awatt Posted July 19, 2006 Share Posted July 19, 2006 Just finished watching Streets of Fire from 1978 from Youtube after responding to best tv performance thread. I think there are a few Bruce fans here and just curious to hear your reminiscences of Bruce from early years. You know I don't really listen much anymore but boy, there was nothing better musically than a Springsteen concert in late 70s and through the 80s. Candy's Room? Darkness on the Edge of Town? My life changed when I attended the Forum show in 1978, then subsequent shows in 80 and 81. All time favorite story: my car, a 69 Malibu catching fire on the way to the Vietnam Veteran's show in 1981, pulling off to the side of the road, and then being escorted by police (you know what I was doing in the car on the way there) to the fabulous Forum just in time to see the show. Oh the memories.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted July 19, 2006 Share Posted July 19, 2006 "old dude" Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gato Posted July 19, 2006 Share Posted July 19, 2006 I've seen the Boss 4 times I think. All of them for free. Long stories. Somwhere I have an AWESOME live boot from roughly "The River" time frame. 3 cd's. Very nice show. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tongue-tied lightning Posted July 19, 2006 Share Posted July 19, 2006 my biggest disapointment is not seeing him in the early eighties. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
viatroy Posted July 19, 2006 Share Posted July 19, 2006 saw him in 76 at the gym at Georgetown U .... I had Bruce on heavy heavy rotation during high school and college. Spent alot of time in my college years at the Joisey Shaw, where my husband's family had a house in Seaside Heights, so I was fully steeped in the Bruce atmospherics and lore. I usually get some Bruce in on a long drive -- particularly when Im driving past Promised Land State Park in PA. My records were in grave danger of being cracked over my mothers knee "if I hear that song ONE MORE TIME!@!!!!" I bet my Mom still knows most of the words from Born to Run. Last album I bought was Tunnel of Love. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tongue-tied lightning Posted July 19, 2006 Share Posted July 19, 2006 sweet ! seaside was rockin' in the 70's, kinda trashy now nothing like the boardwalk at Seaside. that musta been a great show in 76 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted July 19, 2006 Share Posted July 19, 2006 Saw him at the Auditorium, a few weeks after Born to Run came out and after he ended up on the cover of Time and Newsweek in the same week. It was wild (and innocent and the e-street shuffle.) LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BolivarBaLues Posted July 19, 2006 Share Posted July 19, 2006 (edited) I saw him in Atlanta on the Tunnel of Love tour. Great show, but my only dissapointment was the fact that he did an acoustic version of "Born To Run." For fans of early Bruce (or anyone that loves good live rock), pick up the 30th Anniversary Born To Run set. It's worth it alone for the DVD of the 1975 Hammersmith Odeon performance. Words fail to describe the level of intensity at this show, but this stuff is just flat out transcendant. The "making of" Born To Run DVD is a real treat also, worth alone for the isolated Boom Carter drum track on the bridge of "Born To Run." The audio of the Hammersmith show is also available on CD. But spring for the whole set; you won't be dissapointed. You can get it for only $17.95 at yourmusic.com. The catch is that you have to join the club, which requires a monthly purchase of one CD. But given that all of their discs go for $5.99 each (with free shipping), this is an incredible deal. Box sets are priced based on the number of discs, at $5.99 each. They've got lots of great Coltrane and Miles Davis boxes. I picked up Trane's Heavyweight Champion (which appears to no longer be available here, but they still have the The Complete 1961 Village Vanguard Recordings for a mere $23.96) and the Complete Impulse! Studio Recordings boxes for less than I would pay for either one of them elsewhere. I've been a member for almost two years now and it's been a big boon to my collection. Edited July 19, 2006 by BolivarBaLues Quote Link to post Share on other sites
awatt Posted July 20, 2006 Author Share Posted July 20, 2006 Since I've gone AWATT, I have not even purchased any Bruce (let alone anyone else), though really seeing these youtube clips from the early years may inspire me to get that Born To Run DVD. Everyone's been trying to get me to listen to the Pete Seeger cd too, but just have not been interested since I'm musically satiated with AWATT. But, still vivid memories of sitting around listening to the Roxy show on the radio with friends (boy, if they had message boards back then....), then seeing that first Forum show and the Darkness selections live was really transcendent--don't quite know how else to put it. Rushing the stage during the encores, pumping your fist in the air to Jungleland, the opening notes to Thunder Road....gives me chills. Have I missed any other musical acts that can reach these levels live in concert? The Dead? Dave Matthews (don't barf)? I suppose this kind of rock show is a thing of the past... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted July 20, 2006 Share Posted July 20, 2006 Well, there's still hope for PHISH to get back together. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
awatt Posted July 20, 2006 Author Share Posted July 20, 2006 Completely missed the boat on Phish, though the one cd I bought a while ago, I think called Hoist, was a fun listen. More Dead musical meanderings then Springsteen rock enthusiasm, I've heard. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouisvilleGreg Posted July 20, 2006 Share Posted July 20, 2006 "Have I missed any other musical acts that can reach these levels live in concert? The Dead? Dave Matthews (don't barf)? I suppose this kind of rock show is a thing of the past..." I've seen about a dozen Springsteen shows and maybe 15-20 Wilco and though I never saw them live, The video footage I've seen of The Clash is unbelievably great, but to me, and it helps if you know the material, My Morning Jacket are the premiere live band around right now. Check them out if you get the chance, but make sure it's with them as headliners, so you get the full three-hour experience. Pretty special, even if you go in blind. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dazzler Posted July 21, 2006 Share Posted July 21, 2006 The timing of this thread is pretty funny for me. I got home from work early today and decided to surprise my wife with a clean house when she came home with the kids. Of course I needed some house cleaning music, so I grabbed a live Wilco show and popped it in the stereo. As I'm cleaning it suddenly occured to me, Bruce is no longer my favorite artist. He has been supplanted by Wilco. I grew up on the Boss. The formation of my first musical identity has a lot to do with, "waun, two, three, fawr highways jammed with broken heros on a last chance power drive....". The majesty and poetry of Bruce's lyrics backed by one of the greatest rock bands of all time has always given me solace in times of need and been a source of contemplation. After Tunnel of Love the albums seemed less important and the music began to drift away from me. My musical tastes were changing. When my wife became pregnant with our first child six years ago I was scared shitless. I didn't know how to be a father, the world seemed to be falling apart, and stepping out of the shadows to guide me was Bruce with the music. By then the message board thing was in full swing and I found a great community at Greasy Lake. Bootlegs are no longer fading tapes or vinyl copies of dubious quality sold at exorbitant prices, but the shiny plastic cd that is easily copied and traded. The kind folks at Greasy Lake hooked a brother up and life was grand except... it was living in the past. The new releases are good, but merely good and they aren't necessarily groundbreaking. I never thought I would find that feeling I had the first time I huddled in front of my very own radio and heard Born to Run, or setting the needle down and hearing those opening piano notes for Darkness, or pumping my fist to insert shit-hot-and-rockin Bruce anthem here. But I did find that feeling again thanks to Mr. Tweedy and Co. The music gives me everything I need to keep me healthy and the concert tickets are cheaper (and the venues smaller). That said, Bruce is still at the top of my Five People I Would Love to Have Over for a BBQ list and that Roxy show still gets rocked out on a semi regular basis. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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