From: owner-luckytown-digest@luckytown.org (LuckyTown Digest) To: luckytown-digest@luckytown.org Subject: LuckyTown Digest V9 #59 Reply-To: luckytown@luckytown.org Sender: owner-luckytown-digest@luckytown.org Errors-To: owner-luckytown-digest@luckytown.org Precedence: bulk LuckyTown Digest Wednesday, August 7 2002 Volume 09 : Number 059 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: one fan's (long-winded) response... [Rick Johnson ] Re: Last Shakedown (Continental Airlines Arena, 8/5/02) [mwsimm@earthlink] Man On The Street Poll [Leggy Mountbatten ] Paradise [JerzykB@aol.com] Lucky Human in the USA [William.Blaik@Zarlink.Com] Re: LuckyTown Digest V9 #58 [ROY0508@aol.com] sheena easton hook and other things. ["Chinn, Roger J S" ] intro to "My City of Ruins" [p.chang@cowan.edu.au (Paul Chang)] My City of Ruins reference [Don Weisman ] Rare Poster [Colin Hall ] DC here I come... [JudiZYDECO@aol.com] The Elvis Connection ["John Moye" ] RiSiNG project: Seeking tapers and helpers [Norris Thomlinson Subject: one fan's (long-winded) response... ...to David Skinner's review of The Rising in The Weekly Standard (available at http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/001/526lkkqe.a sp ) - ----------------------------------------- Perhaps the author of this review has been moved to great pain and heartache caused by terrible loss in his lifetime. But you wouldn't know it by the attitude he expresses in his review of The Rising, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's latest work. Instead Mr. Skinner seems to feel that the only manly response is a violent one. He wants fire and brimstone and an enemy and appropriate response and collateral damage. But for those of us who feel a wider range of conflicting emotions about the world that has presented itself to us since September 10, this album hits the mark. While the main themes of The Rising deal with loss, emptiness, hope, faith, love and, of course, courage, Mr. Skinner laments the absence of "righteous anger" and "war". I suppose that "I want a kiss from your lips/I want an eye for an eye" (from Empty Sky) is way too subtle for Mr. Skinner's sensibilities. Maybe he should check out some of Toby Keith's fine work instead. This "review" actually sounds more like a personal vendetta against an artist who has the audacity to respond to 9/11 with those "touchy, feely" emotions. And this vendetta appears to have taken root prior to the release of The Rising. He seems a little bitter about some of Springsteen's subject matter in his earlier work (the country's treatment of Vietnam veterans, the AIDS crisis, the Diallo shooting), apparently upset that Bruce didn't have time to work in an album about Whitewater along the way. Skinner asserts that it is illogical for Springsteen to claim that American Skin (41 Shots) is not criticizing the police because "no one writes songs about accidental shootings". Maybe he should consider the possibility that the two ideas (that the shootings were not accidental AND that the cops actions were understandable) can co-exist. The world that most of us occupy is filled with the textured greys of apparent conflicts like this. He also uses the term "controversy-phobic" in his description of Springsteen, which is very interesting in light of Springsteen's decision to play American Skin for the first time in public a couple of nights before the first shows in New York on his last tour, virtually ensuring that the New York media, and indeed the entire national press, would have latched onto it by the time the Boss rolled into New York. So he yearns for a more controversial Springsteen, then in the next breath asks "if Springsteen could be critical of the United States in 1984 (on Born in the U.S.A), why can't he be critical of her enemies today?" Yeah, that's a pretty controversial position. But back to Skinner's review. Not only did Mr. Skinner bring a disdain for Springsteen to the table, it sounds like he may not have even listened to the album at all. To dismiss "Countin' on a Miracle" as a "middling catchy pop song" is to show a remarkable lack of awareness. The song (one interpretation of it, anyway) is about a husband or wife desparately and tirelessly walking the streets of New York, putting up flyers, visiting hospitals, talking to anyone who will listen, in search of a missing loved one. The sense of desperation is heightened by the way Springsteen almost screams the words. A line from the closing verse, "Our love's the dust beneath my feet" is one of the most poignant I have ever heard. Of course, it would have pleased Mr. Skinner so much more if those feet had been shoved up someone's backside. And when the desperation of "Countin' on a Miracle" slowly gives way to the realization of "You're Missing", the listener gets a glimpse into the impossibly cruel emotional ride that the families of the victims endured. "God's drifting in heaven, devil's in the mailbox/I got dust on my shoes, nothing but teardrops" What Springsteen has done with this album is create a response to a world that has been shattered for many people. And it is written in a way that is relevant in one way or another to every person who ever has or ever will experience great loss somewhere down the line. He uses metaphor as the literary device of choice, but in an unexpected way. The events of September 11 are not metaphors for something else. That would trivialize things. Instead, alternate interpretations of many songs are available as metaphors for the events themselves. From the actions of the firemen (stepping, literally, "Into the Fire") to the abrupt change in the Manhattan skyline ("I woke up this morning to an empty sky") to the album's title song itself, this album encourages the listener (the thoughtful ones, anyway) to step into many other shoes and deal with realities that we might find easier to ignore, using language that makes our own personal experiences -- and those of our fellow sufferers -- so much more vivid. It's Springsteen at his best. Pity those who choose not to listen. - --Rick [text/html attachment deleted] ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 5 Aug 2002 16:06:47 -0400 From: "Schock, Dan" Subject: "Another Rising Review..." The Rising Review (or my .02 cents) The 9/11 Theme: When Springsteen overtly links an album to a "theme" the results have been mixed: he's done it successfully in capturing rebellious youth in "BTR"; disillusioned America in "Darkness" and relationships/divorce in "TOL"...and been less than successful in mediocre efforts such as family in "Luckytown" and the disenfranchised SoCal field workers in "TGOTJ". With "The Rising", Springsteen takes on the 9/11 attack on America, and its aftershock...and delivers a roller-coaster ride of emotions, themes and sounds in keeping with the mixture of emotions and reactions linked to that day. It's an whiplash of a CD: one minute he has you in the tortured mind of a surviving policeman ("Nothing Man"...what is it with Brendan O'Brien and this title: he produced one for Pearl Jam about a junkie with the same title) and the next bouncing down the street "Waiting on Sunny Day". He has you dreaming of the glory days playing in a house full of friends in "Mary's Place" then immediately alone, longing and desperate in "You're Missing". At times the juxtaposition of songs is almost too jarring...a double CD with the slower, solemn songs on one and the bouncier tunes on another may have taken care of this...but Springsteen probably wants the listener to feel pulled in all directions at once...as anyone in the NYC/NJ area who lived through the months immediately following 9/11 has also felt. Lyrically, it seems that the 9/11 theme was retro-fit into existing songs to keep the theme: we know it's true of "City of Ruins"....but I think it's probably also the case with "Mary's Place", "Counting on a Miracle" and "Lonesome Day". They make the songs stronger in the context of the album, but each could have lived on it's own without the tweaks in lyrics too. However, the most powerful songs are those specifically written in the shadow of 9/11: "The Rising", "Into the Fire", "World's Apart", "Empty Sky" and "Paradise" all soar....they rock and they roll; they cry and they hurt; they look for answers and redemption...and they are some of the most beautiful and yes, bright songs in Springsteen's career. Bruce has his head and heart in allot of different places...and the music reflects that: it's different in just about every song. The Production: Huge mistake getting O'Brien. He has no idea how to mix the E Street Band, which requires a 60's rock/pop musical ear and not an 80's guitars/vocals rock ear (i.e.Pearl Jam). He has done what most would think impossible: made them out to be session musicians (with the possible exception of Max Weinberg who flares the occasional riff that brings some of the backbeats to life)...case in point: "Further On Up The Road". It's been around for over a year and so Bruce already had it mixed in his head...he probably already had a "final" mix before O'Brien got in the studio...and the band sounds great! Full Wall-of-E Street-sound, gruff, nasty Bruce vocals, stinger guitar riffs. It's what "Miracle" and "Waiting" should sound like...This should have been a Miami Steve production...then there would have been stronger instrumentals and cleaner bridges...and maybe someone would have actually noticed the two guys on keyboards sitting in the back of the room. (Note: my bet is that most of the up tempo songs have a whole different sound in concert. Richer and more complex; better bridges). The Songs: If 9/11 had never happened, what would the CD sound like? My bet is that they'd still be in the studio working on half these songs to make them sound more "complete"...the pre-9/11 songs sound as if they were included to fill the album out...which is not necessarily a bad thing because they all still sound fun if not fresh (forget the production values for a second)....I just believe the chef took them out of the oven sooner that he wanted to because the dessert was done. And, yes, I think Bruce felt an obligation to get rush and release this now because the central theme is timely...Re: the 9/11 songs, as stated before they speak for themselves...musical art. He doesn't break any new ground with these songs...but he shouldn't have to. Great rock and roll isn't about creating something new every time out of the gate...it's about creating great music. All in all ("everything is everything")...This is music for it's time...about it's time...and like it's time: complex, spirited, angry, soulful and ultimately, uplifting and with hope...ironic how LOHAD fits so neatly into the context of "The Rising"...almost prophetic: Bruce now has a trainload of needful souls jumping onboard...only he also has a trainload of great new songs to sing along the way. Next: "The Rising" LIVE...waitin' on a miracle.... ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 7 Aug 2002 11:04:11 -0500 From: mwsimm@earthlink.net (Mike Simmons) Subject: Re: Last Shakedown (Continental Airlines Arena, 8/5/02) >The band hit the stage a little after 7:30. Bruce announced, "I haven't >seen a crowd this size since Little Rock, Arkansas, on the last tour... >and I think it's the same people!" As one of those hearty 7,000 in Little Rock (inside an 18,000-seat arena), I wish it HAD been the same people. I'm not surprised (but am embarrassed) he remembers all those empty seats. I remember thinking, If Bruce ever phones in a show, here we are. But after seeing him on ABC talking about realizing people (like me) had waited months to see him, I shouldn't have worried. He and the band played like it was full house and were awesome. Someone who attended a later show held up a "I Was In Little Rock" sign that Bruce saw. When he pointed to the guy and mouthed, "You were there?" the guy turned the sign around to show the words, "Little Rock: The Few, The Proud." It got a big laugh from Bruce. I won't do a big review here but just say I love the new album (found myself dancing a bit to "Mary's Place" while getting ready for work one day). I seem to have new favorites every day. The last few listens, I've used the random-play option on my CD player and found that really works. The album works great as a unit, but listening "out of order" tends to make the songs stand out more on an individual basis to me and they definitely hold up. ****************** "I'm not given to optimism, but I don't let it worry me." -- Harry Crews, author Mike Simmons E-mail address: mwsimm@earthlink.net ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 5 Aug 2002 21:08:23 -0700 (PDT) From: Leggy Mountbatten Subject: Man On The Street Poll The Chicago Tribune conducted a random man-on-the-street poll, asking "What do you think of Bruce Springsteen and what does his music mean to you?" Of the ten responses they chose to print, none were extremely informed. Proving, I guess, that despite the media onslaught for "The Rising", less than 10% of the population has taken notice. I was especially amused by the person who answered: "His new album is very well-timed after the Sept. 11 tragedy. I think it's easy to make money off it. It's suspicious that all of a sudden he has all this new material related to the tragedy." To which I say: I think it would be a lot more suspicious if he'd come out with this album just BEFORE Sept.11th! - --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Health - Feel better, live better [text/html attachment deleted] ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 6 Aug 2002 00:34:27 +0100 From: "O'Hearn, Chris" Subject: Sydney Morning Herald Review Hi Here is a review form the Sydney Morning Herald. The album hit the charts here yesterday at #5 'Set aside the murderous actions and ask yourself if you can make sense of the despair, anger and questioning that flow from September 11 and the search for reasons to hope. Bruce Springsteen is willing to try.' http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/08/02/1028157841920.html Cheers Chris ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 06 Aug 2002 14:40:29 +0200 From: Carsten Hunsinger Subject: Re: LuckyTown Digest V9 #56 From: "Brian Hedden" > > Can someone tell me where I've heard the intro to "My City of Ruins" before? > There's a song at the tip of my tongue and I can't place it. Brian, I don't know if you are thinking of the same song as I do, but every time I hear the first few seconds of this version of "My City of Ruins", I instantly think of Lee Majors' "The Unknown Stuntman", the title track of that TV show with Lee Majors. Carsten ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 6 Aug 2002 22:48:37 EDT From: JerzykB@aol.com Subject: Paradise Mike wrote: > Paradise # This is a soft ballad about losing a loved one. Gentle acoustic > guitar is augmented by subtle electric guitar, and Springsteen's usual > powerful keyboard washes. Also, there's some very subtle back up singing by > Patti. "Paradise" is vaguely reminiscent of "Sound Of Silence" by Paul > Simon. This one packs a big emotional punch. > Ahh, I'm not the only one who heard echoes of The Sound of Silence in this. But it's not just about losing a loved one. It's about a suicide bomber. Bruce said in an interview it was inspired by reading about a murderous bombing in Jerusalem. Jerry [text/html attachment deleted] ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 6 Aug 2002 12:21:32 +0100 From: William.Blaik@Zarlink.Com Subject: Lucky Human in the USA So, when the few people who I know have asked what the new Springsteen album is like... Lucky Human in the USA Also straight in at Number 1 in the UK. Will ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 7 Aug 2002 10:40:07 EDT From: ROY0508@aol.com Subject: Re: LuckyTown Digest V9 #58 In response to larcin292@aol.com in Digest V9 # 56 My City of Ruins opens like Brownsville Girl by Bob Dylan. [text/html attachment deleted] ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 7 Aug 2002 12:34:13 +0100 From: "Chinn, Roger J S" Subject: sheena easton hook and other things. Fantastic album, Idon't know how you guys can absorb and give opinion on it so quickly. I will need to hear each track some 20-30 times before I begin to feel I know them. And I need to see these in concert to get the heart in them; just look at the feeling Bruce put into letterman performances. As a point of sacrilege: Does anyone else get Sheena Easton's Modern Girl from the "May love give us love etc" chorus in Into the Fire? Rolling Stone, what dateline is he on the cover of? I looked at it today and itis David Matthews for August 8th. That being said, Time put the MIddle Eastern crisis on the cover fro the European edition, so I don't know if we get a different Rolling Stone too. I want Skin to Skin to hit the charts for a late UK summer too, light frothy and cpable of pulling in the younger crowd to hear the rest of the canon. Need to get confirmation of the date and venue of London (?Oct27th Earls Court) Happy Listening and watching for the USA Barnstormers!! ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 07 Aug 2002 21:28:19 +1000 From: Diego Barros Subject: The Rising on the Australian charts The Rising has appeared at number 4 in it's first week on the Australian album chart. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 7 Aug 2002 09:22:39 +0800 From: p.chang@cowan.edu.au (Paul Chang) Subject: intro to "My City of Ruins" Hi, I'm glad I'm not the only one who hears similarities in the intro to MCOR. To me, the 5 note intro to MCOR sounds like to the 5 note intro of Jackson Browne's song These Days. I kind of wish that the simple piano riff at the end of the song was put at the beginning. Cheers, Paul. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 7 Aug 2002 00:35:32 -1000 From: Don Weisman Subject: My City of Ruins reference There have been several mentions about the similarity of the opening of "My City of Ruins" to "The Weight." Beyond that, I think "My City of Ruins" has a heavy "Let It Be" vibe running through it. Play the two songs back-to-back and see if you don't notice it. KailuaDon ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 7 Aug 2002 06:15:16 -0700 (PDT) From: Colin Hall Subject: Rare Poster Hi everyone, I don't post much to the list, but really enjoy everyone's thoughts and reflections on Bruce, the current album (disc), and past music. I am 26 from Arkansas and a relatively young fan, but I love Bruce. I currently have tickets to the St. Louis show and am taking my dad to enjoy Bruce for the first time. Hopefully, he will be immersed in a Rock n' Roll exorcism. See you Further on Up the Road:) - -Colin ====Colin Hall "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..." - -Bruce Springsteen - "The Rising" __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Health - Feel better, live better http://health.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 7 Aug 2002 07:41:24 EDT From: JudiZYDECO@aol.com Subject: DC here I come... Hi Folks, Me and my hubby are coming down to Washington DC for the show on Saturday. (We live 35 miles north of center city Philadelphia.) We are so PSYCHED!!!!!!!! Is anything planned for DC with the folks from LTD? I look forward to meeting some of you guys, if so. Until the next show...... Judi Z judizydeco@aol.com [text/html attachment deleted] ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 06 Aug 2002 17:48:55 +0000 From: "John Moye" Subject: The Elvis Connection It's no secret Bruce is a huge fan of Elvis; he has often told stories live of watching him perform as a child and saying "I want to be just like that..." Moreover, they both come from humble origins, both share a love of all styles of music, and are both live performers in the best sense of that term. That said, I couldn't help but notice in my reading of Peter Gualnick's "Careless Love" this week (a fantastic read in its own right, by the way) that August 16th is the 25th Anniversary of Elvis' death....Surely this will be acknowledged by Bruce somewhere in his setlist this week or next? Not sure we will get a "Bye Bye Johnnie" (as much as I would love one), but maybe an Elvis cover-- at the least like "Follow That Dream" or "Can't Help Falling In Love with You"? Bruce doesn't have a gig on August 16th (he is off that night, although he is in Vegas, Elvis' real "home" the following night)... Anyone else thinking that the BOSS might play something special on the anniversary of the KING'S death? Just a thought... John Moye _________________________________________________________________ Join the world's largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 6 Aug 2002 22:17:07 -0400 (EDT) From: Norris Thomlinson Subject: RiSiNG project: Seeking tapers and helpers Hey all! Hopefully this is the right place to post this; it's sort of an ad, but mostly not... I'm trying to organize tapers and people to help tapers by hanging out with them being relatively quiet, in hopes of getting good tapes of all the upcoming shows. With the general admission nature of the floor, we have the opportunity to group people together and find the sweet spot sound-wise on the floor, which should make for much better tapes than last tour. If you or anyone you know is taping, or willing to help out with the taping process, or willing to help out with distribution of the shows afterwards, please drop me an email! The RiSiNG project page is at http://corrupt.net/~scrub/RiSiNG.html if you want to see the rough sketch of what we've got going so far. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 7 Aug 2002 09:17:34 -0400 From: Steve Ziegelmeyer Subject: General Admission seating in Cincinnati Festival seating back for Springsteen concert First time at downtown arena since 11 deaths at Who concert Wednesday, August 07, 2002 By Larry Nager, lnager@enquirer.com The Cincinnati Enquirer For the first time since 11 concert-goers were killed at Riverfront Coliseum almost 23 years ago, festival seating will return to the arena at Bruce Springsteen's request. Cincinnati Police have granted a one-time variance for the Nov. 12 Springsteen concert at the same venue, now called U.S. Bank Arena. Tickets go on sale Saturday. The decision overturns a festival-seating ban that has been in effect since three weeks after the Dec. 3, 1979, Who concert, in which fans were crushed in a pre-show melee. Festival seating is considered a factor in the crowd's fatal rush. One national safety expert compares the decision to desecrating the World Trade Center site. "Would Bruce Springsteen put on a show at Ground Zero in New York?" asked Paul Wertheimer, head of Crowd Management Strategies, a Chicago-based crowd safety consulting firm specializing in concert and festival safety issues. "He wouldn't do it out of respect for the people who died there. So why is he coming to Cincinnati and playing at Ground Zero where 11 young people died and doing a concert in the same climate that killed them?" Springsteen spokesperson Marilyn Laverty refused comment on why Mr. Springsteen is requiring festival seating on this tour, the first time he has done so. But according to the Springsteen fan Web site, www.backstreets.com, his longtime manager Jon Landau said all floor tickets on the tour will be general admission/festival seating. Festival seating - where chairs are removed from arena floors to increase attendance and, say proponents, create a looser, more festive atmosphere - is making a comeback. More top concert acts are demanding it for their shows. "My understanding is that he went and saw U2 and really liked the energy, liked the vibe. It really added more to the show," said Jim Moehring, U.S. Bank Arena general manager. For Mr. Springsteen, a longtime scalping foe, festival seating will eliminate the front row seats scalpers routinely snatch up and sell at inflated prices. "If I can get tickets up close I will," said Patty Hudepohl, 34, a fan from Edgewood. With acts like the Rolling Stones charging hundreds of dollars for the best seats, Mr. Springsteen's $75 floor tickets are in keeping with his working-man image, she says. "That's what Bruce is all about." U2's tour passed by Cincinnati. The reason, Mr. Moehring said, was the festival-seating ban. The city also said no to festival-seating requests by Pearl Jam and Smashing Pumpkins. Those concerts went to nearby cities with festival seating. Mr. Moehring says a general-admission floor is the only way his building can compete. "They've all got festival seating - Conseco Fieldhouse (Indianapolis), Schottenstein and Nationwide arenas (Columbus), Nutter Center (Dayton), Rupp Arena (Lexington)," said Mr. Moehring. Representatives from Cincinnati police and Nederlander Concerts, which owns U.S. Bank Arena, attended festival-seating concerts in Dayton and Indianapolis by the heavy-metal band Korn. Many Tristate concerts have festival seating, including Riverbend's lawn (outside city limits) and Pepsi Jammin' on Main. Cincinnati Police spokesman Lt. Kurt Byrd said police took the audience into account when granting the variance. "They're not a crowd likely to get rowdy and cause trouble. He draws a generally well-behaved type crowd," he said. Marilyn Kirby, owner of Everybody's Records and one of the Tristate's biggest Springsteen fans, has seen the Boss in concert about 75 times. She'll be at the Nov. 12 show, but in a reserved seat. "I do not want tickets on the floor," said Ms. Kirby, 52, who attended the 1979 Who concert with her 4- and 7-year-old sons (she had reserved seats). "I think it's not a great idea," she said. "I think it's definitely a safer bet than, like, a Metallica show, but I'm kind of surprised. It's a mellower crowed, yeah, but there are always going to be those crazies." Because arena officials are hoping this is the first of many such events, they say they'll take no chances. Mr. Moehring calls the Springsteen concert a "trial balloon" for bringing back festival seating. "We're going to have every security measure in place," he said. The arena has set a limit of 1,800 for general admission seating on the floor (some venues pack as many as 2,500 in the same space). The entire arena capacity for the concert will be 17,200. In addition, floor ticket holders will be given wristbands and be checked several times, keeping the traffic as controlled as possible. "Whether or not they can do this well, it shouldn't be done for safety's sake and because it will set a precedent," said Mr. Wertheimer, who was chief of staff for the Task Force on Crowd Control and Safety organized after the Who deaths. "People all the time forget the lessons of the past." Steve Ziegelmeyer ------------------------------ End of LuckyTown Digest V9 #59 ****************************** ********************************************************************* ** 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.