The Official Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band Thread.

I was listening to Nebraska whilst walking up town today (it was a dark and cloudy day, so it was the perfect time).

And throughout the entire time I was thinking "Man, Thunderstrucker? More like Blunderstrucker, this album is even more great than I remember it being!"

I've said this before. Nebraska is the album that caused me to NOT be a Bruce fan for 25 years or so. I bought it in college, hated it and never went back to try again until I met Kathleen. I still don't care for it. I like the songs that have been "electrified" and are played at the shows, but I never feel the need to listen to them as they were recorded.

You make me sick.

Also, why did you buy it in college? Seems like an odd album to buy for a non-Springsteen fan

Oh and tbh - I hated Tunnel Of Love, Devils & Dust and We Shall Overcome for a long time too so, I'm not much better

I agree with that quote. It's the only Bruce album that I just can't love or even get into. Nebraska still has some hope left - Tom Joad has absolutely none.

And yet some of the songs that Bruce plays electric now - such as the title track and Youngstown will blow you away during a show. I just can't listen to the album as it was recorded.

Indeed. The only songs I can listen to are the title track, Youngstown (****ing brilliant), Highway 29 and My Best Was Never Good Enough.

But man, as you say, there's no hope left at all. None of the characters seem to be able to find "reason to believe".

I could probably listen to the other songs on their own, like in a playlist, but the album in full will have be tieing a rope around my neck and standing on top of a stool.

And Tom Joad and Youngstown electric...God, how brilliant. Particulary Youngstown.

Remember how old I am, Oli. When Nebraska was released in September 1982, I was a sophomore in college/university. It was a new album by someone that I'd never paid much attention to but lots of people talked about . . . so I bought it.

Oh, so you were a sheep Just kiddin'.

So when you got into Bruce all these years later (man, it must piss you off to think of all those shows you missed out on ) did you still have your old copy of Nebraska or did you have to buy a new one? If you even have it all.

Sorry, for some reason I find these sort of things interesting.

First of all, I bought that copy of Nebraska on the fabulous, enduring format of cassette, so even if I'd still had it, it wouldn't have been of any use. But no, I'd long since tossed it out. And yes, I bought another copy. I was curious to see what I thought of it now, but I'd have had to buy it anyway just to complete the collection.

And I do wonder what I'd have thought about the earlier albums if I'd bought one of those instead. I love Born to Run, Darkness and The River now. But I might or might not have back then. I wasn't into music at all. It was just something to play in the background now and then. I bought very little and tended to just listen to the radio. And I didn't go to concerts either. I think I went to one during 4 years at the University of Missouri and 1 at the University of Maryland. This music obsession is my mid-life crisis. Some people buy a convertible or trade in the spouse on a younger model. I discovered tunes.

Oh crap yeah, you guys didn't have CD's back then. I forget

Yeah, I don't think it'd have mattered which album you bought to be honest. I think you have to be at a certain point in your life to "get" Springsteen and obviously it comes to people at different times. Mine was at the age of 17, yours is obviously now, some people could be 60 when they finally click and others just 13.

It's a curious thing.

EDIT:

Maybe I should learn to read the thread before posting and making myself look like a daft prick.

Anyways...I'm pretty excited about the new DVD although some of the shows in Autumn with full albums could've been potential choices. Bruce fans are in a pretty special position to be able to complain about a release like this.