Bruce Calls In To E Street Radio

The level of hype for The Ties That Bind is, honestly, staggering.  I feel like I've started nearly every blog post these last two months with a sentence similar to that.  Most recently, "Bruce from New Jersey" called in to E Street Radio to discuss The Ties That Bind, as well as the upcoming tour.  Bruce explains the formation of the short tour, why he is playing The River at every show, and who will exactly be in the band.

Stay tuned for more and more Bruce this week, as he appears on Jimmy Fallon on Thursday and Saturday Night Live this weekend.

Song Spotlight: "Miss You C" by Nils Lofgren

E Street Radio on Sirius XM is a bottomless treasure chest of Bruce Springsteen-related music. This past weekend, I heard “Miss You C” by Nils Lofgren for the first time. Nils is known primarily for his work on guitar in the E Street Band and even though he has released several solo albums, many Springsteen fans are not familiar with his vocal work.

As such, this soulful ditty is a great entry point and a quiet tribute to Clarence Clemons. “Miss You C” is a variation of a song called “Miss You Ray” that Nils released on his solo album Old School. It’s a fairly simply tune, but far be it from us to slight a heartfelt tribute to his fellow band member. Oh wait, we just did. Well, pretend we didn’t and give it a listen. Nils very courteously put it up for free download on his official website.

Hanging Out on E Street - Valentine's Day Edition

A few weeks ago I managed to get on E Street Radio as a listener call-in. I hadn't dialed into a radio station in at least 15 years and I'd forgotten what an ordeal it is. After hours of incurring busy signals, I finally made it through and got my opportunity to dedicate a song. In this day and age, dialing into a radio station is a funny thing. When you can hear virtually any song you want at any moment you like through YouTube, iTunes or other Internet-based properties, the thought of calling into a radio station to request a song seems antiquated and frankly, perverse. But of course, E Street Radio isn't just any radio station. And the opportunity to speak to one of the E Street Radio DJs and know that my voice was being broadcast to legions of other faithful Bruce fans was a thrill. After hours of anticipation, it was all over in a matter of seconds. If it hadn't been for the show replay two days later, I wouldn't have even been sure it really happened. But it did. And I used my iPhone to record my fleeting moment on the airwaves. I took the opportunity on air to dedicate the song "Happy" to my wife, Lisa. Nearly two years ago, "Happy" was our first dance at our wedding and while this Valentine's Day post isn't of the same caliber as her guest post last year, I hope that it does the memory justice.

Lyrics Spotlight: "Human Touch"

"Oh girl that feeling of safety that you prize
Well it comes at a hard hard price
You can't shut off the risk and the pain
Without losing the love that remains" - "Human Touch", Human Touch

A few weeks back I reviewed Mick Foley's debut into the literary world Tietam Brown.  Coincidentally later that day he guest was the guest DJ on E Street Radio.  His theme for that episode were the lyrics I chose this week's analysis.  He really analyzed the song and broke it down.  I've never been a big fan of "Human Touch" (the song and the album, I don't hate it but it just cant compare to E Street material or his incredible folk albums).  But after hearing Foley delve deep into the lyrics, and reading them over, and listening to the song on repeat, I've gained a new appreciation.

This might be Springsteen's best work lyrically.  I've written in the past about Springsteen's lyrics struggles with doubt and mistrust, but I don't think any song displays it so much as "Human Touch" in particular these lyrics.  This just a sample of the lyrics, but really I could have gone with just about any from this under-appreciated song.  Gone is the Springsteen of old with his wild youth filled lyrics like "Tonight we'll be free, all the promises will be broken."  He can't write a song like that anymore, because his view of the world has changed.  But, as Foley said in his show, Bruce couldn't write a song like "Human Touch" when he first debuted either, because he hadn't experienced the pain and sacrifice of losing love yet.  

Springsteen Video of The Week: Long Black Veil

A few weeks back I was hanging out with Steve and Rory, having a great kickoff to summer BBQ on Steve’s awesome terrace of his apartment.  In addition to grilling and beer, we were also rocking out to some Bruce and other tunes.  Steve started talking about how certain songs reminded him of exact moments and exact times.  I tried to think of some songs that did that to me, but was drawing a blank.  I had certain songs that reminded me of girls I liked, or fun parties where that particular song was played.  But that’s mostly because I’m a narcissistic jackass and relate everything back to me.  I really couldn't think of anything that just took me to another place and time that was unique to me.

About a week or so ago, it was a late Friday afternoon and I was getting close to the end of the day at work.  I still had about two more hours to kill, and was just not feeling it at all.  I was lazily doing mindless paperwork while listening to E Street Radio on SiriusXM.  I wasn't really paying attention to the radio, they were playing a concert from The Seeger Sessions Band tour, May 8th 2006, London, UK.  Then all of a sudden I just started thinking of my grandfather.  My grandparents lived in upstate New York, and I remember for two weeks every summer my brother and I would go up there to give my parents a break.  My grandfather was never one for pop music, he mostly listened to old Celtic classics and Irish ballads.  But there was one artist he loved: Johnny Cash.  And that’s when I realized that Bruce was covering Johnny Cash’s “Long Black Veil.”  Through subsequent research I've learned that "Long Black Veil" is a 1959 country ballad, written by Danny Dill and Marijohn Wilkin and originally recorded by Lefty Frizzell.   It was made famous when Cash covered it with Joni Mitchell.  But to me this will always be a Johnny Cash song, and one I first heard at my grandparents' house when I was probably around seven or eight years old listening to this song with my Pop.

I've been listening to this song on YouTube over and over again.  Apparently Bruce played this a few times during the European Leg of the Sessions Band tour, and then just dropped it.  If it wasn’t for the modern technology of SiriusXM and YouTube I would never even know of this Bruce cover.  I’m glad I discovered this as this might be my new favorite cover Bruce has done.

Chris "Mad Dog" Russo Lights Up E Street Radio

Storytelling.  It is the essence of Springsteen's appeal.  His songs create vivid characters in dire circumstances and emotional states.  The hallmark of his live performances are his personal stories, which range from absurd, humorous tales to genuinely poignant moments between his parents and himself.  His stories span generations and have earned him a legion of fans across the globe.

But then, there are other stories.  There are stories so mundane and perplexing that you have no idea why the person is talking to you.  However, it is the enigmatic nature of these tales that draws you in, as you are wondering if the storyteller has a point, or is just a rambling lunatic.  These are the stories Chris "Mad Dog" Russo provided when he hosted E Street Radio earlier this month.

Have you often found yourself wondering how Spencer Tracy relates to "Does This Bus Stop At 82nd Street"?  Or perhaps you'd be interested to know how a story about the Phillies winning the pennant is an introduction to the song "Wreck On The Highway".  Russo's introductions take many twists and turns, and create many laughs and groans along the way.  I would highly recommend taking nine minutes to listen to the video above, and enjoy hearing how he makes connections from the ordinary things in his life to his favorite Springsteen songs.

Cover Me, Part 1 - Artists Covering Bruce

I am a huge fan of Sirius XM Satellite Radio. Maybe it’s the fact that I can listen to any sports game I want, or because I’m a big fan of The Opie and Anthony Show, but most likely it’s that the geniuses at the network decided to create a 24/7 Bruce Springsteen channel that has made me not want to ever go back to terrestrial radio. In addition to playing Springsteen‘s songs from his albums, “E Street Radio” plays full concerts, interviews, outtakes and B-Sides, and just recently they started a show called Cover Me.

Cover Me, cleverly named after the track from Born In The USA, plays bands that cover Bruce in addition to playing covers of other artists performed by Bruce. I love this show to see just how far Bruce’s influence goes as well as seeing who Bruce was influenced by. The last show of 2011 had them counting down their favorite covers of Bruce and their favorite covers by Bruce. This week I’ll be discussing other artists covering Bruce.

According to Cover Me, the top five covers are:

5. “Ghost of Tom Joad”- Rage Against The Machine



Rage is one of those bands that as I grow older I fail to see what I ever found so great about them. Zach De La Rocha’s voice is terrible, he doesn’t even sing. And while Tom Morello is an absolutely brilliant guitar player, he seems to be “too good” on the guitar. Seriously, can’t he just do a normal solo or riff? Does everything has to be some manipulation of the guitar strings? Rage will always be remembered for their political stances, and certainly that’s why they would be drawn to cover to this song but I can’t stand their version. It’s everything I can’t stand about the band, but Bruce seems to be a big fan of it as evidenced by the number of times Tom Morello has joined him on stage to play this song, so I guess I’m in the minority here but no way would this be one of my picks.

4. “Atlantic City” - The Hold Steady





I had never heard this cover before, but wow, I was impressed. This piano and brass instrument driven version of song really pays tribute to this Springsteen classic, while making it their own, at the same time. When Springsteen plays “Atlantic City” live now it is a full electric song with the E Street Band, that while certainly a great song, it takes away from some of the somberness from the original acoustic studio version found on Nebraska. This cover I think really combines the Springsteen’s studio and live version quite well. It illustrates the dire situation the protagonist finds himself in, as well as being a fun upbeat song that you’ll find yourself tapping your toes along with. Big thumbs up for this pick.

3. “Thunder Road” - Tortoise with Bonnie "Prince" Billy



Another cover I was not familiar with. This is definitely an interesting version. At first I didn’t care for it, but the more I listened to it the more I could at least respect it, if not be a small fan of it. It’s nowhere near as good as the Springsteen version, but I don’t think it was trying to be. It’s simply a different interpretation, and while it’s not exactly my cup of tea, I absolutely will give Tortoise credit for being unique. Not one of my picks but, kudos anyway.


2. “Growing Up”- Eddie Veder



Eddie Veder and Pearl Jam have covered Bruce countless times. Some of them I like, others I’m not too crazy about. This is one I’m not too crazy about. There’s nothing unique about it. It’s just Eddie Veder singing “Growing Up”. It’s not bad at all, but I just don’t find anything too special about it. Now, when Veder covered “My City of Ruins” at Springsteen’s induction into the Kennedy Center, that was impressive. I would have definitely picked that. But, to each their own.


1. “Because the Night” - Patti Smith



This isn’t really fair to put this on the list. Yes, Bruce did write this song, but he didn’t release it till 2010 on The Promise. Patti Smith made this song a hit, and certainly deserves the credit for it. I wouldn’t put this song on the list because of that technicality, but if you can get past that, then I have no argument with this being #1. My particular favorite version is Bruce and Patti singing this with U2 at 25th anniversary concert for the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame.


My picks:
5. “Atlantic City” - The Hold Steady
4. “My City of Ruins”- Eddie Veder


3. “I’m Going Down” - Vampire Weekend


2. “Badlands” - Dropkick Murphy’s


1. “Atlantic City” - The Band



Let me know your choices for the best covers in the comments. Next week: the top five songs covered by Bruce.