Bruce Springsteen new albúm !

[Diane]

You still haven't got the latest album then, John. I'd forgotten about that special edition (or, rather, ploy to get you to buy the same album twice) with tour footage.

Steven contacted me to say he can't use the forum at all at the moment due to temporary ISP and software issues, and wanted me to pass the message on to Kush and everyone else.

I checked the Springsteen site to discover he's done The River album complete in New York. Not his best album, but my first-acquired of his. Come here and do that, Bruce.

NYC NIGHT TWO: The River
Another magnificent night at the Garden with The River, the first-time (and if Bruce's prediction ("too long!") proves true, only) complete performance of the 1980 double album that Bruce honored as "the gateway to my future writing" on albums like Nebraska and Tunnel of Love."

Some of The River's songs, of course, are mainstays of the E Street Band's touring repertoire, like "Hungry Heart", "Out In The Street", "The Ties That Bind," and the title song. And some are brought out a tantalizingly few times a tour, usually in some far-flung outpost lucky enough to hear a rare "Drive All Night" or "I Wanna Marry You". So for River aficionados to hear the entire album, and so thoughtfully and energeticaly performed, it was a night to remember. The last part of the show featured some very strong performances, including one of the best "Atlantic City"s in memory, a rousing "Sweet Soul Music," not played by E Street since 1988, and a loose but moving "Can't Help Falling In Love," culminating in a great, almost endless "Higher and Higher" to lift the crowd from their seats and out in the street.

[Kush]

Kush wrote:
I have seen on a vid clip of a recent concert Bruce kissing Clarence on the cheek after helping him to his on-stage position,

Well hope Clarence is doing OK. But we can do with a little less of that....


Do you not feel like expressing affection towards your male friends at times? Hmm yes I guess (hetero) men would normally hug each other, kiss not usually. Bruce don't care though.

Diane,

I dont know of anyone who kisses male friends on the cheek. I thought about it and I hug only 4-5 of my closest friends and thats only because we all live in different cities now and meet up once in a while. I wouldnt hug them if we were seeing each other every week or something. While there is obviously genuine feeling between Bruce and Clarence from more than 4 decades I think there is also an element of showmanship in all of these artists who are up there on stage, and I say that in a positive way (except maybe Dylan who doesnt give a rat's ass what anybody thinks of him )
By necessity my freqency will be a reduced on these everlasting threads and dangling conversations as interesting as they are. Just too many things going on now and I am poor at multitasking.... Got Steven's message.....BTW currently rotating through Emmylou Harris' Red Dirt Girl where both Bruce & Patti make an appearance (along with Blood and Candle Smoke and Jaco Pastorius' The Birthday Concert). I'll be back when I am back....

p.s. Enjoyed Khaled link on the other thread. Cheb Mami is sitting in a jail in Paris right now for trying to force abortion on a pregnant girlfriend.
I have no doubt that you and many others here know much more about Vedic chants than I do....I quit after about the first few seconds or so on the link

p.p.s Thankfully TR doesnt speak like Del Boy's Grandad so I have had no need to refer to the lyric sheet enclosed.....

[Diane]

I knew you were going to say you didn't like that chant, but I don't know how I know:-) I would like it very much sans the commentary and music. I got the live cd with Khaled and it's outstandingly good! Rachid Taha is the best singer on there and I have already investigated more about him. I will take the radical step of listening to TR with full attention some time to catch all the words.

Maybe this thread is due for a rest, what with you being busy, Steven having technical difficulties, and me getting carried away far into non-Bruce territory.

It's fantastic wild stormy weather here today. Gonna be a twister to blow everything down
That ain't got the faith to stand its ground, etc...

ps I missed it when you first mentioned emmylou song with Bruce n Patti:-)Will put that on my imaginary list.

pps ta for reply on the hugging and kissing thing. Maybe it is 'for show' with Bruce and it's not that Clarence is in pain or something. Hard to put the right interpretation on things sometimes.

[Steven]

Hi,

Thanks to Diane for passing along my message about the temporary incommunicado situation. Looks as if there's a mutual experience of
Boogie Street immersion. Whenever the spirit and comfort level are there, the thread will be here to return to. About that storm
Diane spoke of, what a great metaphor that Bruce put forth for conditions on Boogie Street sometimes. Till later.

[Diane]

Glad you got your gremlins sorted Steven. I had expected you might be offline for a longer time for some reason, thinking back I suppose to my own past ISP hassles. I really like your comment re. Bruce and Boogie St.

I was considering moaning about how Bruce's last two albums have too much filler (which they do) when I decided to flick through the Magic lyric booklet and read properly for the first time The Devil's Arcade. It's actually a powerful lyric - seems to be about a traumatised soldier returning to his love (and told from her perspective, i think). Thought I'd mention it incase I wasn't the only one who missed it.

There are one or two things you've touched on Kush that I want to come back about later, but meantime give a listen to some more Arabic/French pop, if it be your cup of tea:

Rachid Taha, Ida. This guy has done some darker stuff, but this is light n happy.
The Arabic lingo: Mine ear, I thank it, brought me to thy sound. (Shakespeare quoth I.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE6lJBBEOPw

Faudel, Tellement Je t'aime:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMLfrZ6wpCw

Yes, I'd read about Cheb Mami - a very unhappy situation.

All these Algerian rai singers seem to live in France out of choice (or as result of having had death threats from Islamic extremists in the case of Khaled).

See you later, blood brothers. Nos da.

[Steven]

Hi Diane,

The pain of not getting the ISP gremlins sorted exceeded the pain of taking care of them. Been enjoying first time home access to Youtube over
the last couple of days. We appreciate Springsteen's ability to authentically convey Boogie Street realities and commonalities. Of course, the
challenge is in the integration of spiritual practice into the gremlin resolution processes and challenges that traffic that Street. Had the
same experience with reading the lyrics of "The Devil's Arcade" (greater appreciation for them), b.t.w. Boogie Street beckons
(and getting used to a touchpad rather than a mouse is gremlin-like. Will probably buy a mouse in the next couple of days. You know what
Street the store that sells them is on. . )

[Kush]

Diane, Steven - Both Magic and The Rising has great songs mostly with perhaps a couple of fillers each. Its the music and production that I find bland and uninteresting which makes it almost impossible for me to listen to it all the way through. They are still a great band live so I hope they come out with a live album of all new songs from this millenium (The Rising, Magic and Devils and Dust) - never got into Working on a Dream. Will get to the links soon Diane - trying to keep away from that stuff a little - I click on one and before you know it I have clicked on ten more.
Funny thing I was listening to Ghost of Tom Joad the other day (which so many people find monotonous) but I was still drawn to the melodies, voice and flow of the entire album even after all these years (18 and counting???). Guess there is no accounting for taste....

[Steven]

Hi Kush,

Glad to be connected again. "Ghost of Tom Joad" wasn't one of my favorites back when it was released (hard to believe 18 years have
passed) but I better appreciate the more basic, matter-of-fact nature of it now. Bruce has changed and I'm not enjoying the
change (by and large) as much as the music as it was back in the earlier days. Seeing Youtube vintage footage only confirms
this for me. Production and direction, probably, is more the issue than lyrics. And as previously discussed, there's a noticeable
diminution of real rock and roll youthful energy and perspective (in the recordings). Good thing we also aren't getting older.
Mature rock that hits the mark with gusto and bust-down-the-barriers expression hasn't been apexed yet by Bruce (presuming that's
what he's aiming to do).

[Kush]

Diane - enjoyed both the youtube links. Khaled has a song Ki Kounti (i think that's the name) in a Putumayo compilation album that I have that I like very much. But now you have gotten me to load up Magic on my ipod...will give it a listen in the coming week.

Steven - I think Bruce doesnt take as much care with the music as he used to earlier on. Still writes great songs though. "Good thing we also aren't getting older. " - I like that. There is a theory that creative people in any endeavor achieve their peak just once in life (usually early on) and then just coast along.

[Steven]

Hi Kush,

Yes. Success can breed complacency. Not saying that he's complacent, but wonder if the same standard of care isn't there now as when he was younger
and put Clarence and others through legendary many takes before giving a final go. I've been running into some creative people whose
prodigious talents keep on going strong in more mature years. What sometimes happens, though, is that the expression of those talents doesn't jibe with current
tastes and they are relegated to has-been or near has-been status in the eyes of many. Aside from child prodigy types who often aren't that exemplary
when they become adults, it is that coasting along thing that probably helps dampen creativity. Creativity largely arises from conflict and when people
coast, they aren't that much engaging with the conflict producing impetus to express creatively. Wishing everyone who observes Thanksgiving a happy
holiday (not sure if I'll have another opportunity to do so before Thursday).

[Kush]

Have a good Thanksgiving Steven and everyone else. Lots of turkey and stuffings (hopefully not tofu - not that there is anything wrong with that as Seinfeld might say ) and cranberry sauce and generally all good things as the man might say. I'll be gone too loaded up with Magic on my ipod.

[Diane]

Kush and Steven, Happy Thanksgiving!! While you are away with your families stuffing your faces I can catch up here. Safe trips to you both. Hope your journeys run more smoothly than those of Steve Martin and John Candy and that you refrain from swearing at car-hire ladies. Kush I don't eat much tofu but I do relish the thought of you out there on the highway with your ipod loaded up with Magic. Steven it's excellent that from now on you can do the youtube thing. I could tell you how I resolved my own ISP problems but there wasn't much spiritual practice involved:-) Back a bit later about everything.

[Steven]

Hi Diane,

Thank you (and to Kush also) for the Thanksgiving wish. Will be here; others traveling to get here. They'll be served a 20 lb. turkey that I'll be
cooking with that special herb mix (not the traditional paltry poultry stuff) that was brought up awhile back when we went off
into culinary discussion. At the time you sent your post, btw, I was on the phone speaking with someone. During that conversation, coincidentally,
Steve Martin (and his banjo playing, etc.) was brought up. -- Amazing synchronicity. Maybe only spoke of Steve Martin one other time in my
entire life. Youtube is like a magical audio/visual jukebox that requires no coins.

[Kush]

No highways Diane.....just the skyways. But like the birds are we free from their chains? His Bobness hasnt answered yet but I hear him coughing.....
cnn.com has some nice ideas for veggie Thanksgiving...looks quite interesting actually - for future reference http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/11/24/ve ... index.html

p.s. Steven I am appreciating Emmylou Harris more and more - "....Silence is the voice of God" from Red Dirt Girl - you probably already have it.

[Diane]

Youtube is like a magical audio/visual jukebox that requires no coins.

Ain't it just!

Steven, Steve Martin is a comic genius imo. Nice sychronicity there yes:-) Interesting recipes on the cnn site there Kush. I can do some mean stuffed peppers. I have a cousin who is vegan, and she makes some of the tastiest dishes I have ever had, as do zen cooks. Another synchronicity is that I have visited the cnn site maybe only two or three times ever in the past, but did yesterday when I saw a link to a very entertaining Richard Dawkins video talk on militant athiesm (Origin of Species was published 150 years ago yesterday).
http://www.cnn.com/2009/OPINION/11/23/d ... index.html (vid. replaced with another one, which wasn't the one I was referring to)
Synchronicity may be nothing more than coincidence and the psychological habit of ascribing meaning (ha, I recall Dawkins blasting the idea of meaningful coincidences in his Unweaving the Rainbow book), but it is fascinating, and it happens a lot when life is going well I find.

I can't get around to writing my post. There are so many things. Ghost of TJ I have got around to after 18 years. And I will have to dig out my sole Nina Simone album to find out why Tom Russell calls her the darkest of ravens, but I like this a lot: Heard the ravens call morning up with their little raw saxophones. And btw Kadri's sax has become so interesting to me I wanna hear it in more than the usual places, so back it is on my ipod. There is no time for all this and work and living and writing posts. And eating.

You're making me hungry guys. Enjoy yourselves. Later..