Obama Exits to "Land of Hope and Dreams"

Taking a page directly out of Jon Stewart's book, President Obama said goodbye to the nation on Tuesday night, being played off by Springsteen's "Land of Hope and Dreams".  You can skip to the 6:36:40 mark to where the song plays, if you don't want to hear a speech and just want to see a guy in a suit hugging and waiving to a Springsteen song.  While Springsteen fandom encompasses many political beliefs (the B Street Band are playing at the New Jersey Inauguration Ball next week), Obama and Springsteen have one of the strongest links I've seen between an artist and a president, from with Springsteen's "Obama-influenced" (for lack of a better description) Working on a Dream album in 2009 to Obama awarding Springsteen the Medal of Freedom a couple months ago.

 Any other president/artist combos that stand out in history?  Any you'd like to see in the future?  It's too early to tell how the Trump/Kanye relationship will grow, but you never know.

Jon Stewart's Moment of Zen

We interrupt Born To Run Month to give you this performance by Bruce and the E Street Band.  On Jon Stewart's final Daily Show last Thursday, he quoted "an artist [he] really admired",  saying,

"He thinks of his career as a long conversation with his audience...I liked that idea for many different reasons, the main one is that it takes away the idea of finality....This show isn't ending.  We're merely taking a small pause in the conversation."  

After his speech, the identity of this "artist" became clear, as he cut to Springsteen and the entirety of the E Street Band, to play him off to "Land of Hope and Dreams".  While Bruce has been making various cameos all summer long, it was great to see him back with the entirety of the E Street Band.  The Daily Show has never really accommodated musical acts very well, which makes this performance even more impressive.  Hopefully, our conversation with the E Street Band will be continuing again in the near future.

Gambling With Bruce Springsteen

As mentioned numerous times on this blog, both myself and OB are degenerate gamblers.  In fact, when I'm not writing about Bruce Springsteen, I write rambling reviews of my trips down to Atlantic City.  In my most recent entry, I listed the 12 keys to a successful trip to Atlantic City.  However, upon rereading it, I left out an important variable: music.

Even during the wildest weekends in Atlantic City, you will find yourself with a bit of downtime in your hotel room.  Perhaps you are cracking open a few beers and getting ready for the night to come....or perhaps you are suffering from a vicious hangover you had from last night's activities.  Regardless, nothing brightens up either scenario like some great tunes.  This is why I always bring my iPod and a small speaker on each trip.  Throughout the years, I've assembled a gambling playlist for Atlantic City, which, unsurprisingly, leans heavily on Bruce's song catalog.  The songs are broken into three categories:

Category 1: Yeah, I guess there's some vague reference to gambling there

"Shackled and Drawn"



While other songs ("Rockaway the Days" and "It's Hard to Be a Saint in the City") also reference gambling, "Shackled and Drawn" makes the list due to its the foot-stomping beat and Bruce's hollering.  While the "gambling man" here is an obvious metaphor for the financial institutions of the country, as a literal gambling man, that one line creates quite the fantasy.  Unfortunately,when I roll the dice, I still end up paying the bills.

"Land of Hope and Dreams"



I've written about this song plenty of times on this blog already, and have even highlighted how much I love the "whores and gamblers" line.  Combined with "Shackled and Drawn", these two songs are like a shot of adrenaline, giving you the energy you'll need to pull an all-nighter on the town.

Category 2: Ooh, that's gambling, baby!

"Easy Money"



Wrecking Ball certainly is quite the album for gamblers, isn't it?  While this song doesn't directly reference gambling, the attitude of "going on the town looking for easy money" is definitely the mindset of every Atlantic City visitor.

"Roulette"



From Tracks, I was surprised to see this song make the top 100 Bruce songs list that came out a couple weeks ago.  It was one of the rare songs that we had not yet covered on Legends of Springsteen.  Like an angry version of "Hungry Heart", Bruce unveils his personal rage, showing a side of him rarely seen.  I feel the same about the song "Roulette" on this playlist as I do about actual roulette in the casino- it isn't my favorite, but it would be weird if it wasn't there.

"Roll of the Dice"


Another song I've previously discussed on this site, this is Bruce on auto-pilot.  It is simple song telling a simple story of a guy down on his luck and taking a chance, yet I can't help but get sucked in by it.  It truly encapsulates the crazy optimism that gamblers have - despite losing all the time, we all think we're just a moment away from sipping champagne on ice.  By the end of the song, as Bruce begs for "one more roll", I imagine him being dragged out of the casino by security guards.  We've all been there, right?

Category 3: That's it, I gotta go to the casino!  See you guys in 3 hours!

"Atlantic City"



You knew this was coming, right?  It's why you clicked on this link, admit it.  Yet another frequently discussed song, this is one of my all-time favorites.  Mind you, there are many versions of "Atlantic City", and each one has value to your gambling playlist.  The above version is the electric version from 2000, and the upbeat sound works best as you prepare to go out for the night.  The original acoustic version, however, is best listened to as you sober up, count your losses, and swear never to return to that wretched town again (but you know that's a lie).

"Viva Las Vegas"



Simply put, it is the greatest ode to gambling ever written, and we really must consider ourselves truly blessed that Bruce covered this song.

So, there you have it: put these songs on your iPod next time you hit a casino, and even if you wind up broke, you'll know you had a swinging time.  Good luck on those aces, sirs!

Springsteen Video of the Week - MLB 2012 Postseason Commercial

Springsteen....in a commercial?  Is this new ground?  Frankly, I'm uncomfortable with this move.  While it can introduce more people to Springsteen's music, he's already extremely well known, and young people hate baseball anyway.  As an avid viewer of TNT's basketball coverage, I know that the TNT/TBS networks have zero qualms about replaying the same commercials over and over again until you become physically repulsed at the opening notes.  This video is also dripping in America-sauce, once again trying to turn another one of Springsteen's songs into a patriotic anthem (and conveniently leaving out the greatest line of the song involving whores and gamblers).  But, with Bruce on tour and a presidential election around the corner, you had to figure he would not shy away from staying front-and-center and grabbing people's attention.

Concert Review – Wrigley Field, Chicago September 7

Looking at the back-to-back baseball field precedent of the Fenway performances last month, there was a temptation to think that the first night at Wrigley would be Bruce’s safe night and pale in comparison to the second night’s wild and unpredictable powerhouse. Such concerns were instantly eradicated the second Bruce stepped on stage and opened with “Prove It All Night” (’78 Opening).

From that lengthy, guitar-heavy salvo, he segued into “My Love Will Not Let You Down” from Tracks. It was almost as if Bruce was testing the audience right off the bat to see how many fans were in attendance and who was ready to party. When the audience earned his trust, he quickly returned the favor by turning to audience participation heavy favorites “Out in the Street” and “Hungry Heart”.

From that point it was apparent that all bets were off. The next thing you know, Tom Morello is jumping around stage in a Cubs hat unannounced and shredding his unclipped guitar alongside the band in “Death to My Hometown.” An hour or so later, who’s that walking on stage? None other than Eddie Vedder. He was rumored to join Bruce in Philadelphia after being sighted near backstage but an appearance didn’t materialize. This time? Here he is joining Bruce for a stark duet of “Atlantic City”.

Other notable moments included the tour debut of the quietly powerful “None but the Brave”, the best live version of “Land of Hope and Dreams” I’ve ever heard (every instrument powerful; every lyric precious) and the always appreciated “Trapped” (which had our beer guy shimmying up and down the aisle). There was also the unexpected Born in the U.S.A. one-two punch of “I’m Goin’ Down” and “Darlington County” that sent my wife to Stubhub scouring for seats to Saturday night’s concert (cooler heads prevailed after the show).

Seeing Springsteen at Wrigley Field marked a series of firsts for me:
• The first time I’ve seen him perform outside of New Jersey
• The first time I’ve seen him perform in a baseball stadium
• The first time I’ve seen him joined by surprise guests on stage

This was my eighth Springsteen concert but the first outside of the Garden State. It was startling the first time I heard him yell “Chicago!” instead of "New Jersey!" Seeing it in Wrigley provided great atmosphere but I did find the audio quality lacking. Perhaps it was just the location of our seats toward the back of the lower tier but the sound was often distorted, which made Bruce’s speeches even less intelligible than usual.

When Morello joined for “Death to My Hometown” I can’t say it made much difference to me but it was fun to see him bobbing around. His addition to “Jack of All Trades” was more significant but his presence really came alive during “The Ghost of Tom Joad”. The feverish powerhouse conclusion of which was the heaviest guitar playing I've ever seen in a Bruce concert. As the night progressed, Morello seemed happy camping out on stage and by the end, it felt like he had joined in for so many songs that he might as well just become a permanent member of the E Street Band – something I would wholeheartedly endorse.

On the subject of additions to the band, during “Spirit in the Night” Bruce had Jake Clemons join him on the steps and the two reprised the kind of pantomime that Bruce and Clarence had been doing since the 1970s. Their repartee wasn’t as smooth as it could have been, the sax blurts not timed completely right and for a moment the performance reminded me of Jimmy Stewart trying to recreate his lost Madeleine in Vertigo. But only for a moment.

The band finished with a rollicking encore that featured a sign request for “Jungleland” and capped off the night with “Twist and Shout” with the remarkable jumbo screen image of Springsteen, Vedder and Morello all singing into the same microphone. Who knows what kind of magic is in store for the second night at Wrigley. We can suspect it will be full of sign requests, other guests and jaw-dropping rarities. But however it unfolds, this first night was truly one for the ages.

Springsteen Lyrics of the Week - Land of Hope and Dreams

This train....
Carries saints and sinners
This train....
Carries losers and winners
This train....
Carries whore and gamblers
- "Land of Hope and Dreams", from Wrecking Ball

Even before Wrecking Ball, I loved the live version of "Land of Hope and Dreams", especially his listing of the passengers on the train.  The extra emphasis on the "whores" always stood out to me.  Upon re-examination, this is an interesting listing, as the first two sets of passengers are diametric opposites, whereas whores and gamblers seem like two peas in a pod.  I believe Bruce is linking these two together to highlight that neither "sin" is completely black-and-white, as the gamblers and whores fall into a gray area.  

He hasn't shied away from either subject in the past, with songs like "Reno" and "Lucky Man" portraying depictions of both lifestyles.  Pulling from my own life, I do love to gamble, and, while I have no desire to use the services of a lady of the night, I recently read a graphic novel called "Paying For It" by Chester Brown which explored the world of prostitution and raised many interesting points that may make people question their stance on the issue.  Regardless, the overall message of the song is that there is room for everyone upon this "train", and we should leave our judgments aside to better help everyone improve their worlds.

Quick Take - Land of Hope and Dreams

When I first read the track list I was disappointed to see "Land of Hope and Dreams" and "Wrecking Ball" included because I wanted to hear new Bruce songs. Even though there are already versions of "Land of Hope and Dreams" available on the Live in New York City album and the Essential Bruce Springsteen, I’m happy about its inclusion on Wrecking Ball. The lyrics really resonate in this version and the backup vocals add poignancy. And as Blogness on the Edge of Town notes, you really can’t begrudge its inclusion when you hear Clarence’s saxophone come through one last time.