Essential Listening: Bruce Springsteen

When it comes to Rock music, there are few people I recommend more highly than Bruce Springsteen. Known best for his Stadium Rock, the Boss actually has one of the most interesting musical catalogs of all the big name rockers, having explored Folk, Gospel, Country and even some recent forays into Hip Hop. The problem is, most people are still only familiar with his 1980s "Born In the USA" era Stadium Rock work, which is, frankly, about his worst work. That said, having your "worst work" be a hugely successful Anti-Vietnam anthem that attacks the core of the decaying American morality isn't really as bad as it could be. 

So where do you start with Springsteen? Honestly, picking up an "Essential Bruce Springsteen" is a pretty good move, but to get a real feel of what the Boss is capable of, I think there's a grand total of three albums that you need to check out. 

Nebraska 

Released two years before Born in the USA, Nebraska is the other side of the coin from 'USA. Whereas 'USA is angry and hopeful, Nebraska is dark, mournful and hopeless. The America presented in Nebraska is a land where all the opportunity has dried up, young people can only hope to work the same soul-crushing jobs that their fathers have done for 40 years and wind up marrying their prom date after they accidentally got her pregnant. This is not an uplifting album, it is an album about all the things wrong with 1980s America, about the death of the American Dream and how the greed of the few is killing the future of the many. Still a pointent message nearly thirty years on. 

We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions 

I love American Folk music and there are few Folk albums out there this good. The Boss and friends retreated to his mountain cabin for a few weeks and recorded this album in 2006 and it remains a favorite of die-hard Springsteen fans to this day. Although this may not be the most accessible Springsteen album, it does show the sheer talent of the Boss and the musicians he associates with and just how damn good some of these classic American songs are. If you can't get into this, listen to it once, give it a few days, then come back to it and see how you feel. Like smokey whiskey or blue cheese, this can be something of an acquired taste. I'd still much rather listen to this than to Dancing in the Dark however. 

Magic 

Some people question my love of this particular album, but I have my reasons. There was a bit of buzz around this in 2007, it was getting played on the radio and the Boss was doing a lot of TV spots to push it, so I got curios and checked it out. The first track Radio Nowhere blew me away. This thing was a Bolt from the Blue, before Magic, Bruce Springsteen was something your parents listened to and now he was everywhere. What this song, and this album, really demonstrate is Springsteen's ability to compose an ensemble piece, there are a lot of instruments in this song, but they all blend together perfectly, creating a wonderful harmony. Aside from being one of my favorite Springsteen albums, Magic is one of my favorite albums period. When I think about the Boss, this is the first album I go to. 

So where does that leave Wrecking Ball? Personally, I think Wrecking Ball is one of the best albums of 2012 so far, but I'm not sure if it will have the longevity of Nebraska. Wrecking Ball feels like a culmination of where the Boss has been and where he is going musically; there's a great deal of anger in the album but also a hope that can be, at times, uplifting. Expect to see the Boss on my 2012 Top Ten early next year. 

Next Time: Something Else

Hat Guy - The streets are paved with diamonds and the gutter's lined with song

When it's time to party...

Ok, so it's been a while since I bothered to post anything, but there's a good reason. I am now approaching the end of my tertiary education and finally have some spare time to dedicate to writing something other than essays. So, in order to make up for my absence (and to celebrate my freedom) I'm going to give the people what they want; a pointless "Top 10" list!

Hat Guy's 10 Favorite Party Songs (In no particular order)

Let's face it, everyone likes to party. To me, nothing makes a party like good party music, you don't even have to dance, just rock out or groove a little. The best party music, to me, makes me feel good to be alive, it makes me want to cut loose and have fun. Hence, this list contains very few "Party Standards" like Celebration or the Nutbush, because I fucking hate these songs. Any song that I'm pretty much guaranteed to hear at a wedding reception or 21st, I'm gonna be pretty sick of, having heard it repeatedly at such gatherings. No. I like to rock out a bit when I party as you'll see below. These songs are the first things I'll throw on a playlist for any party I'm hosting, I just love to hear them and Party Hard! 

1. I Get Wet - Andrew WK 

Fuck. Yeah. If there's anyone that can party harder and better than Andrew WK, I've never heard of them. The man is a Party Virtuoso, spreading his philosophy of Partying to a grateful world; seeing him live was one of the most life-affirming experiences I've ever had. If you want to kick any party from 0 to 100 in under four minutes, Get Wet. I also like this one because it doesn't have "Party" in the title, not that his songs that do are bad, I just prefer this one. 

2. Kick Out the Jams - Henry Rollins and Bad Brains

So it turns out I'm a Punk Rocker and I like to party to Punk music and this song is pretty much Punk Bonox. If you could condense all of the music, attitude and history of the punk music into three minutes, you'd end up with this song. Not only a cover of MC5's classic Proto-Punk party anthem, the vocals are provided by Henry Rollins himself with the backing of Bad Brains, one of the most influential Punk acts ever. This song is pretty much a staple of Punk covers and there are my good versions of it out there, but I just couldn't pass up this one. It's a shame that the only recording of it I can find is on the soundtrack to Pump Up The Volume, a mediocre 80s music movie. 

3. Stand - R.E.M. 

I really wish I could have found the video where Michael Stipe and the two girls dance topless, that one's much better. R.E.M. are brilliant and this song is awesome, even if the lyrics are a bit obtuse and it never did get as big as some of their other stuff. Stand is a great demonstration of R.E.M.'s pop credentials, it's catchy, fun, light and easy to dance to. It's a shame that this song has fallen out of popularity. 

4. Zero - The Yeah Yeah Yeahs 
No Video, see my "Help Me I Hate: Pop Music" article for why this song is awesome. 

5. I'm On a Boat - The Lonely Island feat. T Pain 

I used to HATE this song. However, over the years it grew on me, and like the fungus on my foot, I now can't imagine life without it. I've talked about the Lonely Island guys before, so I won't repeat myself here, but this song is a great one to sing along to with all your drunk friends. 

6. Thrash Unreal - Against Me! 

Sometimes you don't party because you're happy. Sometimes you party because life sucks and you've got nothing better to do. Thrash Unreal is about the second kind of party. If you want to get blitzed and forget about tomorrow, this is the song to throw on and dance your aggression out to. My mixed feelings about Against Me! aside, this song is fantastic, desperate yet triumphant, sad yet hopeful. More of this please Against Me! 

7. Gettin' In the Mood - The Brian Setzer Orchestra

 After Stray Cats, Brian Setzer started up a Swing Orchestra and made the world a better place to live in. This Rockabilly-ed update of a Glenn Miller classic is great to dance to and the perfect example of how great music never goes out of style. If you'll excuse me, I need to go quiff my hair up and shine my bowling shoes. Also, if you still think Slash is the greatest guitarist of all time, check out some old Stray Cats clips and get ready to have your mind blown.

8. I Want You Back - The Jackson 5 

There's nothing wrong with the classics and for me, there's nothing more classic than Motown. Forget about MJ for this one and focus on Tito's Bass playing, the man is an under-appreciated genius. A few covers of  this song have gained some popularity in the past few years, but to me, none can compare to the original. Never forget that the Jackson 5 were the biggest band on the planet at one time, outselling the Beatles and touring nonstop. I'm not going to dwell upon MJ's life or any of the accusations thrown at him, but man these guys could play. 

9. C'Mon Everybody - The Sex Pistols 

Another cover, but this one has a great history and my be the last video Sid Viscous recorded before he was (probably) killed by Malcolm McClaren. After Johnny Rotten left the band, Sid did most of the vocals and he appears a lot in their last few videos. Sid is clearly high whilst signing this song, he can't follow the tune and slurs a lot of the lines. God rest you Sid, you will be missed. 

10. Rock Lobster - The B52's 

I HATE Love Shack. I've heard it so many times that all I can hear is dunk wedding goers trying to sing along without knowing all the words. Rock Lobster, on the other hand, is pure genius. Everything about this song is wrong; the verses don't match, the vocals are on the wrong octave and the chord changes come out of nowhere, but somehow, it works. The B52's are way bigger and better than Love Shack would indicate, check out some of their other work, starting out with this song. It's a Rock Lobster! 

Hat Guy - I get wet, without even trying. 

Next Time: Like the Boss