From: owner-luckytown-digest@luckytown.org (LuckyTown Digest) To: luckytown-digest@luckytown.org Subject: LuckyTown Digest V9 #54 Reply-To: luckytown@luckytown.org Sender: owner-luckytown-digest@luckytown.org Errors-To: owner-luckytown-digest@luckytown.org Precedence: bulk LuckyTown Digest Saturday, August 3 2002 Volume 09 : Number 054 NOTE: Sale/trade posts should be emailed to luckytown-ads, *NOT* to luckytown. That includes tix wanted/tix grovels, post them to luckytown-ads, please. Contents: Subtleties ["Gene Lazo" ] Econmist article [JohnnyBilo@aol.com] Bruce Stamp ["Mark Jankowski" ] misc ["Linda" ] Production Values of "The Rising" [Bob Handlin ] Nightline Interview and The Imposters ["Michael Rainnie" ] Correction ["Al *" ] Into to the album sounds like Beach Boys' "Add Some Music". ["Benj Moore"] Hartford Courant Article ["Garmise, Stuart D H08C" ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 1 Aug 2002 17:30:32 -0400 From: "Gene Lazo" Subject: Subtleties Some random thoughts from a random mind - - The cadence of this record ties all the songs together in a subtle fashion. Stay in the rhythmic groove of each track across the separator and see how the next song flows into it. Even the transitions from slow to fast or fast to slow are managed. Interesting (and subconsciously effective) attention to detail. - - The fear some folks had about this record being bound with emotional exclusivity to 9/11 are unfounded. As usual, each song stands alone as well as working thematically. Even if 9/11 never happened, these songs would work both together and individually. - - I was thinking about Dylan's observation that "Springsteen can block out an entire novel with a single phrase". Here's some novels worth reading: "Its a fairy tale so tragic / There's no prince to break the spell / I don't believe in magic / But for you I will" "I woke up this morning I could hardly breathe / Just an empty impression In the bed where you used to be / I want a kiss from your lips / I want an eye for an eye / I woke up this morning to an empty sky" "Everything is everything / But you're missing ... Morning is morning, the evening falls / I got Too much room in my bed, too many phone calls / How's everything, everything / You're missing" "God's drifting in heaven, devil's in the mailbox / I got dust on my shoes, nothing but teardrops" "May I feel your arms around me / May I feel your blood mix with mine / A dream of life comes to me / Like a catfish dancing on the end of my line" "I see you on the other side / I search for the peace in your eyes / But they're as empty as paradise" "Now the sweet bells of mercy / Drift through the evening trees / Young men on the corner / Like scattered leaves" (Most writers would love to come up with just one phrase so profound) - - Sequence of Mary's Place and You're Missing is an interesting juxtaposition between dealing with grief publicly and privately ... while not diminishing from the joy of life Mary exudes. - - Let's Be Friends -- Soul Lives! - - Sony Music Direct sucks. I didn't get my order from them until 8/1. You'd figure they could co-ordinate it so you could get a damn pre-order ON the release date. Hey, you ever hear of UPS or FedEx? Not even bring up the fact that I didn't win tickets. - - At least in this lyric book, Bruce doesn't have his "Hatred" parked anywhere ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 2 Aug 2002 07:37:02 EDT From: JohnnyBilo@aol.com Subject: Econmist article I don't have a link, but this paragraph is from The Economist, author uncredited because the Economist doesn't print bylines. It's one of the most astute paragraphs I've read about the record, and why I argued for months (even against some vicious rebukes) that making something like this was Springsteen's responsibility. "Yet even its defects seem somehow appropriate. America is a proudly popular civilisation: a country driven by the aspirations of ordinary people rather than the designs of elites, a country that holds celebrities in higher esteem than intellectuals, a country whose inhabitants measure their lives with rock songs. Mr Springsteen has captured the basic emotion: a combination of grief for the lives lost with a resolute (if sometimes corny) sense that America will conquer adversity." I love The Economist. David in NYC [text/html attachment deleted] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 1 Aug 2002 09:44:10 -0500 From: "Mark Jankowski" Subject: Bruce Stamp Just read this clip from USA TODAY! Hope it happens. I might buy a ton of stamps and use them for life! ****************************************************************** The Boss gets stamp of approval Bruce Springsteen tops Madonna, Cher, The Who, Ozzy Osbourne and Britney Spears as most deserving of a postal stamp, says a TRIO/Harris poll out today. And 26% think Britney's career has legs, and she'll be bigger in 10 years than she is now. The poll surveyed 1,028 people 18 or older July 18-21. [text/html attachment deleted] ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 2 Aug 2002 16:49:07 +0200 From: "Linda" Subject: misc I agree with the person who said the marketing is aimed at age 30-40 people (Bitusa). I haven't analysed it like he has, but is makes sense, *but*, it's clearly the marketing isn't for younger people. Come on people, no matter how good Bruce is, his incredibly uncool for the majority below 20 or even below 30. Unhip, uncool, old, boring, etc etc. And it's not that music that gets the kids going today. I'm relatively young myself (28), and there are exceptions, but we who are young and love Bruce have for some reason started listening to him, the young majority hasn't. They won't start listening to Dylan or Neil Young either. When artists reach a certain age it's just darned to get the kids attention, very few succeed in staying "hot" (Madonna, age 42, is an exception for instance). Anyway, I'm expecting to have the album in my hands in a few hours, and I've resisted the temptation of not listening to the songs on the net. I've only heard the Rising (musically a bit boring imo, good but feels like a dozen-song), and Waiting on a sunny day on radio. I've only heard Waiting one time, on Monday, and in the background so i couldn't listen to the lyrics. But oh my I was surprised. I'm not used to hearing Bruce producing such catchy songs. I can hum the chorus right out of my mind right now, and that is from hearing it faintly in the background only once. I'm not saying it's a tremendously good song, I bet I'll get pretty bored with it after a few plays, but I was surprised to hear Bruce make such a delicate pop-tune, it's a bit non-Bruce. 3 hours left... Nowadays I rarely get excited about any new albums (am I the only one who thinks good music is getting harder to find, or am I only old in advance?), except for Woven Hand's, I haven't been excited about an album in over a year, I can't wait to hear it, especially as I'm one of those who almost never play Bruce's albums after 1980, so I have high expectations on this one. I hope it's not like Bitusa, where many songs are great when played live, but the studioversions falls flat and dull. Linda ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 01 Aug 2002 10:52:59 -0400 From: Bob Handlin Subject: Production Values of "The Rising" This record proves definitively that there was no need to fire the E-Street Band in 1988 in order to experiment with new directions. Seems like the better way to take a new direction is to try a new producer. The Rising is a much bigger sonic departure than ToL or HT/LT, and based on Bruce's comments in the liner notes, Brendan O'Brien deserves the credit. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 1 Aug 2002 13:20:57 -0300 From: "Michael Rainnie" Subject: Nightline Interview and The Imposters Great interview on Nightline. It was great to hear him talk about groups that reach the lives of their audiences including Public Enemy. I knew there was some reason I listened to Public Enemy. (a hip-hop group for people who don't know them) Since it's coming up to my 10th anniversary (11/6/92 in Toronto) of seeing Bruce with the Imposters (as one Rising reviewer put it) does anybody know what the band members do now? (Excluding Roy) Has Bruce ever said why he kept Roy and didn't make a complete break with the E-Street Band. "Turn it Up, Bring the noise" # Public Enemy Mike [text/html attachment deleted] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 1 Aug 2002 15:42:19 -0400 From: JZellers@dhhs.state.nh.us Subject: Heartfelt Thanks to Tom G, John S, and Demetra C... in Digest V9 #53. Your very thoughtful and insightful posts made me feel less alone and more hopeful. I hope there are many more people "out there" who are not too jaded, cynical, and deadened to see and hear what is going on. I don't want to be misunderstood: I understand why people ARE deadend and cynical, etc. I do believe that the Time magazine writer got it right when he said one of Bruce's great gifts is empathy, however. The marketing does frightens me - but there is so much heartfelt beauty, depth, and honesty in Bruce's music and behavior right now. I'm not particularly religious at all; and maybe this will sound like a co-opted some of the message from The Rising. Nevertheless, I do pray that this period of time can help us all look a little deeper at ourselves; and at what we value most. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 1 Aug 2002 13:35:19 -0700 From: Jennifer Brindle Subject: Comments "Al *" wrote: >I can tell you unequivocally that Let's Be Friends is Bruce's best shot at a >hit single. I agree, Al. Yep, it's poppy... but hey, I like pop too and I think it's a great one for radio play. I also like "You're Missing"... everytime I hear it, i want to hear more of it. And, I am gonna totally go out on a limb and say I really enjoy "Waiting On a Sunny Day". What can I say? I'm shallow. I like to dance as I drive. "Dennis Vroegop" wrote: >Worlds Apart is by my opinion the best song on the album. It's different >from what we know from Bruce, but that's what I find so good about his >music: he isn't afraid to do things he hasn't done before. That's why I like it to, Dennis. And I think it works. What do the critics know? ... And about Bruce's looks.... He looks fab! Now, if he'd only get some tighter jeans! Those are too droopy for his cute ass. Patrick Clark writes: >I am not impressed with this album. Weak songs, familiar structure, very >uninspired. I sometimes think that we hype new songs from Bruce too much... we expect something miraculous and when we get merely damn good, we are disappointed. Personally, I didn't like many of the songs the very first listen, but with each listening I'm finding I like the entire CD. Far more than any other group of songs from Bruce has before. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 01 Aug 2002 13:27:15 -0400 From: "Al *" Subject: Correction Somehow my rough got included with my post, re: Let's Be Friends. Here's the offending passage: "You're Missing could be a strong single, too (again, with the right video), but I'd go with that as Single #3. (Waiting on a Sunny Day, Mary's Place)." This should have read: You're Missing could be a strong single, too (again, with the right video), but I'd go with that as Single #3. I'd make Waitin' on a Sunny Day Single #4. _________________________________________________________________ Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 01 Aug 2002 21:29:13 +0000 From: "Benj Moore" Subject: Into to the album sounds like Beach Boys' "Add Some Music". Indulge me, I caught something this afternoon and I think the very beginning of the new album sounds a lot like the intro to the incredible Beach Boys song "Add Some Music". Same phrasing. Almost the same instrumentation. It's quick, but it's pretty cool. Hell it might be nothing at all. They just sound similar. I've always wanted to connect these two great bands and I might be trying too hard, but I think they sound alike and that's enough for me. I know if I would have produced it I would have done the same thing. Just a tip of the hat if you will to another great man to another great man and another great song. ~Benj Beach Boys & The E Street Band. Any other musical connections? Trading List: http://www.geocities.com/lbl_music/musictradingpage.html http://www.benjmoore.com/list.htm _________________________________________________________________ Join the world's largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Jul 2002 11:13:19 -0400 From: "Garmise, Stuart D H08C" Subject: Hartford Courant Article The following article appeared on the FRONT PAGE of Tuesday's Hartford Courant. Enjoy!--Stu Garmise His City Of Ruins Is Rising July 30, 2002 By ERIC R. DANTON , The Hartford Courant Bruce Springsteen wasn't the first artist to sing about Sept. 11. But for millions of people, his new album is destined to become the musical benchmark for the events of that day. With the release today of "The Rising" - Springsteen's first album with the E Street Band in 18 years - the reigning chronicler of the dreams and despair of America's working class now tells the story of the defining event of this era. The intense publicity surrounding the album peaks when the New Jersey singer and his band appear on the "Today" show this morning, "Nightline" tonight and "Late Night With David Letterman" Thursday and Friday. Springsteen's publicists, Shore Fire Media, have guarded access to the record as if it contained nuclear launch codes and declined to send a review copy to The Courant or any but the largest publications, ostensibly to prevent Internet bootlegs. (Those efforts proved spectacularly unsuccessful - - one website had nine different copies of the album available for free download.) Plenty of musicians have sung about Sept. 11 - Alan Jackson's syrupy "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)," Neil Young's imaginative "Let's Roll" and John Hiatt's aching "New York Had Her Heart Broke," each tentatively probing the imagery and emotions of that cloudless late summer day. TV specials featured a cross section of the world's most popular musical performers doing their best to salve the psychic wounds of a ragged nation. The performances were emotional, and the song choices spoke volumes - Tom Petty sang "I Won't Back Down," Paul Simon performed "Bridge Over Troubled Water." But only Springsteen addressed the tragedy head-on, with a haunting acoustic rendition of "My City of Ruins" on the "Tribute to Heroes" broadcast. The lyrics wander through scenes of devastation, mourning the past and offering hope in the urgent, adamant refrain: "Rise up." Ironically, when he wrote the tune, it had nothing to do with New York. Springsteen was lamenting the decline of his hometown, Asbury Park, N.J. Yet by the time he and members of the E Street Band finished singing on the broadcast, "My City of Ruins" belonged forever to Sept. 11. The New Jersey songwriter's rough-hewn voice, gritty lyrics and no-frills music perfectly captured the roiling emotions left when the towers crumbled into dust and twisted steel. So when word trickled out that the Boss and his band were working on a new album - their first together since 1984's landmark "Born in the U.S.A." - it was unthinkable that Springsteen would deal with any subject but Sept. 11. Springsteen wrote all but two of the 15 songs after Sept. 11. While the tunes don't all directly relate to the attacks, Springsteen has said each of the 13 new songs was colored by that day's events. "If you were writing at that point, it's in everything in some fashion," he told Yahoo! News last month. "The Rising" has more of a rock feel than anything the Boss has recorded in years - and the result is a different sort of catharsis. There are still somber touches that call to mind the dreary, inward-looking material from his "Streets of Philadelphia" era. But more often, Springsteen's powerful lyrics reach out to people suffering the burden of loss - people who feel lucky just to make it to the end of the day. The ballads are crisper than anything he sang in the '90s. The guitars are louder on the up-tempo songs, the drums more forceful, and Springsteen eschews the somnolent murmuring of "Secret Garden" for the familiar tuneful bellow that made "Glory Days" so much fun. "The Rising" isn't much fun, however. It's a serious-minded effort from a songwriter who is determined not to sell his subjects short. More than anything, Springsteen strives to show, instead of tell, how Sept. 11 has affected the Everyman and Everywoman characters who populate his songs. He sings in "Nothing Man": "I never thought I'd live To read about myself In my hometown paper How my brave young life Was forever changed In a misty cloud of pink vapor." He tells stories from the perspective of a firefighter heading into a burning World Trade tower on the title track, a relative dying by degrees while waiting for news on "You're Missing" and a suicide bomber on "Paradise." The album closes with a studio version of "My City of Ruins." Despite a full band and the ambitious arrangement of producer Brendan O'Brien, the song isn't as commanding as the spare acoustic version Springsteen performed last fall. But the wounds aren't as fresh as they were nearly 11 months ago, and the stinging pain of last September has faded into the dull ache of memory. No doubt Springsteen intends "The Rising" to help with the national healing process. As a singer and songwriter, he tells the stories of real people living through real pain. As a multi-platinum-selling artist, he gives voice to thousands, even millions, who have no platform of their own. As a cultural institution - and Springsteen is certainly that - he has provided a musical reference point that could well become synonymous with Sept. 11. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 1 Aug 2002 17:08:24 +0200 (Heure d'ete Paris Madrid) From: "Clement Schvartz" Subject: Proud of this brave & modern record! Dear fellow tramps, The Reunion Tour scared me when announced: would the voice follow? THE voice was the absolute highlight of this tour. The 9/11 theme scared me when announced: would it ruin all efforts to destroy that Dumb-truck-driver-screamin'-his-love-of-America image? The Rising album scared me when announced: would they stick to excellent retro music like this "Mary's Place" sample available on line but fail to modernize a legendary sound? Today, I can say that one thing really scared: the beating of my heart in the Bracelona-Paris flight last Monday while my ears were discovering this outstanding album. He did it! Bruce Springsteen did it once again: all of a sudden, all his previous records seemed irrelevant to me. The Rising lyrics are beautiful and smart, evocative and subtle. The music is powerful and the sequencing undeniable. The voice of America is still there, helping millions express their feelings through his magic touch. Even at 52, a career is at stake. You fail at 52 and you go down there (but high enough, though!) with the Sting, Sex Pistols, Tom Petty, The Cure etc. category. You make it again at 52 and you remain up there nD1 of your era. Bruce Springsteen is up there for good, nD1. Still, I don't care. What I care about is the huge pleasure of discovering a magical song like "You're Missing", a ROCK song like "Worlds Apart", a haunting song like "Paradise", a delicious song like "Let's Be Friends" and an energizer like "Countin' on a miracle". And when you hear that, you cannot complain that "Mister I don't Need a Surname Anymore" (Bruce !) is back on the cover of Rolling Stone. You're even proud of that. So I'll buy multiple copies of Time & Rolling Stone... and will sell them to you all oldy Rosalita fans complaining out there later when your ears finally open! ;-) Rock on, Clement Nancy, Capital of Lorraine, France ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Jul 2002 18:13:12 -0400 From: "Sullivan, Ann" Subject: Looking for Ticket Drop advice for NJ show After a disastrous Ticket Drop outcome at the 7/30 rehearsal show in AP I'm more determined than ever to score non-scalped tickets for the NJ show. Can anyone offer any advice for past shows at the arena? Things like where exactly the line tends to form? Any idea when the parking lots open? About how far in advance should one expect to get there? Things of that nature. Any advice/experience would be greatly appreciated. Funny thing is that I was one of the "lucky" winners of a reading with Madame Marie along with my 3 friends/fellow fanatics. Unfortunately she was unable to predict what would happen to us that afternoon. But it was still a great 2 days down the shore and after that small taste of the new songs live this girl is going to try her damndest to be in the Meadowlands for opening night!! Feel free to email me personally or post to digest. Please don't post to ads digest as some mystical email snafu prevents me from receiving it. - -Ann ann.sullivan@pearsoned.com Is a dream a lie if it don't come true? Or is it something worse? **************************************************************************** This email may contain confidential material. If you were not an intended recipient, Please notify the sender and delete all copies. We may monitor email to and from our network. **************************************************************************** ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 1 Aug 2002 17:27:57 +0100 From: "Stephen Waters" Subject: Songs On The Last Tour (1999/2000) Code of Silence & Another Thin Line were played. Have these songs ever had official releases. Are there any studio recordings of American Skin, Land Of Hope and Dreams? Steve [text/html attachment deleted] ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 2 Aug 2002 00:40:08 +0100 From: "O'Hearn, Chris" Subject: LETTERMAN DOWNUNDER HI News flash for Australian Fans. My contact at Channel 9 has told me that Bruce's 2 letterman Appearances will go to air here tonight, Friday August 2nd & tomorrow, Saturday August 3rd. Air times are 2.15am Friday night (Sat morning) and 1.40am Sat night (Sunday morning) - but please check your local guides. Enjoy !! Chris - -----Original Message----- From: owner-luckytown-digest@luckytown.org [mailto:owner-luckytown-digest@luckytown.org] Sent: Thursday, August 01, 2002 11:58 PM To: luckytown-digest@luckytown.org Subject: LuckyTown Digest V9 #53 LuckyTown Digest Thursday, August 1 2002 Volume 09 : Number 053 NOTE: Sale/trade posts should be emailed to luckytown-ads, *NOT* to luckytown. That includes tix wanted/tix grovels, post them to luckytown-ads, please. Contents: Chords are online [j.Schrefel@bene.com] Re: re-born in the usa: the marketing [Tom Garritano ] [none] [John Spaulding ] Best song from 'The rising' ["Cris Di Sclafani" ] Why Let's Be Friends Should Be the Next Single ["Al *" ] Review: 'Rising' To The Occasion---Bruce Springsteen On Sept. 11 (Juim Fusilli, The Wall Street Journal) [Barry Ka] Handsome Dan ["Al *" ] re UK tv schedule ["Oakland Raiders" ] Roadtrip with The Rising [Patrick Clark ] Re: Luckytown Digest #50 and July 30, 2002 [Demetra Christakos Subject: Re: re-born in the usa: the marketing Regarding what Jon Mendez wrote, this is just the kind of questioning any artist's fans should always do. Much more healthy than second-guessing setlists and whatnot. Whether the new album amounts to exploitation has to be considered. I was thinking a little about Letterman's first show after 9/11. What he did was based on years of credibility built up as a showbiz figure who does his best to be anti-showbiz. This isn't just shtick on Letterman's part; his distaste for phoniness pretty much defines him as a performer. Sounds familiar . . . Not many songwriters have the foundation to try what Bruce is doing now. Even as a longtime fan, I've sometimes been troubled by the saintly persona. You occasionally want to shout for him to quit being so earnest and loosen up a bit. But all that thoughtfulness is why he can have a clear conscience about releasing an album like this. The guy's powers of empathy tend to set him apart from many artists. That's also why the album, to me, sounds so natural and unforced. When Koppel talked to him about the stigma of psychoanalysis, I started talking back to the tv -- working class families can't afford it, Ted! But Springsteen beat me to it. I believe he does try to stay connected w/ "his people," against pretty steep odds. That's another thing making this album way more than a crass move. His people are suffering, and it would've been a mistake for him to avoid writing about it. Apart from that, I can only guess at his motivations. You never have too much money, I suppose, but the communication is what seems to turn him on. He admits ego gratification is a factor -- obviously! If it was troubling to see people wave flags on the 1984 tour, how's it going to feel when people cheer at inappropriate moments of songs that describe heroes being turned to pink mist? But I'm sure such a cautious man has thought hard about the ramifications, and he deserves the major benefit of doubt because of how he's conducted himself for 30 years of celebrating commonplace bravery. Bruce must really trust (or control) the Sony marketing department, because they're the main ones who could expose him to charges of insensitivity. So far, the campaign seems to be treading the line pretty well. If album sales explode, though, that's when it might get trickier. Personally, I'll be shocked if the album breaks out in anything remotely similar to BITUSA. What made that album huge wasn't the subject matter, it was his willingness to be marketed as an MTV icon. IOW, I don't expect to see casual fans come streaming back for Springsteen the social commentator. The _truly_ crass thing would have been to market this record without acknowledging the 9/11 content. Several songs would have easily supported such a strategy. If sales do take off, I'd look for a subtle shift in the marketing away from 9/11. As I said, it could get tricky. But if the country is like a family in denial, then this album's healing message should be heard by as many people as possible. Right now, I just want to keep absorbing a better record than I ever expected to hear from him again. If the ironies get troubling later, I'll try to remember the honest emotional impact it had on first listening. Those feelings are often hard to hang onto even in circumstances way less complicated than these. Who knows what the next year holds for any of us, or for all of us? Tom - ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Jul 2002 21:05:34 -0700 From: "M. Conens" Subject: re: Rising marketing Like the post about the marketing of The Rising and whether it is exploitive. While I'm not certain I agree with trying to reach the folks who bought BUSA, there is certainly much collateral publicity as a result of him having done BUSA. Don't the stickers on the cd say something about 'first E st band recording since BUSA"? Not to mention there are so many more displays of patriotism and yes, even playing of BUSA at public events. I think mentioning BUSA in headlines, promotional material is trying to get the attention of the guy who went out 9/12 and put a flag on his pick up. Regardless of whether he bought (or even understood) BUSA. I am just glad Columbia hasn't said it will donate a % to some 9/11-related fund for each cd bought. A local car dealer did that and i find that very exploitive as all it does is encourage people to buy more of the product. - ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Jul 2002 08:26:08 -0700 (PDT) From: John Spaulding Subject: [none] I just wanted to throw in a comment about the album and some of the notes of criticism or disapointment. I think that, like GoTJ (but more so), this album simply does not immediately invite you in, but requires you to let certain things soak in and examine your own reaction as part of the work. For instance, at first I agreed with the criticism of "Empty Sky" as musically boring, found myself "waiting for that chord change that doesn't come." On the third listen or so, though, I realized the melody was perfectly conveying the way catastrophic grief is like a dull, throbbing, monotonous ache, and that in the very tension I felt from waiting for some kind of break or melodic payoff deepened my empathy for the protagonist's aching sadness. People who feel like this don't sing pretty, or laugh much, or maybe don't even get out of bed for days on end, and this song captures that gritty, haven't-slept-in-nights or showered-in-days fog that comes with crushing grief. Think of Celine Dion's Titanic theme as the ultimate counterpoit to this approach; so perfectly constructed and executed, bridge, hook and soaring key change all right where they belong, resulting in a song that is eminently hummable and totally impersonal. There are few songwriters who so competently use the full range of American musical traditions (blues, country, rock, folk, gospel, soul/R&B, etc) for his toolbox, so for the things that you find troubling or lacking on this album, I would urge you to ask, "why did he make this choice?" and see what comes to mind. When Bruce wants to seduce the listener with a catchy hook or a soaring chorus he certainly knows how, so when he declines to do I think that's an interesting choice in itself that should be respected and explored. Just my $.02 On a broader note, I cannot imagine a more appropriate popular artist in any medium to be the first to creatively address 9/11, or a more daunting challenge for an artist. Given the subject matter, I think this album should almost be exempt from the way other pop works are reviewed, etc. I think we all need to let this one just sit for a little while. Also, I think the outpouring of media interest in the album might reflect something much deeper, in the sense that a lot of people who haven't yet been able to make sense of 9/11 are turning to ask, "Let's see what Bruce has to say," because, basically, we trust him. Marketing efforts notwithstanding, who else gets this much media attention for a new album release? Sony's PR machine is good, but really! Ted Koppel is giving Bruce more airtime than he gives heads of state. The right album from the right artist, indeed. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Health - Feel better, live better http://health.yahoo.com - ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Jul 2002 14:47:12 +0200 From: "Cris Di Sclafani" Subject: Best song from 'The rising' Hello, i write you to say that in my Bruce site, http://bruce.archesis.it i have put a poll where you can vote the best song from The Rising (at this moment 'Further on up the road' is the winner). You can also get concert setlists from 1978 to today, getting statistics on Bruce concerts and talk about Bruce in a new forum. See you under a stage !!!! Ciao from Cris http://bruce.archesis.it - ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Jul 2002 17:16:12 -0400 From: "Al *" Subject: Why Let's Be Friends Should Be the Next Single I make my living as a radio programmer. Me and some of my colleagues have a pool where we bet on which new singles are going to be hits. I ALWAYS win the pool. I can tell you unequivocally that Let's Be Friends is Bruce's best shot at a hit single. While I can understand why some longtime fans don't like the poppy nature of it, remember that it's NEW fans he's after (don't forget that Hungry Heart and Dancing in the Dark weren't exactly embraced by his core audience at first, either). It's a "love" song, has undeniable hooks and with the right video, it'll move albums. Trust me on this one, Al I make my living as a radio programmer. Me and some of my colleagues have a pool where we bet on which new singles are going to be hits. I ALWAYS win the pool. I can tell you unequivocally that Let's Be Friends is Bruce's best shot at a hit single. While I can understand that some longtime fans won't like the poppy nature of it, remember that it's NEW fans he's after (don't forget that Hungry Heart and Dancing in the Dark weren't exactly embraced by his core audience, either). It's a "love" song, has undeniable hooks and with the right video, it'll move albums. You're Missing could be a strong single, too (again, with the right video), but I'd go with that as Single #3. (Waiting on a Sunny Day, Mary's Place). Trust me on this one, Al _________________________________________________________________ Join the world's largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com - ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Jul 2002 09:57:36 +0200 From: "Dennis Vroegop" Subject: Worlds Apart Hi there! After a long time lurking it's about time I join the bandwagon and give my opinion the new album. Well.... Just my opinion on Worlds Apart; I leave the "indept-analysis" to the people who know more about that sort of stuff than I do. I prefer to sit back and enjoy everything Bruce lets us listen to and not judge the man too hard. So no comments about Mr. O'Brien, the lack of sax in the songs, or things about the GA on the tour (which I think is great: for me the only way to really enjoy Bruce is standing in a large crowd, all dancing to his music, but that's just my opinion). Worlds Apart is by my opinion the best song on the album. It's different from what we know from Bruce, but that's what I find so good about his music: he isn't afraid to do things he hasn't done before. The mixture of styles on this song works great! I just can't wait to hear this song live on stage! I am so glad that of the seven european countries the band is visiting Holland is one of them. I hope my wife and I will be able to see more shows in 2003, although by that time we will have our first baby so I don't know if we can manage to do that. I jokingly suggested that if it will be a boy we would name him Bruce but my wife didn't think that would be a good idea :-) Let's all enjoy the album, let's give it time to grow on us, and let's have a great time during the upcoming tour! Keep rocking! Dennis Vroegop http://www.xs4all.nl/~dvroegop/springsteenstories - ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Jul 2002 02:20:29 -0500 From: Barry Kaplovitz Subject: Review: 'Rising' To The Occasion---Bruce Springsteen On Sept. 11 (Juim Fusilli, The Wall Street Journal) The Wall Street Journal July 30, 2002 LEISURE & ARTS 'Rising' to the Occasion Bruce Springsteen on Sept. 11. BY JIM FUSILLI Rare is the work of art that can articulate for us the human experience born of tragedy writ large, and rarer still is the rock album that does so. On his new, flawed disc, "The Rising" (Sony), Bruce Springsteen sets out to explore the impact and consequences of the Sept. 11 attacks on the victims, their families and friends. At times, he does so with startling clarity. On "The Rising," which goes on sale today, Mr. Springsteen uses sound and words in new, imaginative ways. Working with an independent producer, Brendan O'Brien, for an entire album for the first time in his career, Mr. Springsteen sought a sound that's a marked departure from the clean, unfettered approach of his previous albums. To bring us back to that unimaginable event, Mr. Springsteen and Mr. O'Brien time and again surround us with a thick, tumultuous torrent of guitars and synthesizers, kick drums, cymbals, fiddles, cellos, basses and a wash of voices merging to create a single unrelenting force, as if to recall the roar of worlds colliding, the howl of destruction and sudden death. And then, unexpectedly, they leave us with an eerie silence broken only by the ringing of a folk guitar, the wail of a harmonica, celestial voices of a choir or a single line sung by Mr. Springsteen without accompaniment. The next striking element of the new disc is Mr. Springsteen's lyrics, which are stark, solemn and spiritual, as his narrators grope desperately for meaning, for a glint of optimism, in light of the savagery. On "The Rising," Mr. Springsteen's songs aren't only about the dead. He also gives voice to the dead: The victims scream to each other as death approaches and then whisper to each other in tender tones as its aftermath begins. In Mr. Springsteen's view, the dead are with us, observing us, as we struggle to regain our footing. They describe the moment of their passing: "There's spirits above and behind me / Faces gone black, eyes burnin' bright / May their precious blood bind me, Lord / As I stand before your fiery light," he writes in the title track. In "The Fuse," they narrate their funerals: "Down at the courthouse they're ringin' the flag down / Long black line of cars snakin' slow through town." And, in "Paradise," they speak to us from their new surroundings: "I sink 'neath the water cool and clear / Drifting down, I disappear / I see you on the other side/ I search for peace in your eyes." No less powerful are the sentiments of the survivors. In "You're Missing," Mr. Springsteen captures the details of an ordinary life torn asunder: "Coffee cup's on the counter / Jacket's on the chair / Paper's on the doorstep / But you're not there." Or, in "Empty Sky": "Just an empty impression / In the bed where you used to be." "The sky was falling and streaked with blood / I heard you calling me / Then you disappeared into the dust," he writes in "Into the Fire," which builds to a prayer of hope in its chorus: "May your strength give us strength / May your faith give us faith." The music on "The Rising" is the most varied of Mr. Springsteen's storied career, and his E Street Band, at times a bloodless unit, plays with unmitigated fervor under the prodding of Mr. O'Brien, who produced Pearl Jam, Rage Against the Machine and others. Bassist Gary Tallent once again is the group's forceful anchor, while the multilayered keyboards serve to set the tone and carry the motifs. Mr. Springsteen's guitar solos have their characteristic bite; played with appropriate restraint, they sear much more than they soar. Sitting in on violin, Soozie Tyrell makes a valuable contribution to "Into the Fire," which sounds as if it sprang out of the Louisiana bayou, and the lilting "Lonesome Day," driven by Max Weinberg's four-square pounding. "Countin' on a Miracle," in which Mr. Springsteen's voice builds to a raw scream, is a powerful rocker, as is "Further on Up the Road." And yet "The Rising" becomes especially poignant when the band is most discreet, as on "Paradise," which echoes Paul Simon's "Sounds of Silence." For that song and others, Mr. Springsteen tells his tales in a conversational style over acoustic guitars accented at times only by oscillating synthesizers. In those quiet moments, he creates a chilling reflection of the aftermath of the event. Long and oddly paced, "The Rising" isn't a perfect album. "Mary's Place" is a bright tune that promises to be a barn-burner on Mr. Springsteen's tour, which kicks off Aug. 7 in New Jersey. But it feels out of step here, as does "Let's Be Friends." The cross-culture exercise "Worlds Apart," with guest Asif Ali Khan and his group, gives us too little of the Pakistani qawwali singer in a setting that becomes transcendent only in the instrumental coda. And there's not much for Clarence Clemons, the band's sax player, to do throughout the disc. When he's summoned, he fails to make a memorable statement. And yet this is a major work by Mr. Springsteen, for its perspective and powerful visceral impact. On "The Rising," Mr. Springsteen has captured, with stirring acuity, some of the emotions of a watershed moment in American history. For that, the disc takes an honored place in the Springsteen canon. Mr. Fusilli writes about popular music for The Wall Street Journal. Copyright 2000 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. - ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Jul 2002 17:35:08 -0400 From: "Al *" Subject: Handsome Dan By the way, Bruce is looking great! What a contrast between the Nightline interview and the Live in NYC clips they showed therein! Looks like he's dropped some weight, toned-up (I guess those twice-a-day workouts are paying off) and gotten a better haircut. It's taken ten years off his appearance. It's sad-but-true, folks: when the artist is attractive, it helps move albums and concert tickets. Straight-as-an-arrow-but-still-knows-a-good-looking-man-when-he-sees-one, Al _________________________________________________________________ Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com - ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Jul 2002 19:34:15 +0100 From: "Oakland Raiders" Subject: re UK tv schedule Yo The relevant Letterman shows will be firday and monday night here in UK. Its on anytime after 2300, changes all the time. Its repeated the following evening about 1900 Theres also a repeat bes tof the week on sat night late. John [text/html attachment deleted] - ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Jul 2002 16:16:01 -0500 From: Patrick Clark Subject: Roadtrip with The Rising I picked up a copy of The Rising yesterday morning right as I set out on a short drive from Nashville to Knoxville, stay overnight and then drive back home. I am not impressed with this album. Weak songs, familiar structure, very uninspired. Could it be that Bruce no longer has anything to say? I hope not but I'm worried. Flame away if you must but if everyone on this list loved everything the man did, then it would truly be a shame. Sometimes people misfire, even our heroes. Regards, Patrick Clark [text/enriched attachment deleted] - ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Jul 2002 23:56:56 -0400 From: Demetra Christakos Subject: Re: Luckytown Digest #50 and July 30, 2002 Jon Mendez (mendez@comcast.net) wrote: Subject: re-born in the usa: the marketing [Snip]...So, while I love many of the songs on the new album and I'll even be at the Today show, I also have a pit in my stomach knowing that Bruce, the same guy that tore down those all those "Finally..." posters in 1975 signed off on this crass mass media blitz to promote a work and subject matter as sensitive as The Rising. Much about the marketing campaign for The Rising does draw on the experience of Born in the USA. But there have already been several major shifts in this campaign which have convinced me that this outreach is about a lot more than sales. About July 30, for example, one of the single most astounding days in my life in Bruceville: 1) As he does in the States, Bruce appears on the cover of the Canadian edition of Time Magazine. The real point of the Time interview is to ground Bruce's motivation, the opening up of the creative gates, for The Rising in his genuine love for his fans. This is a major change so far in our relationship with Bruce Springsteen, to have him insist on it in so many words. He talks specifically about how the obituaries of workers lost in the World Trade Centre touched him deeply, that they were identified in their obituaries as Springsteen fans. A grief-stricken fan sees him, knows him, and calls out to him on the street--he hears the call, and he is making sure we all know that he heard, and he responded. Not with a hand shake, but with a kiss. He was motivated by the passing of his friends...and fans. He is coming forward to meet us not only as a rock star but also as a man with the gift he can give: his songs. I have been standing among other fans clustered at the back door watching this guy for twenty-one years: this is new. It's honest. He's giving us himself. Whew. 2) The Today broadcast from Asbury Park, New Jersey. What Bruce effected through that broadcast (brilliantly) was a three-hour insistence on the beaches of Asbury Park as a welcoming place of play, fun, beauty for middle-class American families (aka Bennies) who forty years ago crowded that boardwalk 250,000 deep. During the broadcast, Asbury Park looked beautiful. At the same time, the documentary features were an honest portrayal of the community's trials. Congratulations all around to the Save Tillie Committee and Kate Mellina. And to Bruce. He has been unflagging in his personal support for the rebirth of Asbury Park over the last three years, and the broadcast evidenced his complete understanding of all pertinent initiatives. Very, very generous, and a masterful deployment of first-level media for a very worthy cause which never would have received that level of support for even five minutes without him. Secondly, Bruce gave the hype this time out an immediate course correction--by allowing us very extended opportunities to see him physically in all kinds of largely-unmediated circumstances. Rehearsing, talking one-on-one, goofing up with Katie Couric in the company of his band, performing through five different songs. I actually think this generosity of visual access defuses hype. It normalizes things. 3) The Nightline and Upclose interview(s). Extraordinary. By far, these are the most honest, generous, brave and real interviews Bruce Springsteen has ever directly given to us subsequent to the River tour. There were so many small seconds where he showed us himself. During the phenomena of Born in the USA, it may have been easy at that time for all kinds of different people to project themselves onto Bruce's new physical persona, onto his music. Yesterday, from the get-go, he took control of the hype by being completely open and honest about who he really is, what his life is like, what his life has been like, and setting himself honestly in the the setting of his real home. Thank you, Bruce. I can't really imagine what's left for tonight. But I'll be watching. Demetra Christakos - ------------------------------ End of LuckyTown Digest V9 #53 ****************************** ********************************************************************* ** LuckyTown WWW URL ** The LuckyTown FAQ, back issues, web-based subscription/unsubscription, and many other things can be found on the LuckyTown WWW Page: http://www.luckytown.org ** LuckyTown mailing list addresses ** You can send email to go into the next LuckyTown Digest to: luckytown@luckytown.org You can send email to go into the next LuckyTown-Ads Digest to: luckytown-ads@luckytown.org Any questions for the list admin should be emailed to: owner-luckytown@luckytown.org To unsubscribe, send email to majordomo@luckytown.org with message body: unsubscribe luckytown-digest To get further information on how to subscribe/unsubscribe/change your subscription address, as well as the other available commands, send email to majordomo@luckytown.org with message body: help ********************************************************************* The contents of this digest are not necessarily approved by the list admin. - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- This e-mail including any attachments is confidential and may be legally privileged. 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