Springsteen classic.



While the name Devils & Dust invokes a dark, somber attitude, the best songs on this album are actually Springsteen's love songs.  "Long Time Comin'" is one of the strongest songs on the album, both musically and lyrically.  Invoking the name Rosie again (instantly recalling the classic "Rosalita"), Springsteen weaves a great tale of failed relationships with the hope of working to make the future different from the past.  "Leah" is little love song that has always stuck with me.  While it is very similar to "Long Time Comin'" musically, the "li-li-li's" give it an classic 1960s pop feeling.  "All I'm Thinkin' About" completes this love song trilogy.  Here, Springsteen challenges himself, singing in complete falsetto.  It's a risk that pays off, as it makes the narrator sound breathless, overtaken with his love.



The rest of the songs have one or two things that help them stand out.  You've got "All The Way Home", the random hard rocker on the album that stands out like "Open All Night" on Nebraska.  You've got "Reno", the hooker song.  "Maria's Bed" is a twangy song, with "woos" similar to "State Trooper" and the smiling skull ring from "(Further On) Up The Road".  "Matamoros Banks" is another slow lullaby that ends the album, which seems to be Springsteen's specialty ("My City of Ruins", "Terry's Song", "Dream Baby Dream", etc.).

 The problem is that all of these songs are different thematically.  The album doesn't have the driving direction that helps the other Springsteen work stand out.  You've got anti-war songs, love songs, songs about boxers, songs about cars, etc.  The sound isn't acoustic, but you also don't have the E Street Band, either.  With all that being said, I'd rate the album a three out of five.  It's got a handful of songs that I'd love to see in concert (and a couple I think could be revamped with a full band, such as "Black Cowboys").  Many of the songs have great elements, but they don't quite stick the landing.  Much like this review, which I'm not sure how to end.

Please share your thoughts/stories about Devils & Dust in the comments below!

Video Spotlight - Springsteen on VH1 Storytellers

Today, we spotlight Bruce's appearance on VH1 Storytellers, from approximately 2005.  In this performance, he plays solo acoustic versions of "Devils & Dust" and "The Rising", following them up with an intriguing breakdown of his song-writing process.

For "Devils & Dust", Bruce does a thorough job going through all the themes that make the song so powerful, such as the choices people make, the need for fast decisions, and the confusion and tension you feel when your personal life is infected with politics.  While I appreciated the lyrical analysis, I would have loved to hear more about the musical choices made in the song (which is briefly touched upon, saying that the chords are a sound of resistance).  I believe he may have played the song slightly different than he did on the album, so I would have been curious to hear him talk about why he made certain choices for the album version and certain choices for the live performance.  In the end, Bruce confirms what I've always suspected with him, that he writes with his heart and emotion first, and then lets his brain figure it out later.

The acoustic version of "The Rising" is a real treat (especially after renewing my love with the song yet again).   Bruce provides some interesting tidbits about the song, such as how it was originally written as a bookend for "Into The Fire" and the meaning of the "Lie lie, lie lie lie lie lie lies" throughout the song.

So, if you can, carve out 25 minutes from your schedule to sit back, relax, and watch this.  It will be a wonderful way to start your weekend.

Lyrics Spotlight: Long Time Comin'

“I reach beneath your shirt, lay my hands across your belly
And feel another one kickin' inside
And I ain't gonna fuck it up this time”
- Long Time Comin’, Devils & Dust

I am very blessed to share that my wife and I are going to have our first child in just over a month’s time. We were both hoping for it to happen and couldn’t be more excited. But even when it’s something you’ve so hoped would happen, it’s still natural to feel moments of anxiety (the baby books have confirmed I’m not alone on this). In the first few days after I found out back in August, the above lyrics rang through my head frequently.

I’m fortunate that I haven’t lived a life with the kind of distraught family unrest that the narrator describes in this song. But like everyone else, I’ve made my fair share of mistakes. At times when I feel uneasy or uncertain about my ability to be a good father, I think of these lyrics and remind myself that this is one thing I’m not gonna fuck up.

Springsteen Lyrics of the Week - Devils and Dust

"I got my finger on the trigger
But I don't know who to trust."

- "Devils and Dust", from Devils and Dust

While activism in society is making a slight comeback (we've mentioned the OWS movement before on this blog), there has been a noticeable lack of protest songs.  Many protest songs today end up sounding corny and very dated, such as Third Eye Blind's attempt at an anthem last fall.  However, Springsteen's "Devils and Dust" stands strong as time goes by.  On its surface, it is a powerful tribute to the soldiers caught in the murkiness of fighting an unpopular war in Iraq.  But if you examine the lyrics further, they can be easily applicable to the uncertainty and fear that invades every person's life.

Bruce Going Acoustic!

Have I ever mentioned how much I love E Street Radio on SiriusXM?  One of the infinite reasons I do is because of their daily Bruce concerts.  One way Bruce has always been able to stay fresh is by constantly staying fresh and reinventing himself.  You can really see the evolution of Bruce as a performer when you listen to him.  And I really love when E Street Radio play shows from the Devils & Dust tour, as well as The Ghost Of Tom Joad tour, which opened my ears to so many acoustic versions of Springsteen songs that I’ve come to know and love.  This week I will be taking a look at my favorite songs that Bruce has redone acoustically. either by guitar or piano.  My only rule to make this list is that the songs must be Springsteen originals, no covers.  So without any further delay, my top 5:

Honorable mention goes to: Promised Land and Spirit In The Night .  They’re good but just missed the cut.  Definitely give them a chance though when you get a chance!



5.  Adam Raised A Cain-
I’m not really a fan of the original version.  I don’t hate it, but I usually skip it when it comes on my iPod.  But this version though is a lot more gritty, down and dirty.  I can totally get into it.  Bruce performed this on both The Ghost of Tom Joad and Devils & Dust tours.  Unfortunately that’s been the limit, and Bruce performs the regular electric version with The E Street Band today.  I wish he would switch it up and play this version instead.



4.  Born to Run -
Bruce performed this version pretty regularly on the Tunnel of Love tour, but I don‘t believe on either of the acoustic tours.  I absolutely prefer the full electric version, but there’s something special about this version.  Instead of being the loud anthem of escape and rebellion that we have all known it to be, this slower version makes the character in the song sound much less optimistic about the opportunities.  He still wants to get out and be on his own, but he’s not so sure it will be all that much better then his current situation.



3.  Darkness on the Edge of Town-
How do you take one of Bruce’s most powerful and passionate songs and make it even more so?   Strip away everything else, and leave Bruce alone with just a guitar.  Again, it’s not as good as the original but it’s just something different and  takes the song to a different place.  The climax of this song (“Cause tonight, I’ll be on that hill…”) just comes of so full of energy that I absolutely love.  Bruce played it regularly on both acoustic tours, and has occasionally busted it out at other performances.  “Darkness” is one of my favorite Bruce songs and I would love to hear any version of it when I see Bruce in concert.



2.  Be True-
I heard this song while listening to this concert was on E Street Radio and was floored.  I always thought “Be True” was a good song, but nothing great.  But this version was just beautiful.  I was so happy to see that YouTube had this as well.  To my knowledge, this is the only time Bruce performed “Be True” on a piano.  A few years ago, this song would have been heard only by those lucky enough to be at this concert and maybe a few others who were able to make copies of this recording.  Then it would have been lost forever.  Now through the magic of the internet anyone can listen to it anytime they want.  Thanks YouTube.



1.  Incident on 57th Street-
Are you surprised?  Well you shouldn’t be.  I’ve stated in previous posts that this is my favorite Springsteen song and this stripped down piano version was played a few times on The Rising tour, and only then, as far as I know.  The song seems so much more romantic and passionate played on the piano that I think I might prefer it to the original version.  But that can change at the drop of a hat.  You can’t go wrong with either one.

Well that’s it for this week  Join me next week when I will be counting down my favorite acoustic songs that Bruce has performed with the E Street Band!  Also, if you know of any great acoustic versions of Bruce songs please let us know!

Quick Take - Death To My Hometown

Steve: When I saw the title “Death to My Hometown,” I assumed I knew exactly what the song would be – a soft lament somewhere in between “My Hometown” and “My City of Ruins.” I was worried it would be too familiar, too predictable. But I was wrong. The pulsing beat caught me completely off guard, as did hearing Bruce’s voice at its most powerful. This is a really interesting song and upon first impression, I like that Bruce is finding a new way to explore a familiar theme: the disillusion of one's hometown as a place of safety.


Early analysis from The Guardian is comparing the new album to Woody Guthrie and other folk music. “Death to My Hometown” certainly fits that description and aligns with “We Take Care of Our Own” and “Shackled and Drawn” in its anthemic sound and almost militant lyrics. Wrecking Ball is quickly feeling like a more aggressive version of the Seeger Sessions and a catchier Devils & Dust. No complaints so far.


Rory: Bruce channels The Pogues here, and creates an awesome song.  This song, like "Easy Money", shows a different aspect of Bruce.  Instead of the soul-searching songs by Bruce that we're all used to hearing, Bruce identifies the enemy.  The closing stanza:


Send the robber barons straight to hell

The greedy thieves who came around
And ate the flesh of everything they've found
Whose crimes have gone unpunished now
Walk the streets as free men now
is about as direct a message as Bruce has ever sent.  There's no vagueness about this song whatsoever.  I mean, correct me if I'm wrong, but is that the sound of a gun being locked and loaded at the 2:42 minute mark of the song?  When word got out that this would be Bruce's angriest album yet, they weren't kidding.