Monday 29 June 2009

1750 Bruce Springsteen at Glastonbury


The weekend and Monday has been dominated by the Boss at the Glastonbury. This is first time Bruce Springsteen has participated in the Festival and to mark the event the BBC is showing for 24 hours non stop an hour long special of part of his two hours and a half show which went to the close on 1 am on Sunday morning at the Pyramid Stage. It is just as well that the BBC has now given priority to showing this special because having waited and waited to witness something of the live performance Saturday evening only the last half an hour was shown because of priority given to the other act on the other stage. Bruce is nearly sixty and shows more energy and enthusiasm for live performance than many a third of his age. I only wish I could remember the lyrics and had the ability to carry tunes to join in in the way that the majority of the tens of thousands attending the concert.

I have been to three live concerts, at Newcastle Football stadium in the 1970’s, at Sheffield in the 1980’s and in 2003 at Crystal Palace. I have many of his records on LP album, music and video tape and CD

The best is the 40 box set of 5 albums of live show recordings 1975-1985.I no one no one who performs with such vigour and enthusiasm creating an extraordinary atmosphere of joy, delight and wonder. You are excited, moved and drained to the point of exhaustion long before he finishes although I must admit most the audience usually end the evening wanting more.

From his first album Greetings from Asbury Park which I have on tape I enjoy Blinded by the Light Spirit in the Night and It is hard to be a saint in the City with the latter on the live albums

From his second release The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Band my favourite is Sandy, 4th July Asbury Park. Rosalita is also on the live records. I have the LP and a tape.

It is from next four albums that most of his established anthems were created. The third Born to Run includes Thunder Road and Born to Run (both on the Glastonbury BBC set) which together with Backstreets are on the album. I also like Meeting across the river and Jungleland.I have the record ans the tape.

I especially enjoy the River 2 LP set and on record and a tape with Independence Day, Two Hearts, Hungry Heart, Cadillac Ranch as well as The River on the live album and where Out in the Street was in the BBC set, I also like Sherry Darling and the Price you Pay.

I have the Nebraska Album on CD and Tape where Atlantic City is one of my favourites of all his songs, and with Reason to Believe is on the live albums. My Father’s House memorable.

I also have the Born in the USA Album which was his peak in terms of lasting hits with Cover me, I’m on Fire, No Surrender, Bobby Jean. Glory Days, Dancing in the Dark and My home town, all on he live albums.

I also have his next five albums some on CD which come after the live set and which I do feel match his earlier work. From The Luck Town Album I like If I should fall behind and Souls of the Departed. Again he does not play much from the Human Touch where my favourites are 57 Channels and nothing on, With Every Wish and Roll of the Dice From Tunnel of Love Album I enjoy When You’re alone, All that Heaven will allow and Walk Like a Man. From The Rising CD I like into the Fire, Lonesome Day, and Waiting on a Sunny Day together with the title song. I also have the CD Ghost Town of Tom Joad with My Best was never good enough and Galveston Bay and Youngstown.

Some of the later numbers are included in his unplugged album which includes Better Days and Darkness at the Edge of Town.

I have not acquired his more recent albums Devils and Dust, We Shall overcome the Seeger sessions, Magic and Working a dream but I was able to listen all of Seeger on the Springsteen site at one point.

Glastonbury of course is Glastonbury, the institution, festival of all festivals in Europe with four main stages and a several dozen others including circus acts, the Jazz stage, Dance with DJ’s for new groups, mild erotica groups, films, environmental and the weird and the wonderful.

I have not been a Lily Allen fan but I enjoyed her set as third end of bill on the Pyramid stage on the first night, but the night was stolen by the extraordinary Lady Gaga with the most outrageous costumes and sounded OK. I am not a Neil Young fan or of the Specials. I listened to Kasabian and Blur, Enjoyed Status Quo Rocking all over the world which opened I was there Live Aid and also the Madness set. Tom Jones was very wicked which sixty year olds can be. Tony Christy at Glastonbury, shows how the event has changed but everyone appeared to know the word of his recently revived number. I’m on my ay to Amarillo

Lady Gaga’s appearance was on the Other Stage on Friday Night appearing before the Tings Tings who three years ago were watched by under 100 people on the introduction stage and last year had several thousand because of the hit know my name or whatever it is called, She is a talented lass who can play instruments as well as shriek out numbers. There were several shriekers this year. I have the first Franz Ferdinand Album and enjoyed their set on Saturday, I must listen to Maximo Park on the I player. I also caught most of Jarvis Cocker on the John Peel Stage. However the great hit this year on this stage is Florence who has admitted the group did not have more to play after doing all their first album. She will be moved to the Pyramid next year such was the enthusiasm of the audience. I caught the Black Eyes Peas on the Jazz stage but not Rolf Harris!. They did not show Ray Davies or Georgie Fame from the Acoustics stage and I will need to check if they are on I player. Will Young and the Blockheads made one of the Dance stages. The big disappointment was the Basement Jacks of Jazz because of the loss of the loss the lead singer and where was Reverend and the Makers whose performance last year was great?

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