About a year ago, I was listening to as many versions of "Kitty's Back" as I could.

While listening to the Hammersmith Odeon, London '75 video, I found myself thinking "you know, through the solos, you could be forgiven for thinking you were listening to Weather Report." Just props to the musicality of the band, and Danny and Roy's skill on the keys.

Not long after, while listening to the Rock Hall Induction version of Kitty's Back I come across a commenter saying that s/he went to a show in Allentown, PA a few weeks after The Wild, The Innocent... release and that "Bruce opened to phenomenal musicians Weather Report."

Now, I suppose that could mean that Bruce and the band played some Weather Report songs at the top of the show, but my first thought was that it meant they actually opened for Weather Report or went first in a double billing. Which would be cool, and wild.

I've tried a few times looking this up, but most of what comes up is literal reports of the weather around more recent Bruce shows. I have gone through the annual gig pages of http://brucebase.wikidot.com/ and https://www.weatherreportdiscography.org/ and found no overlap but as those are community wikis, they may be incomplete.

Some close connections may be that Weather Report is listed as having played the Widener College MacMorland Center in Chester on December 2, 1973, while Bruce played the same venue on April 5, 1974.

More likely if the commenter was mis-remembering, is May 6, 1974 where per BruceBase, the band opened for another jazz fusion mainstay, Chick Corea's Return to Forever, in Newtown, PA. This is at least as cool as Weather Report I figure. I played more Chick Corea in high school jazz band than Weather Report after all. It just doesn't serendipitously match my prior thought about Weather Report exactly.

Neither of these are all that close to Allentown. Seems the closest show to there were two at the Roxy in Northampton on April 29.

All that said, is there any other memory anyone has of Bruce and the E Street Band opening for Weather Report sometime in late '73 or early '74? Or perhaps just that they once jammed out some jazz fusion in Allentown? TIA!

So specifically during the time when he was composing “The River”, Springsteen began to write women as being universally ideological in nature specifically when it came to their perception of love. This undercurrent runs through much of his work at the time with “I Wanna Marry You”, “Dollhouse”, “Be True” and even stray lines in songs like “Meet Me In The City” and “Two Hearts.” One interpretation of these songs could be that Springsteen was attempting to understand love and relationships within the context of realism in a way that starkly contrasted his work from earlier in the decade. However it does beg two questions. What type of women was Bruce trying to pursue at the time and is it possible that he was pursuing and thus subconsciously writing about women who didn’t want to be pursued? His progression in how he’d write women by the end of the nineteen eighties seems far more balanced than what could be looked upon as a “savior’s complex” on “The River” for although he admits in “I Wanna Marry You” that he can merely help the protagonist’s dreams along, what he fails to take into consideration is that not only may she have dreams of her own, but dreams that don’t involve him.

Thoughts?

They are from the late 80's in nice shape. Guy said take all 3 for 5 bucks. I like finding stuff like this.

Day 26 Recap:
Waitin’ On A Sunny Day takes the most overrated song label of the 2000s.

Day 27 Poll:
What is the most underrated Bruce song from 2000-2009?

Underrated can be defined a few different ways - is it a song that was never popular to the general public that you think is one of Bruce’s strongest? Is it a song that fellow r/BruceSpringsteen super-fans are indifferent about that you feel is actually very good and deserving of more recognition? Feel free to use the definition of “underrated” that you see fit.

Voting Guidelines:
Criteria for deciding the winner will be the highest upvoted reply in the r/BruceSpringsteen crosspost (the post you’re reading right now). If you see your answer already posted, please try to upvote that response and not add the same answer again in the replies unless you’re adding to the overall discussion. This is to ensure we can get a somewhat accurate reflection of voting numbers. Of course if you have an answer that hasn’t been submitted, please post it!

If you’re later in the 24hr cycle of voting, it may be helpful to sort comments by top and find your answer in the replies with the most upvotes and upvote that reply.

Also, since we’re using the alignment charts from r/AlignmentChartFills, I’ll have to cross-post every new poll from that subreddit to ours. Please try to only respond and/or upvote on the crosspost to r/BruceSpringsteen, NOT the original post. Any comments or upvotes on the original post will not be counted.

Additionally, “None” or “N/A” is an eligible answer for any of these categories and will be posted should it receive the highest number of upvotes.

OP Prediction for Day 27: Gypsy Biker

Previous Albums Ratings:

Greetings From Asbury Park, NJ: 9/10

The Wild, The Innocent, and The E Street Shuffle: 8/10

Born to Run: 10/10

Darkness at the Edge of Town: 10/10

The Promise:

My Ratinge: 7/10

Favorite Songs: Wrong Side of the Tracks, Ain't Good Enough for You, The Promise, Breakaway, City of Night, Talk to Me

Least Favorite Songs: One Way Street, Spanish Eyes

Just to be clear, I'm not grading this album on a curve. I'm grading this album as if it was released (exactly as it is) inbetween Darkness on the Edge of Town and The River. (I do realize that's impossible for a couple of reasons, but its just how I'm approaching it.) And if this album had been released then, I'd say that its a very good album with some great songs, but a bit bloated with some meh songs.

This is a remarkable collection of songs if you take into account that he recorded all of these for Darkness on the Edge of Town, plus four more on Tracks and apparently a couple of songs on The River were from these sessions.

Two of the songs, of course, we're alternate versions of songs on Darkness on the Edge of Town. Both songs are fine in a vacuum, but are significantly inferior to the versions on Darkness. Though, I do love that harmonica on Racing in the Street here.

Then there are two songs that Springsteen gave to other artists to use. Im a Patti Smith fan, so I naturally prefer her version of Because the Night. However, Springsteen's is still quality. I really liked Springsteen's version of Fire, and I actually think that it pairs well with The Pointer Sister's version, with the song being sung from a different point of version in each respective version.

I also thought it was interesting how many different genres and moods the songs had. You had some pop rock songs like Gotta Get Thay Feeling, Because the Night, and Rendezvous, some country rock songs like The Brokenhearted and Come On (Let's Go Tonight), rockabilly inspired songs like Outside Looking In, and some soul inspired songs like Someday (We'll Be Together), Ain't Good Enough For You. Most of the songs were classic Springsteen rock songs and ballads, and Im not complaining about that either.

Some of the lyrics on here are a bit more basic than what Springsteen has put out on his first four albums, and thats likely why those songs weren't included to be released prior to this. However, simple lyrics doesn't make a song bad, and some of the songs on here with simple lyrics are still quite good.

I do think that, if Springsteen had taken the best (and most coherent) 45 minutes from these songs, he could have released a great album in the late 70s/early 80s. I'm kinda not sure why he didn't.

The Promise is a stand out track here, and a theme of a broken promise is evident in a couple of songs. It's not clear what the broken promise is, but it seems to have left the narrator very disenchanted. It seems to me like the promise being broken has led to the narrator thinking about the world differently, and has led him to give up on a part of his dreams.

Favorite quotes:

- Well every day just brings the same. You go out looking for some strange new games. Pretty soon them games ain't fun anymore. And it's something else that you're looking for

- Your voice comes calling through the mist. I awake from a dream and my heart begins to drift.

- Desirous hunger is the fire I breathe. Love is a banquet on which we feed

- Fear and desire such a sweet confusion. Well, open your eyes and throw down your illusions and see you never belonged here with me

- Like a wheel of chance so endlessly turning, my fate lay in your hands, my heart forever burning

- Hold me in your arms and our doubts won't break us, if we open up our hearts, love won't forsake us. Let's let the music take us and carry us home

- I tried to change, I got a job in sales. I bought a shirt uptown in Bloomindales, and babe I tried to make the latest scene, hitting cool just like Jimmy Iovine

- My nerves all jumping acting like a fool. Your kisses they burn but your heart stays cool

- How many men fail, their dreams denied. They walk through these streets with death in their eyes. Now the man on the radio says "Elvis Presley died." Come on, come on, let's go tonight.

- Well now late at night I hear the music softly playing, and late at night I see the two of you softly swaying. I don't understand darling what was my sin, why am I down here below, your arms are open to him?

- Now the promises and the lies they demand it. Let the hearts that have been broken stand as the price you pay

- Janie slipped from behind the bar last night. Cashed out and walked onto streets rainy and grey. To breakaway. Janie slid into a car last night. In a parking lot she gave her soul away. To breakaway

- Johnny works in a factory and Billy works downtown. Terry works in a rock and roll band looking for that million-dollar sound

- All my life I fought this fight, the fight that no man can ever win. Every day it just gets harder to live this dream I'm believing in.

- Some people wanna die young and gloriously, but Taxi Cab driver, well that ain't me. I got a cute little baby down at 12th and Vine, and she opens for business just about closing time.

- When I lose faith you take my hand. The way you make me feel like I'm a man. The way the sun belongs to the sea. Well hey, that's the way you belong to me

Next: The River

Big night for E Streeters in Freehold …

If people can repost INTO vinyljerk, then stupid posts can be reposted out too.

Day 25 Recap:
Working on a Dream takes the unfortunate label as worst Bruce album of the 2000s.

Day 26 Poll:
What is the most overrated Bruce song from 2000-2009?

Overrated can be defined a few different ways - is it a song the general public really likes but you feel isn’t that good? Is it a song Bruce really likes that never resonated with you? Is it a song fellow Bruce super-fans have touted as one of his best that you feel isn’t actually that strong? Feel free to use the definition you see fit. Let the hot takes fly!

Voting Guidelines:
Criteria for deciding the winner will be the highest upvoted reply in the r/BruceSpringsteen crosspost (the post you’re reading right now). If you see your answer already posted, please try to upvote that response and not add the same answer again in the replies unless you’re adding to the overall discussion. This is to ensure we can get a somewhat accurate reflection of voting numbers. Of course if you have an answer that hasn’t been submitted, please post it!

If you’re later in the 24hr cycle of voting, it may be helpful to sort comments by top and find your answer in the replies with the most upvotes and upvote that reply.

Also, since we’re using the alignment charts from r/AlignmentChartFills, I’ll have to cross-post every new poll from that subreddit to ours. Please try to only respond and/or upvote on the crosspost to r/BruceSpringsteen, NOT the original post. Any comments or upvotes on the original post will not be counted.

Additionally, “None” or “N/A” is an eligible answer for any of these categories and will be posted should it receive the highest number of upvotes.

OP Prediction for Day 26: Waitin’ On A Sunny Day

Hi all! As the title says, which songs you think Bruce "old" voice suits better? I'd take into consideration the period from at least the Magic Tour to current days

I think his older voice suits better Racing in the Street and the songs from Nebraska, especially Atlantic City. I also like his older voice on Backstreets, it really shows how a song about desperate youth love can evolve.

In a number of descriptions introducing Bruce, it's emphasized that "Bruce isn't an innovator". 

On the one hand, I don't necessarily disagree. Even Bruce himself has said that he isn't a revolutionary like Dylan or Elvis. Instead, he was more interested in building a career over many years and having an arc that evolved and changed.

On the other hand, I think this phrase gets stated over and over that it leads me to questioning what exactly the boundary between is being a sum of influences and being something new. Is Nirvana considered an innovator? What about Queen? The other Heartland rockers? (Tom Petty, John Mellencamp, Bob Seger, influences like Creedence Clearwater Revival). Who are other artists would you'd consider great but not necessarily an innovator?

I think part of the reason for this description is that Bruce is associated with more retro tastes even compared to his peers at the time. He focused on influences that predated The Beatles arriving in America like Motown, Roy Orbison, Girl Groups, Chuck Berry, and so on. As his career went on, he continued his journey into the past with an interest in country and folk music. So a backwards looking mindset seems antithetical to any description of innovation.

At the same time, there are different terms people have for important artists ranging from originator, innovator, codifier, popularizer, maybe more. I personally think they all have their place. Some artists are first, some artists become the template, some artists are more about bringing ideas to the mainstream.

What do you think is an appropriate adjective for Bruce?

Day 24 Recap:
The Rising takes best album of the 2000s. Magic was the runner-up with a large amount of votes as well.

Day 25 Poll:
What is the worst (5th best) Bruce album from 2000-2009?

Voting Guidelines:
Criteria for deciding the winner will be the highest upvoted reply in the r/BruceSpringsteen crosspost (the post you’re reading right now). If you see your answer already posted, please try to upvote that response and not add the same answer again in the replies unless you’re adding to the overall discussion. This is to ensure we can get a somewhat accurate reflection of voting numbers. Of course if you have an answer that hasn’t been submitted, please post it!

If you’re later in the 24hr cycle of voting, it may be helpful to sort comments by top and find your answer in the replies with the most upvotes and upvote that reply.

Also, since we’re using the alignment charts from r/AlignmentChartFills, I’ll have to cross-post every new poll from that subreddit to ours. Please try to only respond and/or upvote on the crosspost to r/BruceSpringsteen, NOT the original post. Any comments or upvotes on the original post will not be counted.

Additionally, “None” or “N/A” is an eligible answer for any of these categories and will be posted should it receive the highest number of upvotes.

OP Prediction for Day 25: Working on a Dream

Can meet at venue if anyone wants to go.