And how about that snotty last paragraph from Hoekstra? I guess he thinks we should all be ghetto-dwellers. I saw Springsteen in '77 at the Auditorium when he really was the Boss, not the politically correct phony that he is now; great show show but terrible acoustics.Cleveland Agora, August 9, 1978 (I was quite illegal...LOL). Perhaps one of the best rock and roll shows ever, anywhere.
Unfortunately, at some point in the mid 80's, Bruce came down with SDS (S don't stink) Syndrome, the same thing that afflicted the Beatles (about the time of Sergeant Pepper), Prince, REM, and numerous other artists.
It's still tough to beat songs like "Thunder Road", "Jungleland", "Born to Run", "Asbury Park Fourth of July", "Rosalita", and "Sherry Darling".
Ironically, when I was a big Springsteen fan and becoming a conservative, my mom was a big Pete Seeger fan. Even moreso, he criticized Reagan for using "Born In The USA", but it was the national mood of optimism Reagan helped rekindle that made that album so huge.
-Eric
Carlton Theater, Red Bank, N.J. 1975. 10th Ave. Freeze Out, Night and the Fever were life changing experiences.
That was when Bruce and the band were just about to launch. They were optimistic in looking toward the future and the music reflected it. Contract dispute with DellaPelle bittered Bruce forever. From Darkness it has been a steady downhill slide. Pity.