The Boss Live at the Roxy, 1978 (Part Three)
August 24th, 1978 cover, photo by Lynn GoldsmithYou’re a patient bunch, but it’s worth the wait, don’t ya think? Tonight, we finish off Bruce and the band’s legendary 7-7-78 show at the Roxy…
Part Three
Independence Day
Born to Run
Because the Night
Raise Your Hand
Radio Comments
Twist and ShoutExtras:
Thunder Road – Roxy, 10-17-75
Goin’ Back – Roxy, 10-17-75
Pretty Flamingo – Cleveland, 12-31-78
The Fever – Cleveland, 12-31-78
The Promise – The Record Plant, 11-77 thru 4-78The Boss Live at the Roxy, 1978 (Part Two)
photo by Bob MinkinBruce’s new tune, “Radio Nowhere” leaked yesterday. It’s a straight-ahead rocker. One of my Boss Forum posters said it’s reminiscent of “867-5309” as performed by Pearl Jam [Edit: Tommy Tutone’s song as Pearl Jam would perform it – that wasn’t clear the first time around]. It’s true, you can definitely hear a tinge of it in the tune. Good stuff! You can check it out over at the Hype Machine.
So on to part two of this classic show. If you have the Live 1975-1985 box set, then you’ve heard quite a bit of part two. Six of these songs appear on the box set in edited form (Adam, Paradise, Growin’ Up, Saint, Backstreets, and Rosalita), which goes to show what an amazing show this truly is. The box set doesn’t include Bruce’s comments before “Paradise by the C”. Here, you’ll hear Bruce kick off the song with: “All you bootleggers out there in radio land, roll your tapes!”…
The very next night, Bruce and the band headed over to my neck of the woods to play Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix. The video footage of “Rosalita” that made its way on to the Video Anthology DVD was taken from that night.
So here’s part deux my friends. Enjoy!
Part Two
Paradise By The ‘C’
Fire
Adam Raised A Cain
Mona
She’s The One
Growin’ Up
It’s Hard To Be A Saint In The City
Backstreets
Heartbreak Hotel
Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)- Part One is here.
- Part 3 will be comin’ at you this weekend.
Springsteen’s Magic to be released on Vinyl a Week Earlier than the CD (Sept. 25th)
It looks like I’ll be putting my new turntable to good use on September 25th!
From this article on Billboard:
In an unusual move, Bruce Springsteen’s new album, “Magic,” is expected to be released on vinyl a week before its CD version hits stores. The vinyl is due Sept. 25 via Columbia, while the CD will arrive Oct. 2. A handful of major releases have appeared on vinyl prior to CD; Pearl Jam released its 1994 album, “Vitalogy,” on vinyl two weeks early, prompting a premature No. 55 debut on The Billboard 200.
The Boss Live at the Roxy, 1978 (Part One)
My wife made me watch David Hasselhoff sing on America’s Got Talent, and now I feel sick to my stomach. I thought she loved me.
This must be rectified now. We need live Boss, and we need it now. I am getting seriously geeked about the new boss album and E Street tour coming up in a matter of weeks. This show here, this has to be my favorite Boss show of all time. You’ll feel the energy from the second Bruce takes the mic to apologize to those who got shut out after waiting in line all day: “I wasn’t trying to turn this into no private party, ’cause I don’t play no parties no more…except my own. [crowd cheers wildly] So give me a little slap back on this microphone… One…we gonna do some rock n’ roll for you...” ZOWWW! They don’t call him Boss for nothing, as you’ll hear with this show.
The show goes on for well over three hours, so this is going to be a three parter. I’ll have 2 and 3 up soon. But let’s get started with this. You Bruce fanatics, you probably have this show. But if you don’t, God are you in for a treat. I recommend downloading it all, queuing it up on your iPod or iTunes, and listening to it straight through. Certainly string the intro and “Rave On” together to see how this show kicks off. It’s amazing.
Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band
The Roxy, Hollywood, California
July 7th, 1978Part One
Intro
Rave On
Badlands
Spirit in the Night
Darkness on the Edge of Town
Candy’s Room
For You
Point Blank
The Promised Land
Prove It All Night
Racing Intro
Racing in the Street
Thunder Road
OutroCome back soon for parts 2 and 3.
Springsteen’s Magic – the cover?
Here’s an unconfirmed, but possible cover to Bruce’s new album, due out October 2nd.
Bruce and non-Bruce fans: thoughts? Cool cover? Badass Bruce? Grumpy Bruce?
I vote gritty, badass Boss. Sort of the 21st century version of Darkness-era Bruce. It could be the real deal, or it could be that someone combined a new Boss pic and some Photoshop skills. We’ll see…
Update: Amazon has it up on their site. It’s looking like the real deal: Magic
Boss News! Magic due Oct 2
photo by Mark SeligerBoss 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 ArcadeOf 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.
Ode to Vinyl
In honor of Vinyl Record Day on Sunday (the 130th anniversary of Thomas Edison‘s invention of the phonograph), JB over at The Hits Just Keep on Comin’ has organized a “blog swarm” of posts dedicated to the once dominant medium of vinyl records. I’m proud to be part of this swarm, so after you check out this post, be sure to click around to JB’s site for the main post, as well as the other great blogs involved (links down below).
Vinyl. LP’s. Records. Time marches on, and the music listening public at large distances themselves from the LP era, which covered the majority of the 20th century. For those of us older than, oh – let’s say 35? – a special little pocket of our music lovin’ hearts will always be reserved for vinyl records. Here are some random ramblings regarding my reverence toward the record.
ZZ Top’s El Loco First LP: As a bona fide music nerd, I can remember the very first album I ever bought. It was ZZ Top’s El Loco, which was released in November 1981. So it must have been about Christmas time when I walked into a Mankato, Minnesota mall and plopped down my
hard earnedallowance money for the record. The song that captured my fascination at the time, and inspired me to buy the record, was “Tube Snake Boogie.” I was 11 years old at the time, and while I didn’t know firsthand of what they were singing about, I had a pretty good idea. Having two older brothers didn’t hurt either. “I got a girl who lives on the hill, she won’t do it but her sister will.” Straight to the point.Albums that soon followed were REO Speedwagon’s Hi Infidelity, Foreigner 4, and the Scorpions’ Blackout.
Prince’s “Paisley Park” 12″ single Prince LP Mania: My vinyl collection grew significantly after September 1984, when I morphed into a Prince-loving animal. Many bus rides were taken to downtown Racine’s Mainstream Records to snatch up the latest Prince or Prince-related albums, 12″ singles, and 45’s. They’re still with me today. All of ’em. In protective plastic wrap. I’m just waiting for the day that my daughters get old enough to start thumbing through my Prince records, and they’ll see the Lovesexy album, and turn to me with a quizzical and confused look on their faces (Lovesexy, by the way, is probably the last LP I ever bought new).
Proud Papa: I gotta say though, my daughters will be well versed in all formats of music. My three year old already knows what LP’s, cassettes and CD’s are. And she can fire up a song in iTunes like nobody’s business. I can also play her any Beatles, Springsteen, or Prince song, and 90% of the time she nails it. Strummer or the Clash? She has about a 48% success rate. But we’re working on it. My poor daughters… They have no choice, do they? But I guess there are worse childhoods than spending it immersed in your dad’s music! As long as they’re not singing “Let’s Pretend We’re Married” or “Revolution no. 9” on their first day of kindergarten.
Hardware: My Yamaha turntable, which had served me since 1989, quit on me about a year ago. So by making good use of the Amazon Wish List feature, one of my birthday gifts last weekend was a new USB turntable. I’m back, baby! What’s more, my work buddy Jim up and quit his job and moved back to the east coast. But not before he handed over a couple of crates of vinyl to me.
So here are a handful of tunes ripped straight from vinyl, both from Jim’s collection, and mine. Though I’ve moved on to the digital age, and most of my music is in the form of mp3’s and CD’s (less and less), I’ll always be an album guy.
Vinylove:
- The feel.
- The artwork.
- The inserts.
- Placing the record on the turntable.
- Working for and appreciating your music.
- Flipping to side two.
- The art of putting the record back into the sleeve.
- Carefully handling the vinyl.
- Thumb on the edge, index and middle finger on the label.
- Appreciating your collection.
- Showing off your collection.
- Something to have and to hold…
A smattering of vinyl rips:
Sun City Artists United Against Apartheid – Sun City (mp3) – Little Steven’s 1985 anti-apartheid project.
Dead or Alive – Brand New Lover (mp3) – The Dust Monkey’s Love Bubble Mix – thanks Jim for the crate of albums!
John Cafferty & the Beaver Brown Band – Tender Years (mp3) – From the Eddie & The Cruisers – Soundtrack. One of he quality tracks from Boss sound-alike Cafferty.
John Cafferty & the Beaver Brown Band – On the Dark Side (mp3) – oh hell, I have to include this too…
Now on to the SWARM!
The contributors:
AM, Then FM
Bloggerhythms
The “B” Side
Davewillieradio
Echoes in the Wind
Flea Market Funk
Fufu Stew
Funky16Corners
Good Rockin’ Tonight
Got the Fever
In Dangerous Rhythm
It’s Great Shakes
Jefitoblog
Lost in the 80’s
Py Korry
Retro Remixes
The Snack Bar
The Stepfather of Soul
Three-Sixty-Five 45sIn Appreciation of: Tunnel of Love
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
- Two Faces
- Brilliant Disguise (YouTube video)
- One Step Up (YouTube video)
- When You’re Alone
- Valentine’s Day
BUY Tunnel of Love.
Jesse Malin and the Boss – Broken Radio
I just picked up Jesse Malin‘s latest album, ‘Glitter in the Gutter‘. I haven’t spent a lot of time listening to Jesse in the past, but I’ve heard good things about him, and he’s played gigs with Marah, a Philly band I really like. And the kicker is that Bruce Springsteen makes an appearance on the record, singing along with Jesse on a tune called “Broken Radio.”
So to start off, I’ll admit that for me, Jesse Malin will be an acquired taste. I listened to “Broken Radio” for the first time a few days ago. My first impression of Malin’s voice was that I was listening to Ryan Adams try to sing while someone was plugging his nose and squeezing his nuts. As I said, it may be an acquired taste. It got a bit better over the next few listens, though.
Jesse Malin showed up at the Tribute to Bruce a few weeks ago in New York City. I had caught the YouTube performance of him singing “Hungry Heart” with Ronnie Spector. And, um, wow. You can judge for yourself.
In Bruce news, he showed up over the weekend at a Brian Wilson show in Red Bank, NJ. He joined Brian in singing a great tune: “Love and Mercy” (and some guitar on “Barbara Ann”). Thanks Thierry for the heads up.
SoI ‘ll check in again here on this album when I digest it a little more. I have a feeling it’ll grow on me. But check out “Broken Radio”, see whatcha think…
Jesse Malin w/ Bruce Springsteen – Broken Radio
Jesse’s Official Site | MySpace
Radio Free Boss – WBCN 1973
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, 1973Satin Doll
Bishop Danced
Circus Song
Song of the Orphans
Does This Bus Stop At 82nd Street?
