>>Bruce is quite a wordsmith at times but really relates >>things with quite a bit of bombast.
Very true. But on the other hand, both Brucie and David have got the ability to strip away superficial layers and tell very personal stories right from the heart.
Admittedly, if you compared the songs `Born In The USA` or `Workin On The Highway` to tracks like `A Brand New Morning` or `A Secret Silken World` then your assertion is correct. But IMO `Bedtime Stories` and `The Ghost Of Tom Joad` are telling very similar stories, only the characters are on different sides of town.
>>I think Bruce was heavily influenced by Van and some guy >>named, I think, Bob Dylan. Great influences I'd say.
Where do you see the Van/Bruce crossovers? I'm not trying to be sarcastic - it's just that I've never seen any. I'd agree with the Dylan influence though. Did you ever read in Victor Bockris's biog of Lou Reed how Lou was badmouthing Springsteen for copying him?!
>>Bruce is also very literal in his relating a lyric to you >>where as I think Van can drift off into the mystic. A >>place where Bruce does not really travel.
Yup - perhaps where Van Morrison has taken a lot of the mysticism of sundry world religions and Irish poetry, Springsteen has drawn from the plain-speaking traditions of folk and country music. Maybe Van reads some WB Yeats before he writes - and Springsteen spins a Johnny Cash album!
>>What I think I mean to say here is that Bruce is not in >>any way subtle.
Listen to `The Ghost Of Tom Joad` - that for me is the real Springsteen stepping forward.
>>Van on the other hand traffics in subtlety.
Most of the time! I think `Veedon Fleece` is one of the best albums I've ever heard - but I've heard some of Van's stuff from the early 80's and it just seems like mysticism and subtlety for the sake of it.
>>I think what the author of the article I was refering to >>meant was that Van and David have an intense and soulful >>quality when they sing. Something that is unique. I don't >>think I'd call it heroic...maybe wounded and >>hopeful...what do you think?
Maybe our descriptions are just two sides of the same coin? (Is the glass half full or half empty?) Does true heroism spring from wounded and hopeful individuals? Like when I listen to BB King or Johnny Cash - although they might be singing of abject heartbreak, there's something about the delivery that lets you know they'll be out to fight another day.
To deviate, that's why I don't enjoy listening to Nick Drake much - because he seems to remind me of the way I was when I was 15 and my girlfriend left town! But then I like John Cale a lot because even though he and Drakey are/were both morbid souls, there's a fighting spirit behind Cale's delivery. Even though I might feel broken, I can listen to `Dying On The Vine` or `Guts` and know that the sun will still rise tomorrow and we'll all live to fight another day.
Your turn...
Richard
van/bruce/bob/david
R
richard
(view)
>>Bruce is quite a wordsmith at times but really relates >>things with quite a bit of bombast.
Very true. But on the other hand, both Brucie and David have got the ability to strip away superficial layers and tell very personal stories right from the heart.
Admittedly, if you compared the songs `Born In The USA` or `Workin On The Highway` to tracks like `A Brand New Morning` or `A Secret Silken World` then your assertion is correct. But IMO `Bedtime Stories` and `The Ghost Of Tom Joad` are telling very similar stories, only the characters are on different sides of town.
>>I think Bruce was heavily influenced by Van and some guy >>named, I think, Bob Dylan. Great influences I'd say.
Where do you see the Van/Bruce crossovers? I'm not trying to be sarcastic - it's just that I've never seen any. I'd agree with the Dylan influence though. Did you ever read in Victor Bockris's biog of Lou Reed how Lou was badmouthing Springsteen for copying him?!
>>Bruce is also very literal in his relating a lyric to you >>where as I think Van can drift off into the mystic. A >>place where Bruce does not really travel.
Yup - perhaps where Van Morrison has taken a lot of the mysticism of sundry world religions and Irish poetry, Springsteen has drawn from the plain-speaking traditions of folk and country music. Maybe Van reads some WB Yeats before he writes - and Springsteen spins a Johnny Cash album!
>>What I think I mean to say here is that Bruce is not in >>any way subtle.
Listen to `The Ghost Of Tom Joad` - that for me is the real Springsteen stepping forward.
>>Van on the other hand traffics in subtlety.
Most of the time! I think `Veedon Fleece` is one of the best albums I've ever heard - but I've heard some of Van's stuff from the early 80's and it just seems like mysticism and subtlety for the sake of it.
>>I think what the author of the article I was refering to >>meant was that Van and David have an intense and soulful >>quality when they sing. Something that is unique. I don't >>think I'd call it heroic...maybe wounded and >>hopeful...what do you think?
Maybe our descriptions are just two sides of the same coin? (Is the glass half full or half empty?) Does true heroism spring from wounded and hopeful individuals? Like when I listen to BB King or Johnny Cash - although they might be singing of abject heartbreak, there's something about the delivery that lets you know they'll be out to fight another day.
To deviate, that's why I don't enjoy listening to Nick Drake much - because he seems to remind me of the way I was when I was 15 and my girlfriend left town! But then I like John Cale a lot because even though he and Drakey are/were both morbid souls, there's a fighting spirit behind Cale's delivery. Even though I might feel broken, I can listen to `Dying On The Vine` or `Guts` and know that the sun will still rise tomorrow and we'll all live to fight another day.
Your turn...
Richard
Very true. But on the other hand, both Brucie and David have got the ability to strip away superficial layers and tell very personal stories right from the heart.
Admittedly, if you compared the songs `Born In The USA` or `Workin On The Highway` to tracks like `A Brand New Morning` or `A Secret Silken World` then your assertion is correct. But IMO `Bedtime Stories` and `The Ghost Of Tom Joad` are telling very similar stories, only the characters are on different sides of town.
>>I think Bruce was heavily influenced by Van and some guy >>named, I think, Bob Dylan. Great influences I'd say.
Where do you see the Van/Bruce crossovers? I'm not trying to be sarcastic - it's just that I've never seen any. I'd agree with the Dylan influence though. Did you ever read in Victor Bockris's biog of Lou Reed how Lou was badmouthing Springsteen for copying him?!
>>Bruce is also very literal in his relating a lyric to you >>where as I think Van can drift off into the mystic. A >>place where Bruce does not really travel.
Yup - perhaps where Van Morrison has taken a lot of the mysticism of sundry world religions and Irish poetry, Springsteen has drawn from the plain-speaking traditions of folk and country music. Maybe Van reads some WB Yeats before he writes - and Springsteen spins a Johnny Cash album!
>>What I think I mean to say here is that Bruce is not in >>any way subtle.
Listen to `The Ghost Of Tom Joad` - that for me is the real Springsteen stepping forward.
>>Van on the other hand traffics in subtlety.
Most of the time! I think `Veedon Fleece` is one of the best albums I've ever heard - but I've heard some of Van's stuff from the early 80's and it just seems like mysticism and subtlety for the sake of it.
>>I think what the author of the article I was refering to >>meant was that Van and David have an intense and soulful >>quality when they sing. Something that is unique. I don't >>think I'd call it heroic...maybe wounded and >>hopeful...what do you think?
Maybe our descriptions are just two sides of the same coin? (Is the glass half full or half empty?) Does true heroism spring from wounded and hopeful individuals? Like when I listen to BB King or Johnny Cash - although they might be singing of abject heartbreak, there's something about the delivery that lets you know they'll be out to fight another day.
To deviate, that's why I don't enjoy listening to Nick Drake much - because he seems to remind me of the way I was when I was 15 and my girlfriend left town! But then I like John Cale a lot because even though he and Drakey are/were both morbid souls, there's a fighting spirit behind Cale's delivery. Even though I might feel broken, I can listen to `Dying On The Vine` or `Guts` and know that the sun will still rise tomorrow and we'll all live to fight another day.
Your turn...
Richard
