The River

Its been a long break since the last post. A time to reflect and basically gather some more music together. A new Wilco album imaginatively titled Wilco (The Album) has been released and its pretty decent. Nothing outstanding but solid. Thanks to spotify this album listening to lark has become both an easier and cheaper past-time.

However this week I've decided after much reflection to go back to five tunes that keep me blogging..

5. The Jags: Back of My Hand
4. The Police: So Lonely
3. Mick Flannery: Wish You Well
2. The Hold Steady: Stuck Between Stations

1. Mainly cause he is playing here Sunday night, I can really only go with the Boss and one of the greatest songs of all time and song in the style of Nebraksa.

Classic Album of The Week (Part 3)

I was thinking I hadn't done my classic album of the week section for awhile. This is the third in the series (getting to sound more and more like a bad television station everyday). So far I have looked at stone wall classics in Neil Young's After The Gold Rush and Fleetwood Mac's Rumours which are both albums which have childhood memories for me.

This weeks album takes a slightly different turn in that it has been around for over twenty years but I came to it quite late, in other words over the past three years. Initially when I thought of Bruce Springsteen I thought of Courtney Cox, Dancing In The Dark and Born In The USA however after purchasing the Greatest Hits (can a supposed music lover admit to buying a greatest hits collection) there was one song that stood head and shoulders over the rest and that was Atlantic City taken from the sparse and beautiful Nebraska. The work of Bon Iver is slightly reminiscent of this in terms of backing vocals and beats.

The story songs within the album tell of dysfunction and tragedy (Highway Patrolman, Nebraska State Trooper in particular) and never reach the feel good factor of something like to Born To Run or the new release Working on a Dream which probably was a contributed to the initial dislike within the mainstream music population for this album. However it for me represents what Springsteen is really about in terms of lyrics ("Everything dies that's a fact, but maybe everything that dies someday comes back") and the representation and reality of chasing the American Dream (since reading F Scott Fitzgerald have realised that's what nearly all of American culture and art appears to be about) or for that matter dreams in general.

The album contained few if any hit singles with only Atlantic City (covered recently in the War Child album by the Hold Steady) being considered worthy of single release by the record company. The album was a major risk for Springsteen and was a massive departure from some his of previous releases with the E-Street Band but one could get a sense of that possible direction in his Greetings from Asbury Park album (see Mary Queen of Arkansaw) and one must also remember that Springsteen was initially touted as a possible succesor to Dylan's folk crown in the mid seventies.

Nebraska for those who haven't listened bucks many of the stereotypes and possible hang ups people have with Springsteen. Laying the ground work for much of the current alt-country genre it is an under appreciated album that deserves a wider listening base perhaps more so than some his more illustrious albums. Anyways the title track for the album... enjoy!

Atlantic City

The Hold Steady cover Bruce Springsteen's classic Atlantic City for the upcoming Warchild Album which is due to be released on Feb 17. Straying slightly from the Nebraska original as one would expect it far more reminiscent of a Springsteen live version with crashing drums and repeating vocals. As both sets of artists are quality in my eyes this version does no wrong. Objectivity is gone out the window on this post.

Why Couldn't the Steelers Just Win It After Two Quarters Instead I Was Awake Half The Night

I am not even that big a fan of American football. At times I struggle to understand what rule was broken as I watch a frame by frame action replay. Sometimes I think John Madden is speaking another language that only has a passing resemblance to English. Why couldn't the Steelers have wrapped up the game by half time instead of dragging the whole thing out till about three in the morning!

And yet the Superbowl is just quality entertainment, pure American entertainment with more ceremony than a visit from the Pope. The NFL even managed to get Bruce Springsteen to do a press conference for christ sake. The match itself was tough and brutal and all came down to more or less the final play with a floated pass to the corner. The bookies were more interested in what the half-time set list would look like. By the way if you got "Born To Run" at even money you should be laughing all the way to the bank. And The Steelers didn't beat the seven point spread either, so all gambling addicts take note. Music is easier to predict than football!! Finally just to add to the surreal nature of the game there is a replica frigging pirate ship at the end of the ground in Tampa. At times you just wonder!!!!

If you missed the performance here it is in all its High Def glory.

Working On A Dream

No album for years upon years then two in the space of six months. Bruce is out doing himself in his old age. "Magic" saw the E-Street Band re-united once more and was a step into the mainstream again with the FM Classic "Radio Nowhere" and number of other cracking tracks the stand outs of which were "Devil's Arcade" and "I'll Work For Your Love". I've just had a few listens to the new album that is released here on the 27-Jan and the standard has not dropped.

The track which everyone will know is "The Wrestler" used on the soundtrack to the film of the same name. An acoustic classic which would not be out of place on a Bruce Springsteen solo album. Think "Nebraska" meets "Devils and Dust" and a genuinely good fit for the film. The rest of the album harks back to typical Springsteen subject matter of love, chasing dreams and the spirit of America. An album of hope in these bank fueled times of crisis. It's guaranteed to provide new material for the never ending touring schedule.

If released twenty years ago it would out-sell "Born to Run", unfortunately "Working On A Dream" will not be as successful but not for lack of quality just that the era of eighties hysteria will never be re-visited however the man still has an eye for an ingenious lyric though. It's a must buy and an album you will just keep returning to. Hope does still appear to spring eternal.

Here is a track off the new album courtesy of youtube.com, don't ask how I got to listen to the new album. "My Lucky Day", eighties vibe and sax solo. It's all good.