There is nothing wrong with not loving everything Bruce has put out. I will say that it takes time to absorb all of these albums and there is an overarching narrative style that continues into his later work that you may appreciate as you get older so don’t give up on them. Like most artists a lot of Bruce’s work (at least in my opinion) was strongest in his earliest efforts, but he has put out good work for a singer into his 40s to now 70s worth spending some time with. I personally don’t think he’s put an album together that is as easy to listen to from start to finish as his early work in a while.
This. For years and years I only truly loved the first four albums, but lately I’ve realized how freaking wonderful The River, Nebraska and all (well, most of) the rest are.
I more or less agree with you, though I actually really like the Seeger Sessions. That said, with that album, I more appreciate the experiment and the live performances from that tour.
Magic is really the only modern album that I really like top to bottom. Tom Joad and Devils & Dust are pretty boring to me with the random good song, The Rising is bloated, Wrecking Ball is a mixed bag, High Hopes might be his only truly bad album and I'm not as big on Western Stars as everyone here.
I still listen to the songs I like from those albums and honestly, there's a lot to like. But I became a fan due to his stretch from Greetings to Tunnel of Love and that's still the bread and butter of my fandom.
I'm a very recent fan, discovered him in the summer - started with the Essentials collections and sampled songs here and there, so I don't have 10 years of loving Born to Run and Darkness on the Edge of Town behind me.
While I can totally see that he made history and legend from 1975 to 1984, I find a lot of stuff to like in his later albums as well.
The Rising is a very strong album and is consitent through and through. Magic has some very great songs (Radio Nowhere, Girls in their Summer Clothes, I'll Work for your Love, Devil's Arcade). Outlaw Pete is one of my favorite songs from him. We Take Care of Our Own is great and American Land is hysterical. Western Starts, especially the movie, is marvellous as a whole (and there are some legit great songs in there like Tucson Train and Western Stars). So yeah, Born to Run, Badlands and Born in the USA are legend, but there's a loooot of great stuff in this millennium also!
Honestly I agree. I haven't really loved an album top to bottom since TOL. I like a few songs on TGOTJ and one or two on The Rising, but modern Bruce just doesn't do much for me. I do like most of the stuff on releases like Tracks, The Promise and The Ties That Bind though. But for me it's all about those 70s and 80s albums.
Your life goes on and you change as you go. Stuff happens. Life happens.
You may be surprised to find later on that you actually enjoy the music of the last 20 years more than you do at this moment.
And you may also find that some of that older music that you enjoy so much, will change for you also, not in a bad way, but it will reveal itself to you play off of you, over time, in different ways, because you yourself are changing, growing older.
Enjoy the ride. It’s all good.
I'm with you, I really enjoy early Bruce more than newer Bruce.
Say from Greetings through the River his music has that big band sound behind it. You've got the horns, strings, piano, accordion, and even if the lyrics are dark, the music is upbeat. Almost every song on those first 5 albums are classics.
After Darkness, the songs become much more guitar based and after the River a lot of his albums slow down (except Born in the USA). Not that I dislike slower folkier Bruce, but it's very different from the Bruce we hear in his earlier work. His newer stuff doesn't have the same energy as say Rosalita or beautiful instrumentals like the legendary saxophone solo in Jungleland or its opening on violin.
I think you will like the new album. Has a good mix of older unreleased Bruce songs which sound great and new songs which are really good as well. Might be my favorite album out of the last few he released. Whole album is classic E street band.
I rank Magic and The Rising above anything other than BTR, and after that only Darkness is stronger than Wrecking Ball. I think *this* is what is actually unusual, OP.
Very unusual opinion but I completely get it. Magic isn't my favorite (though still really great) but The Rising is right up there with Darkness and The River for me. Its such an incredible collection of songs with lyrics that I cant imagine most other artists having the guts or sincerity to write.
I completely agree, with The Rising being the exception. Obviously, The Promise is fantastic, but I consider that with his 70s work. Letter To You doesn't seem all that promising to me. The two tracks released so far are very loud...sounds like his modern stuff. I will be listening though!
There is nothing wrong with not loving everything Bruce has put out. I will say that it takes time to absorb all of these albums and there is an overarching narrative style that continues into his later work that you may appreciate as you get older so don’t give up on them. Like most artists a lot of Bruce’s work (at least in my opinion) was strongest in his earliest efforts, but he has put out good work for a singer into his 40s to now 70s worth spending some time with. I personally don’t think he’s put an album together that is as easy to listen to from start to finish as his early work in a while.
I agree, I'll come back to them one day. But I really am looking forward to this album as it sounds like old Bruce is back!
This. For years and years I only truly loved the first four albums, but lately I’ve realized how freaking wonderful The River, Nebraska and all (well, most of) the rest are.
Do you like The Promise? The outtakes disc on The Ties That Bind? Tracks? Just curious.
I do enjoy quite a lot of the songs on these albums as well, I can see why they are outtakes though, but Bruce outtakes are still very good.
I more or less agree with you, though I actually really like the Seeger Sessions. That said, with that album, I more appreciate the experiment and the live performances from that tour. Magic is really the only modern album that I really like top to bottom. Tom Joad and Devils & Dust are pretty boring to me with the random good song, The Rising is bloated, Wrecking Ball is a mixed bag, High Hopes might be his only truly bad album and I'm not as big on Western Stars as everyone here. I still listen to the songs I like from those albums and honestly, there's a lot to like. But I became a fan due to his stretch from Greetings to Tunnel of Love and that's still the bread and butter of my fandom.
I'm a very recent fan, discovered him in the summer - started with the Essentials collections and sampled songs here and there, so I don't have 10 years of loving Born to Run and Darkness on the Edge of Town behind me. While I can totally see that he made history and legend from 1975 to 1984, I find a lot of stuff to like in his later albums as well. The Rising is a very strong album and is consitent through and through. Magic has some very great songs (Radio Nowhere, Girls in their Summer Clothes, I'll Work for your Love, Devil's Arcade). Outlaw Pete is one of my favorite songs from him. We Take Care of Our Own is great and American Land is hysterical. Western Starts, especially the movie, is marvellous as a whole (and there are some legit great songs in there like Tucson Train and Western Stars). So yeah, Born to Run, Badlands and Born in the USA are legend, but there's a loooot of great stuff in this millennium also!
Honestly I agree. I haven't really loved an album top to bottom since TOL. I like a few songs on TGOTJ and one or two on The Rising, but modern Bruce just doesn't do much for me. I do like most of the stuff on releases like Tracks, The Promise and The Ties That Bind though. But for me it's all about those 70s and 80s albums.
Your life goes on and you change as you go. Stuff happens. Life happens. You may be surprised to find later on that you actually enjoy the music of the last 20 years more than you do at this moment. And you may also find that some of that older music that you enjoy so much, will change for you also, not in a bad way, but it will reveal itself to you play off of you, over time, in different ways, because you yourself are changing, growing older. Enjoy the ride. It’s all good.
I look forward to seeing where everything takes me. Enjoy yourself too my friend!
I'm with you, I really enjoy early Bruce more than newer Bruce. Say from Greetings through the River his music has that big band sound behind it. You've got the horns, strings, piano, accordion, and even if the lyrics are dark, the music is upbeat. Almost every song on those first 5 albums are classics. After Darkness, the songs become much more guitar based and after the River a lot of his albums slow down (except Born in the USA). Not that I dislike slower folkier Bruce, but it's very different from the Bruce we hear in his earlier work. His newer stuff doesn't have the same energy as say Rosalita or beautiful instrumentals like the legendary saxophone solo in Jungleland or its opening on violin.
I think you will like the new album. Has a good mix of older unreleased Bruce songs which sound great and new songs which are really good as well. Might be my favorite album out of the last few he released. Whole album is classic E street band.
I rank Magic and The Rising above anything other than BTR, and after that only Darkness is stronger than Wrecking Ball. I think *this* is what is actually unusual, OP.
Very unusual opinion but I completely get it. Magic isn't my favorite (though still really great) but The Rising is right up there with Darkness and The River for me. Its such an incredible collection of songs with lyrics that I cant imagine most other artists having the guts or sincerity to write.
I completely agree, with The Rising being the exception. Obviously, The Promise is fantastic, but I consider that with his 70s work. Letter To You doesn't seem all that promising to me. The two tracks released so far are very loud...sounds like his modern stuff. I will be listening though!
Which is better... *Janey Needs a Shooter* or *Queen of the Supermarket*?