Bruce

LeedyGuy · Post by **LeedyGuy** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 4:41 pm

k. time for a Bruce Springsteen thread.

Anyone notice how he made some good records in the 70's (Born to Run, Darkness on the Edge of Town and The River come to mind) but WOW those are the worst mixes and sounds in the universe. I keep saying to myself things like

"Who the hell is that piano player and why is he so important?"
"Why are there 2 of the muddiest guitars ever right there that have no definition or purpose except to suck up the entire frequency range??"
"WHO LET MAX WEINBERG PLAY THE DRUMS EVER?!?!?!"

but i have admit that this is a new thing for me listening to Bruce. A friend told me not to bother to listen to how it sounds and all that and just listen to him pouring his heart out. I agree, he is putting it all out there, but damn...this was the 70's! Tape was king! This stuff should sound GOOD! He's the BOSS for Christ sake!

E-money · Post by **E-money** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 5:32 pm

I think Born to Run is a FANTASTIC sounding record. It sounds like summer 1975 to me, very organic, very alive. I think it is one of the finest LPs ever recorded, and I think the mix is perfect. Of course, Bruce was still really the only guitarist in the band at this point, (Silvio Dante played the solo on Jungleland) and his simple sparse clean fender tones leave plenty of sonic real estate for the paino, organ, glockenspiel, saxophone, trumpets, etc.
I also think his first 2 albums are great as well, and the songs on Darkness on the Edge of Town, The River, and Born in the USA are top rate as well, but I don't think the recordings ever rivaled Born to Run.

;ivlunsdystf · Post by **;ivlunsdystf** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 5:48 pm

oOPS..

I have been going about this all wrong - I worship all Bruce from the 1970s - EXCEPT "Born to Run" - I think Born to Run is way too clinical and dull - the album I mean, not just the song - I love hearing the LP versions of "Darkness at the Edge..." and "The River" on headphones -

Maybe there is a problem with the CD mastering - I have only heard "Born to Run" on CD -

The music was dreamt up, conceived, played, recorded, and mastered for LP listening. Anyway, the rough/raw sound of those rockers, especially "Darkness.." is why I keep going back for more Bruce...

TooLoFi · Post by **TooLoFi** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 5:58 pm

born to run is pretty epic. I would have prefered a little less production, but I think in a way, the production makes the album very American. One qualm, worst buzz roll ever at the beginning of 10th ave. Freeze out. Jesus, that's a loose snare Max.

cgarges · Post by **cgarges** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 6:23 pm

You know, they called Rick Springfield "Bruce."

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

drumsound · Post by **drumsound** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 7:11 pm

Meeting Across the River are you kidding me. That's one of the coolest sounding mixes ever. It sounds like the trumpet is playing in the apartment across the alley. I think Born to Run is one the greatest records ever made.

gregc · Post by **gregc** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 7:15 pm

Anyone for "Wild, Innocent and the E Street Shuffle"?????

gregc · Post by **gregc** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 7:16 pm

Meanwhile, wasn't he like 18 or 19 when he wrote "Greetings from Asbury Park"?

I go to Asbury Park once in a while, and it's cool to drive around and recognize different street names and/or sections of town from his records. . .

dirty · Post by **dirty** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 7:50 pm

interestingly, my brother just worked as a PA on some video shoot of The Boss, in Asbury Park at an old theater with a huge band (I think it was about 12-15 people, accordion, the whole deal...)

He said it sounded AWESOME.

;ivlunsdystf · Post by **;ivlunsdystf** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 8:03 pm

"Hard to Be a Saint in the City" original version - yeah.

"Born to Run" album: Totally overengineered. That's the word I was looking for in my other post.

Spindrift · Post by **Spindrift** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 10:03 pm

I'm not a huge fan but there are a handful of his tunes that blow me away. If you haven't already heard it, check out the live version of Badlands from the Live 1975-1985 album. Amazing. Every member of the band is just playing with complete passion.

Fletcher · Post by **Fletcher** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 5:13 am

Tatertot wrote:"Born to Run" album: Totally overengineered.

Yep... and man did that hurt sales or what?

With very little due respect... the "production team" had a vision for that music at the time when it was recorded, mixed and mastered that may or may not meet your sense of aesthetic 30+ years later... but doesn't that go a little past "Monday Morning Quarterbacking" into an entirely new realm.

Just because it was recorded "analog" doesn't mean it has to suit your sense of aesthetic. Maybe, just maybe, the guitar sounds were what "the team" was trying to achieve. Maybe they were leaning toward accentuating the piano part(s) because they liked how it affected the song.

None of us will ever know.

What we do know is that we either like the music or we do not like the music. If the presentation interferes with the music for you well that's a damn shame... but you really ought not second guess the intentions of someone else's work. I know I have no idea what was going through their head when they made that record... how could anyone else who wasn't physically part of the process.

I suppose I could guess what was going through their head at the time as I remember that just shortly before that record came out there was a bevvy of absolutely amazing "bubblegum" cocaine all over the NY Metropolitan area... and chances are pretty good that some of it made it's way to those sessions... but again, I don't know... I wasn't there.

Peace.

Dubious · Post by **Dubious** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 7:53 am

i agree with the first poster

i try and try to dig on bruce but it never works... ashbury is vageuly entertaining in a "wow i didnt know bruce used to be kinda prog" way... nebraska is kinda neat in mid fi way... but none of them really CONNECT to me at all

i recently gave the new improved super remaster of born to run a shot.. WOW!!! i couldnt even make it thru a SINGLE track.. just bombastic excessive coked out stadium BS.. the production / mix is really really unlistenable, painful even.

and hey i kinda like bloated 70's coke music... but give me Tonights The night / On The Beach any day

@?,*???&? · Post by **@?,*???&?** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 9:59 am

kentothink wrote:k. time for a Bruce Springsteen thread.

Anyone notice how he made some good records in the 70's (Born to Run, Darkness on the Edge of Town and The River come to mind) but WOW those are the worst mixes and sounds in the universe.

Thank goodness Jimmy Iovine became an A & R guy and got out of actually making records!

;ivlunsdystf · Post by **;ivlunsdystf** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 12:59 pm

Fletcher wrote:
Tatertot wrote:"Born to Run" album: Totally overengineered.
Yep... and man did that hurt sales or ...of it made it's way to those sessions... ( etc ... etc ... etc... ) but again, I don't know... I wasn't there.

Peace.

Yeah, but I still say it was overengineered. I like the primal fury of the others named here. Meanwhile, you are free to enjoy it as you see fit. I also like Hound Dog Taylor and Sleepy John Estes (especially when the guitars are out of tune) if you want to use that as a reference point for my taste.

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