To say I was wowed by this intimate glimpse into David Brook’s inner workings on this personal level is frankly, an awkward understatement.  I have noticed minute changes in David Brooks over time as he appears as a respected political pundit on many of the television shows I am prone to watch.     While I have always admired his intelligence, thoughtfulness and manner of speaking,  I nevertheless have been impressed with a deepening – growing breadth and a certain sensitiveness.    We are all humans, capable of growth, change and limitless capacity,  but I must admit I never expected to find another from this field  with  those rarefied  qualities I so missed with the untimely loss of  Tim Russert last year. (see 7-01-08 post,   Dr. McDougall and Tim Russert)   So, in case you missed David’s latest . . . .

Emotional Education Comes Through   “the BOSS”

David Brooks writes for the New York Times

Like many of you, I went to elementary school, high school and college. I took such and such classes, earned such and such grades, and amassed such and such degrees.

But on the night of Feb. 2, 1975, I turned on WMMR in Philadelphia and became mesmerized by a concert the radio station was broadcasting. The concert was by a group I’d never heard of —Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. Thus began a part of my second education.

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We don’t usually think of this second education. For reasons having to do with the peculiarities of our civilization, we pay a great deal of attention to our scholastic educations, which are formal and supervised, and we devote much less public thought to our emotional educations, which are unsupervised and haphazard. This is odd, since our emotional educations are much more important to our long-term happiness and the quality of our lives.   In any case, over the next few decades Springsteen would become one of the professors in my second education. In album after album he assigned a new course in my emotional curriculum.

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In a normal schoolroom, information walks through the front door and announces itself by light of day. It’s direct. The teacher describes the material to be covered, and then everybody works through it.   The knowledge transmitted in an emotional education, on the other hand, comes indirectly, seeping through the cracks of the windowpanes, from under the floorboards and through the vents. It’s generally a byproduct of the search for pleasure, and the learning is indirect and unconscious.

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From that first night in the winter of 1975, I wanted the thrill that Springsteen was offering. His manager, Jon Landau, says that each style of music elicits its own set of responses. Rock, when done right, is jolting and exhilarating.   I followed Springsteen into his world. Once again, it wasn’t the explicit characters that mattered most. Springsteen sings about teenage couples out on a desperate lark, workers struggling as the mills close, and drifters on the wrong side of the law. These stories don’t directly touch my life, and as far as I know he’s never written a song about a middle-age pundit who interviews politicians by day and makes school lunches at night.

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What mattered most, as with any artist, were the assumptions behind the stories. His tales take place in a distinct universe, a distinct map of reality. In Springsteen’s universe, life’s “losers” always retain their dignity. Their choices have immense moral consequences, and are seen on an epic and anthemic scale.    There are certain prominent neighborhoods on his map — one called defeat, another called exaltation, another called nostalgia. Certain emotional chords — stoicism, for one — are common, while others are absent. “There is no sarcasm in his writing,” Landau says, “and not a lot of irony.”

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I find I can’t really describe what this landscape feels like, especially in newspaper prose. But I do believe his narrative tone, the mental map, has worked its way into my head, influencing the way I organize the buzzing confusion of reality, shaping the unconscious categories through which I perceive events. Just as being from New York or rural Georgia gives you a perspective from which to see the world, so spending time in Springsteen’s universe inculcates its own preconscious viewpoint.

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Then there is the man himself. Like other parts of the emotional education, it is hard to bring the knowledge to consciousness, but I think important lessons are communicated by that embarrassed half-giggle he falls into when talking about himself. I think a message is conveyed in the way he continually situates himself within a tradition — de-emphasizing his own individual contributions, stressing instead the R&B groups, the gospel and folk singers whose work comes out through him.

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I’m not claiming my second education has been exemplary or advanced. I’m describing it because I have only become aware of it retrospectively, and society pays too much attention to the first education and not enough to the second. In fact, we all gather our own emotional faculty — artists, friends, family and teams. Each refines and develops the inner instrument with a million strings.

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This month, my kids attended their first Springsteen concert in Baltimore. At one point, I looked over at my 15-year-old daughter. She had a look of slack-jawed, joyous astonishment on her face. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing — 10,000 people in a state of utter abandon, with Springsteen surrendering himself to them in the center of the arena.

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It begins again.

Some mental leftovers being reheated from the week:

I had a grand time at a great concert last Sunday as Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band ended their latest tour (not their last, settle down) at HSBC Arena. Despite the arena being curiously odd about how people were let in, (4 ticket takers for 18000 folks?) it was a great show. I was in the 200 level, about halfway up the arena, great site line and everything. Most of the arena was seriously into the show, but there were a few exceptions. I had to laugh a little as there were two guys who look like they were being punished. I’ve never been the king of overly-demonstrativeness at shows, but these guys sat, arms crossed for the whole show. I wasn’t sure if they were being punished or what. The “last show” hype did a number on the souvenir stands. I’ve never seen a concert clean things out before. Happily, the one thing I wanted is cheaper on the Live Nation site anyway.

Guessed wrong again as to where to spend a holiday. The one consistency in going from groom to ex groom is that you are still never right. I don’t hate this season. I just don’t approach it with much in the way of enthusiasm. Kids are older so it is easier to think of it as one day.  I think the Black Friday chowderheads are exactly that. I have forever put myself through unnecessary handwringing over what I can and can’t do for my kids and since resuming my bachelorhood struggle with my own placement. Their mom and I have brunched with them the past few years and that has evolved into a highlight for me. The rest has proven to be emotionally trying. I think the upshot is I think too much. When you’re in one place, you feel you should be in the other. When you’re in the other, you feel like you are in the way.

Nobody wants to take responsibility anymore. A financial institution holding a loan for me had a busted website. I won’t say who it was, citi (oops), and while having the nerve to celebrate “customer service week,” their website got hung up and took more money than they were entitled to take. This five second screw up took a week to complete and repair. They’ve made a believer out of me. No bailouts. I told the local folks that when this can’t be done right, they really shouldn’t be dipping into areas like Aflac’s.

Got criticized by a potential date for being involved with my kids, like there is no room for something or someone else. Apparently I am supposed to compartmentalize my time. We all should be catered to on that sort of level, but jeez, give things a chance to evolve. As this is the second time I’ve heard this, I think I’m holding a minority opinion, yet another one.

A weatherman mocked my use of the phrase “almost decent” on a facebook status. Seems kind of petty since he almost watchable (but not quite).

My culinarily gifted sister (psst, that is a career waiting, just saying) offered up a rockin turkey that I was all to happy to finish off with yesterday’s lunch. Only down side was nobody else was around to appreciate the groovy scents coming my microwave.

Nice footnote to the week, last night at dinner with my younger two, the restaurant radio actually played “Incident on 57th Street” and had the good sense to let it play right into “Rosalita” as God intended.

A beautiful thing, indeed.

It’s Saturday morning and something made me think about the meaning of patriotism.  Out of the blue.  I began thinking of an old Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul song, “I Am a Patriot” and a version that he performed back in 1984.  It had a long intro that was simply put by Little Steven ( better known to most  as Steve Van Zandt of the E Street Band and The Sopranos) and speaks as well to these times as it did 25 years ago.

It may be hard to get past the 80’s look of the clothing and the production of the show this is from but I think it’s still a pretty good anthem for doing what is best for the people of your country first, setting aside self-interest.   And that’s what patriots do.

By the way, the painting shown is  The Way of the Brave and is currently hung at the West End Gallery in Corning, NY.  I thought it fit the song…

Plus de 100 internautes (un record ! ) ont participé à notre sondage pour élire leur membre préféré du E Street Band.

Steve Van Zandt l’emporte nettement avec 26 % des suffrages, devant Clarence Clemons (18 %). Suivent Nils Lofgren (14 %), Max Weinberg (11 %), Gary Tallent (8 %), Roy Bittan (7 %). Patti Scialfa n’obtient que 6 % des voix, suivie par Danny Federici (4 %) et Soozie Tyrell (2 %). Jean Sarkozy et Marie Bové n’ont pas fait recette. Enfin, Bruce Springsteen (choix non proposé) arrive bon dernier avec 1 %…

Mais, au fait, Bruce Springsteen fait-il partie du E Street Band ou pas ? Vos avis seront appréciés !

(Above: Clarence Clemons, the Big Man, recalls the phone call that put the E Street Band on hiatus for 10 years.)

By Joel Francis

Legions of dedicated Bruce Springsteen fans have no doubt haunted hotel bars after concerts in hopes of being able to buy their heroes a drink and soak in their stories. In his new autobiography “Big Man,” E Street saxophone player Clarence Clemons offers fans the next best thing with 360 pages of his favorite stories from the road and adventures with friends like Robert DeNiro, Kinky Friedman and, of course, the Boss.

The warning is right there in the subtitle: “Real Life and Tall Tales.” This is not a chronological telling of Clemons’ life. Rather, it’s a series of episodes and anecdotes. In the first 50 pages, the story races from Clemmons’ childhood in rural Virginia to meeting Springsteen, his first job with a band and ultimately joining the Bruce Springsteen Band.

Early vignettes like the portrait of Clemons and Springsteen hanging out underneath the Jersey pier are vivid snapshots of uninhibited creativity, innocence and ambition. The book is best when it operates along these lines, lifting the veil of history and putting the reader in the moment.

Clemmons’ telling of receiving a phone call from Springsteen while on tour with Ringo Starr’s All-Starr Band is especially poignant. Also entertaining is the tale of shooting pool with Fidel Castro in Cuba as Hunter S. Thompson offers commentary from the bar.

But moments like this are divorced from context, and raise many unanswered questions. Clemons never discusses how he spent decade away from the E Street Band or how he became friends with the Good Doctor. Too frequently the story is bogged down by diversions of pay phone conversations with Groucho Marx and competitive exchanges with Norman Mailer.

There is no doubt that Clemons is an intelligent man, filled with wit who knows how to tell a story. He is happy to take the reader into the Temple of Soul, the backstage sanctuary Clemons creates before each show, but unwilling to reveal everything that happens away from the music.

Clemons recognizes omitting the juicy bits undermines his purpose. At one point he jokes about writing another book that contains all the sex and drug stories from the early days and publishing it after everyone in the band has died, but realizes everyone has children and grandchildren and quickly recants. The decision is understandable, but the kid gloves weaken the saga and experience.

For example, we learn that Springsteen has two rules: don’t take drugs and be on time. Clemons reports that since he breaks one rule regularly, he is always punctual. Drugs, particularly marijuana, show up several times, but Clemons never explains his introduction to these experiences or their perpetual attraction.

Clemons is more transparent about his health problems. He had both knees and hips replaced prior to the “Working on a Dream” tour and underwent a tough rehab regimen before being able to perform at the Super Bowl. These issues, coupled with ruminations on the deaths of E Street veterans Danny Federici and Terry Magovern give the last third of the book a morbid preoccupation. What should be a celebration, feels like a premature wake.

The biggest problem with “Big Man,” however, is co-writer Don Reo. While most “as told to” authors stay in the background, Reo has no difficulty inserting himself into the story, bragging about his past as a television writer for “The Cher Show” and bringing “Blossom” to the small screen. Reo sometimes serves as an uber-fan insider, providing a third-party perspective on the inner workings of a Springsteen tour or an alternate angle on some of Clemons’ tales. Unfortunately, he’s too preoccupied with dropping names and gushing about how cool it is to be part of Clemmons’ entourage to be completely effective.

Reo’s interruptions also cause an inconsistent narrative voice. Clemmons’ story distractingly jumps between first and third person, depending on which author is helming the chapter.

Despite these shortcomings, “Big Man” is a breezy, entertaining read. Although it may have worked better as a series of blog entries or podcasts, hardcore fans will revel in hearing the man who defined “Jungleland” spin yarns.

(Below: Clemons reflects on the death of longtime E Street band member Danny Federici.)

Keep reading:

Review: Boss is Bigger than Big 12 Tourney (2008)

Bruce Springsteen and Tom Morello – “The Ghost of Tom Joad”

Review: Springsteen’s “Dream” Needs More Work

Springsteen in the Waiting Room: Drop the Needle and Pray

Springsteen Rocks the Hall (part 1)

Springsteen Rocks the Hall (part 2)

More Bruce Springsteen on The Daily Record

Les fans peuvent être rassurés : dans une interview à paraître demain 27 novembre 2009 dans le magazine Billboard, Bruce Springsteen confirme qu’il n’a jamais « vraiment » été question que la tournée Working on a dream soit la dernière avec le E Street Band.

Selon l’extrait de cet entretien publié sur le site du Star-Ledger (cliquez ici), le groupe envisage encore « beaucoup, beaucoup d’années à tourner, jouer et y prendre plaisir » !

Quel futur pour le E Street Band de Bruce Springsteen après l’ultime concert de la tournée Working on a dream à Buffalo le 22 novembre dernier ?

Un indice supplémentaire (après celui relevé ici) avec cette reprise du bluesman Chuck Willis, au titre révélateur : (I don’t want to) Hang up my rock and roll shoes !

Alors, croisons les doigts pour que non seulement Bruce Springsteen, mais tout le E Street Band ne raccroche pas ses rock and roll shoes !

La preuve qu’il y a une vie en dehors du E Street Band avec ce clip – sans doute le plus réussi de l’année – de Heaven can wait, par Charlotte Gainsbourg et Beck.

Une très belle chanson somptueusement mise en images.

Enjoy !

Finis, d’un seul coup, le suivi angoissé des setlists, la recherche des tour et world premieres, la quête aux vidéos sur YouTube et aux commentaires sur les forums, la pioche aux infos sur Tweeter, Facebook ou Google News…

Pour les fans de Bruce Springsteen, la fin de la tournée Working on a dream, qui se terminait en apothéose hier 22 novembre à Buffalo, est un peu l’équivalent de la fin d’un voyage au long cours, voire du sevrage pour un alcoolique ou un toxicomane. Il va falloir apprendre à survivre sans ces “drogues” quotidiennes. L’occasion, à l’évidence, de se souvenir, pour ceux qui l’auraient oublié un instant, qu’il n’y a pas que le E Street Band dans la vie…

Mais le pays de l’espoir et des rêves n’est sans doute pas à remiser définitivement au rayon des esprits dans la nuit. Car, selon le compte-rendu de Chris Philips sur le site de Backstreets, Bruce Springsteen a indiqué, au cours de la dernière chanson, Rockin’ all over the world, que c’était le dernier show du groupe “pour un tout petit moment”.

So we’re gonna say goodbye, but just for a little while… a very little while… because… because…” before singing again, “I like it, I like it, I like it!”

Alors, arrêt définitif ou simple pause ? Vos avis et infos sont les bienvenus !

Dearest MamaKitt, that was quite an entry today. Mine will not have the same power, I’m afraid, both because you’re awesome and because I am sorely under the weather, but I will bring some parallelism: Where you wrote of fire, I’m writing of water. Sort of.

Last night I saw Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band in concert for the fourth time, and this time was a doozy. Word on the street is that this might have been the last we see of Bruce and the full complement of E Streeters for a while, and boy did they make the most of it. Three and half hours of music, with Bruce bouncing and running and crowd-surfing to the bitter end, all of it rocking your socks off.

Toward the end of this tour, Bruce et al have been playing each of their records, front to back, starting with the most recent and ending, last night, with Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. I didn’t know many of the songs from that record, I have to say — I loooove Bruce in concert, but I am not an expert on his recordings. But last night, man, “Lost in the Flood” tore me to pieces.

They played the shit out of that song, with the fervor and fire and apparently heartfelt enthusiasm I have only before observed at other Springsteen concerts. These fellas (Patti was absent last night) just seem to genuinely love what they do, and to care about putting on a good show. That shouldn’t be such a rare quality in overpaid performers, but it seems to be.

Anyway, I gained a renewed love for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band last night, a new favorite song, and a whopper of a cold. Sorry I can’t do better by the blog, or by Bruce, today, but so it goes. Read the Backstreets entry on last night’s concert for a better report.

Was für eine Setlist ! Was für eine letzte Show ! Das Greetings Album inkl. den Tourpremieren “Mary Queen of Arkansas” und “The Angel” wurde Mike Appel gewitmet: “to the man who got me in the door. Mike Appel is here tonight — Mike, this is for you.” Hinzu ein unglaublich Version  von ”Lost in the flood” Solo.

“Restless Nights.” , “Merry Christmas Baby” und Chuck Willis’s “(I Don’t Want to) Hang Up My Rock and Roll Shoes,” als Tourpremieren. 

Sie feierten auch den Geburtstag von Little Steven auf der Bühne (22.11.1950). Kevin Buell brachte die Geburtstagstorte (mit einer Gitarre drauf) auf die Bühne. Mit Max Hilfe sangen das Publikum Happy Birthday.  ”For Steve!” sagte Bruce und Suprise Suprise startete, “Well today is your birthday, we traveled so far we two
So let’s blow out the candles on your cake and we’ll raise a glass or two”, danach probierte Stevie die Torte “”Not bad!” und Bruce fügte den Lyrich hinzu: “And when the sun comes out tomorrow, it’ll be the start of a brand new day…”.

Es war nicht die letzte Tour mit der E Street Band: “We appreciate you coming out to see the E Street Band. So we’re gonna say goodbye, but just for a little while… a very little while… because… because…” before singing again, “I like it, I like it, I like it!”
Setlist:

Wrecking Ball (mit Curt Ramm)
The Ties That Bind
Hungry Heart
Working on a Dream
Blinded By the Light
Growin’ Up
Mary Queen of Arkansas
Doe This Bus Stop at 8nd Street?
Lost in the Flood
The Angel
For You
Spirit in the Night
It’s Hard to Be a Saint in the City
Waitin’ on a Sunny Day
The Promised Land
Restless Nights
Surprise, Surprise
Green Onions (instrumental)
Merry Christmas Baby (mit Curt Ramm)
Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town (mit Curt Ramm)
(I Don’t Want to) Hang Up My Rock and Roll Shoes
Boom Boom
My Love Will Not Let You Down
Long Walk Home
The Rising
Born to Run
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out (mit Curt Ramm)
* * *
I’ll Work For Your Love
Thunder Road
American Land (mit Curt Ramm)
Dancing in the Dark
Rosalita (mit Curt Ramm)
Higher and Higher (mit Curt Ramm)
Rockin’ All Over the World

If I had a bucket list for concerts I would certainly be crossing out Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band after being a part of the 3-hour show last week. Seeing Clarence Clemmons, Max Winberg, and Steven Van Zandt in person in addition to Springsteen was to be in the presence of musical royalty.

The concert experience is always so interesting. To be a part of something—something shared like the experience almost always is—reminds me so much of our need to belong. The Springsteen community is in fact a special one, one that remembers and draws deep from life’s many twists and turns, and I was so glad that Bruce and the band opted to retrace the steps that got us here instead of pushing tracks from the more recent Magic and Working on a Dream. Highlights of the night included the entire Born to Run record from 1975. Bruce introduced the set by saying that, at the time, their third record was for the most part a do or die. After “two stiffs,” according to the Boss, Born To Run had to be a hit or he was done.

The Born to Run set was magic for me not necessarily for the songs themselves, but more due to the feelings of pathos surrounding the entire set. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band had three shows left after Nashville and at each one they were including a set from one of their most critical records: Greetings from Asbury Park, Born in the USA, The River, and Born to Run. It was evident that the band was aware that they were playing these songs, perhaps, together for the last time. With all due respect to the performance of “Backstreets”, the finale “Jungleland” left a tone of sadness hanging in the air above all of us at Sommet that night—especially the last few lines:

And the poets down here don’t write nothing at all. They just stand back and let it all be, and in the quick of the night they reach for their moment and try to make an honest stand. But they wind up wounded; not even dead—Tonight in Jungleland.

Which brings me to another revelation. If you think about it, American popular music is relatively young. We really began with the Elvis/Beatles generation that gave way to the music of the 1970s and 1980s. When MTV hit the scene in the early to mid 1980s we began what I see as a third generation. As the concert drew towards its close last week I sensed a generation going with him. Simultaneously there was celebration and lament as those final words of “Jungleland” signaled the end.

That shift in popular music that began with MTV and most likely completed itself around the end of the 1980s began a trend in popular music more toward the carnal and away from the heart. As I enjoyed the last chords of an era, it hit me that the sadness I was feeling was the result of something lost. And even though we knew it wouldn’t last forever—we still held on to the notion that it might. I may be crazy, but when Bruce told the crowd that the E Street Band was going away “for at least a little while,” I can’t help but think that everyone on the stage was thinking the same thing.

There will always be good songwriters and good music, but I tend to think the era of the songwriters that wrote not to stimulate our basest desire, but touch our souls, is coming to an end. The good news, of course, is that we have recordings—in Springsteen’s case a lot—as proof that we were a people at one time that felt with our hearts instead of carnality and superficiality.

Here is the setlist from November 18 at the Sommet Center, Nashville TN.

Wrecking Ball (with Curt Ramm)
Seeds
Trapped
Something in the Night
Hungry Heart
Working on a Dream
Thunder Road
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out (with Curt Ramm)
Night
Backstreets
Born to Run
She’s the One
Meeting Across the River (with Curt Ramm)
Jungleland
Waitin’ on a Sunny Day
Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town
Two Hearts
Darlington County
You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)
Lonesome Day
The Rising
Badlands

Ring of Fire (with Curt Ramm)
No Surrender
Bobby Jean
American Land (with Curt Ramm)
Dancing in the Dark
Rosalita (with Curt Ramm)
Higher and Higher (with Curt Ramm)

Voici la setlist du dernier concert de la tournée Working on a dream de Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band à la HSBC Arena de Buffalo le 22 novembre 2009.

Près de 3 h 30 de concert avec, pour la première fois, Greetings from Asbury Park en intégral, des premières comme Restless Nights (pour l’anniversaire de Steve Van Zandt) et la présence de Willie Nile sur Higher and Higher… Ceux qui étaient présents ont eu beaucoup de chance !

8:22

1. Wrecking Ball
2. The Ties That Bind
3. Hungry Heart
4. Working On A Dream
5. Blinded By The Light
6. Growin’ Up (WITH STORY!!!!!!!)
7. MARY QUEEN OF ARKANSAS
8. Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street?
9. Lost in the Flood
10. THE ANGEL
11. For You
12. Spirit in the Night
13. It’s Hard to be a Saint in the City
14. Waitin’ on a Sunny Day
15. The Promised Land
16. RESTLESS NIGHTS (for Steve’s birthday)
17. Surprise, Surprise (for Steve’s birthday–cake and candles)
collecting signs to Green Onions
18. MERRY CHRISTMAS BABY
19. Santa Claus is Coming to Town
20. I DON’T WANNA HANG UP MY ROCK AND ROLL SHOES
21. Boom Boom
22. My Love Will Not Let You Down
23. Long Walk Home
24. The Rising
25. Born to Run
26. Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out

27. I’LL WORK FOR YOUR LOVE
28. Thunder Road
29. American Land
30. Dancing in the Dark
31. Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
32. Higher and Higher (w/ Willie Nile)
33. Rocking All Over the World

11:51

Voici la setlist du concert de Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band au 1st Mariner Arena de Baltimore (Maryland) le 20 novembre 2009.

Comme depuis plusieurs soirs, Santa Claus is coming to town était au menu. Noël avant terme ! C’était l’avant-dernier show de la tournée Working on a dream, avant le final dimanche à Buffalo.

Source : LOHAD

Wrecking Ball (with Curt Ramm)
Prove It All Night
Hungry Heart
Working on a Dream
Thunder Road
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out (with Curt Ramm)
Night
Backstreets
Born to Run
She’s the One
Meeting Across the River (with Curt Ramm)
Jungleland
Waitin’ on a Sunny Day
Spirit in the Night
Green Onions
Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town
The E Street Shuffle
For You
Radio Nowhere
My Love Will Not Let You Down
Long Walk Home
The Rising
Badlands
* * *
Ramrod
Hard Times
Land of Hope and Dreams
American Land (with Curt Ramm and Ali Weinberg)
Dancing in the Dark
Rosalita (with Curt Ramm)
Higher and Higher (with Curt Ramm)
Glory Days

Jon Landau, manager de Bruce Springsteen, annonce sur le site de Rolling Stone deux sorties pour 2010 : un DVD live de la tournée Working on a dream, qui pourrait paraître “peu après Noël” ; et le coffret Darkness on the edge of town, attendu depuis 2007 (date du 20e anniversaire de cet album).

Selon Jon Landau, le coffret Darkness est réalisé “à 93 %” et sera “absolument fantastique”. Il se composera sans doute d’une version remastérisée de l’album, d’un documentaire en DVD et d’enregistrements vidéo live de la tournée 1978.

Jon Landau confirme l’absence d’autres projets pour le E Street Band en 2010, mais parle d’un “illustre futur” pour le groupe. Cela signifie-t-il que le concert de Buffalo ne sera pas le “dernier carnaval” du E Street Band ? Les paris sont ouverts !

L’article de Rolling Stone est à lire en cliquant ici.

Here are things I like:

1. Bruce Springsteen

2. The E Street Band

3. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band live in concert

Here are things I dislike:

1. Morning radio deejays

2. Morning radio contests

3. People who can’t sing, singing

4. Morning radio deejays who hold contests in which people who can’t sing try to sing songs like “Hungry Heart” for Springsteen tickets.

Sigh. Alas, it was not a happy ride to work this morning, given all this madness.

But all will be better in a few short days, when the man and the band themselves arrive in my city, and I go to hear them play. SWOOOOOOOON.

Bruce Springsteen a profité de son concert au Sommet Center de Nashville le 18 novembre 2009 pour chanter Ring of fire, l’un des plus grands tubes de Johnny Cash, décédé dans cette ville, capitale du country, le 12 septembre 2003.

Voici la setlist de ce concert, peut-être l’un des derniers avec le E Street Band (lire ici).

Higher and higher et Santa Claus étaient au programme…

Source : Point Blank

Wrecking Ball +
Seeds
Trapped
Something in the Night
Hungry Heart
Working on a Dream
Thunder Road
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out +
Night
Backstreets
Born to Run
She’s the One
Meeting Across the River +
Jungleland
Waitin’ on a Sunny Day
Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town
Two Hearts
Darlington County
You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)
Lonesome Day
The Rising
Badlands
-
Ring of Fire +
No Surrender
Bobby Jean
American Land +
Dancing in the Dark
Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) +
Higher and Higher +

+ con / with Curt Ramm
-

Le concert de Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band le 22 novembre 2009 à Buffalo, dans l’Etat de New York, sera-t-il le dernier avec ce groupe légendaire ?

Après une déclaration de l’agent de Max Weinberg annonçantque ce concert serait “the last ever” avec le E Street Band, démentie ensuite, le blog US Blogness on the edge of town fait le point des infos et des rumeurs. Avec cette conclusion : quelle que soit la suite, Bruce Springsteen n’est pas près de prendre sa retraite !

L’article de Blogness est à lire en cliquant ici.

Pour ma part, je croise les doigts en notant que, lors de son concert de Cleveland le 10 novembre dernier, Bruce Springsteen a déclaré (c’est moi qui souligne) :
“You’ve just seen, for the last time in a while, the heart stoppin’, earth shockin’, history makin’… legendary E Street Band.”

Alors, last time ever, ou last time in a while ? Dernier concert de la tournée ou dernier concert tout court ? Vos avis sont impatiemment attendus !

Una volta ho sognato il paradiso. Avrò avuto vent’anni. Me lo ricordo ancora perché il mio inconscio ebbe il merito di non accontentarsi della
solita rappresentazione del paradiso fatta di nuvolette, santi barbuti con la tunica e gente con l’aureola, ma preferì virare verso lo
sperimentale. Quello che sognai ero un luogo senza consistenza, abitato da ombre luminose che sapevi essere stati persone, ma che non ne avevano più le sembianze; erano piuttosto entità che emanavano luce e pace. Il paradiso che sognai era così: non un posto, ma una sensazione di pace assoluta. Quello che ho visto fuori dal Madison Square Garden alla fine della seconda di due indescrivibili serate è la cosa che più si avvicina a quel sogno. Nel piazzale c’erano persone che si muovevano senza toccare terra ed emanavano una sensazione di quieta e assoluta pace. E non c’erano parole, perché nessuno riusciva a proferire verbo. Ho incontrato anche dei mailer, ci siamo guardati negli occhi e in quelli c’era lo specchio di come ci sentivamo, ma nessuno aveva nulla da dire. O meglio, non aveva nulla che riuscisse ad esprimere. Ci siamo guardati e quello è bastato per dire: sì, ho capito, sento la stessa cosa. Ora, a più di una settimana di distanza, dovrei e vorrei descrivere
queste due serate, ma l’impresa sembra ancora titanica. Come se nulla di quello che ho provato fosse riducibile in parole. Ed è così, infatti.
Ci proverò lo stesso.

PRIMA SERATA
La descrizione più calzante per questo primo concerto non è mia, ma della mia futura moglie. Uno dei mille motivi che fanno di questa
meravigliosa donna la mia anima gemella è la sua innata capacità di guardare il mondo con gli stessi occhi dell’Holden Caulfield di The
Catcher in the Rye: non vede il primo e più ordinario aspetto della realtà, ma il suo significato nascosto in terza o quarta fila. E’ una di
quelle rare persone che capisce benissimo che quando ti fanno un regalo, sotto sotto ti senti un po’ triste. Una di quelle persone che quando
vedono il laghetto di Central Park non possono fare a meno di chiedersi che fine fanno le papere che vi sguazzano quando d’inverno quello
specchio d’acqua diventa ghiacciato. Una di quelle persone per cui la realtà nel suo significato più evidente è terribilmente noiosa e che
quindi riesce a leggere nel mondo ciò che sfugge a noi comuni mortali. Grazie a questa dote, la mia Silvia è capace di uscirsene con frasi che
definiscono perfettamente un momento che nessun altro è capace di descrivere. E di inchiodarlo al muro con tre semplice parole.
Ed è così che nel bel mezzo dell’esecuzione di The wild, the innocent & the E street shuffle si è voltata verso di me e ha detto: “questa è un’allucinazione” Non era un’iperbole, non era nemmeno una domanda gioiosamente ironica, ma una semplice, dovuta constatazione. Mi stava informando di un fatto di per sé evidente: quella era un’allucinazione. Non aveva nulla di reale, né di palpabile. Quello cui stavamo assistendo era stato fabbricato con la materia di cui sono fatti i sogni. Il Garden si era sollevato dalle sue storiche fondamenta ed ora fluttuava da qualche
parte in un luogo che non esiste, tra l’isola che non c’è e il paese delle meraviglie. Noi eravamo lì, ma lì non era da nessuna parte.
Ho iniziato a sognare ben prima di ascoltare per la prima volta The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle. Ho sognato luoghi e persone
che non c’erano sin da quando mi ricordo. Quel disco però diede un ordine e una cornice a tutta la mia fantasia. Parlava lo stesso
linguaggio, diceva le stesse cose, ma lo faceva meglio. Conoscevo già Spanish Johnny, ma non sapevo che quello fosse il suo nome. Ero già
stato mille volte in un posto come lo shore, ma ora quei luoghi avevano una consistenza. Non ero mai stato a New York, ma in fondo avevo sempre saputo come si doveva camminare per le sue strade. Quel disco mi dimostrò che al mondo c’era qualcuno che sognava nello stesso modo in cui lo facevo io. Una cosa che, a quattordici anni, mi diede un regalo unico e inestimabile: mi fece sentire meno solo.
Sono passati 25 anni e la mia fantasia non è più viva e invadente come a quel tempo; ma se voglio ricordare come sognavo allora, quale sapore e
profumo avesse la mia fantasia, mi basta riascoltare quel disco. E’ tutto lì, incapsulato in sette canzoni e lo sarà per sempre.
Essere presente all’esecuzione di Wild & Innocent ha avuto quel sapore e quel profumo, ma anche una strana forma di evanescente concretezza che solo i sogni possono avere. E’ stato come entrare in un luogo che dovrebbe essere negato ai mortali.L’unico modo che ho per descriverlo è questo: avete presente quel meraviglioso pezzo di Incident “Johnny was sittin’ on the fire escape watchin’ the kids playin’ down the street”? E’ un passaggio fantastico, c’è tutto il talento di scrivere in maniera cinematografica che aveva lo Springsteen di quegli anni. Vedere quella scena non è solo semplice, è inevitabile. Ma quella sera non si trattava solo di vederla; quella sera era come essere all’angolo di quella strada. Alzavi lo sguardo e vedevi Spanish Johnny sulla scala antincendio, lo abbassavi e vedevi i ragazzi. Avresti potuto anche parlarci, avresti potuto abbracciarli. Eri lì, con loro. Eri sullo shore mentre un ragazzo diceva addio a Sandy. E poi eri al circo, e accanto a Catlong che singhiozzava e sotto la finestra di Rosie e sulla Cadillac con Billy. Eri parte del contorno in cui si muovono i personaggi di un’opera d’arte e ballavi, camminavi, soffrivi e ridevi con loro. Ora, io potrei anche continuare e raccontarvi di come Bruce abbia incastonato quelle sette gemme sul palco, una dopo l’altra. Potrei parlarvi di come la sezione fiati ha fatto saltare il tetto del Garden su Kitty’s back o di come la sezione d’archi abbia portato New York City Serenade fino ad un livello di bellezza francamente insostenibile. Potrei dirvi e raccontarvi di quell’infinito, meraviglioso assolo alla
fine di Incident, o del passaggio tra questa e Rosalita. Potrei descrivere tanto e alla fine non dirvi niente. Sarebbero solo fatti, e
quella sera si è andati ben oltre. Una volta chiesero a Foreman se Muhammad Ali fosse il più grande pugile di tutti i tempi. Lui rispose secco: “No. Lui era più grande della boxe.” L’esecuzione di The Wild, The Innocent and the E Street Shuffle è stata più grande della musica.

SECONDA SERATA
Miglior concerto di sempre.
Ok, è un’opinione e come tale personale. E in fondo vale solo per i concerti che ho visto. Però questo show è talmente in cima alla mia
personale classifica che, come si suol dire, il secondo è arrivato terzo. Faccio anche fatica a immaginare che possa esistere qualcosa di
meglio di questa serata. Ve lo scrive uno che non mette The River nella sua sacra triade di dischi di Springsteen preferiti. E’ stata una serata perfetta che ha lasciato davvero senza parole. Parole che mi mancano anche al momento. Sono tornato solo ieri da New York, ho aperto la posta, ho letto tutti i messaggi di bruce_it e ho trovato un unico reportage. Eppure di mailer presenti ce n’erano parecchi. La cosa non mi ha minimamente sorpreso. Non sapevamo come parlare di questo concerto là fuori, appena terminato e non sappiamo come farlo ora. Posso solo dirvi quanto già detto all’inizio: ci sentivamo in pace, felici, esausti. Il modo in cui ti senti quando i grandi sogni si realizzano. Insegui per una vita il concerto perfetto e ti convinci che non esista e che va bene così, perché il bello è nella ricerca. Poi un giorno il concerto perfetto ti colpisce in piena faccia e tu rimani lì, con lo sguardo illuminato, un’espressione tra il commosso e l’ebete ed una pagina bianca in cui dovresti raccontare cosa è successo, ma non hai una singola buona parola per farlo.Tutto ciò che posso fare, perciò, è lasciarvi con una serie di immagini
di queste due serate. Solo cose che ricordo. Non sono un racconto, ma mettendole tutte assieme forse sapranno darvi un’idea di quello che è stato:
- Bruce che si inginocchia sul finale di Fade away. Bruce che allontana
sempre di più il microfono dalle labbra fino a che senti l’ultimo “I
don’t wanna fade away” urlato direttamente dalla sua voce, senza
amplificazione, nel quasi silenzio dei 20.000 del Garden
- Il rumore di 20.000 mascelle che cadono all’unisono quando entra la
sezione d’archi in NYC Serenade
- Bruce che canta Crush on you e sembra chiedersi “ho davvero scritto
questa cosa?”
- Lo sconvolgente, inenarrabile, selvaggio e primordiale muro di suono
prodotto dall’E street band su Crush on you
- L’improvvisa certezza che la convenzione di Ginevra debba dire
qualcosa a proposito di un concerto che inizia con Thundercrack e
finisce con Higher and higher
- L’intero settore 338 che, tutto in piedi, canta la più commovente
Sandy che abbia mai ascoltato
- L’intero settore 338 che zittisce con inaudita violenza due donne che
interpretano NYC Serenade come un buon momento per parlare delle
caratteristiche dei rispettivi cellulari.
- L’intero Garden che alla fine di Wreck on the highway si alza in piedi
per tributare un ammirato e infinito applauso al capolavoro lungo venti
canzoni cui hanno appena assistito
- Bruce che la seconda sera su Higher & higher trascina con se i coristi
fino al palchetto centrale dietro al pit
- Le fan che con un golpe danzante si appropriano di suddetto palco su
Dancing in the dark
- Bruce che dice “so, here we go, this is The wild… the innocent…
and the E street shuffle”
- Il ruggito incontenibile del Garden alla fine di NYC Serenade e Bruce
che lo accoglie quasi spaventato
- Il Garden che “canta” l’inizio strumentale di The price you pay,
neanche fossimo a Milano
- Bruce che canticchia la melodia di Sweet Soul Music a Curt Ramm e Curt
Ramm immediatamente esegue
- Bruce che pur di non far finire Sweet Soul Music prova a inventarsi le
parole
- Bruce che alla fine di Wreck on the highway chiama Roy, Max, Garry,
Clarence e Steve a prendere l’ovazione del Garden: “These are the guys
who recorded the record. And Phantom Danny Federici”
- Nils che, dieci passi più dietro, è quello che applaude più convinto
in tutta l’arena
- L’italiano che entrando al cesso mi guarda, agita il pugno e urla “sto
per cagare al Garden!!!”
- Bruce con le maracas su I wanna marry you
- Il Garden che canta The river
- Miami Steve Van Zandt, l’unico essere umano cui dovrebbe essere
concesso di fare i cori in una canzone di Springsteen
- I can’t help falling in love with you, così, dal nulla
- Il finale infinito di Higher and higher la seconda sera, con Bruce che
balla scatenato e sembra l’uomo più felice del mondo
- Bruce che non è l’uomo più felice del mondo, solo perché io lo sono
più di lui a vederlo ballare a quel modo

So after my Cleveland Bruce show I didn’t think things could get any better! The show was stunning and I have general admission tickets for the closing concert of the “Working on a Dream Tour” in Buffalo.  Then two things happened…

Last night i recieved a phone call from a fellow Bruce lover and she offered me a free general admission ticket to the Baltimore show this Friday…I was dumbstruck.  It would be 3 Bruce concerts in 2 weeks.  Unfortunatly, I had to turn  her down.  As it turned out the logistics and finances were not in my favor…plus it was a long haul to get to Baltimore for the show after work Needless to say I was disappointed…I was also disappointed that I wouldnt’ get the chance to hang out with this girl and two of our friends (who it coincidentally turns out will be attending their first Bruce concert).  Again I was sad.

We were texting back and forth about it and she then texted me something that nearly made me hypervenilate at work.  She told me that Bruce had announced he would be playing “Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ” at the Buffalo concert!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I nearly died.  This is the first album Bruce and the E-Street Band put out.  Also, this is the FIRST (I’ll repeat FIRST) TIME the album will be played in its entirety.  I was stunned, flabergasted, unfuctional about this.  I can’t wait because I’m going to get to hear several songs that I’ve been wanting to hear in concert…especially “For You.”  At the moment it stands that the following 9 songs will be played in Buffalo

Blinded by the Ligh

Growin’ Up

Mary Queen of Arkansas

Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street?

Lost in the Flood

The Angel

For You

Spirit in the Night

It’s Hard to Be a Saint in the City

I’m so utterly excited and quickly put the cd on at work…much to the dismay of my boss LOL.

So the following are the songs that I would like to also hear at the show

Songs that I want to hear at the concert (That I’ve not heard yet)
Santa Clause is Coming to Town
4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)
None but the Brave
New York City Serenade
For You (but that will definately be played)

Songs that I’ve heard in concert but want to hear again
Born to Run
Badlands
Hungry Heart
Dancing in the Dark
Jungleland
10th Avenue Freeze Out

Keep your fingers crossed….I CAN’T WAIT TILL SUNDAY!

Pour la première fois de sa longue carrière, Bruce Springsteen va jouer l’intégralité de son premier album, Greetings from Asbury Park, lors de son concert du 22 novembre 2009 à Buffalo, dans l’Etat de New York.

Une “première” très attendue pour le dernier concert de la tournée Working on a dream avec le E Street Band.

La version live intégrale de Human touch devra en revanche attendre…

Voici la setlist du concert de Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band au Bradley Center de Milwaukee (Wisconsin) le 15 novembre 2009.

Une tour première, Living proof, l’album Born to run joué en intégralité, et toujours Higher and higher en final.

Source : Badlands

1. Cadillac Ranch
2. Badlands
3. Hungry Heart
4. Working On A Dream
5. Thunder Road
6. Tenth Avenue Freeze Out
7. Night
8. Backstreets
9. Born To Run
10. She’s The One
11. Meeting Across The River
12. Jungleland
13. Darlington County
14. Waiting On A Sunny Day
15. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
16. Loose Ends
17. Jole Blon
18. Growin’ Up
19. Into The Fire
20. The Rising
21. No Surrender

22. Living Proof
23. Kitty’s Back
24. American Land
25. Dancing In The Dark
26. Rosalita
27. Higher And Higher

L’album Born to Run et (bien sûr !) le Detroit Medley figuraient au menu du concert de Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band à Auburn Hills, près de Detroit, le 13 novembre 2009.

A noter aussi une reprise de Ramblin gamblin man de Bob Seger, natif de Detroit.

Voici la setlist (source BTX)

8:14 Lights Out(No Patti)

1. Wrecking Ball
2. Prove It All Night
3. Johnny 99
4. Hungry Heart
5. Working on A Dream
6. Thunder Road
7. 10th Ave. Freeze Out
8. Night
9. Backstreets
10. Born To Run
11. She’s the One
12. Meeting Across the River
13. Jungleland
14. Working on the Highway
15. Raise Your Hand
16. RAMBLIN’ GAMBLIN’ MAN
17. Detroit Medley
18. Because the Night
19. Lonesome Day
20. The Rising
21. Badlands
**********
22. Hard Times(Come Again No More)
23. Born in the USA
24. American Land
25. Dancing in the Dark
26. Rosalita
27. Higher and Higher

11:04 Lights Up, Band Walks Off

Il resoconto del concerto tenutosi a Cleveland, il 10 novembre, riportato su www.pointblankmag.com sembra presagire uno stop per la E-Street Band. Queste le parole di Bruce alla fine del concerto: “Avete visto, per l’ultima volta almeno per un po’, la leggendaria E-Street Band”. Una frase che i fans non avrebbero mai voluto nè leggere nè sentire. Che al termine del Working on a Dream Tour, la “leggendaria” si prendesse un periodo di riposo era nell’aria, ma gli interrogativi sono tanti. L’età avanza per tutti i componenti della band, ma certamente Bruce non si fermerà. Probabile una “versione ridotta” della E-street band, oppure un anno in studio per registrare un nuovo album di cui Steve parlò alcune settimane fa.

Questa la set list di Cleveland, 10 Novembre 2009

Wrecking Ball
Prove It All Night
Hungry Heart
Working On A Dream

Born To Run
Thunder Road
Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
Night
Backstreets
Born To Run
She’s The One
Meeting Across The River
Jungleland

Waiting On A Sunny Day
Raise Your Hand
Red Headed Woman
Pink Cadillac
Back In Your Arms
Radio Nowhere
Lonesome Day
The Rising
Badlands

Hard Times
No Surrender
Bobby Jean
American Land
Dancing In The Dark
Can’t Help Falling in Love
(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher
Rosalita

I celebrated my birthday last night with my 18-year-old daughter Jennifer (a name James and I chose for our first girl before we’d even made the leap from engaged to married). “We did good,” I told her on the way home. I’d waited patiently while she dawdled in getting out the door. She’d controlled her urge to scoop up a little black cat that crossed our path as we drove home from the Mesa Arts Center.

We’d gone to see a concert by Playing for Change, a self-described “multimedia movement created to inspire, connect and bring peace to the world through music.” Our last concert together was Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band at the Jobing.com Arena in Glendale. Because I’m just this side of rabid when it comes to Springsteen, other music sometimes has a hard time measuring up.

But I was pleasantly surprised. The audience was as diverse—from school age to retirement age—but there was at least one important difference. No one at the Playing for Change concert made a beer or bathroom run when confronted with a song they didn’t recognize. If you can judge musicians by the company they keep, Playing for Change is in good stead.

We sat next to a lovely gentleman, there with his wife and out-of-town guests. He shared that he was 75 or so, a military veteran and a self-taught guitar player. He loves YouTube, he told me, because he can watch something while starting and stopping it whenever he needs to. So much for the stereotype that no one over age 30 knows the fine art of YouTubing (for those of you who are new to this blog, welcome to my inventive spelling). And thanks to Jennifer, he now knows about Hulu too.

We chatted a bit before the concert started. He was impressed with the venue and the surrounding architecture, as was I. Very modern. Lots of glass, stone and metal. Clean lines and wide open outdoor spaces perfect for après-performance strolling. The Ikeda Theater itself reminded me of the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Like the bed and bowl she chose—the space was neither too large nor too small. It was just right. Intimate but spacious. Lots of warm wood tones and great acoustics. (And seats so comfy I wanted to take one home with me to install in my teen taxi!)

It reminded me of seeing Springsteen at ASU Gammage many years ago during the Ghost of Tom Joad tour. Arena shows are amazing, but smaller venues leave you feeling more connected with the artists and fellow audience members. I felt proud as I watched the crowd swaying and stomping their feet to Playing for Change within such a welcoming venue. Proud of the Valley. Proud of our people. Proud of my daughter, who never hesitates to support a good cause and get others involved alongside her.

I did have second thoughts at one point in the evening. Perhaps I shouldn’t have told my children about lingering at the band’s bus after a Doobie Brothers concert somewhere in California (I moved around so often, I really couldn’t tell you which city). As we passed the Playing for Change buses on the way from the parking structure to the concert hall, Jenn said something about wanting to wait at the bus after the concert to meet the band. This has infinitely less appeal when you are having a 40-something birthday rather than a teen-something one.

Happily, we were able to meet several band members under more civilized circumstances. I enjoyed telling Clarence Bekker, a lead singer and dancer extraordinaire with the band, that Jennifer seemed to find him exponentially more exciting than E Street sax player Clarence Clemons. It’s blasphemy, I know. But sometimes our children don’t follow our religion. Band members were gracious and I was grateful. No loitering bus side for me after all.

When we got home (sans feline), I pulled out an old basket full of musical instruments we’ve collected over the years. A recorder. A harmonica. Sand blocks. A triangle. Small variations of drums we’d fallen in love with several years ago during a museum trip in NYC. We’ve collected African instruments, Asian instruments, Australian instruments. Many came from a music teacher and friend who sold instruments from around the world.

The music basket—like our many book baskets—was always at the ready when our children (now 16, 18 and 20) were younger. It made for great solitary play, but was equally fun to share with friends (many of whom flocked to it because they didn’t have anything like it at their house). For whatever reason, we never met a musical instrument we didn’t like (well, there was that one close encounter with a bassoon). We had keyboards and guitars–plus a saxophone, flute, violin, piano and more–the way other people have electronic gizmos.

I’m grateful for the bounty of that basket, for music continues to be a bond holding our family and friends together. I’ll share more about that—and about Playing for Change—in future blogs.

–Lynn

Note: Looks like the Doobie Brothers are performing on New Year’s Eve at Tempe Town Lake

Update: Eager to hear African drumming close to home? Check out the ASU African Drum Ensemble December 6, 2009 from 7:30-9pm at Katzin Concert Hall (ASU Music Bldg., Room 222, on Cady Mall).