Music Of The Moment: I Went Down To The River
Greetings From Asbury Park, NJ was released nine months before I was born (Jan. 1973). Hmm… nine months. Could my parents have been that cool? Probably not. I’m not named Clarence or Bruce. The Wild, The Innocent, The E-Street Shuffle was released a week before I was born (Sept. 11, 1973).
I’m not saying these things to taunt those readers who were, say, of record-buying age when these albums were released. It’s just that I didn’t get in on the ground floor. I didn’t go to a record store to buy these albums. I didn’t spend months laying on the floor watching the record spin as the needle danced across the grooves, learning every sonic detail of these songs and albums. I didn’t have to wait those months between Asbury and The Wild. I didn’t have to wait two years to hear Born to Run or wonder for three years if lawsuits would prevent Darkness on the Edge of Town from seeing light of day.
I came to Bruce Springsteen later in life, during the CD age. I bought the albums quickly — sometimes two or three at a time – and listened to them quicker. I devoured the songs, I didn’t savor them. I know the big songs and a lot of deep album cuts, but I can be stumped. If you want to stump me, the best place to start is The River.
For one reason or another, I’ve never really dug into that record to unearth the treasures to be found. I know “Cadillac Ranch,” “Ramrod,” and “Hungry Heart” but I could tell you squadoosh about “Stolen Car,” “The Price You Pay,” or “Crush on You.”
I’ve set out today to begin the process of discovering The River. I’ll soon know “Sherry Darling” well enough to be able to sing it to the two Sherrys I work with. It begins here.
“ooo, ooo, I got a crush on you…”
Filed under: Bruce Springsteen, Music of the Moment
interesting. we’ve spoken about this on the phone before but The River was a record that i didn’t get for a while….but after all of these years, it has so many memories of me in my early 20’s that i can’t help but love it.
here i am, the not-a-lyrics guy, and i have fond memories of whole rooms full of beer-soaked people singing “i got some beer and the highway’s free…and i got you and baby you got me”….
damn.
It seems almost impossible to be a non-lyrics Springsteen fan. He’s a singer/songwriter who happens to have a kickass band.
The River really needs to be remastered. Today. Now. These are great songs with a classic sound as far as the arrangements go. It doesn’t need to be remixed, just updated on a technical sonic level.
Other than that, I really like this record. I’ve listened to it in its entirety and it made more of an impression, although it’s still just so long that it is tough to digest all at once. Let’s hear it for “The Price You Pay.” That’s a good song. That would fit well alongside songs from Magic. That should be played alongside “Long Walk Home!”
The Live in NYC is the definitive version of Ramrod.
a remastering would be good, but you do have to remember that the thing was recorded in one big room, so it’s always going to have that wall of sound thing going on.
it sounds pretty good on vinyl.
and sorry, i’m just not a lyrics guy. that’s why Tunnel of Love is so far down on my list.
sorry 11.
Let me be clear, I don’t want to change the sound of the album. I just don’t want it to have the flat sound it does because it was poorly transferred from tape to disc. The “Wall of Sound” thing is great. I don’t want that lost in translation. I don’t want anyone to remake The River. I just want it to sound as good as it possibly can without ruining it.
Tunnel needs to be remastered, too. Everything but Nebraska and Born to Run needs to be remastered; Neb because there is no point and BTR because it has already been done.
I thought sure you’d give me some ballbustin’ comment about age…
and i thought you’d give me some ballbustin’ comment about Tunnel..
Tunnel defense is 11’s department. I like it. He likes it more.
it’s interesting, if you look at some of those (mostly pathetic) “rate the albums” threads, you’ll see it at both ends of peoples’ lists.
though now that i say that, the same can be said for almost all of his records, even the first two (which is freaking crazy talk, if ya ask me)
What’s pathetic about people’s opinions on the albums? You’re such a redass, Saleski.
That said… what’s not to like about Greetings?
what’s not to like? dunno, but i’ve seen it and “The Wild…” at the bottom of a list. don’t know if they were just trying to piss people off or not.
what’s a redass?
The Wild wouldn’t be at the bottom for me because of “Rosalita.” It wouldn’t be at the top, though. “Wild Billy” goes up my ass sideways.
i love every song on the first two records.
i didn’t want to get into the whole rating thing (i think it was at backstreets) because it sort of not in my nature. i mean, is Darkness on the Edge of Town ‘better’ than Nebraska? the question doesn’t make sense.
‘Tunnel of Love,’ minus ‘Spare Parts’ is so good that it is almost painful to listen to. It is so personal and so self-effacing (see ‘One Step Up’) that it reminds me of reading someone’s diary, only it is good.
I wish ‘Valentine’s Day’ were 35 minutes long. I have to listen to the fade out over and over and over again.
Here’s the thing about ‘The River:’ The thing is two discs long, and there is very little filler. Even more amazing?
LOOK WHAT WAS LEFT OFF:
BE TRUE
ROULETTE
LOOSE ENDS
TAKE ‘EM AS THEY COME
That’s half of the best record ever made right there, boys.
You don’t hear a lot about it, but 6 people are known to have spontaneously combusted while listening to ‘Loose Ends.’
And there’s a whole other disc of fine songs besides those.
It’s just sick.
heh, we sure are worlds apart on that record 11. ‘Spare Parts’ is the only song i like.
Are you serious? Man, oh man! That is too funny. Man. You might be my shadow person. Or, I might be yours. Are you 11 from ‘Mirror, Mirror?’
I bet you like Coronas and pickles, right?
coronas! icky!
i am serious though.. Tunnel of Love is right at the bottom for me. i play it less than Lucky Town/Human Touch.
The Rising is my least played, other than ‘We Shall Overcome.’