1990's on - the best music of his career?

[] they are more powerful than many of his most famous songs [/]

Many of the songs he's written since 1988 are among my favorites of his, but honestly, Streets of Philadelphia is the only one that's in the same catagory with BTR, Backstreets, Badlands, Racing, The River, etc.

Thanks for dropping by, Smokey, but I had this one covered.

Oh, and Philly isn't even in the same solar system as the other songs you mentioned.

Which sort of gets back to my original post.

Yes it is, and that cover makes one crappy avatar.

Great song, but Streets Of Philly wins the prize as the absolute number one song that should have just stayed as a studio version. There is no acceptable live version of it whatsoever, and I won't be told otherwise.

This Hard Land, there's another one.

Anyway, back on topic, no matter how many "great" songs you want to cite from 1990's on, I'll match it with shite like Real Man and Trouble In Paradise. Sure, he's hit some winners, but his ratio is appalling.

[]
OF course, as always, I'm open to correction. [/]
That's good, because you're gonna get a lot of it.

I think you meant insults. He didn't say he was open to those, but he's gonna get a lot of those.

[]I think you meant insults. [/]
My bad. Insults it is.

Speaking of, where is chance?

[]
This Hard Land, there's another one.

[/]

I almost agree with this. He always fucks up This Hard Land, but there are two really good live vesions. The first is from the Jaod tour and it's on the Midnight Cowboy boot, which also has a horrifying version of The Times They Are A Changing. The other good live version of This Hard Land is the D&D tour version with Nils. Other than those two, there's about 100 twang versions and a few full band versions where he yells "C'mon band member" whenever they take a solo.

[][]
This Hard Land, there's another one.

[/]

I almost agree with this. He always fucks up This Hard Land, but there are two really good live vesions. The first is from the Jaod tour and it's on the Midnight Cowboy boot, which also has a horrifying version of The Times They Are A Changing. The other good live version of This Hard Land is the D&D tour version with Nils. Other than those two, there's about 100 twang versions and a few full band versions where he yells "C'mon band member" whenever they take a solo. [/]Haven't heard that Joad boot (surprise surprise!) but I don't like the D & D one. And the stupid "stay hard, stay hungry, STAY ALIVE" is just another example of the man becoming a parody of himself.

My friend Goober thinks that "Murder Inc." and "Code of Silence" are the best things he has done since BitUSA. Needless to say, there's a reason he's named Goober.

I love seeing him live--not with the SSB, however--but he's flipped: Until around Tunnel of Love, the live shows were better than the albums. Now, if anything, it's the reverse: The albums are stronger than the live shows. I think. Maybe not.

(Not that I dislike "Murder Inc." but I don't think it qualifies as something he wrote in the 1990s.)

You must be somebody's dupe. Nobody in their right mind would post something this idiotic. But then again it fits with the first post.

wow - fucking idot. good reply. Look and think for a second. don't sound off. there were GREAT songs in his early career - but for every BTR / Darkness there was the angel or other trashy forgettably generic rock song (see 1/2 the river and greetings). his songs now are not athemic or "large scale" - their mostly quieter and more thoughtful. but very, very powerful. I'll site the D&D tour - great shows - his best in a decade (including both ESB tours - with some exceptions).

Streets of Philadelphia is the best of the lot. but many of the songs I cited above are very good to great in their own right. I'll add some more - Big Muddy / The Fuse / Mary's Place - they're timely, current and well done.
I think what happens is some people live in the past and don't want things to be better / maybe different is a more correct word - and that's okay - don't make you stupid - just wrong.

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Well, you shit in your own bed with those extra examples.

Had you said solo piano Real World, you'd be more on track.

Although his best songwriting period was about '78-'82, when all of The River, basically all of BITUSA save DITD, and all of Nebraska were written, plus a shitload of quality outtakes including Seeds and Shut Out The Light.

Even the BTR/Darkness sessions don't stand up to this 4 year stretch.

I completely agree - and I did mention Real World in my first post as a prime example - however, I still think this most recent era stands up to any.

Oh. Yeah.

[] however, I still think this most recent era stands up to any. [/]

I don't mean to insult you, but I don't see how anyone could possibly feel this way. You seriously believe The Big Muddy and The Fuse stand up to The River, Jungleland, The Promised Land etc.? Some of the songs are good, but he definitely hasn't written that many classics since the beginning of the 90's. From 73-87 you could count the clunkers on one hand. Since then? Boy, I'd say the majority isn't worth a second listen.

And more thoughtful? The early albums have a poetry that made the songs great. Post 90 the lyrics have gotten so simple and ordinary that they're not worth any analysis. One spin and you get the point. Devils and Dust I thought was a return to form for the man, but from 92-2002, I'd say half is unlistenable. And that doesn't mean the other half is great.

Oh, just out of curiosity, what are some of your other favorite bands/artists? Just trying to figure out what kind of music it is that you like. Not really sure who would sit around listening to 90s Bruce, considering the thousands of albums you could be listening to instead.

[] Big Muddy / The Fuse / Mary's Place - they're timely, current and well done.
[/]

Comparing any of these favorable to anything he released from 73-88 is like saying The Adventures of Rocky And Bulwinkle is just as good as Taxi Driver.

Taxi Driver = Over-rated and over acted ("You talkin' to me? - Get a life!)

Rocky and Bulwinkle = Classic

I don't know how you can say Taxi Driver is overrated and over-acted. Check that bit where De Niro just stares into the glass in the all night cafe.

Anyway, Bruce from the 90's onwards?

I'd say the 1992 albums are pretty crappy. "If I Should Fall Behind" and "My Beautiful Reward" are great songs, okay. But the rest is terrible. "Streets of Philly" had us thinkin things were goin okay again though.

I like Joad though probably haven't listened to it in its entirety in a long, long time. "Across the Border", "Straight Time", the title track, "Dry Lightning", "Youngstown"...what an album.

Loved "Lift Me Up" in 1999. There's a fantastic brooding quality to that track.

The Rising is good in parts; the title track is, without doubt, one of the best things he's ever done, certainly on the studio cut. "Paradise" and "Nothing Man" are also pretty damn special. But the whole record didn't really cut loose like I'd hoped.

Devils and Dust is almost saved by "The Hitter" and "Leah" but in the end they're just not enough. The main problem for me is a particularly underwhelming finish to the record (though I kinda like "Matamoras Banks", oddly enough, it just doesn't seem to fit here) and a really crappy, Springsteen-by-numbers title track which had me cringing the first few listens.

Given what we've got to go on, there's no way the 90's onwards can compete with the '77-'82 stretch in terms of songwriting.

I don't think he's become old in his mind. That's really the problem with everything he's written since TOL. If he doesn't die in the next ten years, maybe he'll figure it out.

[]I don't think he's become old in his mind. That's really the problem with everything he's written since TOL. If he doesn't die in the next ten years, maybe he'll figure it out. [/]

I wouldn't say for one minute that tom joad is written from the mind of a young man. apart from a couple of joke songs like pilgrim in the temple of love. it's nearly all from an older perspective that I personally really like after those terrible 92 albums, where Bruce is not just trying to be young and hip,( lucky town album cover, shirt unbuttoned earing, just embarrasing!) but at times black (leap of faith, without doubt the worst Springsteen song ever)
even my best was never good enough a silly song on the album is from an older guys perspective looking back. the new timer I think is some of the best narrative lyrics ever.

saying all that, there is a handful of stuff I really love 90's onwards. Tom joad album, Paradise, Long time coming, lift me up. But I do think that up until tunnel of love Bruce's body of work was in general much better. And he seemed to be able to produce it much more effortlessly. But I think it's obvious when you start a family that work (even work you love) is going to take a back burner.
Bruce found living proof in his family, in the past his living proof was the love of music because that's all he had when he was young.

[] And the stupid "stay hard, stay hungry, STAY ALIVE" is just another example of the man becoming a parody of himself. [/]

Well, yeah, it is NOW. But it would have been cool in 1984. Just like "I ain't a boy, no I'm a man," best applied in 1978 WHEN HE WROTE THE FUCKING THING. Landau really, really, really sucks.

I'd add Atlantic City and The Rising to Philadelphia and This Hard Land as songs he couldn't improve in performance. I'd also say The Promise, Long Time Comin' and Real World fall into the category of having definitive live performances that haven't been improved since, but I guess if we started that ball rolling we'd have to include most of the first four albums.

This Hard Land with Roy from Satan's Jeweled Crown isn't bad--but I may be suffering from the "I was there" factor.

Three of my five favorite Bruce songs are from the 92 albums. I think The Rising is one of his best albums. I love most of Devils n Dust. I think that Eerie Canal is one of the best songs he?s done in years. But no, the songs as a whole sine 1990 do not measure up to 1975-1988. They?re infinitely more personal, but they?re just not as strong as the earlier work.

And again, the full band Real World kicks the spit out of the solo version.

[] They?re infinitely more personal, but they?re just not as strong as the earlier work. [/]

Maybe Lucky Town can be considered a more personal album, but other than that I'd disagree. Darkness, Born to Run, Greetings, TOL, I think these are way more personal than anything he's done since. Just because these albums had fancy narratives about certain "characters" doesn't mean he isn't writing about himself. My guess would be that he was just using metaphors to deal with his extreme shyness. On the two 92 albums he may have become more confident to start singing in first person, but with the exception of Lucky Town, I don't think he let us in on his personal life anymore than he did in the 70's and 80's. The Rising, Joad, and a good chunk of Devils and Dust seem very removed from Bruce Springsteen the person. Those albums come across as more of a character study than anything else.

[] On the two 92 albums he may have become more confident to start singing in first person, but with the exception of Lucky Town, I don't think he let us in on his personal life anymore than he did in the 70's and 80's [/]

1987 - TOL - Every song except Spare Parts and Cautious Man is sung in the first person - All are brutally honest and transparently personal.

HT/LT is the "happy face" of the same coin.

Yep, I agree with your assessment of TOL. Though when I said "first person," I wasn't just referring to the fact that most, if not all, the HT/LT songs are sung with the word "I," I was also stating that those were seen to be autobiographical albums as well. Not sure if that makes sense- maybe I should have worded it differently. The point being that the earlier albums were apparently about other people. You've probably all read interviews and articles around the time of TOL that claimed the album wasn't specifically about him, whereas HT/LT were supposed to be albums about where he was at that time of his life. Lucky Town lets us in somewhat, but Human Touch is so vaguely written that I don't think anyone is able to infer anything about the guy other than that he bought a house in LA, Patti is his "Soul Driver," and that he appeared to have lost most of his poetic abilities.

The rest of the albums- Rising, Joad, Devils, all appear detached from him. I've never understood why people think he's gotten more personal since the 90s.

I think Bruce's output in the '90's is guilty of over-release. He's not as protective of his music, so we get to hear more of the clunkers. But, he does have some songs that rate with his best:

Living Proof
American Skin
Land of Hope and Dreams
Ghost of Tom Joad
Back in Your Arms
Across the Border
The Rising
My City of Ruins
Long Time Coming
My Beautiful Reward
Lucky Town
Streets of Philadelphia

I think his writing is just as good. Had these songs been recorded with the classic ESB sound (sax, piano, glock, hammond organ), then you would think these are right up there with his best songs.

[] he does have some songs that rate with his best: [/]

[] Had these songs been recorded with the classic ESB sound (sax, piano, glock, hammond organ), then you would think these are right up there with his best songs. [/]

You don't even agree with yourself.

The best music of his career.........no.
Ask yourself the simple question what are your 3 favourite Springsteen albums, as I'm sure has been asked on these boards a while ago and I think the overwhelming majority would include the albums up to and including TOL. With that said though starting with the Christic gigs in 1990 Springsteens output has been sporadic, I love Human Touch I think it is a great rock track, I wish I were blind and with every wish are beautiful (trumpet solo is superb) the studio footage from the mid-90's greatest hits get together and Philidelphia shows the mans skill in full flow, sure we can all agree to disagree on his choices at times personally I prefer the strings on secret garden, they decided to leave them off the album version. Bruces problem is, as a songwriter he is so prolific, if he has invested the time and effort to record the songs at this point it becomes just an opinion as to whether it reaches an album or not, most song writers havn't a clue as to why one song is received better than another (with some exceptions) but over a complete body of work it is almost an impossible task to release the 'correct' songs that have been recorded, thats why the existance of tracks is so important, Bruce has stated its just another route to the same destination, I think when its all said and done Springsteens music will be divided into pre and post marriage and kids, both are distinct and both are brilliant in there own way, as for performances its just the energy of the early years was fantastic, although trying to keep up with him on the rising tour, I couldn't and he has 12 years on me.
As all the threads on this board usually display its about a personal opinion which believe it or not will change over the years, with your changing personal circumstances, I can remember when Joad was released in 96 I had drifted away from his music, had a young family and just didn't have the time to listen to it and when I did I just didn't give it a chance. 10 years down the road now I am just starting to get into it and its not that I don't like the acoustic stuff as Nebraska would be in my top 3 its just that I wasn't open to it at the time. I think that the brilliance of songwriters such as Dylan, Young, Van Morrison and Bruce is sometimes it doesn't matter that you're not on the same page, give it time and sure enough you will catch up.

[] [] he does have some songs that rate with his best: [/]

[] Had these songs been recorded with the classic ESB sound (sax, piano, glock, hammond organ), then you would think these are right up there with his best songs. [/]

You don't even agree with yourself. [/]
The first comment was in first person. The second comment was in third person.

Do you always have trouble with grammar?

[]I'd add Atlantic City and The Rising to Philadelphia and This Hard Land as songs he couldn't improve in performance.[/]I'll agree with The Rising, but not Atlantic City. And The Rising only makes the list due to his mitten-fisted incompetence in giving us 697 different versions of a guitar solo that any guitarist in any name band could have nailed in his sleep.

Except Coldplay, of course.

Any 2005 tour version of The Rising is way better than the album version.

[][] [] he does have some songs that rate with his best: [/]

[] Had these songs been recorded with the classic ESB sound (sax, piano, glock, hammond organ), then you would think these are right up there with his best songs. [/]

You don't even agree with yourself. [/]
The first comment was in first person. The second comment was in third person.

Do you always have trouble with grammar? [/]

Actually, the second comment was, appropriately enough, in second person: "you."

And I fail to see how "Back in Your Arms," with its sax and organ solos, is not in the "classic E Street Band" mold. It's like the Who in 1978: Pete Townshend kept trying to get Keith Moon to do something different, something simple, which of course Moon couldn't do. So Moon thrashes around the kit and goes, "I'm the best Keith Moon-style drummer around!"

[]Any 2005 tour version of The Rising is way better than the album version. [/]That's comparing apples and pears, and you know it. I like both. Same as BTR official 85 or 88.

But any 2002/03 tour version of The Rising is worse than the album version.

That was my point before you got smart.

[] And I fail to see how "Back in Your Arms," with its sax and organ solos, is not in the "classic E Street Band" mold. It's like the Who in 1978: Pete Townshend kept trying to get Keith Moon to do something different, something simple, which of course Moon couldn't do. So Moon thrashes around the kit and goes, "I'm the best Keith Moon-style drummer around!" [/]
Well, how many other 90's songs can you say have that "classic ESB sound"?

btw, maybe that's one reason why so many peeps like Back in Your Arms.

[]
peeps [/]

Now we have a legitimate reason to ban you!

[]
Well, how many other 90's songs can you say have that "classic ESB sound"?

btw, maybe that's one reason why so many peeps like Back in Your Arms. [/]

I wasn't the one who said it didn't have an ESB sound.

And "peeps like BIYA" in what way? Compared to the rest of the 1990s schlock? Or compared to "Backstreets"?

BIYA and Backstreets - or that "classic" ESB sound are totally different in almost every way - intention, presentation and era. The ESB sound was gone - really - by TOL. and yet, many, many good to great songs have since arrived. BIYA is one. so are Streets of Philadelphia, the Rising, I Wish I were Blind, Human Touch, Real World, Code of Silence, American Skin (41 shots) - the list goes on. I guess this may be the fundamental piece to the arguement of my original statement - ESB sound vs modern Springsteen. Maybe it comes down to simple preference of that component of Springsteen's music.
The old stuff (pre TOL) was / is great. so is the new stuff (with a few exceptions - of course the same can be said of the old stuff - there were many exceptions to the rule as there were great momements then too).