We lost another legend this year in filmmaker Jonathan Demme. Perhaps best remembered for Silence of the Lambs, he was notable to us Springsteen fan's for his "Streets of Philadelphia" video (the use of it in Demme's Philadelphia earned Springsteen an Oscar). It should also be noted that Demme used Springsteen's "My Love Will Not Let You Down" in his final major film Ricki And The Flash. He's truly a great director, and will be missed be all of us here.
Thursday, April 27, 2017
RIP Jonathan Demme, 1944-2017
We lost another legend this year in filmmaker Jonathan Demme. Perhaps best remembered for Silence of the Lambs, he was notable to us Springsteen fan's for his "Streets of Philadelphia" video (the use of it in Demme's Philadelphia earned Springsteen an Oscar). It should also be noted that Demme used Springsteen's "My Love Will Not Let You Down" in his final major film Ricki And The Flash. He's truly a great director, and will be missed be all of us here.
Wednesday, April 19, 2017
Springsteen Covers Crystals' "Then He Kissed Me" and Berry's "Little Queenie"
This past weekend, Springsteen released a concert he performed in St. Louis in 2008 on his website. This concert from the Magic tour includes covers of the Crystals' "Then He Kissed Me" and Chuck Berry's "Little Queenie". You can download the concert on his website, but here's "Then He Kissed Me" and "Little Queenie" for you now!
Monday, April 17, 2017
More Springsteen Sound-a-Likes!
On this blog, we've covered artists who have tried to ape Springsteen, as well as the songs and artists that have influenced Springsteen. So, for this random post to keep the blog alive during this gorgeous spring, here's a few more songs that seem heavily influenced by the Boss.
Thin Lizzy - "The Boys Are Back In Town" (Springsteen - "Kitty's Back")
This one doesn't seem that blatant to me, but I've have seen it cited as a rip-off on numerous Springsteen forums, so I'll toss it in here just to be thorough. While "Kitty's Back" is a sprawling epic, it has a dramatic build-and-release leading to Kitty being back in town (4:55 to 5:18). This small section seems to have influenced the good folks of Thin Lizzy, as they were able to transform it into the hook of their their signature song.
Pink Floyd - "Lost For Words" (Springsteen - "Independence Day")
While I think the prior entry is a bit of a stretch, this is a slam dunk. This song is from Floyd's The Division Bell, and the band was pretty long in the tooth, so I'm not going to hold this against them. After producing 30+ years of progressive and experimental music, who can fault them for looking to Bruce for some inspiration?
Best Coast - "Boyfriend" (Springsteen - "Badlands")
OK, here we're just talking about two seconds of the drum opening. I always feel duped every time "Boyfriend" comes up on my iPod. But when I first noticed this, it did make me sit up and take notice of how great that opening two seconds of "Badlands" is - perhaps being the second most iconic Springsteen drum opening of all time (behind "Born To Run", obviously).
Now, this article isn't to knock any artists - I believe the three listed above are great musicians, and don't think any of them purposefully set out to "steal" from Springsteen. We're here to appreciate Springsteen, as well as the (direct or incidental) influence he's made on others. So, have you noticed any other songs similar to Springsteen songs (or vice versa)? Any other Springsteen drum intros you love? Let us know in the comments!
Thin Lizzy - "The Boys Are Back In Town" (Springsteen - "Kitty's Back")
This one doesn't seem that blatant to me, but I've have seen it cited as a rip-off on numerous Springsteen forums, so I'll toss it in here just to be thorough. While "Kitty's Back" is a sprawling epic, it has a dramatic build-and-release leading to Kitty being back in town (4:55 to 5:18). This small section seems to have influenced the good folks of Thin Lizzy, as they were able to transform it into the hook of their their signature song.
Pink Floyd - "Lost For Words" (Springsteen - "Independence Day")
While I think the prior entry is a bit of a stretch, this is a slam dunk. This song is from Floyd's The Division Bell, and the band was pretty long in the tooth, so I'm not going to hold this against them. After producing 30+ years of progressive and experimental music, who can fault them for looking to Bruce for some inspiration?
Best Coast - "Boyfriend" (Springsteen - "Badlands")
OK, here we're just talking about two seconds of the drum opening. I always feel duped every time "Boyfriend" comes up on my iPod. But when I first noticed this, it did make me sit up and take notice of how great that opening two seconds of "Badlands" is - perhaps being the second most iconic Springsteen drum opening of all time (behind "Born To Run", obviously).
Now, this article isn't to knock any artists - I believe the three listed above are great musicians, and don't think any of them purposefully set out to "steal" from Springsteen. We're here to appreciate Springsteen, as well as the (direct or incidental) influence he's made on others. So, have you noticed any other songs similar to Springsteen songs (or vice versa)? Any other Springsteen drum intros you love? Let us know in the comments!
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