Which is dumb, IMO, since the politics have always been reflected in the lyrics, even before 1984. They just weren’t as direct, perhaps. He’s just more direct now, understandably given the times. To like Bruce, but not understand the people he sings about and why, is total cognitive dissonance. Not that a rock star, or anyone, should be all a person bases their ideology on. But the politics are but one of the reasons I’ve always dug him. Anyway, sorry to spout off. Just saying that Bruce has always been intelligent, well read, and very thoughtful in where he’s coming from. These days, beyond policy, it’s really all about basic human decency and kindness that are in short supply. Starting at the very top (“Man at the Top” as Bruce once sang). I will say no more. Gorts, delete if you feel you must.
saw some shows on that leg, too. I agree yhay wish I knew the answer. The lack of blu ray suggests the difference is huge... sad - the YouTube clips of the Springsteen dvd mentioned above are better in picture quality- whereas the YouTube sound do not hold up... You kind of lose on both ends
I made a similar comment awhile back. Would love to see a stripped down tour. Garry Tallent David Sancious Steve Van Zandt Roy Bittan (maybe) Jake Clemons And name a drummer........Vinnie, Earnest, or Max That's it! Leave all the others out.
Stripped-down line-ups take a lot of work to pull off for guys in their 70's. It is doubtful Springsteen wants to add that degree of difficulty at this point in time.
Are you referring to a 1974 line up? If so, I guess I am. Or just a mixture of the basic instrumentation.
Agree. It would probably never happen. I'll add maybe a shorter show could make it possible. Maybe 2 hours. I know that might not set well with fans that are used to three hour plus shows.
Well, maybe since the mid-nineties, but not earlier in his career, at least not outwardly. For example, his silence about the issues involved in the No Nukes concerts in 1979 was a bit glaring, especially in comparison to the outspokenness of many of his fellow performers. His was, I think,the only page in the show program that had no comment at all, and even though he'd already written the perfect song of the event (Roulette), he didn't play it. Or release it, for that matter, for another 18-20 years. I do subscribe somewhat to the Ricky Gervais' view that actors/artists/rock stars should keep their opinions to themselves, especially where they are poorly founded or constitute little more than political narcissism. Over the past 20 years, however, I feel that Bruce has shown a thoughtfulness and insight in his comments (especially about his own life) that puts him above most vocal celebs in this regard, and I welcome his comments, though I disagree with some of them.
I think it’s all to do with the relatively low market penetration of the Bluray format.In many cases they would decide Bluray sales would be too small to make the effort.
Not at all. He has whole chapters dedicated to praising the band and specific band members. He does say some mildly candid things about certain unnamed band members having financial dependency issues and being occasional pains in the asses, but I came away with the feeling that he has genuine affection for his band mates.
I think it was 9 years (b-side to "One Step Up"), but you are right, it was much later than it should have been. It's a shame too, because even in 1988, when they were playing it live on tour, it always sounds a little off, maybe too slow. Max's drums seem plodding instead of energetic on the shows I've heard. Or maybe it's the sax used instead of guitar in the opening. That studio cut is vicious! I would have loved to hear how the band could have tackled that song at the No Nukes shows, or even during The River tour. We'll never know though.
Roulette could have made a powerful statement circa 1979/1980 had it been released as a single (choose your b-side, Springsteen had dozens and dozens of songs ready to go). It is not surprising that it did not make the cut for The River because its message was too direct and would not have fit seamlessly into the album's themes, but as an independent single, it could have worked.
It's interesting that his most critical unsparing statement of America (and hence, the American dream) was the lead song (and single!) on his most popular album.
I'm pretty certain the basic drum track for the studio version is a looped sample which partially accounts for the unrelenting fast tempo of the track.
They used a looped sample for Roulette when they played it live in '88. At one show (Shoreline?) the loop got messed up and the song became a bit of a trainwreck. Those triggers they used in the mid-late 80's were pretty horrid. I don't believe they used a looped sample on the original studio version, but I could be wrong....
There was an ET interview with him that circulated in 1985 uncut and raw. He came off badly, lots of ums yeas, silence. His thoughts came through haltingly and did not reflect well on him., Worst of all was when the interviewer asked him how he justified (bad word, not what they used) writing songs about out of work depressed Americans with his shows selling out every night and the record going platinum and the money these brought in, he was silent and said, I can't and laughed nervously.
If I remember correctly, this was during Conan's Tonight Show stint and Max wouldn't be available for all the Bruce dates. It was to get Jay used to playing a show without all the pressure of handling a show by himself. Like I mentioned, there were a few full Jay shows and they were pretty terrific.
I suspect loops were not used in '79 during TTTN/The River sessions, but who knows. It certainly is one of Max's more dynamic drumming performances on a studio recording. My understanding was that Max played on Dancing In The Dark, if one believes reports that Landau directed Max to approach his execution in a particular way to help create a danceable beat.
Max utilized a 5 piece Ludwig kit (snare, kick, two rack Toms and a floor tom) for much of the River sessions, as opposed to his standard 4 piece kit. You can hear the extra drum in fills he does during Roulette, Loose Ends, price you pay, and a few others.
I also remember that same raw footage... where the interviewer ask about starting the concert with “Born In The USA” as a political statement, and Bruce replied... “Ummm... it just seemed like a pretty good song to open with.”