As someone who was a MAJOR Bruce fan up until The River, it somehow saddens me that the likes of Born to Run, Darkness, and Rosalita are not a part of every human’s awareness. Of course, I plead pretty complete ignorance to nearly all of rap, and such huge current superstars as Beyonce and Taylor Swift.
For all of you who only know him from Born in the USA, if you consider yourself a fan of any type of music, you really might want to do yourself a favor and at least listen to a tune or 2 off of his first 4 albums. Just spend 10 minutes to allow yourself to form an opinion.
Born to Run
Jungleland
Rosalita
Blinded by the Light
Badlands
Dancing in the Dark
Secret Garden
Tunnel of Love
Hungry Heart
Brilliant Disguise
I’m on Fire
The River
Glory Days
Streets of Philadelphia
The Rising
Because the Night
PInk Cadillac
Born in the USA
Not quite. She appeared on the covers of teen magazines including Tiger Beat and Little Miss and on the covers of some romance novels, did commercials for Maybeline, Noxema, New York Telephone Company and Tampax, and had a small part in As the World Turns. Then she got the part in the video of “Dancing in the Dark”. It’s unlikely that this really was that big a deal, since people who watched the video at the time it was first shown thought that she was just a random fan that Bruce happened by chance to pull onto the stage. Bruce thought that she was just a random fan. He didn’t realize that the director of the video had try-outs for the role of the dancer among various young actresses.
This is Springsteen Country. There are still articles posted whenever he shows up at random locations. Things might be slightly skewed around here. I’ve been to the corner of 10th Ave and E Street and I’m not even a fan.
I mentioned up thread that my 23 year old daughter watches Friends. I asked her last night if Courteney Cox or Bruce Springsteen are more famous with her friends. She didn’t hesitate to say Courteney. Many of her friends are fans of Friends. None have ever listened to Springsteen. I gave my daughter a wide musical base and she enjoys lots of music that was made before she was born but doesn’t like Springsteen. She certainly knows him and can recognize some of his songs.
I’m not a big fan of it, but last week I heard “Caddilac Ranch” on the radio. A local bar I used to go to in Budapest would constantly have the whole “Born to Run” album playing, so I know that inside-out, despite never having purchased a Bruce Springsteen album.
Another one I occasionally hear on the radio is “Tenth Avenue Freeze-out” and I remember “57 Channels and Nothing On” from my high school days quite vividy, though I can’t remember the last time I’ve heard it on the radio. Maybe a couple times in the last decade.
My opinion is that his voice grates on my ears almost as much as Bob Dylan or late period Johnny Cash. Unlistenable to me.
But a good songwriter. I love the 10 000 Maniacs Unplugged version of Because The Night., and like the Patti Smith original. I have consciously avoided ever hearing a Springsteen-sung version because it would retroactively taint it for me.
How old are you? I only ask, b/c back in the 70s-80s it was very common for people to say they would like him but they couldn’t stand his voice. Then Born in the USA hit, he got hugely popular, and I didn’t hear people saying that anymore (even tho I didn’t like most of what he made after that. Really dig Nebraska and The Seeger Sessions - but I’m weird that way.)
I was wondering if you were an early or more recent hater of Bruce’s voice.
Re: Dylan - Back in college I got my first job as a bassist when the old bassist decided he wanted to be a frontman. In his words, “If Bob Dylan can sing, so can I!”
As long as we’re talking about annoying voices, gotta give a shout out to old nasally Tom Petty!
I get somewhat confused by this, too, as I think his voice is fine: gravely and blue collar, for lack of better description. I understand complaints about Dylan, or Waits, or … Corgan. But his always seemed like a nice rock voice. Then again, I do like later Johnny Cash’s voice. But, yeah, a lot of folks seem turned off by it.
I don’t think anyone in this thread has mentioned the first Ace Ventura movie yet. Courteney Cox was in that, and it was a pretty big hit at the time. Interesting how quickly some things are forgotten.
Yeah, I don’t see anything wrong with Springsteen’s singing voice. It’s perfect for the songs he writes. I’m not necessarily a fan of “pretty” voices. They can get cloying, if all it is is a nice voice. I like something with a little grit.
Springsteen’s voice and singing style changed quite a bit over the years. On his first two albums, he’s more ebullient and funky. Then came Born to Run and he sounded a lot more like a guy in the studio as opposed to a live performer. That deep baritone with the edges sanded off. By the time The River came around, he had developed a twang, which became even more pronounced on Nebraska. Ever since, there’s been a little bit of country in his rock.
Most people who hate Springsteen’s voice are heavily influenced by that hoarse, phlegmy, rasp shouting on Born in the USA. Bruce would be the first to tell you he doesn’t have a great voice. He never wanted to be the lead singer and went through a succession of front men and women with his early bands. In his autobiography, he acknowledges his shortcomings as a vocalist and said it spurred him to focus on the writing, the band and the performances.
If you hate that Born in the USA rasp, give a listen to anything from Greetings From Asbury Park or The Wild, the Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle(My personal favorite Bruce record.)
Not just “gravely and blue collar,” but also nasal, and strained, and with a limited range. At least, that’s my impression, which may not be fair based on the limited sample size of what I’ve heard of his work.
