When the Pogues legend Shane MacGowan died last year, Bruce Springsteen posted a tribute on his website, calling him "one of my all-time favorite writers." Now, Springsteen and the E Street Band are touring and last night they opened their set in Nowlan Park, Kilkenny, Ireland by covering the Pogues' "A Rainy Night in Soho" for the first time. Stereogum has a couple of fan videos of the performance, plus the original video.
Apparently, Jukebox Friday Night has a theme of "Mothers."
Normally, I'd be literal with a theme like that and go with a song that talks about Moms. But, my Mom is a Spring-nut (her words) and loves Bruce Springsteen, so I have to just...pick a song that reminds me of my Mom, at least to start.
#GreatAlbums1980s - #BruceSpringsteen – Born in the USA (1984). One of rock's most misunderstood songs, "Born in the USA" is the pitch-black recollection of a Vietnam vet – made subversive by the massive airplay it garnered (fooling Ronald Reagan in the process). The rest of the album sweetens the E-Street sound with Roy Bittan's glittering keyboards and a little more 80s pomp, but when you dig in further, songs like "Downbound Train" and "Dancing in the Dark" are prime Bruce.
#GreatAlbums1980s - #BruceSpringsteen – Nebraska (1982). After The River poised him for superstardom, Jersey's bluejeaned bard surprised everyone with this stark and haunting set of ballads recorded on a consumer-grade 4-track. "Nebraska" retold the story of spree killer Charlie Starkweather, followed by tales of hopeless gamblers, lovelorn losers, and morally conflicted lawmen. Like Guthrie or the early Dylan, Springsteen turned a dark mirror on the American dream.
#GreatAlbums1980s - #BruceSpringsteen – The River (1980). This sprawling double LP has been overshadowed by what came before and after, but a little trimming would have made it a top-rank entry in Springsteen's glory period. "The Ties That Bind," "Independence Day" and "Point Blank" are all fractured Americana in the vein of Darkness at the Edge of Town, while "The River," "Stolen Car" and "Wreck on the Highway" are Nebraska tunes without the lo-fi minimalism.
** IT’S HERE! FRIDAY NIGHT MUSIC THREAD ON #MastodonMusic **
Tonight’s theme is:
🎰🎲♥️ CASINO NIGHT ♦️🎲🎰
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🎵 Billowing cigarette smoke, deft suits, someone named “Tasty” counting cards: post music that belongs in a casino - any era - along with what you’re drinking 🎶
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Oh, the shark babe has such teeth dear
And it shows them pearly white
Just a jackknife has old MacHeath babe
And he keeps it ah out of sight
Yes, and little known fact: #BruceSpringsteen wrote ‘Dancing in the Dark’ after his epic dungeon battles in Luigi‘s Mansion wherein Princess Courtney Cox was trapped.
During the Vietnam war protest was often supported by protest music and well-known performers. It helped. So where are they now?
Can you just imagine the boost and jolt the Dems would get if, say, #BruceSpringsteen or the #FooFighters were to drop in on a #Biden rally? Sure as hell worked for #JimmyCarter.
I'm serious: where are they? These are dark and critical days. Worse than a war: it's democracy in the balance.
💿 Il y a 28 ans, le 21/11/1995, #BruceSpringsteen sortait son onzième album "The Ghost of Tom Joad". (Ref : Les Raisins de la colère de John Steinbeck toussa toussa) est un album bien sombre.
La reprise de RATM fait ressortir une "violence" qui est plutôt contenue dans la version originale.
Il existe une vidéo de Bruce accompagné de Tom Morello dans les intertubes, et elle est magnifique.
"There’s something about losing yourself in a communal experience that’s immensely appealing in this age of virtual meetings and not-so-social media. We want to see the artists we love in person. We want to believe they’re singing directly to us." —A new reading list from Elizabeth Blackwell on the power of the pop concert.
This song's about the USA 2003 invasion of #Iraq. From the perspective of a soldier, who experiences emotional & spiritual struggles, while serving in war.