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| Tonight: |
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| (2009) |
Bryan: Bruce's 16th studio effort and the too-many-th produced by Brendan O'Brien. I'm joined as always in tonight's breakdown of E Street rock and roll by Bryant Burnette, the bastard son of a thousand Animaniacs.
Bryant: "We have pay-or-slay con-tracts..." Let's do this.
"Outlaw Pete"
Bryan: "Outlaw Pete" sounds a little like an Adam Sandler character. I like the idea? I think? I should read the graphic novel.
Bryant: What I mostly think about when this song comes to mind is the fact that my friend Brian listened to the album before I did and called me and said that the first song was maybe the craziest thing he'd even heard Springsteen do, but in the awesome way. When I listened to it, I was walking, and stopped dead in my tracks -- I may literally have said to nobody "Hey, that's fuckin' 'I Was Made For Loving You'!" Which it isn't, of course. There's much more to it than that. I don't know what exactly, but it's clear this song means something to Bruce in some obscure way. And I don't really need to know what that is, it's enough for me to simply feel it. Which I more or less do, to the tune of about 2.75/5
Here's a great live version.
Bryan: I don't know what to make of Bruce when he comes up with some riff or melody that's evocative of one used so prominently elsewhere ("I was Made for Loving You" here, "Peter" Gunn" with "Pink Cadillac," "Sweet Jane" for one of the 70s ones, I forget.) I'm generally more forgiving (well, "forgiving" - i.e. I don't really care, so it's poor word choice) with riffs than I am with melodies, because it's like come on now... how could you not notice this is the "I Was Made For Loving You" melody? And even if Bruce then says ha, joke's on you, asshole - here's the same melody from some Pete Seeger-collected folk tune from the Oklahoma panhandle from 1910, he's still wrong, because in 1979, this was "I Was Made For Loving You," and we're all still in that era, so whatever shared-precedent is moot. You can point to this (alleged) source material all you want, but the first thing (and he knows this) people are going to say is "nope - 'I Was Made For Loving You.'" That's what happens when a song becomes huge (and he should know this too!) So the whole thing makes me grumpy - did he know this and not care? If so, bad decision. Did he not know this? (And no one around him to get it through to him? 'Boss, that's the Kiss melody - don't do this, no matter how you justify it.')
I have some sympathy to the problems of songwriting and how certain chords and what not lend themselves to certain melodic accompaniment/ direction. But this just seems something to me - arrogant? lazy? solipsistic? I don't know. Not quite those things but near them.
But mainly the song freaking annoys me more and more each time I think of it/ hear it. Hearing Bruce introduce himself as "Outlaw Pete" should have been sparing, because it's ridiculous. Hearing him do so the 12,000 times he does in this song, though, and that plus the appropriation of the Kiss melody makes me kind of pissed off. What the hell game you running, Boss? 1.5/5
Bryant: All that makes sense. If it was a song by anyone other than Springsteen (or somebody else I held in similarly high regard), I wouldn't give it the time of day. But as a Springsteen song, I dig it. I'm just telling myself that he wrote it for some deceased friend who was a huge Kiss fan and loved that song above all others. Alternatively, I'm telling myself that Paul tried to fuck Patti at some point and Bruce has never forgiven him for it, and this was his long-planned revenge.
In all seriousness, though, it really should have been stopped. That's a producer's job, to step up and say, "Hey, Boss, this sure does sound a lot like a Kiss song." God damn Brendan O'Brien...
Bryan: I like the Paul/ Patti angle. "This'll show that Star Child dickweed... I'M OUTLAW PETE! I'M OUTLAW! PETE."
"My Lucky Day"
Bryan: 3/5 Neat - on first listen, I was about 2 and a half minutes in and wondering, is this the one where Clarence and Danny died? I haven't heard any CC - then the sax solo started. Surreal! My lucky day indeed. Not a bad tune at all. (But... I mean, RIP Danny, of course.)
Bryant: This is a good song, and I can practically hear a different version of it fitting right in on The River. But producer Brendan O'Brien seems to have been determined to shove a pillow over its face and let it suffocate while trying to get free. I do like this, but I'm a bit resentful of the fact that I don't love it. 2.25/5
Bryant: This is a good song, and I can practically hear a different version of it fitting right in on The River. But producer Brendan O'Brien seems to have been determined to shove a pillow over its face and let it suffocate while trying to get free. I do like this, but I'm a bit resentful of the fact that I don't love it. 2.25/5
"Working on a Dream"
Bryan: 1.75/5 Chorus almost takes off somewhere interesting for me, then pulls back. Odd choice for the whistling/ baritone sax doubling. Not bad but boring.
Bryant: There might be a great song buried under this mess of a production. I don't need the whistling; I don't need the layered Bruce vocals. I do like the background singers, and the chorus in general. This is one that needs the Boss right out front, belting the song out rather than mumbling it all. Or, if he's going to be mumbling it, the music needs to be dialed back; if that was how he was going to sing it, an acoustic performance (like this) might have been a better way to go. 2.5/5 I like it, but it's just not as good as it feels like it should be.
This live version is moderately better. Hey, apparently that's Clarence doing the whistling! Okay, then.
Bryan: Definitely not the tune you want to be doing that kind of "We want to build a how-us!" sermonizing on. It kind of shows up how far you are from the mark when you hang such sentiments on a very boring rock riff/ production. And what is with that accent Bruce uses during these crowd harangues? (And more "sexual healing!" Sheesh.)
This live version is moderately better. Hey, apparently that's Clarence doing the whistling! Okay, then.
Bryan: Definitely not the tune you want to be doing that kind of "We want to build a how-us!" sermonizing on. It kind of shows up how far you are from the mark when you hang such sentiments on a very boring rock riff/ production. And what is with that accent Bruce uses during these crowd harangues? (And more "sexual healing!" Sheesh.)
"Queen of the Supermarket"
Bryan: 2/5 Holy hell what the hell is going on with this song? It's so bland, musically, put together with way too many parts and soaring instrumentation, and then that backing vocal - is that Patti? So weird! And then bruce drops an f-bomb! What a patchwork of overdone parts. And yet, not terrible. But it's ostentatious.
Bryant: This is a song for old people. No thank you. 1.75/5
Bryan: Everytime I listen to the words of this song, I wonder if it's some kind of reference to Updike's "A and P." Did you ever read that one? I had to read it in 2 separate classes the first time I tried college (URI, 92-94) then it (and Updike) seemed to be memory-holed when I went back to finish (00-03). I haven't read it in awhile; Updike is someone I admire but can't read for more than a page or two without going cross-eyed.
Bryant: I don't think I ever read that, no. If I'm not mistaken, the only Updike I ever read was Rabbit, Run, which was assigned to me in some college course. Modern American Lit, I think. I didn't care for it. But I may not have known whatever context I needed to help me toward an appreciation of it. Never going back to find out, either.
Bryan: I read all the Rabbit books. I couldn't imagine doing so now, but I'm glad I did. I did think the last one had a lot to recommend it. I wonder if they still teach Updike. I'm sure they do somewhere. Anyway, for what it's worth, "A and P" really opened up the possibilities of the short story as a literary construction to me when we studied it in class circa spring 1993.
Bryant: This is a song for old people. No thank you. 1.75/5
Bryan: Everytime I listen to the words of this song, I wonder if it's some kind of reference to Updike's "A and P." Did you ever read that one? I had to read it in 2 separate classes the first time I tried college (URI, 92-94) then it (and Updike) seemed to be memory-holed when I went back to finish (00-03). I haven't read it in awhile; Updike is someone I admire but can't read for more than a page or two without going cross-eyed.
Bryant: I don't think I ever read that, no. If I'm not mistaken, the only Updike I ever read was Rabbit, Run, which was assigned to me in some college course. Modern American Lit, I think. I didn't care for it. But I may not have known whatever context I needed to help me toward an appreciation of it. Never going back to find out, either.
Bryan: I read all the Rabbit books. I couldn't imagine doing so now, but I'm glad I did. I did think the last one had a lot to recommend it. I wonder if they still teach Updike. I'm sure they do somewhere. Anyway, for what it's worth, "A and P" really opened up the possibilities of the short story as a literary construction to me when we studied it in class circa spring 1993.
"What Love Can Do"
Bryan: 2/5 I'm just not sure I like Brendan O'Brien's production choices sometimes. The drums sound totally wrong for this. Of course it could be Bruce making these calls. Either way there's a pretty mellow tune in here that would have been cool. This arrangement just ruins it for me.
Bryant: In order to enjoy this, I have to mentally apply a Darkness on the Edge of Town filter and pretend it's being played in that manner. I hate the background vocals on this one, and this is one of the only times I've ever thought Max Weinberg was phoning it in. Again, it's not a bad song so much as it's a bad production. But it's a REALLY bad production. 1.75/5
Bryan: Are there people out there that seriously LIKE this crap? Show me a face. Justify yourself. I don't get it at all. 21st century over-compressed no-dynamic-range production is just wrong. I'm tempted to say you're a fool if you think otherwise, so obviously inferior-sounding is it, but sheesh, I mean, here's Bruce, stamping it with his approval. Thanks, Boss!
Bryant: In order to enjoy this, I have to mentally apply a Darkness on the Edge of Town filter and pretend it's being played in that manner. I hate the background vocals on this one, and this is one of the only times I've ever thought Max Weinberg was phoning it in. Again, it's not a bad song so much as it's a bad production. But it's a REALLY bad production. 1.75/5
Bryan: Are there people out there that seriously LIKE this crap? Show me a face. Justify yourself. I don't get it at all. 21st century over-compressed no-dynamic-range production is just wrong. I'm tempted to say you're a fool if you think otherwise, so obviously inferior-sounding is it, but sheesh, I mean, here's Bruce, stamping it with his approval. Thanks, Boss!
"This Life"
Bryan: 2/5 Almost goes somewhere in the beginning that I like and then veers into the same. I do like the ELO-sounding bits around the 3 minute mark and then Clarence into the end. For that alone I went up to 2 from 1.75.
Bryant: It's as if Brendan O'Brien was determined not to let these songs sound as if they'd been written or performed by Bruce Springsteen. This song isn't awful, but it doesn't do much of anything for me. 2/5 Hey, wait ... Clarence shows up at the end, so let's raise that to a 2.25/5
Bryant: It's as if Brendan O'Brien was determined not to let these songs sound as if they'd been written or performed by Bruce Springsteen. This song isn't awful, but it doesn't do much of anything for me. 2/5 Hey, wait ... Clarence shows up at the end, so let's raise that to a 2.25/5
"Good Eye"
Bryan: 4/5 Okay now we're talking! Love this one. Not reinventing the blues or anything, but it's a cool-sounding track.
Bryant: Here's another one that don't sound shit like Bruce Springsteen to me. In this case, though, I do more or less like whatever it is that it does sound like, at least for a while; the song never goes anywhere, and I could live without probably the entire second half. I also wish Bruce's vocals weren't recorded by putting a cell phone on speaker and then having him literally phone them in from another state. That trend ought to have been strangled in its crib. 2.25/5
Bryan: 3.5/5 For my money could have gotten rid of the first few tracks and just started with the last one. This'd make a good side 1, 2nd track tune. More Dylan throwback. Or maybe Cat Stevens - in fact, the chorus melody reminds me of some Cat Stevens song but can't place it. The gang seems happy to transition into a NPR / Prairie Home kind of band here. Age appropriate, I suppose. Let's hope it never happens to Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, though. Or King Crimson.
Bryant: That's the one where James Bond has to fight Fox News, right? Not a favorite. This song is pretty good, though. Still grossly overproduced, but in this case, you can at least theorize that they were trying to craft a Beatles homage of sorts. 2/5
Bryan: Can we talk about the title for a second? Is it kosher to do this, homage or no? Makes me wonder when someone will record a new song called "Helter Skelter" or "Happiness is a Warm Gun" but not reference the Beatles at all.
"Life Itself"
Bryan: 2/5 Not bad. But still bad. Know what I mean?
Bryant: This is one of my least favorite vocal performances ever from Springsteen. And the production is simply inept. The vocals sound as if they were intended for a low-key Nebraska style recording but were then grafted onto ... this. Awful. 1.5/5 STOP GETTING BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN WRONG!!!!!
"Kingdom of Days"
Bryan: 1.5/5 This is the sort of thing you hear at church, but produced by Brendan O'Brien. They should put that on the back of the album so you don't mistake it for, like, rock and roll or anything.
Bryant: The wall-of-noise thing sort of works for this song. I don't love it, but it's better than a lot of the rest of the album. 2.5/5
"Surprise, Surprise"
Bryan: 2.25/5 Not a bad Byrds tune.
Bryant: Ditto my remarks on "Kingdom of Days," although I don't like this as much. 2.25/5
Bryan: 3/5 Decent album closer. Good stuff.
Bryant: Is this a sequel to "Wild Billy's Circus Story"?!? If so, it is, like many sequels, a letdown. And I don't know what the hell those last 45 seconds or so are supposed to be. Sounds like the fucking Lion King or something. And I love The Lion King, but not on a Springsteen album. 1.75/5
Bryan: Sheesh, there is something way too Lion King-y about that! Okay, 2.75/5 You convinced me.
Bryan: 3.5/5 I like the story behind its writing - good sketch of the sort of vibe of the Wrestler movie, but I think I like it as something separate from the movie.
Bryant: Never, ever, ever will I forgive the Oscars for not nominating this song. You want to think there were five better songs that year than this one? Fine by me. But those sonsofbitches only nominated three songs that year! Fuck you, Oscar. Anyways, I love this song, which was self-produced and sounds 100% out of place on this album because it sounds fucking great. 3.75/5
Bryan: 3.25/5 I mean it's just a fun little blues number but it's so spirited and fun-sounding it instantly becomes a must-include for any Springsteen mixes I make going forward.
Bryant: If I was not told this was Bruce Springsteen, I wouldn't guess it. Not a bad blues growler, although, again, let's please all agree that those phoned-in vocal effects have got to go. 2/5
~
Bryant: Total 31.25 Average 2.23 One of my least favorite Springsteen albums, all things considered.Bryan: Total 35.25 Average 2.71 Bruce still knows how to put songs together, of course, but yeah, not a fave. Feels very in-essential. It has one track I love, though ("Good Eye") and one like I say that I'll definitely work into any Springsteen mixes, so hey, that's okay.
UPDATED RANKINGS:
Bryan:
Lucky Town 2.15
Greetings from Asbury Park 2.19
Magic 2.27
The Ghost of Tom Joad 2.44
Working on a Dream 2.71
Working on a Dream 2.71
In Concert / MTV Plugged 2.82
Tracks 2.83
Chimes of Freedom 2.86
Blood Brothers 2.88
Human Touch 2.9
Book of Dreams 3.1
Hammersmith Odeon, London 3.1
The Rising 3.3
Devils and Dust 3.36
The Wild, the Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle 3.43
Live in New York City 3.5
Loose Ends 3.63
Greatest Hits (New Tracks Only) 3.65
We Shall Overcome: The Pete Seeger Sessions 3.67
The River 3.71
Tunnel of Love 3.8
Darkness on the Edge of Town 3.82
Live ’75 - ‘85 4
Live in Dublin 4.11
Born to Run 4.41
Nebraska 4.5
Born in the USA 5.4
Bryant:
Human Touch 1.7
Hammersmith Odeon, London '75 2.04
Lucky Town 2.15
Working on a Dream 2.23
Working on a Dream 2.23
The Ghost of Tom Joad 2.46
Magic 2.46
Devils and Dust 2.48
Book of Dreams 2.58
Chimes of Freedom 2.69
In Concert / Mtv Plugged 2.75
Greetings from Asbury Park 2.75
Tracks 2.81
Blood Brothers 2.9
The Rising 3.1
Live in Dublin 3.22
Tunnel of Love 3.35
We Shall Overcome: The Pete Seeger Sessions 3.37
Greatest Hits (New Tracks Only) 3.38
The River 3.39
Live in New York City 3.48
The Wild, the Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle 3.68
Live ’75 - ‘85 3.7
Loose Ends 3.92
Born to Run 4.35
Darkness on the Edge of Town 4.4
Nebraska 4.63
Born in the USA 4.88
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