The recent trend in all things vintage workman (flannel shirts, hunting boots, raw denim) calls to mind one musician, at a particular point in his career: early 70's Springsteen. The Boss--before the stadium shows of the 80's--was the working man's wordsmith, a Dylan with sincerity. His music was that of a Friday night out after the week's last shift, throwing on an old jacket, and flirting with girls in the local roadside bar.
Check out 'The E Street Shuffle', the opening track off his 1973 album, The Wild, the Innocent, & the E Street Shuffle, and dig the stanza beginning at 1:01:
It seems that Springsteen's legacy--much like Van Morrison, Chuck Berry, or even Tupac Shakur--is generally built off the success of one hit song ("Born in the USA"), while the depth and uniqueness of other tracks and albums are overlooked--or just plain forgotten. For example, who knew Springsteen as the author and original performer of Manfred Mann's hit "Blinded by the Light"? Here's Bruce's janglier version, which is the first track off his first album, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.:
No comments:
Post a Comment