Life, The Universe, And The E Street Shuffle
Comrades,
It was on this date in 1973 that Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band released their first album, Greetings From Asbury Park, and the soundtrack for my life, (and a lot of other folks’ too), began, although I was unaware of the album at that time. Much has been written about that album and Springsteen’s career. It brilliantly combined elements of pre-British invasion American rock’n’roll with Dylanesque lyrics, and a street punk delivery and poise. I could go on and on, but it’s all been said before and better than I could. So I’ll talk about something else – me!
My friend Cliff introduced me to Greetings as well as the next album (The Wild, The Innocent, and The E Street Shuffle), in the next year. I will forever be grateful to him. I will also forever be embarrassed to say that they didn’t click with me immediately. Perhaps I was a little too young, or too engrossed in the shamanistic revels of the Doors, but for what ever reason, I just found them pleasantly interesting. Then in ’75, Born To Run was released and it was like Satori! I quickly went back to the first two albums and was immediately hooked. In ’78, Darkness On the Edge of Town was released and those four LP’s formed a backdrop to the decade. A lot of you reading this were there too, I’m happy to say. For those of you who weren’t, it still strikes me as a strange time. There was always an edge to it, and that’s reflected in Springsteen’s lyrics. It almost certainly had something to do with the economy, which was in a shambles, lurching from one recession to the next. So much opportunity seemed to be slipping away. It was probably also due to our age, being young is always dramatic. Once, a British reviewer exasperatingly asked why every time Springsteen went to the 7/11 for a pack of cigarettes he had to write an epic song about it. I still laugh when I think about that accusation – it’s really kinda true. But that’s the way it was then, your life IS important to you and that’s what Bruce was reflecting. Though they may hold universal truths and observations, these songs, both lyrically and musically, reflect real lives and times. I can tell you with great confidence that you didn't have to live in the 70’s to experience them. Listen to Spirit In The Night and you ARE in 1974. Listen to Backstreets and you ARE in ’78. I, (and many of you), could site dozens more examples.
The thing I don’t know is if the music has much validity beyond that. Can a kid in California or Kansas, living today, find themselves in these songs – I just don’t know. But as for me, it means hanging out and “Growing Up” with Edmund, Millie, Nancy, Scott, Ed, Roger, Margaret, Cliff, Rick, Ron, Beth & Ken, and a ‘supporting cast” of hundreds. Shuffling along the bricked sidewalks of Old Town and Georgetown, cruising the one-time back roads of Fairfax and PG counties, loves found and lost, plans both joyous and grim, shows and concerts, parties and Gatherings, chances and gambles, clubs and bars – always the bars. And through it all, Bruce was there on the stereo, putting down on vinyl what we were putting down on our lives. Whether it was the cocky joy of Rosalita or the forlorn loss of Darkness On The Edge of Town – he was there creating a melody and a poem for those of us stumbling into adulthood.
So, here’s to Bruce, and his E Streeters – Mad Dog, Funky Chicken, Mighty Max, Miami Steve, The Big Man, Phantom Dan, Professor Roy, and the rest. And here’s to my compatriots in an ill-spent youth, wandering the Backstreets. Perhaps we still are.
It was on this date in 1973 that Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band released their first album, Greetings From Asbury Park, and the soundtrack for my life, (and a lot of other folks’ too), began, although I was unaware of the album at that time. Much has been written about that album and Springsteen’s career. It brilliantly combined elements of pre-British invasion American rock’n’roll with Dylanesque lyrics, and a street punk delivery and poise. I could go on and on, but it’s all been said before and better than I could. So I’ll talk about something else – me!
My friend Cliff introduced me to Greetings as well as the next album (The Wild, The Innocent, and The E Street Shuffle), in the next year. I will forever be grateful to him. I will also forever be embarrassed to say that they didn’t click with me immediately. Perhaps I was a little too young, or too engrossed in the shamanistic revels of the Doors, but for what ever reason, I just found them pleasantly interesting. Then in ’75, Born To Run was released and it was like Satori! I quickly went back to the first two albums and was immediately hooked. In ’78, Darkness On the Edge of Town was released and those four LP’s formed a backdrop to the decade. A lot of you reading this were there too, I’m happy to say. For those of you who weren’t, it still strikes me as a strange time. There was always an edge to it, and that’s reflected in Springsteen’s lyrics. It almost certainly had something to do with the economy, which was in a shambles, lurching from one recession to the next. So much opportunity seemed to be slipping away. It was probably also due to our age, being young is always dramatic. Once, a British reviewer exasperatingly asked why every time Springsteen went to the 7/11 for a pack of cigarettes he had to write an epic song about it. I still laugh when I think about that accusation – it’s really kinda true. But that’s the way it was then, your life IS important to you and that’s what Bruce was reflecting. Though they may hold universal truths and observations, these songs, both lyrically and musically, reflect real lives and times. I can tell you with great confidence that you didn't have to live in the 70’s to experience them. Listen to Spirit In The Night and you ARE in 1974. Listen to Backstreets and you ARE in ’78. I, (and many of you), could site dozens more examples.
The thing I don’t know is if the music has much validity beyond that. Can a kid in California or Kansas, living today, find themselves in these songs – I just don’t know. But as for me, it means hanging out and “Growing Up” with Edmund, Millie, Nancy, Scott, Ed, Roger, Margaret, Cliff, Rick, Ron, Beth & Ken, and a ‘supporting cast” of hundreds. Shuffling along the bricked sidewalks of Old Town and Georgetown, cruising the one-time back roads of Fairfax and PG counties, loves found and lost, plans both joyous and grim, shows and concerts, parties and Gatherings, chances and gambles, clubs and bars – always the bars. And through it all, Bruce was there on the stereo, putting down on vinyl what we were putting down on our lives. Whether it was the cocky joy of Rosalita or the forlorn loss of Darkness On The Edge of Town – he was there creating a melody and a poem for those of us stumbling into adulthood.
So, here’s to Bruce, and his E Streeters – Mad Dog, Funky Chicken, Mighty Max, Miami Steve, The Big Man, Phantom Dan, Professor Roy, and the rest. And here’s to my compatriots in an ill-spent youth, wandering the Backstreets. Perhaps we still are.
posted by mendip at
6:13 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home