New Bruce

Here we go

Outlaw Pete 8:00

yes yes yes. This is the kind of song I never thought Bruce would write again. Zero and Blind Terry meets This Hard Land with Clint Eastwood as the main character. This brings chills to me. Admittedly the song can't decide whether to be serious or funny. The first line should be changed to reflect serious ino (no humble). Great work. Love it.

Oh I OWN Kiss's disco masterpiece Dynasty and have since it came out. I recently got ANOTHER copy of it. I know it as well as anyone alive (better than Peter Criss). I never EVER thought of I was made for loving you and I just listened to that disc last week. After listening to them back to back and watching the youtube video there is nothing to that. It's rubbish. It's like when you're supposed to see something but don't, you just think you do. Listen to it backwards and it says Silvoio is dead.


My Lucky Day 4:01

E Street Band!!! Max!!!! Roy!!!!! More Max!!!!! Stevie!!!!!! Patti!!!!! Clarence!!!!! Lyrics, melody, performance. All is right with the world. This could be the masterpiece I KNEW he had in him. wow wow wow

Working on a Dream 3:30

Whistling wtf? Ok admittedly under the crappy arrangement, sound and production of this piece is a catchy song with some great lyrics surrounded by some good ones. Someone should stop Bruce from embarrassing himself by whistling but it could be worse. I mean at least he's not writing about going grocery shopping?

Queen of the Supermarket 4:40

gasp!

No OMG no How could this happen. Sadly it's some of the best music on the cd. Should have been a b side or on Tracks two where it would have been funny. This is like hanging a picture of yourself in black velvet on your wall and no one laughs. Remember when Sinatra sang It's Not Easy Being Green? How about the Stones going psychodelic?

A terrible mistep


What Love Can Do 2:57

Ok we're back. Kind of a Lucky townish rocker. I like it. Definitely wouldn't have fit on Magic so Bruce was good to EDIT himself (great idea) and start a new project with this one.

This Life 4:30

I didn't realize Burt Bacharach worked on this record. This seems like a genre exercise that need more work.

Good Eye 3:01

Bruce has a great Waitsian blues record in him. This song with its simple lyrics continues his texas blues that started with the magic tour's version of reason to believe. Terribly produced arranged and recorded. It should be raw and oozing!

A standout none the less.

Tomorrow Never Knows 2:14

Ok this is just awesome. Great counter point to Good Eye. Here he gets the pop thing down. It's country touches also show he has a great country record. Also the Burt Bacharach thing is restrained.

Life Itself 4:00

These lyrics deserve a better song. Mike Huecker said it and I can't top that. What a perfect lyrical journey over boring awful music.


Kingdom of Days 4:02

Another ballad? More Strings. No no no. Put a rocker in here please. Even a throw away one would break up this zzzzzzzzzzzzz

Surprise, Surprise 3:24

Was this movie in the Austin Powers movies? Ok I get this one. Lightweight should have been in between the snore songs. a throw away.

The Last Carnival 3:11

Thank God. That was a rough patch. This is a great one again. Danny is remember well. Not sugary or overtly. Here the song is different and interesting and a perfect number.

The Wrestler 3:50

This will be the first academy awards I don't watch since I was, I don't know, ever. I remember watching them in my footie pajamas but enough about last year's show. Another song with Bruce doing what he does best. A one legged dog?

So if you haven't guessed I don't really like Brendan O'Brien.

For God's sake someone stop him before he produces anything ever again. It's time to move on Bruce. He's awful. the cd sound AWFUL. I'll never listen to it again after live versions of these songs exist. the arrangements are AWFUL.

Oh and wtf is John Landau doing? You're the one that's supposed to say "no whistling Boss" "no MORE la la la's" "what another strings"

Look most of these songs are more than worthy additions to the Springsteen cannon they add to it. Outlaw Pete, My Lucky Day, What Love.., Good Eye, Tomorrow, Carnival, and Wrestler are 7 songs that blow me away. The rest either needed changed or dropped. Bruce needs to work with someone else.

I've often said Rick Rubin but that's too easy. Who produces the Hold Steady or how about Jack White. Hell Jack Black would be better. Maybe he should use a producer he used to have - himself. I thought he stopped listing himself to be nice, but you'll notice he's listed on Seager and as producer on wrestler? What's more shocking, that he would cede so much control or that it would be to this guy.

Look he was needed on the Rising and did AMAZING work on Devils and Dust but Magic it started to wear thin and here's it's God awful. I mean it just sounds like shit. Sorry I said it.

I fear this record will bomb. I can hear Howard Stern and others making fun of Queen of the Supermarket (deservedly so). ugh ugh ugh.

That said, it's encouraging that Bruce is STILL writing great songs and Still performing and singing great. Some of the singing on here is his best EV-ERRR. When the band is allowed to play, its awesome. one has to wonder if CC had some of these string and horn parts how much better they would be.

I give this record a b A- for the songs, A for performance, F for production.