Bruce Springsteen new albúm !

[musicmania]

Hi Diane, yes I am a girl... well a woman LOL

Here is a link to Bruces brand new song Wrecking Ball written especially for his concerts in The Giants Stadium & premiered there on September 30th.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVyOlazg6qk

[Steven]

Hi,

Saw a new book on the shelves at the local mega-chain store today, "Big Man," by Clarence Clemons (and someone
else). Just had a few minutes to glance at some of the photos in it. Will put this one on the list too.

[Diane]

Woman, music/m, sorry:-) Where I live, everyone is called a girl or boy, no matter what their age. Thanks for the link to Wrecking Ball. Noticed the second night's playing is on the official site, too.

http://www.brucespringsteen.net

Bruce being defiant in the face of destruction. Sounds familiar. I'm not immediately grabbed by the song but I love the trumpet part! *

There is also something about Clarence's new book you mention Steven, just have to scroll down a bit (It won't copy n paste). Looks like it could be a good read. Perhaps santa will oblige.

for any bass problems with ipod I have just one thing to say - Senheisser PX-100 headphones ... I cant stand the little things that go inside your ear which come with the ipod.

Kush it's interesting you should touch on that. I have toyed with the idea of getting similar earphones for a year or so, but I need something I can wear on my bike, usually wearing a helmet (mostly off-road before anyone says it's dangerous to wear headphones on a bike). Sports headphones are available, just need to get around to it. My best rides ever may be yet to come.

* Edit: No, hang on, listened again: I like this song. Be nice to see the words.

[Steven]

[quote="Diane"]Woman, music/m, sorry:-) Where I live, everyone is called a girl or boy, no matter what their age. Thanks for the link to Wrecking Ball. Noticed the second night's playing is on the official site, too.

Hi Diane,

Calling someone "boy," in the U.S., could be a racially charged provocation. As for me, "I ain't a boy, no
I'm a man." Actually am both. Both require vigilance, work and play to try to keep fulsome. And of course,
we do believe in the "Promised Land."

[Kush]

Hi musicmania....thanks for the wrecking ball. Looks like he's back in form. Defiant, challenging and even in your face everyman. The kind of Bruce songs I resonate with most. Working on a Dream was OK but not vintage Bruce.

Bring on your wrecking ball
Bring on your wrecking ball
Lemme see what you got
Bring on your best shot
Bring on your wrecking ball

Steven ....thanks for the warning on the eardrums. Very good point indeed. Unfortunately I dont get much chance to really listen to music just for itself (its usually always background while I am doing something else or youtube clips) so this ipod thingy that someone gave me not too long ago has been terrific. Now I can listen to music about 1-2 hours each day while walking from one place to another or doing stuff that doesnt require thinking. Still need to figure out a whole lot of other functions on it, but maybe I'll just use it for music. My whole concept of music listening has changed.

Diane - I did quite a bit of research on headphones yes the ones I got are over the ears so can be quite difficult while biking. I dont like putting things in my ear (see Steven's warning above) but I'll figure something out before next summer. Its getting quite nippy here these days so not many biking days left.
Lots of information here...

http://www.headphonereviews.org/

did not realize there are even forums just for headphone users (just like leonardcohen forum, http://www.head-fi.org/forums/)

I started out with The River as my first album and worked backwards and never reflected much on the progression from the jazzier, looser feel in the music and more Dylan-like imagery in the lyrics (on Asbury, Wild Innocent), through the move towards more rock anthem type songs with tighter lyrics such as he made his trademark. The Born to Run album was halfway houseish in the transition it seems.

Yep quite accurate. I was actually thinking of the musical style when I commented earlier but yeah your observation with the lyrical style is accurate. I dont find his first album (Greeting from...) very interesting musically so never listen to it. That said it has one of his greatest songs Lost in the Flood - and one of the best songs that I've heard period.

[Steven]

Hi Kush,

The person I took to a recent concert (the usual person, she was out of town) declined to put in
the earplugs that I encouraged him to buy and take with him. We were in the second row and
the speakers were close by. It wasn't that loud, but was more comfortable with the earplugs in.
I noticed that the bartender at the venue was giving out or selling some earplugs to a couple of
people. The person I brought along said he's comfortable without the plugs. This is the same
guy who has an obvious hearing problem, so the volume, for him was less. Probably also has
diminished auditory range. Lots of the older rockers (and some symphony members) have
hearing problems. Can't say that I don't sometimes blast some music. Did it
with some Billy Joe Shaver songs, recently. "Get Thee Behind Me Satan," sounded good, very
loud, while driving in my car on a recent weekend. (I think, maybe, that Springsteen
sang that song somewhere. Maybe I saw it on Youtube.) Guess, the devil made me
do this. There are headphones that are said to be external noise cancelling.
If you have any experience with those and can recommend them, please do.
Will try to catch up to the links within the next couple of days.

[Kush]

Steven,

I used to have the Sony noise cancelling headphones that I used to use with my old discman while lugging around 3-5 current CDs while traveling. Those days are gone now with the ipod. The Sony broke (after a number of years of service) and I have checked out some of whats out there. The Sony was OK but it used to put some pressure on the ears due to the noice cancelling circuit. It appears the Bose QC2/3 are the best noise cancelling ones out there but for some people it appears they too may exert a little pressure on the ears. A cheaper alternative is Sennheiser PXC series (150/250/300) and it is supposed to be 80% as good as the Bose ones. Even better than Bose (and much cheaper) are the Ear canal headphones (ECH) without a noise cancelling circuitry but they have superior ambient noise isolation but that again means putting stuff right next to the ear canal.

Actually the best site for most concise information may be the following link: http://www.headphone.com/
and inside it for ipods: http://www.headphone.com/guide/by-appli ... p-up-ipod/

Diane - the Koss KSC75 clip ons on the 2nd link above (under exercising) seem to be good ones for biking - so far I have just used the terrible earbud things that came with the ipod.

But the guys at the link above also sell these brands so you have to be a little careful with what they are saying.

well more later....


p.s. and yes a caution while riding with headphones - definitely a bad idea when riding in traffic.

[Diane]

Here is a quick go at jotting down the lyrics:

I was raised out of steel
here in the swamps of Jersey
some misty years ago,
through the mud and the beer
the blood and the cheers,
I've seen champions come and go
so if you got the guts mister,
yeah if you got the balls,
if you think it's your time
then step to the line
and bring on your wrecking ball,
bring on your wrecking ball
come on and take your best shot
let's see what you got
bring on your wrecking ball

Now my home's here in the meadowlands
where mosquitos grow big as aeroplanes
here where the blood is spilled
the arena's filled
and Giants played the games
so raise up your glasses
and let me hear your voices call
cos tonight all the dead are here
so bring on your wrecking ball
come on and take your best shot
let's see what you got
bring on your wrecking ball

yeah we know that come tomorrow
none of this will be here
so hold tight to your anger,
hold tight to your anger
hold tight to your anger and
.............................?

Now all this steel and these stories
they drift away to rust
and all our youth and beauty's
been given to the dust
and the game has been decided and
..........................?
and all our little victories and glories
have turned into parking lots
when your best hopes and desires
are scattered to the wind
and hard times come and hard times go
and hard times come hard times go
and hard times come hard times go
and hard times come hard times go

...? come again

bring on your wrecking ball.

Steven I believe you do believe in the Promised Land:-) For me, to sing it is to believe it. I am reminded for some reason of Marc Cohn (whatever happened to him?) and Walking in Memphis with the words Tell me are you a Christian child? Man I am tonight! Good album as I recall.

I think you can tell when music is too loud - it just feels painful. I once rolled up some pieces of paper and put them in my ears. Think it was at a Van Halen gig. Most concerts these days are nowhere near too loud, over here anyway, such are the rules and regulations on health and safety, plus maximum nuisance noise levels, with venues getting hefty fines if they exceed them. I don't mind putting things in my ear. It's keeping them there that's the problem. Thanks for the links and info re. headphones, Kush. Knowing me, I too will only get around to getting new ones sometime next summer (but I bike all year round). I have had those silly standard ipod earphones fall out a time or two, get wrenched out of the ipod and suffer an untimely fate! But I have been living with them for years. You can learn to live with good 'phones or without them, but there ain't no cure;-)

More later.

[Steven]

Hi Kush,

Thanks for the heads up on the headphones. I appreciate it.

Hi Diane,

To sing it is to believe it, yes. Heard "Promised Land" while waiting on-line at a convenience
store/gas station last night; seems to hear it is also to believe it. Hearing and
singing, can reaffirm what's already inside, even when beliefs are outside of conscious awareness or are temporarily
obscured by other stuff. The song (and its sentiment) has been a driver, for some, of supporting
and accessing this belief. I don't know what happened to Marc Cohn; certainly recall, though, the song of his
that you mentioned. Will get back to you on the lyrics (thanks for posting them),
clock ticking here on a busy day.

P.S. Rather like the idea of a decibel level limit.

[Kush]

You are very welcome Steven. Actually I am already considering an upgrade (looks like I have caught the headphone bug now) from the ones I got, as good as they are. Seems I can go one more step up the ladder of headphone nirvana while retaining essential portability of the ipod.

Diane - Thanks for the lyrics. We have a lot of experts in copy and paste technology on this forum but lovingly transcribing something word for word from audio is increasingly a dying art. I look forward to this song appearing on a future album.

You can learn to live with good 'phones or without them, but there ain't no cure;-)

Nice. - they say good 'phones are hard to find, bad 'phones hard to leave behind, no 'phones at all are the hardest kind. (apologies to Tom Russell)

[Steven]

Hi Diane,

I like the song and the lyrics. Of the lyrics, thanks for taking the time to write them out for us. The lyrics
read very nicely, as standalone poetic prose, sans music.

Hi Diane and Kush,

Was speaking with a guy in his 20's today about Springsteen. He is an ardent fan and has seen about
a dozen Springsteen concerts. He doesn't like "Queen of The Supermarket." Told him that he's
likely to change his mind about that song, if he doesn't wind up married young. The essence of
that comment was that the heart of the song is more likely to resonate with someone older and
who knows what it is to be disconnected from an intimate worthwhile romantic relationship. Of
course, didn't put it in those words, and only gesticulated/said something about possibility and disconnect,
comingling so well in the song. Do you agree that this song plays better to more mature and uncoupled
people?

[Diane]

Steven I had the feeling that you must be seeing more in this song than I can, when we spoke about it earlier. You'll have to explain. I think it's a straightforward song about feeling attracted to someone. I like it cos it's different and fun (and I like Patti's backing vocals). But because it's a departure from Bruce's usual musical style(s), I wouldn't be surprised if any Springsteen fan (of any age) didn't take to it.

I dont find his first album (Greeting from...) very interesting musically so never listen to it. That said it has one of his greatest songs Lost in the Flood - and one of the best songs that I've heard period.

.

Yes, Wild, Innocent is much better, musically. Really nice bit of piano playing by David Sancious on NYC serenade, which I heard recently for the first time in years when I was taping a selection of Bruce for an esteemed member of this forum. (Also btw I listened to Sinaloa Cowboys properly for the first time. Will come back about that and other GoTJ again some time as I'm feeling a bit Bruced-out at the mo).

Greetings from Asbury Pk: Blinded by the Light and Growin Up have come around again in relevance, speaking as a parent. Lost in the Flood is an absolute classic I agree. Spirit in the Night was good live this summer. The Angel I recently rediscovered. I like the raw way he sings that song. For You I have always liked a lot. There is a great recentish version on youtube with Bruce on piano. Mind you he sings it with more raw emotion on Hammersmith O 75. I enjoy it for the way it implores, I didn't come here for this, that, or whatever else, I came here only for you.

they say good 'phones are hard to find, bad 'phones hard to leave behind, no 'phones at all are the hardest kind. (apologies to Tom Russell)

Kush, with your vast music collection, I can really imagine you with your new ipod and 'phones (mind how you cross the road). Tom Russell will more easily forgive you for messing with his lyrics than me for not knowing who he was* in Mullingar a couple of years ago, and using his set as a food break (well, you gotta eat). Never mind. Tonight We Ride.

*I blame Margaret;-)

[margaret]

Diane,
I heard that

I have since become very fond of Tom Russell after receiving a couple of compilation cd's from Kush.
Thank you again Kush.
They are played quite often. I was also given a live concert recording from another of our friends here, from when Tom played a small venue less than 2 miles down the road from me in Chester. I checked out his current touring schedule but he will not be quite so close again when he hits these shores early next year

Margaret

[Diane]

It might be that I have been playing similar discs tonight, Margaret:-) Fancy us missing TR in Mullingar. Wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then, as Bob Seger said. People on this forum have been very generous with taping samples of their music and/or bootlegs for others. You being one other example. The Bruce sample discs I promised you since ages ago are now all packed up and ready to go out when I visit the post office early tomorrow.

[Steven]

Hi Margaret,

Tom Russell was interviewed last night on the very excellent Folk Show by host Gene Shay. Gene Shay
is a treasured icon in the folk community. The show airs Sunday evenings on WXPN from Philadelphia,
PA. Of Russells' music played during the segment, I especially liked a song of his (Russell's) referencing
and paying tribute to the late Nina Simone.