BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN - WORST TO BEST
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ต.ค. 2024
- A run-down of the top 20 Bruce Springsteen albums, with some discussion on the live albums and additional box sets.
A follow-up to my similar video on Genesis, which can be found here: @
Feel free to comment, maybe even to suggest other bands/artists that I could cover. Full disclosure: I will not post any video on a band or artists that I'm less than super-familiar with. I've followed Springsteen for over forty years, so my opinions might carry a bit of weight. Only a bit, eh?
Enjoy.
Shot and posted 16th April 2021
Never had really taken much notice of Springsteen until a friend played me Darkness On the Edge of Town just after release and my 18-year-old self was hooked and have been an avid fan since. To this day it remains my favourite Springsteen album.
Most critics and long time fans would agree with you. And the songs he recorded for that album but choose to leave OFF are impressive. Few artists would have the self discipline to leave off songs like Because the Night, Independence Day, The Promise, Fire, Rendezvous, Talk to Me, Sherry Darling, Don't Look Back, Iceman, Hearts of Stone, etc. It could easily have been two different albums or a double album like The River. But he was more interested in songs that worked well TOGETHER to create the best album as a whole- a clear and powerful work of art rather than a collection of very good songs. Most people would have put out more songs faster just for financial reasons since he was broke at the time. He was in debt till at least 1981. In fact he even got evicted from the place he was renting that year.
Absolutely!
Very much enjoyed your music discussions. You've a talent for this and so I hope you'll change your mind and do a lot more.
Thanks. Like many things, getting started is the problem. I've a few ideas about what to do next, but execution comes slowly....
Darkness is essential elemental Springsteen. And your views on sound quality and production are spot on. Thanks for sharing your experience and fine judgment. Bruce fan since 1978 and saw The River tour in 1980.
Thanks a lot. Much appreciated. They're just opinions after all, but if it gets people to reach for an album they've overlooked for some time, then that's nice to know.
Song after song, album after album Bruce writes catchy tunes that tell stories that have a importance, a gravitas that few other popular musicians even attempt. Wonderful Genius! In a interview He said that more than riches, or fame, He wanted to be great. He is! Dive in deep!
His new album Letter To You would be a top 10 for sure. I love The River but i do think it suffers from what you pointed out earlier, tinny production. Nebraska is so sublime, its my number 1. My 5 favourite Sprinsteen songs: Adam Raised A Cain, Atlantic City, Highway Patrolman, The River, Brilliant Disguise.
Love how you have 2nd copies of the LP’s in the background! My friend took me along to the Seeger sessions show at Wembley, we were in the front section and I went from not really getting him at all to putting him up there with some of my favourite artists. Unbelievable live and after seeing the live performance I understand what lol the hype was about. That remains one of my favourite gigs ever and have since seen him another 7 times I believe... Agree with Wrecking Ball being high (yes that Tour was incredible) and Darkness will always be my favourite too. Great video!
Thanks!
Just came across this last night , and couldn’t believe how our love Bruce is almost paralleled . My first gig was also Newcastle City Hall ( with Chris Rea sitting in front of me ) , and I’ve also jumped on a plane to see him over the years . Great to see fellow fans share their views, I agree with just about everything you said ( nice to hear YOURE MISSING getting a nod )
Excellent Alan. Are you still up north? I'm taking my eldest to Sunderland next week.
Very well done “mate”! As an avid Springsteen fan love your takes. Early on I think Toby Scott rings a bell as his early sound man. Looking forward to your next.
I was planning to do a Bruce ranking myself. Nice video, well done.
Many thanks!
Nice video…I’m in the +100 group…first show was November 1974 at a small college near my house in NJ. Was at the Philly show the night Lennon was shot. Last show was this past March…still great.
20. Working on a Dream
19. Human Touch
18. Lucky Town
17. High Hopes
16. Western Stars
15. Wrecking Ball
14. Ghost of Tom Joad
13. My Letter to You
12. Seeger Sessions
11. Devils & Dust
10. Magic
9. Born in the USA
8. Tunnel of Love
7. Greetings From Asbury Park, NJ
6. The Rising
5. Nebraska
4. Darkness on the Edge of Town
3. Born to Run
2. The River
1. The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle
And since he brought it up, Trespass is actually my favorite Genesis album.
Fantastic video. Seen Bruce 2 times. Such a great artist. Love your rankings. I might go with Born To Run as my number 1.
Absolutely brilliant discussion and analysis! Amazing to find we agree on every point
Very generous. Thank you.
My # 1: THE RIVER 👍🏆
Yes! Darkness has always been my favorite Springsteen album. 👍👍👍 Excellent pick.
I was never a fan of Bruce untill the Ghost of Tom Joad and the only reason that got my interest was it's literature reference. Can't say I love all his stuff but Devils and Dust and Nebraska plus Ghost is all I need from his output. Enjoyable video and love your prog stuff too. I used to work in Boldmere Rd. 40yrs ago!
Great video - I loved the quote you used in the intro, I've always thought that sums him up more than any other. He's not authentic, but is clearly immensely empathetic
That's a great way of putting it.
Really enjoyed this, and your Genesis post. Seeing Gaucho behind you, would like to see your SD Top ten?
Another great review David. Dig into your record collection and keep them coming!
Never understood why Human Touch and Lucky Town were poorly received; even all these years later they are often looked down upon by "critics" as they were at the time. The production style was panned as I recall but I think they're two of his best; the production manages to be crystal clear with great separation while still being rather lush. Great Telecaster stuff on these two records as well. I also find the songwriting to be stellar (who else can write like that?). Although Im a big fan, I am just being as objective as possible, they're just great records by any measure.
Well said. I think the critics have, over the years, been too attached to The E Street Band, and its camaraderie. Great though they are, they have limited the experimental side of Bruce's music making.
So good these posts... any more to come? Rush??
Western stars the worst!!! Totally disagree...is one of the best album, full of great songs!
Seeger sessions and High hopes are the worst! Anyway, yes, Darkness is the best!
Bye
I enjoyed Western Stars quite a bit myself.
I've seen Springsteen about half as many times as you but they are my favorite concerts. I'm not as down on Western Stars as you but I agree with your criticisms of Working On A Dream as it is my least favorite Springsteen album. I would probably have Lucky Town a little higher. I like Wrecking Ball more that most people as well. I would have Born To Run but it would be very close. Wonderful job.
For some reason, tunnel of love is the album i always come back to. It is also one of the few albums of Bruce with decent sound quality.
I tried listening to Tunnel of Love. Most of it just sounds corny. Spare Parts and Tunnel of Love are the only good songs on there. Brilliant Disguise is just flat and boring and the rest of the album sounds like campfire sing alongs or something.
Its my fav album (one i play the most ) as well.....it often depends what was happening in your life, when you got it and some albums almost speak to you at that time.
my top 4 - tunnel of love, born in the usa, born to run, the river.
"Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ" on #15? Behind "Human Touch"? I agree on the sound production but the songs on his first official LP are fantastic, far better than what Bob Dylan was doing at the time IMHO.
I knew this would divide opinion! The songs on Greetings are amongst his classics, but I subscribe to the view that his lyrics got better when the words used were fewer. I think, in the end, Greetings is a mood album - some days it leaves me bored, other days you can here the promise of what was to come. Thanks for your comment though (and I agree with your Dylan comparison).
Mr. Atkinson, I agree with practically your entire ranking, especially "Darkness on the Edge of Town." However, I would flip the rankings of "Human Touch" and "Tom Joad." I think "HT" is the most under-rated album in Springsteen's oeuvre.
Greetings is one of his best, take it from a New Jersey guy.
I hope you don't have an opinion on Sting's music. Take it from a Geordie, you'd probably be wrong.
Darkness is his best but cannot disagree more with the assessment of Western Stars. Love that album
Very good list. I agree with Top 10 but in a very different order. The Rising especially is an incredibly written album.
PS Did you go to the Human touch/Lucky town shows in Paris organized through Badlands if so we would have been on the same bus just a thought.
Hi John, I only saw that tour in the U.K. Badlands trips to Paris were later on for me. The Rising, Devils and Dust, etc. I remember Steven fixing us up with a nicely coloured wristband 😉 for one of the Paris shows. Happy days.
I guess you put this out before A Letter To You which I think is the best album with the E Street Band since Born To Run
It's shaping up to become a classic. Too early to confirm that yet. Will I be reaching for it a year from now, is the key question for me.
@@davidatkinson-lifematters4826
Absolutely if this is his last E street band album it’s a good one to go out on. Sorry but no way Seger is one tenth as good as Springsteen as a writer as I said closest thing to Dylan both him and Tom Petty
@@robertbyington7715 , Bobby and Tommy are the top songwriters in my opinion, along with The Boss
Agree completely - IMHO it's the best thing he has done since Darkness
Fantastic video, well done
Really enjoyed the show. Yes, darkness is no.1. It's always so fresh. Tom joad is a masterpiece of narrative writing and should have been higher on the list. The lives of outsiders, told brilliantly and without judgement. Galveston bay had me on the edge of my seat on the first listening ... What will he do with the knife ... Just brilliant story telling. On this record his writing is up there with Dylan. How many artists can you say that about?
‘Hey Eddie, can you lend me a few bucks tonight/ Can you give us a ride/ Gotta make through the tunnel, got a meeting with a man on the other side.’ Sums it up for me.
Really interesting video - agreed with most ofyour ratings except for Western Stars, which I would definitely have in my top 10
You are clearly a Springsteen aficionado and you definitely know what you are talking about. I love springsteen A Lot and own almost every album (except Working on a Dream) but you broke my heart at #20. I can’t stop listening to this album. Letter to You is a great album, but very familiar. Western Stars is melodic, lush, and sets a wonderful mood. I respect and understand your opinion, but I really disagree! It isn’t Springsteen by numbers for sure and not everyone will love it....but I sure do! Great video...still watching it...
Cheers! Rest assured I'll continue listening to it. It might yet break through!
Western Stars is definitely not for everyone and a huge departure for Bruce - maybe you will never love it and that’s cool. We learn more about what we love about our favourite artists when they take a turn. Certainly to my ears, it was a welcome change, but I also love Letter To You - I love these late career gems!
Very enjoyable. Cannot argue with the top three at all. Funny, I only said to someone recently if you want to get just one Springsteen
album make it The River. Personally I rate Lucky Town above Human Touch. There are some great songs on Tracks particularly the version of Stolen Car, which could have been included on The River alongside the other version. Thanks.
19.High Hopes
18.Devils and Dust
17.Human Touch
16 Working on a Dream
15 Western Stars
14 Wrecking Ball
13 Ghost of Tom Joad
12 Lucky Town
11 Letter to You
10 Magic
9 Wild and the Innocent
8 Greetings from Asbury Park
7 Tunnell of Love
6 The Rising
5 The River
4 Nebraska
3 Born in the USA
2 Darkness on the Edge Of Town
1 Born to Run
Great video and interesting comments. HOWEVER, Greeting from Asbury Park at #15? No way. That would go way above Seeger Sessions and Tom Joad. Your genesis video was also enjoyable.
Well I never knew Bobby and Jack had a long lost brother!! 😀 😀 😀 😀
Cheeky bugger. 😁
Great list! I’m a fan but don’t own everything. I kind of regret buying Magic and Working on a Dream. The last album I bought was Wrecking Ball.
The Rising and Tom Joad are my favourites. Saw him live twice at Arsenal stadium and Olympic Park....Now to watch your Genesis list!! 👍🏼
Thanks. I saw him at the Arsenal stadium too!
Never gotten into Springsteen but gonna give it another go now, especially after your excellent Genesis post. One savvy Genesis fan can’t be wrong!
I really enjoy your analysis, even if I don't 100% agree with your rankings.
Springsteen is difficult for me, because there are parts of his career/discography that I love... but when he kinda puts on that "rock-and-roll" hat and goes all roadhouse bar band, I cannot stand it. It just feels like such a put on, coupled with the fact that it is the least interesting thing that he does, artistically speaking. I could happily never, ever hear songs like Ramrod ever again.
You nailed it.
You and me, both.
Excellent video thank you for sharing your opinions.
Interesting program. I became a Bruce fan in 78, a friend got me stoned and played Darkness for me. I was hooked, bought the older albums, bought the River when it came out and saw the concert in Denver I loved the intensity of Born in the USA. Really liked Nebraska and really liked Tunnel of Love A very different sound for him, and I felt like he and I had grown up some. I grew tired of those earlier albums, that urban jungle almosphere just sounded like BS at some point Although Tunnel of Love was one of my favorites, I lost interest in the Boss and never bought another album. He became more and more a left leaning social activist, which is usually a form of look and me, I'm so good kind of posing. In 2016, when I read that he cancelled his concert in North Carolina, because they didn't let men who felt girlie use women's bathrooms, then I knew for sure he was a man who had lost all touch with reality.
I've always had a lot of sympathy with his justice for the working class themes and lyrics. I'm less enamoured by his explicit public support for particular politicians. He has become increasingly woke, so that's a bit of a red flag, but I try and separate the man's music from his politics, as it's given me some much enjoyment and adventures over the years.
My favourite Springsteen album is the ghost of tom joad love it,I see steely dan in the background,ye must do a ranking
That'd be hard. They're all good!
@@davidatkinson-lifematters4826 Your right there brother.
Loved your assessment of the worst to best. Especially the worst, like Western stars and Working on a dream, etc being at the tail end.Totally agree with most of your list. Human Touch makes my top 10, and Born in the USA, my top 5, due to all those great songs you mentioned from both. Didn't expect such a similar view to what I'd have so I found your list very pleasing.
I'm regularly surprised by people declaring 'Western Stars' his best album. It's just personal taste, I suppose.
Springsteen has always been a social poet creating beautiful lyricism and eternal tunes/melodies- drawing from his mental health/depression. He should be given the Nobel Prize for Literature and all the people including me who he has helped in their lives, kept sane and lifted them up. I still think that the Tunnel of Love Tour at Villa Park/Birmingham with the brass band was the best - his subsequent live show especially at the NEC the sound quality was awful. He's energy levels and artistic output has been phenomenal.
A friend sent me this knowing that I am a big Springsteen fan - probably midway between how you describe yourself and the real obsessives ! Thought I would play the first couple of minutes just to see what it was like, but just listened to the whole thing. Really interesting and entertaining with some pertinent comments. Thanks very much
I agree on all, except Lucky Town. I still hear it quite often, TOP5 for me.
I agree on Darkness as #1, but disagree that the album is about “young people.” Darkness is all about Bruce himself, highly autobiographical. About his maturation as an artist and struggles to overcome his past and his legal issues with Mike Appel. Best autobiographical Bruce lyric ever - “Poor man wanna be rich, rich man wanna be king, and a king ain’t satisfied till he rules everything. I wanna go out tonight, I wanna find out what I got.”
That is a GREAT line, and I've always thought it so. My reference to 'young people' was no doubt made in comparison to my own years. No script on these videos!
Your top three are the only three Springsteen studio albums I play regularly, yet Bruce comes in at #5 in my most played artists, after Van Morrison, The Who, Genesis and David Bowie.
How did he get that high? The sheer quality of his recorded live performances, originally as bootlegs and now the official recordings. When I invent my time machine, im heading straight back to September 1978 to experience the Darkness tour in person.
I have a funny relationship with the studio albums. It's almost as a matter of course that I buy them and I'm left feeling disappointed. Yet I eventually get around to buying the next and then the next.
If he had developed the 75-78 sound by his first two albums, they'd be played regularly too. The songs are fantastic live.
I ignored the Seeger Sessions and Live in Dublin for years, then I must have seen Live In Dublin cheap. Wow. I love it and think its much better than the studio versions. Of course, I don't play it when I'm in the mood for Springsteen.
I remember seeing "the future of rock & roll" adverts in Sounds or the NME when they were still plugging Born To Run in early 1976. So when I saw it on the shelf at Stafford's record library, I borrowed it.
Wow.
As you learn more about my tastes, you'll see that the saxophone figures prominently. I think that might be because of Bruce and The Big Man, captured on the cover of Born To Run. It's my favourite Springsteen album, edging out Darkness.
Thanks Alan. You've been a big help to relieving my boredom. For the last few days , I've been living at my mother's house with my dog while she is in hospital, so i can visit and make sure she's properly set up when she comes out. I thought it was going to be Saturday, then Sunday, hopefully Monday because otherwise, I'll finish up watching nearly all your music videos.
Hello again Paul. Thanks for another thoughtful comment. I hope you've heard (and own) the Roxy '78 Darkness gig that's been out there for many a year. Now THAT is the gig I'd love to be able to attend.
@@davidatkinson-lifematters4826 No I don't have the Roxy album (yet), just Cleveland in August, Passaic in September (19th), Atlanta (October) and Houston (December). Most of my plays go to Passaic because I think there's something special about Bruce in New Jersey.
Darkness is my favorite Bruce Album. Over the last 20 years The Rising is his best work. I have all the box sets and Live 1975-85 is great my favorite live album. Great analysis.
Honest question, Boomer, why does he sound so different live? Example... On the live versions of Born in the USA he's voice sounds scattered and lacks that sting the studio version has. It's like a lot of pre audio tune work went into making his vocals easier to listen to. I don't like any of his live stuff because his vocals don't even sound the same.
Thanks for the post David it was excellent, I actually stopped buying albums after Working on a dream I found the lyrics to be pretty poor and substandard (Outlaw Pete, WTF)that said the tour was fantastic The last time I saw the band was at the last "Rive tour" in Glasgow again fantastic. It was strange watching your countdown as it pretty much mirrors my own preferences. I agree with you regarding the solo stuff I saw the Ghost of Tom Joad tour in Edinburgh and Devils and Dust in the RAH Dream Baby Dream was on another level and in my opinion Nobody could carry that level of emotion in a song other than Bruce Springsteen................hopefully we can all congregate one day Further On (Up the road), when it is safe to do so, take care and keep up the good work! All the best John
Thanks John. Dream Baby Dream was such an awesome choice, wasn't it. Made it his own. And yes, you have to wonder whether we'll ever see them all again.
All my Springsteen music is permanently on shuffle most of the time so you don't know whats coming. I've never bothered about best and worst. It's sacramental to even think about it. 🎸
Love to hear your comments on Martyn Joseph.
I don't know him well enough, Stuart. I've got three of his albums, including his Springsteen tribute one, but he reminds me of John Wesley Harding, who came to some attention around the same time. Both good songwriters, but didn't make it tot he top tier.
I don’t agree to your ranking at all, BUT I have to say, you did a valuable job there and the way you explained your choices really was entertaining. Thanks 😊
I would disagree totally with Western Stars being the worst. It's one of the best and most consistent albums Springsteen's ever made if you're feeling lost and detached from the world. "Darkness", Born to Run, the second album, Nebraska and "Tom Joad" probably cover most situations. The River has lots of Springsteen classic songs but it is spoilt by bad recording of some of the faster songs. Tunnel of love is good but I find parts of it a bit mechanical at times. The Risings is good live, there is something flat about the studio version. The rest of the albums can be put in any order as desired. Even on Springsteen's best albums there are production issues and song choices that I would change. I consider "Darkness" and "Western Stars" to be superb the way they are.
I'm a fan of Springsteen. Took him a lot more seriously after I heard Nebraska. Not a poor man's Segar, but rather a poor man's Van Morrison. He doesn't quite pull off Mr. Morrison's authenticity, but the influences are there and they are immense. And I don't think Mr. Springsteen would disagree.
I think if you took the best 5 songs off Lucky Town and best 5 songs off of Human Touch...you'd have a great classic album. I also feel that Magic deserves to be in the Top 10...really the final album with the full E Street Band (including Danny).
Magic is absolutely great , and some of human touch is top notch , just too many leftovers , same as lucky town, a combination pf thentwo would've made Bruce's career flawless contacted to those of Dylan, Young , Bowie and that sort
As I said in a follow up to my remarks regarding your Genesis critique; Springsteen came to my rescue when the Progressive started to run out of gas.
I had been aware of him for sometime, but it wasn't until my girlfriend left me until his music hit home. That is the thing about his music's evolution; it has paralleled life as it has unfolded over the years. It seemed like he was watching me at times...to the point where I think he owes me royalties for some of his songs.
George, Your journey is very similar to my own. 👊🏻
Not bad. Though I’d have Magic higher. I’d have Born In The USA higher too, maybe even at number one. Definitely in front of inferior albums like Ghost Of Tom Joad, Tunnel Of Love and Wrecking Ball anyway but each to their own.
You didn’t even mention Letters To You either. That’s a pretty big oversight
I agree with you about all of that
@@miajanis4099 Thank you
I decided it would be better to leave Letter to You a while longer before judging it against the rest. Not lived with it long enough.
Love the shelves -- are those IKEA?
Thanks for doing this video. I'm a huge Bruce fan and really enjoyed it. Lucky Town should be higher.
Agree with many things here. Not only your top three (although I would probably put The River as number one). But also your point about the fairly rough quality of production in many of his albums, even from the beginning. I think this is what makes the live albums often preferable because the studio versions never really stand out by comparison, which with well recorded bands they often do.
One quality I always liked about Springsteen is that he's so much better live than in the studio. Especially years ago when their setlist was more so improvised. The product,tienes in their albums is below the average of such a status artist. Regarding one of the albums in the background, they won't get to the steely dan level. To me their live sound is more authentic, more hammond , less synths. Thanks for the effort making this. I will watch it with the coffee
My favourite Bruce album is Nebraska
I couldn't disagree more on Western Stars. I think it's a real return to form (with the exception of the awful Sleepy Joe's Café). I love it. Completely agree with Working On A Dream. Hate Outlaw Pete. Terrible song. Also, never been keen on Born In The USA, which feels overblown bombastic Bruce. Commercially very successful but lacking the depth of other writing. My (studio) favourites are Born To Run (wonderful album cover too), Nabraska, Darkness and Tunnel Of Love (his Blood On The Tracks). Terrific writing on all of these.
I like Joes cafe
Devils and Dust inside the top 8
Thanks for a great review Dave, I saw bruce manchester and Brum 81 and since..lost touch with latter day albums but really enjoyed western stars!, totally agree with your top 3..Thanks for the Van appraisal too will help me to dig in deeper I particularly enjoy enlightenment.. lookin forward to the genesis review too, keep em comin!
Qp
Thanks Andrew, I'll try. We're all music lovers here, and if the videos and comment responses get us to rediscover some overlooked gems, that I'm all for that. Van's 'Veddon Fleece' as a good example for me - so many people claiming it to be worthy of top 10 status, I've been back into it!
I only own a few Springsteen albums (Born to Run, Born in the USA, Darkness on the Edge of Town) and would consider myself a very casual fan. However, I found the way you spoke about the albums and how the music has affected your life very inspiring. Also, I will echo the comment below and say that you should do more of these "worst to best" type videos. As a music fan I found it very enlightening and entertaining. Going to check out your Genesis video after this. Cheers.
Thanks. I'd like to do more of these videos, but the fun is in revisiting each artist's catalogue. I don't want to go from memory, so I have to listen to them all again in a concentrated fashion. That's why it takes me so long to get around to doing them!
Born In The USA should be top 5, top 3 at worst
ehhhh most old-time Bruce albums would disagree. We tend to like the older, funkier, more epic songs. Born in the USA, with its slick presentation and focus on hit singles, lost many of us.
I was born in 85 and from new jersey, I've been a Springsteen fan since birth and I agree with almost everything you've said except greetings should be higher and wrecking ball should be lower. Also Nebraska is my #1 but I can't argue with darkness that's very close to #1 to me
Very enjoyable ranking by a knowledgeable dude. Just a few variations with my ranking,most notable being the switch between one and two but that's quibbling. For what it's worth Born To Run is my favorite song by anybody.
Born to Run was my favourite song by anybody too....until Land of Hope and Dreams came along. 😁
Seen Springsteen brammel Lane tunnel of love tour.good show.
Certainly was.
Was lucky enough to be near the front of the pit when he played The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle from start to finish In Brisbane (Australia) (only the second time he'd done that) was a magical experience - the live version of Kitty's Back is incredible.
You're one lucky bastid Bill 🙂. My favorite album
Wonder why "Letter to You" isn't on your list
Hadn't lived with it long enough to judge it properly. I've been thinking of doing a short video of it. Maybe.
But it is very good.
Enjoyed that mate
Darkness
Innocent e street shuffle
The river
Born to run
Awesome pick for Darkness as your #1! For me, I go back and forth between Darkness and Tunnel of Love as my #1. (I admittedly haven't listened to every single one of his albums, though). Born to Run would probably my #2. Also, great to see Wrecking Ball so high on your list. I myself don't know of a better album that The Boss has released so far this century.
Great video. Here's my list. Quite different from yours! :) I absolutely loved Western Stars and couldn't stand The Ghost of Tom Joad at all. (Also you left off Letter To You)
1. Born To Run
2. The River
3. Nebraska
4. Born In The USA
5. Darkness On The Edge of Town
6. Western Stars
7. The Wild The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle
8. Tunnel of Love
9. Seeger Sessions
10. Wrecking Ball
11. The Rising
12. Letter To You
13. Lucky Town
14. Greetings From Asbury Park
15. Magic
16. Human Touch
17. Devils and Dust
18. Working on a Dream
19. High Hopes
20. The Ghost of Tom Joad
GREAT LIST. I HAVE THE SAME AT THE TOP AND AT THE BOTTOM.
BORN TO RUN- MASTERPIECE.
THE GHOST OF TOM JOAD- MUMBLING NONSENSE.
Hadn't live with 'Letter' long enough to do it justice. I love it though (with the exception of 'Ghosts').
Darkness on the Edge of Town is also my favourite Springsteen album . The boxset you showed has a great dvd of a show he did in Houston on that 1978 .tour . I saw him in November of ‘78 at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto , about 2 weeks before the Houston concert was filmed. 4 hours of greatness topped off by a stomping version of the Detroit Medley that had everyone dancing in the aisles. There are some great 3 cd sets of shows on that tour . A great review of his albums . If you don’t have this album , you should pick up Hearts of Stone by Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes . Springsteen supplies a couple of the songs and some backing vocals . It’s great . Thanks !
'Hearts of Stone' is superb. I love all of Southside's early albums, and the later ones aren't too shabby either. Sadly I only ever saw him on his 'In the Acoustic' tour, and had to make do with hearing that famous horn section live on the first Little Steven 'Men Without Women' tour. Both fantastic bands.
And those '78 Bruce bootlegs (and semi-legit) releases in the last fews years are incredible. 'The Roxy' will always be my favourite - so intimate.
To this day , I don’t understand how the Hearts of Stone LP wasn’t a big hit . It certainly deserved to be . Love is a Sacrifice is one of his better later albums . Unfortunately, I never did get to see Southside Johnny live . I have to make do with the Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes in Concert Dvd . Yes , The Roxy is a great Springsteen show . Passaic Night is also great , and might be my favourite of the bunch . Thanks again for the great overview . I look forward to seeing more of them !
@@johnw706 Thanks. I'll do my best!
High hopes is an experiment, a collection of sorts that doesn't feel like an album, imo. Should be near the bottom
So right about Magic. Great tracks but sounded like they came out of a tinny transistor radio.
Tremendous list...thank you. I think Human Touch and Lucky Town deserve a higher placement though, derided unfairly as both were on release.
Great analysis, interesting ranking, and a most enjoyable video! Completely agree on Darkness on the the Edge of Town being number 1. I personally think Lucky Town is much better than Human Touch, however.
Real World in Human Touch is a masterpiece
How could you have left out the river box set in your discussion?
Steely Dan ranking would be beautiful (the gaucho album in the background suggests you're a fellow Dan fan!) Nice and tight discography not much fat.
REALLY hard to separate their albums. They're all excellent. 'Gaucho' is my favourite though, along with the incredible 'The Nightfly' from Fagen.
tend to agree with your list dave ,,, other than western stars ,, which after quite a few plays has really grown on me ,, working on a dream and magic are easily bruces low point for me ,,, and as for nebraska what more can one say , top 5 album all day long ,, got tickets for villa park next year , cant wait ,, bruuuuuuce :))) .
It's odd. I'm not a big fan of Springsteen and Pete Seeger isn't my scene either but my favourite Springsteen album is The Seeger Sessions. I often find Springsteen too pompous and preachy but here he and the band sound so natural and like they are having a great time and that rubs off on the listener - well, this one anyway.
That's a fair comment.
Frankly astonishing comments and rankings. They’re so left field it’s difficult to take the whole film seriously
Thanks for watching. You'll enjoy this one then: th-cam.com/video/fa2b0kl_Z5w/w-d-xo.html
Like your list. I'd swap Run for Darkness for the top spot, for me Run is full hope and Darkness full of regret, I think hope wins out over regret any day. Ghost is to damn depressing for me, I'd swap it out for Asbury, which I love and really don'e understand why it always ranks so low in these lists.
I think Greetings ranks low because it sounds so congested compared to The Wild, The Innocent, etc. Someone songs on the debut, all of which sounded bigger and better in a live setting.
Funny, I feel Asbury has a very folk/rock vibe that I love, stark Dylan-like "Innocent" songs, on the other hand I always found The Wild bloated and pompous. To each their own, but man, I still feel Asbury is severely underrated! @@davidatkinson-lifematters4826
Came across this video tonight, really good, especially as you mentioned Bob Seger as well. Bob Seger just does not get enough credit, also good news ahead Seger vinyl re-issues are set to be released.
The first time I saw Bruce Springsteen in concert was in1978 at the legendary show at the Roxy in West Hollywood California. I was 17 at the time. That was the concert that was aired on KMET. And yes DOTEOT is my favorite Bruce album.
Fantastic. That's always been my favourite bootleg - by a mile. I used to work behind a bar in my home city of Newcastle. Trendiest bar in town in fact. And I also managed to take charge of the music, and often played the Roxy show over the sound system. Lost count of the number of excited people asking where the tape was from.
@@davidatkinson-lifematters4826 A few years ago the audio was on TH-cam. But it keeps getting taken down. Some parts of it can still be hear but other songs from that show have copyright issues.
@@donaldkennedy9573 From memory, wasn't Growin' Up on the live box set from the Roxy (with the mis-song dialogue truncated)?
@@donaldkennedy9573 Mid-song*
@@davidatkinson-lifematters4826 It was.
It seems , like many LP ratings on YT, that the artist's initial efforts are their best.
A songwriter is a storyteller, first and foremost, someone who can make you feel, believe, and transport you to other ways of life. I know you like Bruce, I would think you agree with that, if you were stating that those last five albums were your least favorite relating to his integrity, either on his songs, his efforts and all around releases, I would be in agreement with you..
Born to Run ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Innocent ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Darkness/Tunnel⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Greetings⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Nebraska⭐️⭐️
USA⭐️⭐️
River⭐️⭐️
Western Stars is a wonderful album. Open up your ears man. Stop over analyzing and just enjoy. Stones is a magnificent song as is Stuntman.
It is an awful album from start to finish
Some of his best lyrics in a long time... And superb sound and arrangements...
The Wild and The Innocent will always be my #1.
I don't mind being in Candy's Room.
Wow, interesting take on Western Stars, which I rate as his best since Tunnel of Love. The Darkness material is among my favorite, but the live versions easily outstrip the album recordings. I also prefer many of the River outtakes to the proper album. Most of Bruce's albums sound like crap, but the "transistor radio in a cave" sound of The River is a pet peeve of mine. That album NEEDS a remix! Here is my list from the top to bottom:
Nebraska
Tunnel of Love
Born to Run
E Street Shuffle
Darkness
The River
Western Stars
Greetings
Born in the USA
Lucky Town
Human Touch
Honestly, the rest of his catalog does little or nothing for me.
For me Nebraska will always be his best album. The River. Darkness. Born To Run. He has never released a bad album
Your opnion🤔
@ Mavis and mine!