Quick Hit - "America's Funniest Home Videos" by Bruce Springsteen, interpreted by Jimmy Fallon

It's been a while since Jimmy Fallon busted out his Bruce impersonation, but he rectified this long absence earlier this week in a round of celebrity impressions with Jamie Foxx.  Skip forward to the 4:48 mark of the video, and you'll hear JimmyBruce gutting out a rendition of the America's Funniest Home Videos theme.  I'd also recommend sticking around for Jamie Foxx's Doc Rivers impression.

Under the Influence - Bruce Springsteen!

The music world has been rocked by recent "rip-off" scandals, such as Sam Smith/Tom Petty, Robin Thicke/Marvin Gaye, and (after 30 years) Guns N Roses/Australian Crawl.  We here at Legends of Springsteen have previously chided artists for trying their best at aping Springsteen, too.  However, it is in this author's personal opinion that we shouldn't judge music "rip-offs" that harshly, as artists generally wear their influences on their sleeves.

So, today, instead of spotlighting an artist that Springsteen has influenced, we'll spotlight a few artists that have influenced the Boss.  There are obvious ones like Bob Dylan and Van Morrison, but this time, we'll take a look at some Springsteen songs that sound suspiciously like previous hits.  First up, let's take a look at some classics from Born To Run.

Bo Diddley Beat / "She's The One"





In "She's The One", Bruce uses the classic Bo Diddley beat.  This beat has been used in a ton of pop songs, but the ones I hear the most with just the beat are Buddy Holly's "Not Fade Away" and George Michael's "Faith".  It's an iconic beat, so it's no shame in Bruce stealing from the best (you can also sorta hear this beat on "High Hopes" as well).

"Tiny Dancer" / "Jungleland"





Specifically, we are talking about the piano introductions on both songs.  I guess I kinda see this one, but it is fleeting.  The songs are just four years apart, so I'll leave it up to you to make the call.

"Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" / "Badlands"



The video above is just a small excerpt from Bruce's 2012 keynote speech at SXSW.  The first five minutes is dedicated to his love of The Animals, pointing exactly how they inspired him.  At the end of the video, however, Bruce clearly illustrates how "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" directly influenced "Badlands".  As Bruce says at the end, "Listen up youngsters!  This is how successful theft is accomplished!"

Now, you may be saying, "Hey goober, all these examples are from Bruce's early career!  Of course a young artist is going to rely a lot on his influences."  Fairly noted.  So, let's take a look at some examples from later on down the line.

"867-5309 (Jenny)" / "Radio Nowhere"



Hard to argue with this one - it's one of the more blatant offenders I've heard in the last ten years.  But kudos to Mr. Tutone for letting it go and not lawyer-ing it up.

"I Was Made For Lovin' You" / "Outlaw Pete"



We here at Legends of Springsteen are no fans of "Outlaw Pete", which has come up with a disturbing amount of frequency on this blog.  However, we have previously noted that KISS has taken from the Boss, so turnabout is fair play, I say.

"Small Town" / "Just Like Fire Would"





Ok, let's see if you can follow this one.  You have Bruce Springsteen, who inspired John Mellencamp.  Then, years later, Bruce Springsteen is inspired by a punk band called The Saints.  He covers the band, using an arrangement similar to John Mellencamp.  Can you really rip someone off who has been ripping you off?  Like the KISS example above, turnabout is still fair play.

So, there we have it.  In this humble author's opinion, I believe we need to relax whenever one song sounds somewhat similar to another song.  Often in these scenarios, people like to get on a very high horse.  Sometimes they'll criticize a particular artist mainly because they have an axe to grind against them (which happened a lot with Lady Gaga's "Born This Way").  More often, I've seen this old chestnut - "There's no original music anymore!"  Well, next time you hear some fuddy-duddy complaining about originality in music, please direct them to this post.  As you can see, every artist is guilty of being, let's say, "overly-inspired" by their predecessors.

Song Spotlight - "Bullets Fever" by Nils Lofgren

As documented many times in the past, I am a huge NBA fan.  We're at the half-way point of the NBA Playoffs, and my beloved team, the Brooklyn Nets, are long gone.  Now, I am going through the process every fan of a loser has to go through at one point - the playoff team adoption.  There are many factors to consider when adopting a playoff team that is not your own.  Do they have a rivalry with your team?  Are there any players on the team that used to play for your team?  Is your adopted team too popular?  It is not a task to be taken lightly.

This year, the Washington Wizards present a strong case.  First, you've got former Nets Paul Pierce and Kris Humphries.  Then, you've got a team that hasn't won a lot of championships.  Finally, you've got this rocking song by Nils Lofgren!  If there's anything wrong with music in this day and age, it's clearly the lack of novelty songs about sports teams.  However, there is something wrong karma-wise with adopting a team in your own conference, and, unfortunately, they are named the Wizards.  

Therefore, I will be hitching my wagon to the Memphis Grizzlies.  They satisfy the "former Nets" requirement (the beloved Vince Carter and the forgettable Courtney Lee), as well as the "not winning a lot" requirement.  While they don't have any songs about them (yet), I'll pretend "Walking in Memphis" is about them.  Plus, Marc Cohn kinda sounds like Bruce Springsteen.

Thank you for continuing to read this blog.

Counting On A Package Deal, Part 5 - The River

Today, on 5/5, we'll be examining Springsteen's fifth album, The River.  This package is full of tons of goodies, so sit back and enjoy a nice, lengthy article.  And, by that, I mean a ton of photos, because that's what you are really here for, right?  The cover is the simplest to date: Springsteenface.  Nothing to see here.  But the back?  Good lord.

This might be the first time I've seen the back of The River album, and goodness, what on Earth is going on?  There's creepy wedding decorations, and American flag with its own bald eagle, and various other party decorations like glitter, glue sticks, and cups.  I can see why the back of The River has never reached the notoriety of other Springsteen black-and-white photos, such as Nebraska.  This is downright scary and confusing.  I assume it has something to do with all the weddings discussed in songs such as "The River" and "I Wanna Marry You", but the overall effect is horrifying.  It's one of those images that, if you encountered at a very young age, would be forever burned into your sub-conscience.  To pacify myself, I'll say that, seeing the name "Charlie" in the background and the American flag/eagle combination, this photo served as inspiration for Charlie Kelly's "Rock Flag & Eagle" song.

The album doesn't unfold ala Born To Run, but each album comes in its own sleeve.  These sleeves are amazing.  Presented, in order, are album one's sleeve and album two's sleeve (both sides of each).  Please, take your time to absorb these all, I'll still be here when you are done:

 

Go back and look one more time.  Tons of classic, old-school photos of the Boss and crew in their primes.  The E Street Band had been missing from Bruce's album packaging since The Wild, but they make up for lost time here.  And, guess what?  There's more!

Like Darkness, The River has a separate sheet for Springsteen's lyrics.  Unlike Darkness, we get more photos of the band (plus some funky used car art).  

Overall, I absolutely love the packaging for The River.  This is exactly what I want to compliment the music I'm listening to: pictures of the band that performed it!  The only thing that can make this better is if they varied the record label, right?  I mean, it's been four records in a row of the same red circle?  Surely, with two records, they will HAVE to change it!  I can't wait to see what they went with!

...I brought this upon myself.

Want to start your own record collection?  Buy it on Amazon!

Past installments: 
Greetings from Asbury Park
The Wild The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle
Born To Run
Darkness on the Edge of Town

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!

Cover Spotlight: "Born In The U.S.A." by Dirk Nowitzki

Tomorrow is the start of the NBA Playoffs.  While many bemoan the playoffs for legitimate reasons, such as it having too many teams or being too long, I will always love the opening weekend.  This Saturday and Sunday, we will be inundated with basketball from noon to midnight.  There will be overtimes, blow-outs, controversial calls, and piles upon piles of overreactions based on a one-game sample size.  To me, it's always one of the best weekends of the spring.

So, to get us all in the mood, please watch the above video of the great Dirk Nowitzki singing the great Bruce Springsteen.  He sounds like an extra from "Sing-Along With The Drunken Asses", and throws in an attempt at the "Dancing In The Dark" dance.  It might not be the best 51 seconds of your life, but it's up there.

Counting On A Package Deal, Part 4 - Darkness On The Edge Of Town

In the last installment of Counting, we saw Bruce turn into a superstar with Born To Run.  The years following Born To Run were a bit tumultuous for Springsteen, as he split from his manager Mike Appel, leading to his most somber album to date, the appropriately titled Darkness On The Edge Of Town.

Not only are the songs dark, but the album packaging is Bruce's most brooding to date.  Gone is the smiling man on a stamp from Greetings, the shirtless goofballs from Wild, or the slyly-grinning shaggy-bearded scamp from Born To Run.  Darkness only gives us three photos of Bruce, and none of the E Street band members.  First, the cover: Bruce staring dead-eyed forward, with a jacket.

Next, the back cover: Bruce staring dead-eyed forward, without a jacket (and with remarkably hairy arms).

Finally, the inside sleeve: Bruce, staring dead-eyed forward, with the jacket back on.  It's worth noting that this is the first album with a unique inside sleeve since Greetings.

In a first for Springsteen albums, there is an insert inside the record: a sheet of paper with all the lyrics.  Personally, I prefer seeing the lyrics printed on the record package itself - the sheet of paper seems like an afterthought and could easily get lost.

So, overall, this package is like the music itself: simple, dark, and a departure from Springsteen's previous works.  It's probably the least exciting packaging I've reviewed so far, but in a way, it totally fits.

And yes, the record still looks the same as the rest.  God bless you, red Columbia circle.

Want a copy to call your own?  Purchase it here!

Further reading: Greetings from Asbury Park; The Wild, the Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle; Born to Run

Video Spotlight - "Spirit In The Night", Live In Barcelona

In the spirit of April Fool's Day, here's a video of Bruce getting a little goofy during a performance of "Spirit In The Night".  Bruce begins to crack at about the 2:50 mark, but by the four-minute mark, the performance is completely off the rails.  It's a wonderful performance through and through, as the silliness in the middle gives makes it completely unique.