Springsteen Favorite Top Three Songs.

[Smokey]

Bruce Springtseen is probably one of the best song writer in rock music, so picking only top three favorite songs was kind of frustrating

IMO his earlier albums are more energetic and raw than later works, so my choices tend to come from that era. Not in any particular order....

Promised Land from Darkness on the Edge of Town. This song just perk you up.


Sherry Darling from The River. Everybody going at it in full blast.


Streets of Philadelphia from motion picture soundtrack. The best ballad from the boss.

[3-LockBox]

I'll go ya further back than that: Kitty's Back Incident on 57th St. Rosalita (come out tonight) all from The Wild, The Innocent, & The 'E' St. Shuffle. If you haven't heard this one, you need to. And for its age, its a great sounding CD. He never made a better album than this one, ever.

[Hyfi]

Although he may write great lyrics, he is one of the worst vocalists to ever become so popular...IMHO. His performance reminds me of an overgrown monkey jumping around on stage with a guitar strapped to it.He never really plays anything.I can't listen to 2 minutes of him sing without changing the station. His band on the other hand has always been very good and it would be nice if he put out an instrumental album.

To top it off, we can't have just one fireworks display without them blasting "Born in the USA" which oddly enough is an anti-American song.

I find it hard to pick three songs let alone one.

[Rich-n-Texas]

For me, growing up in South Jersey in the 70's & 80's, Bruce represented the social class I was a part of. His lyrics resonated with the times after the hippie scene ended and where God and Country returned to my generation's psyche. I knew who discovered him, where he was discovered and I watched his rise to fame. Never got to see him perform in person, but that didn't matter. My friends and I played his music and related to it on a daily basis.

I have to agree with 3LB that "The WIld, The Innocent..." was probably his best work. So many songs on that album, as well as songs from "Greetings from Asbury Park" and Born to Run were about growing up in the NY, NJ & Philly area which obviously hit a chord in our hearts. He was a folk hero to a lot of us back in the day.

He and his E Street band are coming to the Dallas area next month and I'm giivng it serious consideration. My three favorite songs for this posting are...

Back Streets
She's The One
Jungleland

[SlumpBuster]

I love Springsteen, but surprisingly, only "discovered" him in the last two years. I have only worked my way up to Tunnel of Love. After that the LPs get a little thin and I don't browse CD racks that often. Althought I did get Magic on a sweet vinyl edition.

Although he may write great lyrics, he is one of the worst vocalists to ever become so popular....

That's too funny. I can see how alot of people would share that opinion, but my wife and I were just discussing what a great vocalist he is. He has a rough limited voice, but he knows how to use it. There is a good amount of melody, subtlety, inflection, control, and texture hidden under that gruff surface. I think of it like the shoegazing guitars on JAMC's Psychocandy or My Bloody Valentine's Loveless - its just noise to alot of people, but there is good stuff under that layer.

But, I can understand not liking a major artist. I take alot of heat when people hear my unfavorable opinion on the Beatles.

To top it off, we can't have just one fireworks display without them blasting "Born in the USA" which oddly enough is an anti-American song.

But, without the misunderstanding over "Born in the USA" we wouldn't have all that great footage of Ronald Reagan using it as his '84 campaign song. I don't think of it as "Anti-American," but rather a critical protest song - which IMHO is very American. It's a song about two "Americas." On one side you have patriots - soldiers and iron workers - left holding their d!cks by a beuracratic machine that has chewed them up, on the other side. It is a patriotic song in the way it tells the story of that forgotten America. It is no more anti-american than Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath - which alot of people interpret as anti-American too. But Steinbeck is another great artist that spent his career lambasting the "haves" while championing the "have-nots," just like Springsteen, even if many people miss the point.

Oh, and my three faves right now are:

1. "I'm Goin' Down" - the "forgotten" top 10 single off Born in the USA.

2 and 3. The back to back punch of "Johnny 99" and "Highway Patrolman" off Nebraska.

Nebraska is such a great "F.U." record. "Hey, so ya'll liked all that hard rock off The River adn Darkness? Well, here's an acoustic record I recorded on a 4 track at my buddy's house." It's like the cosmic opposite of Dylan going electric.

[bobsticks]

I love Springsteen, but surprisingly, only "discovered" him in the last two years.

Interesting. Two years? Try two days, now three...that's when I picked up "Nebraska" in hopes of liking it better tha his later, more gooberish work.

Certainly I'd heard some of "Born To Run" and "Tunnel of Love" on the radio, but I hardly consider myself conversant except to say that prviously I'd held a view of the Boss similar to Slumpy's view of the Beattles...and I share that one as well.

[bobsticks]

Okay, I just popped in The Orb's Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld and the first track starts with a harmonica sample off of "Nebraska". The randomness of this day just defies logic straight into Chaos Theory territory...I'm gonna go get a lottery ticket as soon as they're done playing Flash Gordon samples.

[Mr MidFi]

I've been a fan since 1975. BTR is in my All-Time Top 5 albums. So, getting it down to 3 is not a reasonable request for me. Sorry.

It's Hard to Be a Saint in the City
Kitty's Back
Rosalita
Backstreets
Jungleland
Badlands
Candy's Room
Two Hearts
Stolen Car
Open All Night
Downbound Train
Because the Night (live)
Youngstown (live)
Detroit Medley (live)
Girls in their Summer Clothes

That's a start.

[SlumpBuster]

Okay, I just popped in The Orb's Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld and the first track starts with a harmonica sample off of "Nebraska".

Hijack Alert!

I love that record, but haven't listened to it in years. But I will today. Thanks for the memories.

That was such a trippy record. I still remember getting that record in college on a Friday and having some "afternoon tea" with my new college friends. That day's show was brought to you by the letter J and the letter E. I'm pretty sure there might have been black lights and even a disco ball or two. My roommate - a total square who liked Bryan Adams - came home right in the middle of "the big pulsing brain," fired up the big flourecent ceiling lights and harshed everyone out. He was so bummed out to see a bunch of hippies, punks, and rave kids piled in his dorm room. Good times. Who was it that said college is your reward for surviving four years of high school?

Back to your regularly scheduled thread.

[Rich-n-Texas]

Interesting. Two years? Try two days, now three...that's when I picked up "Nebraska" in hopes of liking it better tha his later, more gooberish work.

Certainly I'd heard some of "Born To Run" and "Tunnel of Love" on the radio, but I hardly consider myself conversant except to say that prviously I'd held a view of the Boss similar to Slumpy's view of the Beattles...and I share that one as well.

Okay, I just popped in The Orb's Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld and the first track starts with a harmonica sample off of "Nebraska". The randomness of this day just defies logic straight into Chaos Theory territory...I'm gonna go get a lottery ticket as soon as they're done playing Flash Gordon samples.

Okay lets get this back on track so's we don't pi$$ Smokey off please. I have another round of three fav's coming up!

[Smokey]

Okay lets get this back on track so's we don't pi$$ Smokey off please. I have another round of three fav's coming up!

No. its all good.

How else one would find out that Lockbox favorite boss album is The Wild, The Innocent, & Shuffle (like this album better than BornToRun), Hyfi thinks that he is lousy vocalist (have you listens to DarknesOntheEdgeofTown?), and Rich-n-Texas was growing up in South Jersey in the 70's & 80's which automatically make him a boss fan

Not to mention that Slumbuster discovered the Boss for in the last two years (but making progress), and worst yet bobstick discovered him only three days ago (there is no hope for you LOL). But seriously bob, IMO the best way to discover boss would be to start from The River album and work your way backward, and then forward. Nebraska album might take some time to get use to as it was such a departure for him.

And to finish off with MidFi’s top ten instead of three (those are pretty much my favorite also).

[bobsticks]

Actually, I rather liked "Nebraska" and will probably continue to snag some older stuff. Any recs?

[Rich-n-Texas]

Well, my response to Slumpbuster would be...

I think Malcolm and Angus Young's decision to replace Bonn Scott with Brian Johnson was was just plain bad. Don't get me wrong, Back In Black is a great album, but have you ever heard Brian Johnson sing live? Just nasty IMO.

So, my next three fav's come from "Greetings..." his debut album:

Growin' Up
Lost in the Flood
It's Hard to be a Saint in the City

[bobsticks]

Well, my response to Slumpbuster would be...

I think Malcolm and Angus Young's decision to replace Bonn Scott with Brian Johnson was was just plain bad. Don't get me wrong, Back In Black is a great album, but have you ever heard Brian Johnson sing live? Just nasty IMO.

I don't really pretend to understand from where this post came but you do realize that Bon Scott was dead, right? There wasn't much of a choice unless ya wanted 'em to prop the carcass up and lipsync.

I'm just sayin'...

[Rich-n-Texas]

You misunderstood. I know Bonn Scott died and AC-DC replaced him only months after, but a poor choice. I'm just comparing his singing voice to Springsteen's.

No harm no foul.

[thekid]

Hmmmmmmmm.... it really changes with my mood but

The River
Stolen Car
Incident on 57th St

[nobody]

I'm not a big Springsteen fan, but I like The Wild, Innocent... and Born to Run a lot and The River has some spots I really dig. But, I'll toss out a quick three, one from each of those records:

Backstreets
Rosalita
The River

[SlumpBuster]

You misunderstood. I know Bonn Scott died and AC-DC replaced him only months after, but a poor choice. I'm just comparing his singing voice to Springsteen's.

No harm no foul.

No I think it is a great point. Brian Johnson can't sing live. Bruce can, IMHO. There is a big difference between this...



and this...

\


But you can't do this with the Boss: That sound you hear is the Air Cav -- crawl back in your caves. Look at me get all jingoist. Those cockpit perspective shots are sweet. Try doing that with "Glory Days."

[Rich-n-Texas]

Certainly can't argue with that last video. I could watch that one all day!!!

We sure do produce some BAD-A$$ firepower don't we?

[Slosh]

Lost In The Flood
The River
Highway Patrolman

BTW, this is the correct response

NP:

[MindGoneHaywire]

Not big enough of a fan to actually name three songs, but I do like Nebraska. Also the first two, and there are moments on The River, but I've never liked Born To Run.

Born In The USA is loaded with great pop hits & I'm indifferent to all of them so long as I never have to hear any of them, ever again.

Some of the records in recent years--Devils And Dust, and the Seeger Sessions--have had good moments. But I'll always associate Springsteen with that Columbia 'rock' sound that his 70s records share to an extent with Billy Joel's, and it's just mostly a long ways from the sort of stuff I like. There's good material there, no doubt, but I've just never related to it or connected with it. Except for Nebraska.

[Woochifer]

Geez, where to begin? He has had quite a run, and produced a broad range of material. His run from Born to Run through Born In The USA was about as good as it gets. I thought he got lost in his midlife crisis with Tunnel of Love, Lucky Town, and Human Touch, but came back in full force with The Rising. Magic is a mixed bag, and one of the worst produced albums in recent memory that I've heard.

As great as many of his albums are, I think the real power of Springsteen shows in his live performances. Even in large arena or stadium setting, the message from even his starkest acoustic arrangements really gets through in concert. My personal favorite Springsteen album is Darkness On The Edge Of Town, and with that ...

"Racing In The Streets" from Darkness On The Edge Of Town
Lot of powerful songs on that album, but for me, this one is almost transcendent in a haunting way. I know people like the ones he wrote about here, and the longer lead-out whenever he plays this live is amazing.

"Quarter to Three" from the No Nukes concert
This was the first "official" live recording of Springsteen ever released, and this particular track captures one of the best parts of his concerts, namely the encores. The encores are where he mixes in a lot of covers and medleys, often switching songs on the fly or stopping in the middle to converse with the audience. The band often didn't even know which song Bruce was playing until after he had played the first few notes, because at that point they were going without a set playlist. I heard that the E Street Band used to rehearse over 200 songs before going on tour, not knowing when Bruce would start into one of those songs on the fly. This song by Gary U.S. Bonds along with the Mitch Ryder "Detroit Medley" was one of his encore staples for years.



"The Rising" from The Rising
Among all of Bruce's rock anthems, this one is probably his most transcendent one because of how it rises above 9/11 and inspires in the wake of tragedy. It captured the moment and the mood in a way that had to be done.

[nobody]

Lost In The Flood
The River
Highway Patrolman

BTW, this is the correct response

At least I got one right.

[DariusNYC]

I have several Springsteen albums and love a lot of his stuff, including grittier stuff and more obscure stuff, but I'd have to say two of my three favorite tracks of his are two of his most popular songs:

1. "Born to Run" -- I guess I'm not shocked no one raised this one yet, because you're not supposed to like the one that is a big classic rock radio staple if you're a real fan, but this is just about the biggest sounding rock song ever and one of the pinnacles of popular music in the 70s.

2. "Hungry Heart" -- There is a reason this one was his first Top 40 hit; it has such a wonderful pop sound and pop melody and arrangement -- but it still has that classic Springsteen sense of longing. That he originally wrote it for the Ramones before his manager talked him out of giving it to them is a perfect detail. ("Glory Days" from Born in the U.S.A. could've filled this pop slot as well.)

3. "Racing in the Street". The last verse of this one just slays me every time. Also love the fact that it updates "Dancing in the Street" (kind of like the Rolling Stones' "Street Fighting Man" did).

[MindGoneHaywire]

Darius, Rae PM'd me to try to get a hold of you & I haven't been able to get back to him yet...has he made contact with you?