Posted on 06/23/2008 2:51:15 AM PDT by Apollo 13
I am really curious on this one. I became a fan in 1975, with 'Born To Run', and was dazzled by the force, power, Spector-like grandeur. It was the epitome of 'Americana' for me. I saw him live three times, last in 1987. However, my fandom abated around 1990 or so, but I kept following what he did. Uneven albums, band changes, divorce, a new and happy marriage. Like any other artist, he has his shortcomings, one of these being a tendency towards bombast, pathos, a bit too much of 'grandeur'. But I think he does have his heart in the right place. No drugs, marathon shows around the world at almost 60, and also being the driver of the school bus in his home town. And I do love 'The Rising', great album, top songs. I feel that many of you dissent with him on political grounds (he endorsed Obama). So here is someone who's perceived the world over as a quintessential American artist (energy, drive, zest, but also brooding and dark sometimes). Is politics a reason to dismiss him altogether? For me it doesn't detract from my admiration. What do you think?
I enjoy Springsteen’s music and always have. I do not give a blast for his Politics, and never have.
George Thorogood does the political thing well: he refuses to talk about his, because it is nobody’s business.
That, for me, is how an artist should be. Just because they are entertaining does not make them an authority on Politics.
Cheers for mailing that remark on Thorogood - that’s the way to do it. I lost track with George long ago. Is he still with the Destroyers, and releasing records?
I think you get what you pay for. Keep giving that idiot money and you will get more Obama’s.
With all due respect -
I think he’s the opposite of an idiot. And a great musician. But as the first reply to my post said: it’s better to keep politics out of art altogether.
> I lost track with George long ago. Is he still with the Destroyers, and releasing records?
Excellent questions that I need to defer to someone else: I am a long-time Thorogood fan, too — and his music ain’t too easy to get at here in New Zealand. It gets nearly no airtime.
News of what he’s up to is hard to find here, too.
(but I *am* listenting to one of his CDs now...!)
Know it’s all a matter of taste ...but I’d rather hear somebody scratching their fingernails on a blackboard than listen to Springsteen .
I stopped liking him when he ran around on his wife, knocking up his back up singer and then left his wife for his back up singer.
And he always looks and sounds like he’s constipated when he sings. That always bugged me.
But I like a few of his songs.
His older music is classic rock and roll of the finest quality. Growing up in New Jersey it was something that you could relate to. Some of his newer music leaves a bit to be desired. I really got turned off on him when he started to make himself into a political crusader of the far left bent. It’s a shame really because he is a truly talented musician.
I do draw the line on some celebrities/performers though. The outspoken/radical ones like Barbara Streisand for example. I can't stand to listen to her although I never really did like her. Dittos to Dixie Chicks.
It's tough for me to watch "O brother Where Art Thou?" because of George Clooney.
Maybe I'm a little more tolerant than most because so much of the music I like is tied to folk groups or edgy perfomers like John Prine.
Most of the time it isn't the perfomers but the audience that gets to me.
You like Bruce go ahead and enjoy. Sometimes it's fun to try and turn an obviously left oriented song into somethign the opposite. An admmittedly por example is Stan Roger's "The Idiot." It's actually pretty right oriented but generally the audience doesnt' have a clue so it's fun to watch them get all worked up.
prisoner6
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGMPNGCrn5A&feature=related
I’ve seen him nine times.
The absolute best was Hartford, Conn in 79. But I was front row center at the Tacoma dome for the Tunnel of Love tour in 93, also a spectacular show.
I wish folks could get away from the “I don’t agree with somebodies politics so they’re scum” sort of mentality. None of us are so one dimensional that we should be judged by our politics alone.
He puts on a good show, and never disappoints the fans. So I don’t know what else you can expect.
I always thought he was the most overated of rockers. Rolling Stoned basically kept him propped up.
As with most "pop" music, I've always found Springsteen's music repetitious and boring. A "great musician" he ain't. It doesn't help matters when commercial stations play his music into the ground ad nauseum. Long before he started opening his mouth on politics I always wondered if he was a true patriot or if he was just using false patriotism to make money. Given what and who he supports in the political arena, clearly, he isn't a patriot at all, but rather just another Hollyweird Socialist elitist playing to the masses for whatever he can milk out of them. At this point, I pretty much listen to XM when I'm not listening to Rush. Anytime a Springsteen song comes on I change the channel quickly to another genre. I completely agree with you about fingernails on a blackboard being preferable to listening to Springsteen.....
I never liked Bruce. His leftist politics is just another reason to ignore this mediocre performer.
Barbara Streisand wouldn't even do that.
He’s peeing on the flag on that album cover. look closely,the position of his hand and why is he facing the flag and we only get a shot of his crotch area. even the song is anti American.
This is just an average bar band that got lucky. One slight problem. With tons of music out there, of all genres, that can truly be considered great, why waste your time listening to something that is just average?
I am 66, grew up watching Rock invented, watched it mutate and change through the decades-and I’ve NEVER been able to understand how this guy became as huge as he did. Perhaps the most overrated musician/singer/songwriter of all time. I can’t stand Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson as singers, but they do write great songs. Springsteen’s stuff to me was just bland pap.
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