photo by Mark Seliger

Boss news from Backstreets!

New album: Magic Due October 2

It’s official. Springsteen’s first album with the E Street Band since 2002’s The Rising drops in less than seven weeks, and it’s called Magic. In case that title makes you, like us, think of Doug Henning… click the Mark Seliger photo at right for a first peek at Bruce’s 2007 look. No rainbows or unicorns to be found. (And that guitar… that’s magic.)

According to manager Jon Landau, quoted in today’s press release from Shore Fire Media, this one’s a rocker: “Magic is a high energy rock CD. It’s light on its feet, incredibly well played by Bruce and the members of the E Street Band, and, as always, has plenty to say. It’s also immensely entertaining. Magic is the third collaboration between Bruce and Brendan O’Brien and is a culmination of their very productive creative relationship.”

O’Brien produced and mixed the album at his home base in Atlanta, Southern Tracks Recording Studio.

Ready for 11 new Springsteen song titles?

1. Radio Nowhere
2. You’ll Be Comin’ Down
3. Livin’ in the Future
4. Your Own Worst Enemy
5. Gypsy Biker
6. Girls in Their Summer Clothes
7. I’ll Work for Your Love
8. Magic
9. Last to Die
10. Long Walk Home
11. Devil’s Arcade

Of these, only “Long Walk Home” has been heard before; Springsteen debuted the song with the Sessions Band and played it live exactly once, in London on November 11, 2006 (reportedly the day after he wrote it).

Bet on “Radio Nowhere” as the first of these tracks we’ll get to hear. When, exactly, remains to be seen — stay tuned.

I think my feelings are best summed up by this Pointer Sisters lyric in the voice of a young William Shatner: “I’m so excited, and… I just… can’t hide it! I’m about to lose control… and… I think I like it!!”

8/17 Update: Additional details from Rolling Stone.

The chatter is picking up regarding a new Bruce and the E Street album in the works. Some unconfirmed song names: “Dead Ringers” (possibly the title track), “Sabres, Steel, and Spades”, and “Radio Nowhere.” Possible release date is October, with a tour to follow. If anyone has any other info, feel free to post in the comments.

Tonight I want to talk about Tunnel of Love, which was Bruce’s follow up to his 1984 mega-smash Born in the U.S.A. It undoubtedly surprised the lion’s share of fans he had picked up with U.S.A. With 1987’s Tunnel of Love, Bruce focused in on all the fears, doubts, and challenges of relationships. At the time, he was married to model / actress Julianne Phillips, and it wasn’t hard to connect the dots that Bruce was singing about his own current struggles in his marriage. On the Tunnel of Love tour, the relationship deepened between Bruce and his backup singer, Patti Scialfa. In 1990, his divorce with Phillips was final, and he soon married Jersey girl Patti.

The songs on the album that hit me hardest are the last five, from “Two Faces” to “Valentine’s Day”. It’s a bleak finale to the album, but so perfect in its execution. Each song weaves into the next, with a common theme of – well – doubt….

Two Faces: At night I get down on my knees and pray / Our love will make that other man go away/ But he’ll never say goodbye /Two faces have I

Brilliant Disguise: Tonight our bed is cold / I’m lost in the darkness of our love / God have mercy on the man / Who doubts what he’s sure of – Zowie, that line gives me goose bumps every time.

One Step Up: There’s a girl across the bar / I get the message she’s sendin’/ Mmm she ain’t lookin’ to married / And me well honey I’m pretending

When You’re Alone: Now it ain’t hard feelings or nothin’ sugar / That ain’t what’s got me singing this song / It’s just nobody knows baby where love goes / But when it goes it’s gone gone

Valentine’s Day: Is it the cry of the river / With the moonlight shining through / That ain’t what scares me baby / What scares me is losing you

Music carries me through the good times and the bad. This album has been my companion through those tougher times in relationships over the years. I’m not one to wallow in my misery, but: 1 broken heart + Tunnel of Love = quality time spent. Therapy, really.

This is Bruce’s album of the heart. This is Bruce affirming to himself, and to the listener, that this life and love thing, it ain’t easy. It takes work. Lucky for me and Bruce, we both find ourselves in great places these days. God willing, I won’t have to place myself into these songs again! But I always come back to this album, and I always will.

Songs:

• Ain’t Got You
• Tougher Than the Rest (YouTube video)
• All That Heaven Will Allow
• Spare Parts
• Cautious Man
• Walk Like a Man
• Tunnel of Love (YouTube video)
• Two Faces
• Brilliant Disguise (YouTube video)
• One Step Up (YouTube video)
• When You’re Alone
• Valentine’s Day

BUY Tunnel of Love.

Seeing Bruce with the Seeger Sessions Band last year was one of the most joyous few hours I’ve ever spent watching a band play. Thankfully, the Seeger Sessions experience has been documented in the DVD ‘Live In Dublin‘, which is released tomorrow here in North America and the following day in the UK.

You can preview the audio of all songs from the show, and the video for “O, Mary Don’t You Weep” on this page on the Clear Channel site.

Click the DVD to buy:

I came across this 1973 radio broadcast of Mr. Springsteen live in the WBCN Boston studios. Brucebase has the details…

Bruce’s first-ever radio station performance and still the earliest circulating “live” material with the E Street Band. The silky-voiced female DJ is the legendary Maxanne Sartori. The very good quality circulating audio (recorded off the airways and available on the CD “BOUND FOR GLORY”) includes the entire show except that it’s missing nearly all of “Blinded”, plus some concluding discussions about Bruce’s upcoming tour plans. Allegedly a complete (but poor quality) tape of the show was circulating briefly in the Boston area during the mid – 70’s, but it seems to have vanished from the tape trading pool. There are some funny moments in this show. Bruce introduces Clarence as his biological brother. At one point Sartori asks Bruce to perform his mysterious “long-lost hit from the 60’s” – to which Bruce replies that people will have to come to Paul’s Mall to hear it in the “Las Vegas part of the show”. In addition to the band (minus Lopez), co-manager Jim Cretecos, roadie/soundman Albee “Albany Al” Tellone and CBS rep Ed Hynes are in the broadcast studio…

The earliest radio Boss broadcast. Nice!

So while we Boss fans await his next move, let’s jump back to the beginning… (links are MP3’s).

Bruce Springsteen
WBCN Studios, Boston
January 9th, 1973

Satin Doll
Bishop Danced
Circus Song
Song of the Orphans
Does This Bus Stop At 82nd Street?

Just because…

Imagery… You want imagery, you listen to this song and read these lyrics.

Well the piss yellow sun
Comes bringin’ up the day
She said “ain’t nobody gonna give nobody
What they really need anyway”

Well you get so sick of the fightin’
You lose your fear of the end
But I can’t lose your memory
And the sweet smell of your skin

Sick. Absolutely sick what this man does with words and music. These words have moistened my eyes more than once. Didn’t think I was the sensitive type, did ya?

Yeah, I’m starting to itch for Bruce. Since the Seeger Sessions tour ended a few months ago, he’s been off the radar a bit. Rumors have started to pop up about him recording in Atlanta and Nashville, but nothing definitive. The man leads a low profile life, you gotta respect him for that.

So because it’s been quiet on the Boss front lately, I thought I’d share this Ghost of Tom Joad gem, live from the Joad tour back in 1996.

A reader from New Orleans wrote me and mentioned that Dec. 14th was not only Ickmusic’s birthday, but also the very same day he saw Bruce and the E. Street Band at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis, Tennessee back in 1984. For the encore, Little Steven joined the boss for a great version of Dobie Gray’s “Drift Away”. It went a little something like this… well, actually, it went exactly like this…

Bruce Springsteen & the E. Street Band: Drift Away (mp3) – Live, Memphis, TN, Dec. 14, 1984
Earlier that year, Bruce joined La Bamba & the Hubcaps at the Stone Pony for a couple of songs. La Bamba is Richie Rosenberg, who you’ve seen playing trombone on the Seeger Sessions tour, as well as on the Conan O’Brien show.

Bruce with La Bamba and the Hubcaps:

Travelin Band (mp3) – CCR cover

I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide (mp3) – ZZ Top cover (Live at the Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ – Aug 22, 1984)

Speaking of La Bamba, Bruce, and the Conan O’Brien Show, here’s a great E Street performance of “Merry Christmas Baby” from 2002 (Conan joins in on guitar, which he does for all of Bruce’s appearances on Conan, right?).

Oh my…. I’m just about speechless and hopelessly stuck in anticipation of seeing Bruce and the band live after hearing this version of “You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)” from the other night in Asbury Park. Oh my…..

If you sit still while listening to this, check your pulse, because most likely, you’re dead.

Bruce Springsteen & the Seeger Sessions Band: You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch) [mp3] – 04/26/2006, Asbury Park, NJ

Buy Bruce’s latest.

Update: Conor has the the whole show up on his site. Go get ’em!