Posts Tagged Bruce Springsteen
Archive
August 25, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
Poem: Bill Conti Scores The Great American Novel
People talk about The Great American Novel like it’s a thing. It is a thing – but it’s not a book, and it’s never going to be. Bruce Springsteen probably thinks he’s written The Great American Novel. But he just dragged John Steinbeck down into rock’n’roll. There are many photographers that have taken The Great […]Archive
May 4, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
Poem: Pwned In The U.S.A.
Bruce Springsteen’s Born In The U.S.A was one of my first tapes – and I loved it so much and everyone else in the family hated it. I had no frame of reference beyond Bruce the big pop star. It never made much sense to have him doing stadiums, competing with Lionel, Madonna, MJ and […]Archive
September 23, 2020 by Simon Sweetman
The Vinyl Countdown # 48
Bruce Springsteen, Nebraska (1982) I’ve been about as uninterested in Bruce Springsteen as can be lately – not regretting the years I was a fan or anything like that but just so wound up about it. He’s really a gurning clown. This has been on my mind a bit over the last couple of years […]Archive
August 3, 2020 by Simon Sweetman
Poem: I Used To Like Bruce Springsteen Until I Listened Very Closely
Bruce Springsteen mincing hard, a grinning, gurning clown, sweating bullets to let you know he means it – that dull rasp of a voice, no actual bark, even less bite. He’s written some gems, a small handful, but I couldn’t ever let it be thought that I didn’t love some of what he’s done. Though […]Archive
March 31, 2020 by Simon Sweetman
The Vinyl Countdown # 141
Bruce Springsteen, The River (1980) Of all the Bruce Springsteen albums this is the one I’ve tried the hardest to fall in love with – but I just keep hearing a double-stuffed, overly long set of pub-rock jam that don’t have the necessary pay-off. Sure, there are some good songs. Absolutely. Including a couple of […]Archive
January 6, 2020 by Simon Sweetman
The Vinyl Countdown # 191
Randy Newman, Born Again (1979) It’s a little over a month to go before Randy Newman’s first ever NZ shows – so all my Randy Newman albums (soundtracks, collabs, even records by other that feature Newman compositions – a heap!) are there by the stereo. I’ve worked through them all recently because I did a […]Archive
November 26, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Lucy Dacus: 2019 [EP]
Lucy Dacus 2019 (ep) Matador As far as stopgap EPs go this is very good. It’s a bunch of single tracks collected up and gathered here under a clever-enough theme (holidays; a different song for each holiday, mix of covers and originals) but it ultimately exists to make sure people don’t forget about Dacus in […]Archive
November 2, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Aoife O’Donovan: In The Magic Hour Solo Sessions (ep)
Aoife O’Donovan In The Magic Hour Solo Sessions (ep) Yep Roc Records Aoife O’Donovan’s 2016 album In The Magic Hour was one of the best of that year for me – easily. As is the case when O’Donovan records – she makes magic. But here on an EP of the stripped back solo sessions from […]Archive
September 25, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Short Story: If Bruce Springsteen Wrote Wichita Lineman
Well, Billy was a lineman working for the man down in Darlington County And he’d drive the main road, heart in his mouth, chrome wheeled, fuel injected, Searchin’ in the sun for another overload and steppin’ out over the line One day, he heard Mary singin’, yeah she was singin’ in the wire, All about […]Archive
September 16, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Poem: The Bruce Springsteen Grinning-Statue Show
Bruce Springsteen is a craftsman, hell of a writer but fuck all that chest-puffing and that stupid-ass grin. Gimme Paul Kelly with his mortician’s grimace, his songs for the ages and the usual Australian lack of self-doubt. It’s not a competition but Bruce Springsteen is auditioning for his own statue, and Paul Kelly is doing […]Archive
August 22, 2019 by Simon Sweetman