Springsteen Video of the Week - Gaslight Anthem's "Backstreets"

Back in 2009, Brucespringsteen.net released a series of videos called "Hanging Out On E Street".  The series contained a variety of lesser known artists discussing Bruce and covering his classics.  Unfortunately, the page was  taken down when they redesigned Bruce's site, but just type in "Hanging Out On E Street" into Youtube and you'll see a variety of fantastic videos.

The above video was my personal favorite, and it made me interested in seeking out more of Gaslight Anthem's music.  Gaslight Athem's popularity has steadily increased since 2008, and I think we can all credit Bruce's endorsement of them as the main reason (What other reason could there be?  Their catchy tunes? Hogwash.) The lesson for any musician is this: Bruce is a kingmaker.  You get in good with him, and you are set for 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!

Lyrics of the Week- Atlantic City

“Well they blew up the chicken man in Philly last
night now they blew up his house too.
Down on the boardwalk they're getting ready
for a fight gonna see what them racket boys can do”- “Atlantic City”, Nebraska


“Atlantic City” has always been one of my favorite songs.  From the emotional studio version,  to the rocking electric version he plays with the E Street Band, and even the downright whacky version with the Sessions Band.  There’s something about this song that’s always kept it one of my favorites.  I even love covers of the song done by The Hold Steady and The Band.  You just can't go wrong with whatever version you pick.

But for the longest time I had no idea what those opening lyrics were about.  What was a chicken man?  And more importantly why would someone want to blow one up?  It wasn’t until I was in college that I finally figured it out.  I was a Criminal Justice major at Niagara University(Go Purple Eagles!) and took a class on notable cases of the 20th century.  And while learning about infamous Philly Mob Boss, Philip Testa, and his involvement in the poultry business.  When I went on to read more about him, and how he was killed in a bomb blast, that was ordered by his own underboss, I finally realized what Bruce was singing about!

The mafia references are prevalent throughout the song, and knowing now a little more about the Testa getting whacked, and the 4 year Philadelphia mafia-war that ensued because of it, have made the lyrics that much more meaningful.  Not only are there numerous mafia references, but references to death, and the consequences of decisions we make.  Something I’m sure Philip Testa would testify too, if he could.  Oh well, “Everything dies, that’s a fact.”

Video of the Week- Metallica talks Springsteen

As I stated in my introductory post about history of being a Bruce fan, in addition to being a Springsteen fanatic, I love hard rock/heavy metal music too. One of my favorite bands is Metallica, so you can imagine my excitement when I saw the title to this YouTube video.

I was hoping it might be a cover of a Springsteen song. Instead it is an interview with Metallica frontman James Hetfield. Hetfield disappoints me by saying that he isn't a Bruce fan but then gives one of the most honest and sincere compliments to the Boss that I have heard.

In less than a minute Hetfield perfectly summed up why I am such a big fan of Springsteen. Metallica is known for also having a strong connection to their fans and building their reputation for their incredible live shows, much like Bruce was able to in the mid 70's. Even though Hetfield says he isn't a huge Bruce fan he definitely shows Bruce the proper respect. And I can definitely say that Hetfield was 100% right when he said that Bruce can go on forever. Having just seen Bruce twice in the past month, have tickets to see him next week and again in September, I can personally testify that Bruce still "feels it". He can go on forever. Amen to that.

Lost Songs- "Lonely Night In The Park"

As I said when I did an entry on "Unsatisfied Heart" I pointed out the incredible fact that not only has Bruce released 17 studio albums, plus an additional 6 discs of unreleased material (4 discs on Tracks and 2 more on The Promise), countless B-Sides (remember those!?!?) , but there’s still songs that haven’t been released yet!  Incredible. This is a song that was left over from Born To Run and not only didn’t get put onto a later album, it didn’t even get put on the albums specifically made for leftover songs.  If not for YouTube, I probably would never even know this song exists.

This is a pretty catchy song that probably won’t knock your socks off at first, but don’t be surprised if you find yourself humming “lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely night”  later today.  I can’t say it’s so good that there’s any song on Born To Run should have been bumped for it, but I certainly would have like to have seen it on Tracks, and this song would definitely be welcomed to hear at a concert, but that seems incredibly unlikely.  Looks like this song will just be relegated to Legends Of Springsteen Lost Songs.

Springsteen Lyrics of the Week - Thunder Road

“Well I got this guitar and
I learned how to make it talk”
- Thunder Road, Born to Run

Compared to the majority of Springsteen devotees, it can be argued that I undervalue “Thunder Road.” My problem with it is the instrumental section that begins at 3:49 and concludes the song. Everytime I hear it, I can’t help but imagine it one day being played over a commercial for a crass Broadway adaptation of the Boss’ music (a la Movin’ Out).

But there’s no denying the evocative lyrics and the above are some of my favorites of all time. In Bruce Springsteen and Philosophy, Randall Auxier and Doug Anderson isolate these lyrics for the introduction of their fascinating collection of analytical essays on Bruce’s music through the lens of philosophy. I strongly recommend reading this book, if nothing else but for their introduction in which they explain how Bruce’s guitar talks rather than plays.

Springsteen Video of the Week - Prove It All Night

Your three blog editors have engaged in numerous friendly debates about the Boss.  One such conversation has always intrigued me: Say you had a time machine, and could go to any point in Springsteen's career to watch him perform.  Where would you go?  Would you want to see him in the early 70s, as he is just cutting his teeth in the South Jersey scene?  Perhaps the mid-80s, at the height of his popularity?  Or do you prefer Rising-era Bruce, with a full catalog of hits and a renewed energy?

Personally, I'd prefer to go to a late 70s show - post-Darkness and pre-River.  The above clip is from 1978, and shows Bruce at what I believe is his peak performance.  In addition, Bruce would have a solid collection of hits at the time that he wouldn't be burnt out on playing - you'd have a good chance of hearing "Jungleland" on any given night.  Furthermore, Bruce may give you a sneak peek at tracks he's working on, such as "The River" or "Out in the Street".  Finally, Bruce's popularity wasn't as overwhelming as it would become, so you'd be able to see him in smaller venues, with easier access to tickets.

So, what say you?  Let us know when you think Bruce was at his best in the comments.

Breaking News: Fall Tour Dates Announced

The moment we've all been waiting for has arrived. More US tour dates for the fall...

August 18 – Boston – Gillette Stadium
August 24 – Toronto – Rogers Centre
August 26 – Moncton, NB, Canada – Magnetic Hill
August 29 – Vernon, NY – Vernon Downs Raceway
September 2 – Philadelphia – Citizens Bank Park
September 7 – Chicago – Wrigley Field
September 14 – Washington – Nationals Park
September 19, 21, 22 – East Rutherford, NJ

As amazing as it is to see Bruce perform in an arena, there's nothing like an outdoor stadium.

BruceSpringsteen.net keeps crashing but check out the news on USA Today. Tickets look to go on sale next week, so prepare yourself for another Ticketmaster headache.