THE CULT OF BRUCE (fawning over Springsteen)

The Wall Street Journal ^ | Friday, August 23, 2002 | Mark Gauvreau Judge

[Marianne]

He's back.

Bruce Springsteen, the man who almost got me assaulted in 1984, is once again topping the pop music charts with a new album, "The Rising," written as a response to Sept. 11. He's the subject of hagiographies in Time and Rolling Stone and was interviewed by Ted Koppel and entertained by Katie Couric, who genuflected (rhetorically) before his greatness on "Today."

[GodBlessRonaldReagan]

Used to read Crawdaddy too...I miss Lester Bangs too, but the king will always be R. Meltzer!

[Revolting cat!]

Youy dig R. Meltzer too? My goodness, are you me posting under another handle? (Or my evil twin?)

[Channel_Islands_EANx_Diver]

Uncontrived

[GodBlessRonaldReagan]

Metlzer is the man! Ever hear his late '70's punk band Vom? A real riot!

[GodBlessRonaldReagan]

Metlzer = Meltzer

[WhiteGuy]

"you facist"

What's with the name callig?

Just what is your point?

[WhiteGuy]

Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes cover of Springsteen's "The Fever"

On of my personal top 20

[Egregious Philbin]

It was Landau who said, I believe, something like: "I have seen the future of rock n' roll, and its name is Bruce Sprinsteen."

[rockfish59]

Revved up like a douche?

Is that what he says?
Never could figure it out and I hated that song from day one,
but they played it over and over and over.......................

[rockfish59]

'The Boss' speaks for the working man!
HARDY 'EFFIN HARR!!

There's nothing worse than a rich liberal!

[Channel_Islands_EANx_Diver]

Big Sandy and His Fly Rite Boys. More music that Bruce Springsteen hopes no one will ever hear. Bruce couldn't shine these guys' boots

[Revolting cat!]

I first saw and met Brucie long before he became popular at a small and crowded New Jersey nightclub. He was then a Bob Dylan wannabe, an impressive one at that, and I thought at the time that I and others at that club were discovering a major new talent. I liked his first two, maybe three albums, but the more I listened the more uncomfortable I became, without being able to articulate it in words. Keef's remark defined it for me. Contrived, like Steely Dan, who are kinda proud of that (go figure!)

The moronic bait above sent me to the antonym dictionary searching for an antonym to "contrived". Evidently, there is no direct antonym, only this:

"INDIRECT (VIA affected) -> unaffected, natural -- (free of artificiality; sincere and genuine; "an unaffected grace")"

Bruce, in my view, is a middlesized talent who was hyped by Landau and Wenner into a god. Like all middlesized talents in popular music, he was good for a couple of albums. Like Bob Lind before him (y'all remember Elusive Butterfly?) he should have disappeared after that. But the hype machine was in place, and, after the political disappointments of Dylan, the Stones and others, his politics, which expressed themselves in his music, were perfectly in lockstep with the infants at the media, so there he is now. But he reminds me less of Dylan than of Johnny Cougar, another manufactured star, who to his credit remade himself into John Mellencamp and a champion of the working class as well.

But if anyone feels or wants to feel affinity with the working class, I would recommend listening to authentic country music instead of these poseurs and in particular to somebody like Aaron Tippin, a real down to earth singer and songwriter. Or as another FReeper once sagely advised: don't like popular music? Listen to unpopular music!

[Revolting cat!]

I'll look for Vom, now that you mention it. But Meltzer was the lyricist for another great 70's band (who are evidently still around) the Blue Oyster Cult!

[Mr. Mojo]

Robert Johnson is indeed the essence of 'uncontrived'.

...and you can put Lightnin' Hopkins, Son House, Fred McDowell, John Lee Hooker, and many other blues greats in the same category.

[SupplySider]

If you can't take Dylan's singing, just enjoy the Byrds covers of his songs!

[GodBlessRonaldReagan]

Saw BOC in '73 opening for (wait for it!) Procul Harum - whatta show!

[Mr. Mojo]

if anyone feels or wants to feel affinity with the working class, I would recommend listening to authentic country music.....somebody like Aaron Tippin

I've never heard Tippin, but I'll check him out. My favorite country guys are J. Cash, W. Nelson, and Jerry Jeff Walker.

[amused]

THE BOSS RULES....period.

BTW have I mentioned I'm from Jersey. ;-)

[Fintan]

You forgot a couple...

[Revolting cat!]

I think I saw Procol Harum on the same tour in '73, but the opening act was Iggy Pop. He put on a great show which most of the audience hated - bare chested, with marmalade spread all over his chest, falling down onto the audience. A totally inappropriate match of performers, as PH were the culmination of art rock, pretentious as hell, and a couple of years past their prime time.