New Springsteen Album "Western Stars" June 14*

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by FingerPickin'Triumph, Apr 22, 2019.

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  1. PacificOceanBlue

    PacificOceanBlue Senior Member

    Location:
    The Southwest
    Western Stars has very little in common with Springsteen’s 2002 - 2014 body of work, especially his last album (High Hopes, unless you count the Broadway ego-fest). Glad you ordered it, it is arguably the best thing he has produced since the 1990’s.
     
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  2. adm62

    adm62 Senior Member

    Location:
    Ottawa, Canada
    Has some similarities with Devils and Dust at least in songwriting.
     
  3. Dr. Zoom

    Dr. Zoom Forum Resident

    Location:
    Monmouth County NJ
    I disagree a little. There are pretty distinct D&D and WOAD influences on WS.
    But I would agree its his best, most cohesive work since TGOTJ, or maybe even TOL.
     
  4. Ian Roberts

    Ian Roberts Fortune’s always hiding ⚒

    Just goes to show how personal taste comes into these things.
    Of the albums marked I’d have Devils and Dust rated higher than The Rising. Magic rated higher than Devils and Dust. And Western Stars easily rated the highest. It’s easily a 4.5 Star album. Without Sleepy Joes a 5 star. But that’s just my opinion
     
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  5. adm62

    adm62 Senior Member

    Location:
    Ottawa, Canada
    Depends how you rate them. The way I did it every track would need to be 5 stars to get 5/5, so no single album (by anybody ever) would manage that. e.g. Born to Run would be 4.75 (10th Ave and She's the One only 4/5).
     
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  6. fishcane

    fishcane Dirt Farmer

    Location:
    Finger Lakes,NY
    This release bores me to tears, I’ve been thru it 3 times plus once with headphones. Reminds of Madonnas British accent
     
  7. Ian Roberts

    Ian Roberts Fortune’s always hiding ⚒

    I think you way underscored Magic and Western Stars but hey no worries. Personal taste etc
     
  8. malcolm reynolds

    malcolm reynolds Handsome, Humble, Genius

    Location:
    Oklahoma
    I think I originally stated that I thought Western Stars was Bruce's best album since Magic but now I am going to go farther back and say since Nebraska.
     
  9. Ian Roberts

    Ian Roberts Fortune’s always hiding ⚒

    I said exactly the same.
     
  10. johnny 99

    johnny 99 Down On Main Street

    Location:
    Toronto
    I listened to the whole album at 2 am last night with a nice whiskey and the whole area around me dead quiet.
    This is truly a fantastic album.
    It's amazing how many images and dreams I had going through my head as I listened to each song. More than once I kept seeing images in my head of many of the old scenery shots in the great old western show "Bonanza", that I got hooked on when they reran it at 12 midnight every night in 1990 here in Toronto. This album made me think deeply. Each song is like a mini movie.
    I kept seeing horses and riders coming over the hill on a beautiful sunny day during some songs...:laugh: "Moonlight Motel" reminded me of an old love and an old resort we used to go to in Huntsville, Ontario about 20 years ago, which is almost certainly no longer there...; absolutely haunting.

    After the album finished playing I was left with an empty glass and tears in my eyes. That's powerful.

    "The Wayfarer", "Stones" and "Moonlight Motel" have really grown on me.
    I also like "Sleepy Joe's Café"; it's place in the running order is important and necessary to "lighten up" the proceedings a bit. I don't get the dislike for it at all.

    I'm changing my rating to **** out of 5 'western' stars.

    (I've also got to add, I can't believe the dislike shown on this thread for "The Rising", "Wrecking Ball" (especially) and "High Hopes" (I like "Working On A Dream" as well and there are things on this new one that wouldn't seem out of place on that album)

    I hold "Wrecking Ball" in high regard as I do this new one.
     
    Last edited: Jun 19, 2019
  11. Parachute Woman

    Parachute Woman Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    I'm a big fan of Wrecking Ball as well. I really enjoy that record. My top 10 of Bruce releases would include his first 7 albums, The Rising, Wrecking Ball and now Western Stars. I've never connected with Tunnel of Love at all, but I just don't think I'm the demographic for it. :)

    01. Darkness on the Edge of Town
    02. The River
    03. The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle
    04. Nebraska
    05. Born to Run
    06. Born in the USA
    07. Western Stars
    08. Wrecking Ball
    09. Greetings from Asbury Park
    10. The Rising
     
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  12. johnny 99

    johnny 99 Down On Main Street

    Location:
    Toronto
    There should be a 'dislike' button for a post like this. I can't take it seriously knowing the guy who wrote it is into John Mayer with what's left of the so called "Dead"...:laugh:
     
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  13. YMC4

    YMC4 EVthing or Nothing

    Location:
    The Valley, CA.
    substitute Wrecking Ball with Tunnel Of Love then i'm there with you :righton:
     
  14. fishcane

    fishcane Dirt Farmer

    Location:
    Finger Lakes,NY
    I’m into John Mayer? Lol not sure where I indicated that, fairly certain I wouldn’t be able to even name a song of his, but anyway...

    Been a fan since the river( the first go around, and 40 shows later...) and it’s not the first Springsteen album that hasn’t moved me but I’ve long given up on trying to explain the difference between opinion and fact.
     
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  15. johnny 99

    johnny 99 Down On Main Street

    Location:
    Toronto
    That's okay if the album doesn't move you. I was just kiddin' around about The Dead thing...saying someone's into John Mayer isn't a nice thing to do...;)
     
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  16. Dr. Zoom

    Dr. Zoom Forum Resident

    Location:
    Monmouth County NJ
    John Mayer is a ripping great guitar player
     
  17. J_D__

    J_D__ Senior Member

    Location:
    Huntersville, NC
    The Who and Plant & Page have done it. Why not Bruce?
     
  18. JoeF.

    JoeF. Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey, USA
    Considering all the gambling references in the words- and some times the titles- of his songs , it seems a natural fit
    Besides, Las Vegas is in the West.

    Viva Las Vegas .
     
  19. pacman68

    pacman68 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    THE RISING album is a time and place album.
    1. Lonesome Day
    2. Into The Fire
    3. Waiting On A sunny day
    4. Nothing Man
    5. Empty Sky
    6. Further On
    7. Down in The Hole
    8. You're Missing
    9. The Rising
    10. Paradise
    11. City Of Ruins

    That's a very solid record.
     
  20. JoeF.

    JoeF. Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey, USA
    There's a part of me that wants to top both of you and offer Western Stars as the best, most consistent, most listenable Springsteen since Darkness on the Edge of Town, but I won't because as good as it is, we've lived with it for less than a week. Sometimes I feel that it would be better if we reviewed albums several months or even a year after release. I know that's impractical --the business demands reviews as quickly as possible. But we all have albums in our collection that we once thought were the bee's knees after a week's worth of spins--now gathering dust.

    I know this is a little different--this is Springsteen, a man with an almost 50 year record of consistent work, not the latest Pitchfork-approved flavor of the week.

    But let's live with Western Stars a little before we get married to it.
     
  21. OptimisticGoat

    OptimisticGoat Everybody's escapegoat....

    When I wrote yesterday it was his most cohesive album since Nebraska, I originally wrote since Darkness (the River is not that cohesive IMHO). For the very reason you mention, I think it needs to age. I think it will do so very well. :cool: Its good enough at the moment that I can't be bothered playing any other Springsteen - even if I am tempted to compare some of the releases to comment on the rankings going on elsewhere in the thread.
     
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  22. The Bishop

    The Bishop Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dorset, England.
    I wasn’t expecting much, but thought, hey, it’s on Spotify: why not?

    But my goodness: after just one listen I can tell what a wonderful album this is. It’s beautiful. The Boss at his very best.

    I shall be buying this straight away. Five very big Western Stars for an emotional and evocative record.
     
  23. windfall

    windfall Senior Member

    Location:
    UK
    Currently 'Chasin' Wild Horses' is my favourite track on the album. Reminds me a little of Dry Lightning, which I play a lot at open mics and gigs. I love the fact Bruce is back to telling stories.
     
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  24. JoeF.

    JoeF. Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey, USA
    I can’t stop listening to this album either. And when I’m not listening to it, the tunes are playing ping-pong in my head...
     
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  25. OptimisticGoat

    OptimisticGoat Everybody's escapegoat....

    I’m watching two sports and Moonlight Motel is humming in my brain....
    And the Chasin Wild Horses comment from @windfall above. Played again to day and really enjoyed that track for the first time.
     
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