168 replies to this topic

[RShack]

Seeing him live is all it takes.   Maybe the 9/11 songs got some people to a concert that wouldn't have gone otherwise... but it's seeing him in concert that does it... the 9/11 songs were just a means to that end... the man earns his money...

[NewMarketSean]

He was always someone I knew was there, remembered many songs and videos from my childhood and liked many of them, but never really dove into his catalog.

 

Until now.

 

Any thoughts? Any albums I should dive into immediately or should I start at the beginning and work my way forward?

[Pedro Cerrano]

He was always someone I knew was there, remembered many songs and videos from my childhood and liked many of them, but never really dove into his catalog.

Until now.

Any thoughts? Any albums I should dive into immediately or should I start at the beginning and work my way forward?

On my phone right now so can answer this in more depth later. He's one of my 5 favorite bands/musicians ever.

My favorite is Darkness on the Edge of Town but I'd say start at the beginning "Greetings..." And work your way forward. Stop after Tunnel of Love and pick up with The Rising. Avoid all the 90s stuff haha.

[Nigel Tufnel]

He was originally signed to a record contract as part of Columbia's search for the "new Dylan" (because after all, Bob Dylan had just turned 30, so how much longer could his career last?) and the Dylan influence is definitely most evident on his first two albums (Greetings and Wild, Innocent).  The songs on those albums tend to be wordier, longer, lean a little more toward acoustic, and actually are not car-related. If that sounds good to you, I'd start at the beginning.

 

His next three albums (Born to Run, Darkness, River) are probably his three best and most popular, so they're a great introduction, too.

 

There's an E Street Radio channel on Sirius, so you could just listen to that for a while to get an overview and see what songs stand out to you before diving into the albums.  But I think all of his albums are also on Amazon Prime, so you could just start listening to them, since they're free.

 

Finally, he just announced a tour where he's playing the entire River album in order.  I would urge everyone reading this to try to go - he's 66 and it's not going to last forever.  The DC stop is Jan 29, and tickets go on sale Friday at 10AM.

[Icterus galbula]

I don't think Greetings from Asbury Park is all that great. Its fun to see what he started out doing, trying to cram so many Dylan-esque lines into every song, but The Wild, the innocent, and the E-Street shuffle, then chronological, is a friendlier starting place to me.

[NewMarketSean]

Just breezed through Greetings and E Street Shuffle.

 

Cool to see where he started out from, and there were some songs that I was familiar with that I had totally forgotten he'd done, or had been done more famously by other bands. Both albums were about the same for me, with Greetings perhaps getting the edge because I'm not crazy about 6 and 7+ min songs. I much prefer the late 70's and 80's stuff from him...stuff I remember from childhood, and stuff that had more of that nostalgic feel to it, when he was about my age now, writing songs about teenage years and so on. That's what I can't wait to get back into.

 

At any rate, Born to Run is up next.

[Pedro Cerrano]

Just breezed through Greetings and E Street Shuffle.

Cool to see where he started out from, and there were some songs that I was familiar with that I had totally forgotten he'd done, or had been done more famously by other bands. Both albums were about the same for me, with Greetings perhaps getting the edge because I'm not crazy about 6 and 7+ min songs. I much prefer the late 70's and 80's stuff from him...stuff I remember from childhood, and stuff that had more of that nostalgic feel to it, when he was about my age now, writing songs about teenage years and so on. That's what I can't wait to get back into.

At any rate, Born to Run is up next.

His two best songs are 7+ mins. Have you ever heard "Jungleland"?

[NewMarketSean]

His two best songs are 7+ mins. Have you ever heard "Jungleland"?

Probably, but can't recall it.

 

Unless I absolutely love the song, I need them to be around 5 mins tops.

[RShack]

Unless I absolutely love the song, I need them to be around 5 mins tops.

 

ADD?

[BSLZackKiesel]

I've done a complete 180 on Springsteen. Never used to like him. Not really sure why, but something eventually clicked. Decided to listen to the entire "Born to Run" album about a year ago and never looked back. If I had the money, I'd definitely be seeing him in DC in January. But that'll have to wait until I'm not a broke college student.

[RShack]

I've done a complete 180 on Springsteen. Never used to like him. Not really sure why, but something eventually clicked. Decided to listen to the entire "Born to Run" album about a year ago and never looked back. If I had the money, I'd definitely be seeing him in DC in January. But that'll have to wait until I'm not a broke college student.

 

If you ever get a chance to see him with the E-Street Band, then take out a loan, or rob a liquor store, or do something else, but don''t miss it... the Boss earns his money...

 

(Yes, I know Clarence is gone, but still...)

[NewMarketSean]

Made it through Born to Run. Wow. Crazy to think he put out those 3 albums in two years time.

[Icterus galbula]

E street band was a big bar band for a while, gave them the chance to develop a catalog and the chops.

Born to Run was what I first massively crushed on. JR year of high school. Bruce said his goal was to make the best rock and roll album ever. So much heart in it.

[NewMarketSean]

"The Promised Land"

 

Holy fuck.

 

My favorite so far, by far.

 

Going through Darkness now.

[Pedro Cerrano]

Wait film you hear "Racing in the Streets"

"The Promised Land" is one of the few optimistic songs on an otherwise very very drearily record.

[NewMarketSean]

I heard it, liked both songs but Promised Land was my favorite on record and favorite of all I've heard so far. So far each album had gotten better. River is next and the title track on that album has been my fave song before I started getting into this.

[McNulty]

Always thought Something in the Night was the best song on that one.

[Pedro Cerrano]

Always thought Something in the Night was the best song on that one.

What a noob take

[McNulty]

What a noob take

 

Rosalita sucks.  How's that?

[Pedro Cerrano]

Rosalita sucks. How's that?

Getting noobier