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Most Underrated Track From Each Studio Album (1973-1987)
There is no doubt in anybody’s mind that Bruce Springsteen is an icon. His status in the world of music–and, indeed, pop culture at large–has been solidified for decades now. Even to a casual listener of the radio, songs like “Glory Days”, “Dancing in the Dark”, “Born to Run”, “Streets of Philadelphia”, “I’m On Fire”,… Read more
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Hungry Heart: A Springsteen Fan’s Little Bit of Heaven Here On Earth
Jon Landau cemented his place in the pantheon of music criticism with his oft-quoted “future of rock and roll” review of an early Bruce Springsteen concert. In that review he said of Springsteen: “On a night when I needed to feel young, he made me feel like I was hearing music for the very first… Read more
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The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle (1973)
After Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J received high praise from critics but low attention from consumers, Springsteen had one thought when it came to recording his second album later that year: we need the band! For this album, in contrast to his debut just ten months previously, Springsteen decided that the version of himself he… Read more
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Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J (1973)
There is much mythology and lore surrounding the rise of Bruce Springsteen, the tenacious guitar-slinger who set the Jersey Shore on fire with his rag-tag band of happy thieves. His is a story of perseverance; the intense application of enormous talent; and, most of all, family. Perhaps the smartest thing Springsteen ever did was to… Read more
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Ten Springsteen Songs That Will Make You Cry
Bruce Springsteen wears many masks and sings in many different voices. He is most widely known as a fire-blazing rock and roll marathon runner; churning out heart-stopping epics filled with guitars, drums, girls and cars. He is Americana personified. Rock and roll dreams come true. He is power and bombast and he oozes an apparent… Read more
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5 Covers of Springsteen Songs Better Than the Original
This is always a dangerous topic. Springsteen is an artist whose voice and intent is so integral to his songs that many fans seem to get angry when other artists cover his songs. I love listening to Springsteen covers as it not only gives a different perspective on a song, but it makes me proud… Read more
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Ten Live Springsteen Songs To Ease Your Isolation
I didn’t think that the first post I’d be writing in 2020 would go out in the midst of a global pandemic, or that half the world would be on lockdown. I’m currently in the middle of a 14 day isolation period while others I know are having to isolate for three months! COVID-19 is… Read more
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Sam Fender: The Geordie Springsteen?
“Look out!” Steve Van Zandt posted on his Facebook page. “Here comes Sam Fender. You’re gonna hear from him!” Having Little Steven in your corner would be a confidence boost to any young songwriter but for Sam Fender it must be extra special. He admits to being obsessed with Bruce Springsteen’s music and sites Born… Read more
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Is “American Idiot” Green Day’s “Born to Run”?
This won’t be a long post, I just wanted to put this idea forward that has been in my head for a few weeks now. I’ve been a casual fan of Green Day since before I knew who Bruce Springsteen was and, having just rediscovered their music after several years away, I have noticed some… Read more
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How Bruce Springsteen Contextualised 9/11
When the Twin Towers fell on the 11th of September 2001, I was only seven years old. As you can imagine, my young mind couldn’t grasp the horror and brutality of the act, nor its global impact and implications. I also live in England, so while I knew this was an atrocity, it felt a… Read more
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My Interpretation: Backstreets
“Backstreets” is one of my very favourite Springsteen songs and is found on the 1975 album Born to Run. It is a beautiful but heart-wrenching song about loss and I’m writing this to present to you how I see the story. I’m not suggesting for a minute that this really is the true meaning of… Read more
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In Defense Of: Reno
“Reno” is a controversial track found on the hugely underrated 2005 album Devils & Dust, and is responsible for acquiring Springsteen his only parental advisory warning label for explicit content. This is for good reason. The song is filled with sexually explicit imagery which has turned some fans off, since this is a side of… Read more
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7 Live Performances Better Than The Studio Recordings
So, as someone who spends a great deal of their time watching Springsteen videos on YouTube (and thanks to Vevo for releasing so much lately!), I’ve seen my fair share of live performances. I’ve only managed to see Springsteen perform in the flesh three times, so the internet is an amazing way to try to… Read more
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Worst to Best: Studio Albums
I’ve read hundreds of lists like these over the years and thought it’s about time I did my own one. Some of these albums go up or down in my estimations fairly regularly but this is, broadly speaking, a good representation of how I feel about them. For this list, I have decided not to… Read more
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In Defence Of: Mary, Queen of Arkansas
There are a lot of Springsteen fanatics out there who, if you take issue with a particular song or album from The Boss’ catalogue, will proceed to rip off your limbs and tear out your eyes. While I will happily hold up my hands and admit that I like the vast majority of his recordings,… Read more
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Album Review: Western Stars
Bruce Springsteen’s nineteenth studio album Western Stars was released in June of 2019 to critical and commercial success. With the announcement of a cinema released documentary companion piece coming in October, I thought now would be a good time to share my feelings on the album. This is Western Stars. I think the first thing… Read more
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An Introduction
Thank you for taking the time to glance over this blog. The idea for this has been marinating in my mind for a long time and I did previously have a Springsteen blog that I wrote which covered my thoughts on each of his albums. As it turns out, I was much too young to… Read more
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