# Springsteen's Human Touch and Lucky Town - career nadir? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 23, 2008, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/springsteens-human-touch-and-lucky-town-career-nadir/453943 "2008-06-23T17:34:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Busy\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@Busy\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Busy_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2008, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/springsteens-human-touch-and-lucky-town-career-nadir/453943/1 "2008-06-23T17:34:39Z")
I’m a respecter of the Boss, liked his music since I was a kid. Sort of put it to one side when I was really getting into music in my teens. This corresponded with the time he was putting out ‘ **tunnel of love** ’, through ‘ **human touch** ’ and ‘ **lucky town** ’. I get the impression that the last two, in particular, are complete turds. What do fans of the Boss think? I listened to them a bit when they came out, but was in a different listening vein so didn’t pay them too much attention. I recall the critical reaction was really poor, like he had totally lost his way. It seems now that Bruce has passed into legend, and could release as many shite albums as he felt like without critical penalty. At the time of Human Touch, though, I don’t recall him having quite the same elder statesman stature - people were freely laying the boot in. Was this a genuine dodgy period for the Boss? ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2008, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/springsteens-human-touch-and-lucky-town-career-nadir/453943/2 "2008-06-23T18:33:48Z")
Are they turds? No, not by any means. I bought both albums the day they came out and they keep getting better with the passing of time, although I enjoy “Lucky Town” a bit more than “Human Touch.” I think a large part of the backlash was that fans felt Springsteen had gone “Hollywood” and abandoned his Jersey roots. He had dismissed the E Street Band and used session musicians. I know he had done that on “Tunnel of Love,” too, he was continuing that trend with the other two albums. Roy Bittan and David Sancious (along with then-girlfriend and soon-to-be wife Patti Scialfa) were the only members of the E street Band to play on the albums. Both albums feature good, solid, songwriting, and professional polished tracks. I wouldn’t call either of them a nadir for Bruce, creativity-wise. They’re an essential part of his discography and shouldn’t be dismissed. I would recommend that anybody who wants a good overview of the Boss’s career, post-“Born in the U.S.A.”, listen to these albums, ---
**Author:** ![Lochdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/edb3f5/32.png) [@Lochdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lochdale)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2008, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/springsteens-human-touch-and-lucky-town-career-nadir/453943/3 "2008-06-23T19:41:50Z")
I consider Tunnel of Love to be his best albulm. Human Touch and 'lucky town not so much. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2008, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/springsteens-human-touch-and-lucky-town-career-nadir/453943/4 "2008-06-23T19:45:12Z")
They aren’t bad albums at all. Not the kick-ass rock some were expecting, but far from being turds. Bruce was going through some changes, and his music reflected that. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2008, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/springsteens-human-touch-and-lucky-town-career-nadir/453943/5 "2008-06-23T20:04:46Z")
I agree with **silenus** , and would add that I think Lucky Town is actually a really good album. The songs Better Days, Lucky Town, If I Should Fall Behind and Living Proof are particularly good, IMO. I’m going to listen to it on the way home. Thanks for the reminder! ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2008, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/springsteens-human-touch-and-lucky-town-career-nadir/453943/6 "2008-06-23T20:07:15Z")
The only time I saw him in concert was after the release of those two albums. Maybe that’s why they’re my favorites. The songs aren’t angry, just mature and maybe a bit sad, but hopeful too. ---
**Author:** ![cbawlmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cbawlmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cbawlmer)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2008, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/springsteens-human-touch-and-lucky-town-career-nadir/453943/7 "2008-06-23T20:27:03Z")
I like both of those albums a lot. Just last night, I put them in the stack of CDs I’m slowly loading onto my mp3 player. ---
**Author:** ![Richey84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Richey84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richey84)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2008, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/springsteens-human-touch-and-lucky-town-career-nadir/453943/8 "2008-06-23T21:14:33Z")
Lucky Town always sounds better live to me with the full E Street Band behind it. If it had been a proper E Street recording I think it would’ve sounded much better. Human Touch…meh. Still can’t listen to that one.