_________________________________________
It's unwatchable. Akin to paint drying. Problem is that Bruce has told his life story five thousand times. It's old hat. And the intimacy of what he's doing, the mix of the music with his little stage show shtick relies on the theater itself -- you have to be there, or else it just doesn't work. A disappointing project.
Paul Cantor
_________________________________________
You're wrong in this one, Bob. I went in w/ low expectations and was knocked out. These songs sound even better than the originals. And the stories — the script, as it were is both revealing and heartfelt. Self-deprecating, even. Who knew "Dancing in the Dark" was so friggin' good stripped down and naked?
I fear you're becoming the "critic" who sees everything not as it is but as the critic thinks his audience sees it.
And "zero charisma?" LOL c'mon, Bob. Jeezus.
Dave Curtis
_________________________________________
Bang on, Bob. You nailed this one. The spoken parts are what mattered. I watched Growin' Up and My Hometown then fast-forwarded every other song. Out of curiosity, I did watch the first song he performed with Patti, but found it odd that she'd be singing back-up on a song that was about Bruce's relationship with Julianne Philips (though I guess she DID play a part in the dissolution of that relationship).
Oh, and after his Vietnam monologue, I found myself listening to him play slide and eventually realized he was singing Born In The USA, which was interesting both because it seemed to capture the tumult of the times and also because, musically, it was 180 degrees from a song he's long been almost embarrassed to play in its original form, such did its success change his life.
But, yeah, generally for the superfan.
Cheers
AKD
-------------------
Andy Dayes, CFA
_________________________________________
Happy New Year! I loved the level of insight and honesty that he brought to it. You pose a great question though.
I don't know how many artists truly have the skill to write and create a show like this or more importantly who would be willing to reveal the very elements that you've articulated made this great!
Best Always,
Ritch Esra
_________________________________________
Bruce was great when he had to prove it all night. I saw those early shows at the Roxy and he was great.
But when he got huge with Born In The USA, his ego took over and he became full of hisself. Thats when I split.
So disappointing.
Stu Cohen
_________________________________________
Loved it until he started into the religious diatribe at the end.
Jesus Christ! Didn't know he was so pious!
Lin Wolen in Honolulu
_________________________________________
I'm not a huge Bruce fan, but wanted to go see this show in person. When I couldn't get tickets, at least none I wanted to afford, I was happy this was on Netflix.
I was struck by the storytelling, and the sincerity behind the delivery, most notably when Bruce's father attempted his version of an apology.
The bare bones delivery of the music also enhanced the storytelling, and when the show ended, the first thing that came to mind is how real talent makes a superstar. Bruce is real talent, and I feel fortunate to have witnessed it, along with the stories behind the music.
Once again, thanks Bob.
Glenn Moran
_________________________________________
I think the clue is in the title Bob - it just seemed to have a little too much Broadway in it. I enjoyed it - would I watch it again, no.
Better by far, for me, is Loudon Wainwright's show about his father and family, also on Netflix. Acerbic and loving at the same time. The songs are not so popular but you get a much greater sense of the characters involved.
Kind regards
Philip Haines
_________________________________________
I was a major fan of Bruce in my teens-as a teen in Philly it was almost required.
As an adult I have had two knocks against him. He sings the factory songs and pretends to be the friend of the working man, but I have more factory time than him (lasted two weeks the enrolled in college) and he never had a day job in his life.
He finally confesses to both in the show. Made it worth watching for me.
Laurence Cavanaugh
_________________________________________
Bob, he's not a favorite of mine. Nondescript songs, no funky groove or complexity in the rhythms, a stodgy incredibly over-rated band. Maybe he was better early on in the clubs. What could be more boring than Bruce's 3-hour arena show? Answer: Bruce alone onstage for 2 hours...BUT I LOVED THIS SHOW, thought it was brilliant start-to-finish. He's a really good actor! Dig the facial expressions, and the skillful way he plays while delivering the monologues. This is a hell of a great performance. Paul Lanning
_________________________________________
I enjoyed the hell out of it Bob.
And here's to hoping Broadway maintains some sense of purity/integrity as it now moves into this realm.
All the others can take the Vegas residency cash..
Craig Finley
_________________________________________
Spot on...this IS an endurance test and I'm a big fan. I can not imagine sitting through this live in a cramped Broadway theater. A five hour flight to the East Coast enabled me. The highlights for me were the story of reconciliation with his father prior to his son's birth and his recitation of the Lord's Prayer...very powerful.
Andy Paciocco
_________________________________________
I watched the show in three sittings. It's deep, and there's a lot to ponder. I didn't want it to be a slog, so I had to take in pieces. It is very still, and in our amped-up world, it is difficult to slow life to the pace of a one-man show and ignore the siren song of iMessage and the thousand other distractions. For some, it's just a guy reading a book into a camera for two and a half hours. But for others, it's can't-look-away voyeurism. If you can manage to stay attentive, you'll see him carefully dismantle his life as if it were a bomb. It is intricate and terribly intimate work, and you are left with the sense that he knew he was playing with emotional fire from the start, but his drive to know himself was inseparable from his need to be noticed—to be a star.
The show is the book, and the book is his journey to escape the trauma's of his childhood and to know himself fully. How many of us are compelled to run toward the fire? Most of us are running away. The rest of us are uninterested or afraid of what we'd find if we took a deep dive into our own psyches.
I've been a fan since forever. Never a super fan, but I respected his drive and his talent. Now I'm a bigger, more appreciative fan for having read the book. Spoiler alert, it is not like any rock star book you've read. It is literature, not the stuff of tabloids.
Jon Sinton
_________________________________________
Call me crazy, but the whole time I was watching this (I watched the whole thing), I kept thinking that this performance and format worked better than I would have expected. I'll bet the one guy who's being driven a little nuts by the success of this is Bob Dylan.
Robert Miranda
_________________________________________
I thought it was a very good and heartfelt show. NFLX reportedly paid 20 mil for rights so what is wrong for that ?
The show basically sold out for two years on B way and grossed 2 mil a week; https://www.broadwayworld.com/grossesshow.cfm?show=SPRINGSTEEN-ON-BROADWAY&year=2017
For me at 76 he got small town USA and the 50's perfectly. Brought tears to my eyes several times. Maybe a little corny in spots-but ok. He's earned to do whatever he wants
Michael Harpster
_________________________________________
Hey Bob!
I have to disagree with you on some of what you say about BoB. I do not consider myself a Springsteen fan, but this film converted me. To my eye it was the most revealing 'pulling back of the curtain' I have experienced. Much moreso than many interviews I have done for my radio station. I think this film has that power to convert that a regular concert does not have. Not saying it's perfect or an easy viewer, but I was compelled to watch it all the way through and found myself wanting more!
Love your newsletter and thoughtful musings!
Darren Redick
Planet Rock (UK)
_________________________________________
Bob,
Based on this, I'll watch it.
Read his book, liked it. Told the truth and he can actually write!
Cool.
Rik Shafer
_________________________________________
I listened to album of this show and it was riveting. It blew me away. Then I tried watching it on Netflix and it didn't hold my attention. What seemed so HUGE on record seemed so small on tv.
Bruce Berman
_________________________________________
We had exactly the same experience and have yet to finish. My favorite Bruce song is Glory Days, but in the video he throws like a girl, evidence of his admission that he makes it up, that he never worked with his hands or served, but had the self boasted genius to channel/make it up.
Too bad he's not Dylan!
Fred C. Klein, Esq.
_________________________________________
I am not a Bruce superfan or really even a fan. But, I am enjoying this show. I agree about the music slowing it down.
Barry Fante
_________________________________________
"He's both damaged and privileged."
That's exactly what I took away from the book as a non-fan who respects his hardworking craftsmanship but doesn't really enjoy it.
Well said, Bob.
Matt Kohut
_________________________________________
I'm not a rabid Bruce fan - even though I'm a Jersey guy - but I liked it. The highlight for me was Born in the USA. Played on a 12-string, turned into a slide guitar piece, played like a Delta bluesman might. Slow. Serious. Not an anthem. And way more powerful than the original. Gotta respect the guy for doing that.
Dave Thorn
_________________________________________
Preach it, Brother Bob!
I came away from Bruce's Netflix show feeling it was about 40 minutes too long and bordering on self-indulgence. I was fast-forwarding through the last three songs.
I did like his honesty ("...the guy that wrote "Born to Run" didn't know how to drive!), and though people griped online about the cursing, I found it humanized him.
But in all? Didn't live up to the hype, to me.
—Rob Maurer
_________________________________________
You are most definitely the wrong guy to review that show if you declare him void of charisma.
As for Netflix, I'm cannot articulate the joy it has brought to people who can't afford $1500. tickets and a weekend in the CVS Apple.
I hitchhiked out of Winooski Vermont on clear crisp winter mornings (you haven't seen New York if you haven't cruised Route 8 on a sun splashed winter day wondering if the person who picked you up is going to kill you) to see the River show in Buffalo and Montreal.
Remember when a phone call to Mom was collect, from a smelly dorm phone...if some drunk hadn't ripped it from the wall? And your mother talked so fast because she accepted a collect call and G-d knows we can't pay that bill so half the time you got rejected only because the ask told them you were ok? I'm lucky enough to. I hitched to get free of that dormitory but I digress.
Mom thought I was nuts.
She's 90 now and last week she rang me after watching that film at my urging and the joy it gave her made my day X365. We were St. Rose of Lima folks from Buffalo, not Freehold, but the bell rang hard. It's clanging for her still. Won't stop talking about it.
Tears and joy is a great concoction.
Stay healthy in 2019 and beyond, Bob.
Daniel Dwyer
_________________________________________
Terrific review. It was an endurance test.
I never even got to the concert part of the Springsteen Netflix show and I'm a fan (but not a super-fan). After about 15 minutes, I figured it was going to be all talk and since I'd read the book, I already knew the story.
It is the for super-fan like my friend David who's seen him live over 50 times.
What Netflix and so many miss is that TV isn't the greatest for music, especially live music, no matter how big the screen or how fabulous the sound system. There's no crowd, no anticipation, there's getting up for something to eat or go to the bathroom, there's close-ups that are too close, etc.
John Parikhal
_________________________________________
when it comes to Springsteen, you just don't get it. That's cool though, not many do.
Happy New Year.
Dan Cignarella
_________________________________________
The Netflix Bruce show caught me by surprise: it had me in tears at several points. I figure something that connects & makes someone feel a real emotion (besides political anger) is a good thing these days.
Wallace Collins
_________________________________________
It was based on his book, allegedly, which was tough to read but better listening to in the car. (Go figure!)
Yes, a tough slog, because he dropped the narrative thread early on. Big mistake.
But he does have great plugs, so he's got that goin' for him.
Hope you have a healthier year, Bobalu!
Richard Pachter
_________________________________________
Bob, I saw your piece on Springsteen. I saw the Broadway performance, I watched the Netflix show, I am a super fan. I even read your entire blog!
Ted Utz
_________________________________________
Good morning Mr. Lefsetz,
Regarding your critique of Netflix' broadcast of Springsteen on Broadway.
You are off the mark in characterizing the viewing of his show as an "endurance test." Just let the story unfold.
I am not a "fan" (as in fanatic) of his work, but I do enjoy it. The only album of his I own is Brilliant Disguise.
He has a story to tell, nothing more. It was just a one man show (that is until Mrs. Springsteen joined him on stage).
His years as a troubadour brings with it wisdom earned by both joy and sadness.
Sharing his upbringing, and explaining what his family and meant and means to him, has a resonance that will transcend any generation.
His ambivalence in not being sent to Vietnam (despite receiving his draft notice) was raw, but an honest reckoning.
Yes I agree, Born to Run doesn't quite translate on just an acoustic guitar, but hey. . .he wrote it and damn it, he can play it any way he pleases.
His statement, be an ancestor, not a ghost . . .it could have been lifted from the Talmud.
Endurance test? Bruce Springsteen may be many things, but boring isn't one of them.
Regards,
Phil Hurwitz
_________________________________________
Hi Bob ,
Even though I am a long time Springsteen admirer I agreed with many of your points
The press has fawned all over this
Too much I agree
His true importance and relevance was long ago
He is still very good , but greatness is Tempe
1980 concert or any others of that era
No one could touch him and E street band
Go back and watch them .......
Having said that I have read many of your articles and find you to be one of the best writers , you have a ability to get to the heart of the matter !
Cheers
Dana Shutt
_________________________________________
I was lucky enough to get stuck in a Nor'easter in NYC last February and walked over to Walter Kerr and got a single ticket for $300 from someone that couldn't make it to the city. Being there live was, as I told friends and family, soul moving. I'm not a super fan either. In fact, I've only seem him live once and get what you mean, I'm with you on those fans.
Since February I had been scouring for reasonable tickets to take my wife to experience what I did but could never find anything reasonable ($600/tix would have been reasonable to me!!). So when it came out on Netflix we both watched it together, in three parts. I agree, it's too long for one sitting. With his moving story telling, we both had tears in our eyes for most of it. Bruce is a unique human being in this world, and his performance shows that.
After we watched it my wife turned to me and said, "why did you not try harder and get tickets, you clearly didn't do a good job of saying how good it was." Nothing I can do about that now.
I was lucky enough to see it live, and for much less than most, I think, and will always have a great memory of it.
David Irwin
_________________________________________
I love Springsteen but thank you for speaking the truth with love. I thought it was nice. It was great to have on while you were doing something else. I fell asleep at one point. But I was happy I watched it. He is a real guy. And a real star. I thought if nothing else it was a brilliant experiment. There are not many people who make good music who also tell good stories. There is a guy in my genre, Todd Snider, who does an excellent show, known more for his stories than the songs... but this was good. A review that fell in line directly with my opinion as a 57 year old Bruce fan... but rabid Bruce fans... they are the worst. He has written some epic and transformational music to but to compare his output in the last 20 years to his first 4-6 albums is just silly.
"You Need Hatred"... and that is hard to sustain when the world has anointed you as a genius AND YOU GOT PAID...and you had you supermodel wife... and you figured out a lot of shit. It leads to wisdom but wisdom does not equate to good art or at least good rock and roll.
PEACE!
Michael A. Becker
_________________________________________
Bruce's fans are 1/3 the issue.
There is no bigger fake jive mo fo than Jon Landau. Plus sycophants like Marsh and Jan Wenner. It's an inside job the likes of which isn't anything remotely resembling actual rock and roll. Rock n roll is shambolic. Team Bruce went corporate as quick as it could '81-84.
I wish I didn't know now what I didnt know then
but I do, and as a result Bruce is less special.
Dennis Pelowski
_________________________________________
I love Bruce Springsteen...and the E Street Band!!! I saw them in back in the mid 70's at the Paramount Theater in Portland, Oregon and they rocked. I didn't know any of their songs until that day. But Bruce is not a great solo artist or a great speaker. I turned this off after 23 minutes. And people paid on average $450 a show for this. Yes, the Elvis thing was cool and yes, him reliving his childhood was cool but most of your podcasts are more enthralling than his jibber jabber. (BTW-when are these coming back?). The last few concerts I saw with him and the band there was way too much of his garble. Lots of great musicians are good storytellers. Not Bruce.
Randy Schaaf
_________________________________________
Thought the same. Watched the first 45 and thought to myself this is great but I can't take anymore right now. I'll watch it in chunks til it's done.
Dan Millen
_________________________________________
I'm not a super fan. Have seen him maybe half dozen times live. Shows ranged from disappointing to best ever, including the iconic "Born in the USA" at Brendan Byrne Arena in 1984. Ok, I was a super fan for a week and became obsessed with getting a ticket for a subsequent show that week.
Loved his book, for me, the play was an extension of the book. Since I'm the same age as Springsteen and experienced similar emotional turmoil, much of his story resonates with me.
Never could have seen him live on Broadway, so, thanks, Netflix.
Randi Swindel
_________________________________________
Jimmy Iovine's experience with Bruce on HBOs 'the Defiant One's' was an eye opener. Force of will.
I was grateful that Netflix made this show available... and thought it was a beautiful show. I could not justify the price on Broadway but sitting with a big screen at home on a chilly soCal night still made for a memorable experience.
Rob Meder
_________________________________________
Get the audiobook Bob, he reads it and it's much more informative. That man was a scamp in the 70s, and a fair bit of the 80s too.
I felt much like you did, but I wanted to hear the songs as the stories replicated the book albeit in a much truncates form.
GaryC
_________________________________________
I am not a super Bruce fan. And I almost always agree with you. But i am guessing you only saw the Netflix show and not the live version? Rock and Roll just does not work for 2 hours on a tv.
Andrew Zacks
_________________________________________
I agree with most. And I'm a huge Bruce guy. Stilll I'd rather see the River revamp tour than the Bruce/ Broadway broadcast. And frankly, I'd rather see a full out Bruce and the e street band show on Netflix.. The only thing I disagree with is few can do this. I tried to think of ANYONE who could. Dylan? Just went to see him and he didn't utter a word. Neil Young? Maybe but for how long? Everyone else including Henley comes off so pretentious to me. As for Bruce, he's earned the right .. but ...
Brian Lukow
_________________________________________
Endurance test?
Geez that's a bit drastic. I'm sure you've (we, they) watched and or have binged watched much less stimulating shows/programs over the years. Mr. Springsteen is one of the most compelling storytellers of our generation and if you can't handle two and a half hours of pure entertainment like it outta be whats this world coming to?
And I'm not even a superfan, so there !
Doug Pomerantz
_________________________________________
Nick Cave did some interesting stops on his tour during 2018. Conversations with his fans tour. I don't know how well acquainted you are with his music, but his fans are rabid! (as am I about his work and persona). https://www.nickcave.com/news/so-what-do-you-want-to-know/
~Inessa (www.theinessablog.com)
_________________________________________
You hate his fans? I repeat, Ariana Grande is headlining a festival. And Taylor Swift. Fuck that.
It's not only about their fans. At least he plays music.
It's about the music.
Harold Love
_________________________________________
Part of Bruce's show is the recounting of his strained relationship with his mentally father. He went into this in more detail in his biography. His insights and observations helped me heal a little more at 60 years old from my connection to my sullen Pop.
Tim Pringle
_________________________________________
Bob, You described "Bruce on Broadway" eloquently, but I guess I was moved much more by watching than you: I was totally blown away! I knew I would like it, but I LOVED IT. I was touched emotionally, physically and spiritually.
Me and my sweetheart were fixed to the tv screen for over two hours.
I am a fan for sure, but I don't think one could classify me as a super fan. I have seen him many times, but I don't collect his bootleg shows and there are many more die hards than myself.
I guess I do have a different kind of experience when it comes to Bruce though. I was fortunate enough to be part of the collective group of men and women who's mission at Columbia was to get him the recognition that we all knew he deserved. And we weren't going to give up until that happened, There is nothing like working an artist you believe in, sometimes working for years, and then getting to see their success come to fruition. It is such a fucking rush, and with Bruce it was extra special.
So when I watched the show the night it aired on Netflix, of course this experience enhanced my reaction compared to the average fan. This show touched me in a different way than his live concerts have. I was smiling, laughing and even crying at times. Maybe you are right about needing to be a fan to totally get it. Personally I felt his passion, energy and charisma, and it filled me up.
Warmly,
Alan Oreman
_________________________________________
Hi Bob
Longtime Springsteen fan here in (where else?) Jersey. I've been to 30 shows since the reunion and to be honest his music is one of the very few that can move me to tears. With that said, I avoided going to Broadway to see this because I knew it would end up on Netflix or HBO. I watched it Christmas Eve and turned to my wife and said "I don't like this at all..." I'm glad I didn't too because it proves that not everything he does is a home run in my eyes.
Lou Verile, Jr.
_________________________________________
I love your work but sometimes it's a test of endurance to read you rambling about other tests of endurance. I'll avoid the debate here as I'm a biased Bruce Believer but I guess I would ask this. Can you name another piece of artwork in the past 10 years by an artist who's been close the level of stardom as Bruce has in which there is this type of authenticity and vulnerability? I can't; which is why this was legendary
Mark Burrell
_________________________________________
Just saw this on Netflix myself, and thanks for bringing up what he says about Elvis on TV...I am the same age as Bruce, and no one ever has described the impact of Elvis showing up on Steve Allen and Ed Sullivan as seen through the eyes of a 7 year old boy in a way that reminded me so much of my own experience. I also liked how he looked back on it and pointed out that if the authorities really understood how righteously subversive what was being harbingered in that moment, powerful forces might have cracked down on it.
You frame the questions the show asks well. What are we learning from this presentation? What it's like to be Bruce? What it's like to have the fire in the belly? What it's like to have parents who are mysteries and idols? Do we only find it interesting to the extent that we dig the musician? Or does he engage us because, to quote him having some fun in the show, "That's how good I am!" I was never a Bruce idolator, but a contemporary who has enjoyed a special thing he does, and I was moved by the show.
Joe Lee Henderson
_________________________________________
Pretty spot on Bob. You wrote almost exactly what I was thinking when watching it. Best Terry Tompkins
_________________________________________
Bruce has no charisma ? Really ? And you hate Springsteen fans ? Aren't you the same person who recently
quoted Rodney King: "Can't we all get along" ? I enjoy most of your takes but I disagree with you on this one.
You mentioned some positive points as well but several comments in this piece seemed quite harsh. First time
writing to you and wishing you a Happy and healthy ( slightly belated ) New Year.
Dave Shoemaker
Lake Forest Ca
_________________________________________
Funny this should arrive in my mailbox the morning after I tried to watch it.
I made it to about the 30 minute mark you recommended then I was out.
Not sure what I expected here. I can tell you I tried like hell to get tickets regardless that it would require travelling from Toronto.
I'm now wondering if I'd have been disappointed had I attended or if this just had to be a live experience.
Never gonna know I guess.
John Bowes
Bowmanville, Ontario
_________________________________________
Hey Bob I had heard about the broadway show but didn't know it was on Netflix until your email.
I watched it last night and I found it to be pretty good. I'm not a huge Bruce fan but I really enjoyed it.
Andrew Einhorn
_________________________________________
I agree with a lot of your observations. My wife and I, not superfans, slogged through the whole thing, and thought it was worth it, but only just. Her observation, which I also agreed with, is that it would have been much less a slog, if he added some levity - humour - to it. I few more laughs would have gone a LONG way. You really got the sense that he suffers from depression, which is interesting, and relatable, but not entertaining.
Richard Moignard
_________________________________________
I watched the Springsteen Netflix show on the morning it came out. I heard about it on this newsletter I get-from music guy in LA. I knew that it was going to be released-but drifting along in my own little world so I didn't know when.
I wanted to go to the Broadway show-but there was no way. I'm a single dad with a small arts business and I have a kid with a college fund and summer camp and there was no way I was gonna drop two grand on an evening in New York City. That's ski week money. That's half the summer of mountain climbing for my kid. That's a full week in Los Angeles at my sisters place-with a luxury rented car outside and golf every day.
I was incredibly grateful that he released it. It was not wasted on me that he mentioned his mom is very ill. I think that's what kept him off the road and… We've all been there, haven't we?
I've been a fan for decades-not a super fan-but I've listen to all the records and I've been to a dozen shows and because I'm a guitar player I've learned to play and sing a lot of those songs. Springsteen dropped Born In The USA when friends and I were all about 20. The really important musical stuff happened when I was younger and I really didn't get hip to it till later - Greetings from Asbury Park and all that. But that workingman 69 Chevy blue jeans and leather jacket thing? That was pretty much the story of my late teens, early adulthood years. Darkness On The Edge Of Town Was what was playing the first time I turned on the first stereo system my dad helped me set up in my room-24 seven. WNEW. That's how much of an impact he had around here in the Northeast.
The deepest moment for me was when he revealed that this "character"? This motorcycle boots and leather jacket guy who works in a factory all day and races in the street at night? It was never him. It was his dad. He looked up from his 17-year-old world, latched onto this workingman character-this broken hearted male who wants to break free-and all the time it was his dad. That must've taken years of therapy to figure out. That's what makes him more interesting then say, Eric Clapton… I love Clapton... But we will never know where those songs came from particularly. Did I mention how big an effect that whole shtick had on all my friends?
I had the reverse journey as he did-I moved out of New York City so I could have some space and some light and tinker with my car and play music in the garage and all that… Because he made it sound good to me… More honest than the hyped up media world I had growing up in New York City. The world of my dad and his friends… The madman. Madison Avenue. Apartments and restaurants and not many trees.
And now I long to get out of here… And when he revealed that all along that lust for "the other life… The sophisticated life in NY… was what drove him along to find Mike Appel and take the bus up to the city…. There is some irony there if I thought about it for more than a second. Poor man want to be rich-rich man want to be king…
With Gratitude,
Matt Peyton
_________________________________________
Hi Bob,
I'm a diehard fan , over 200 live shows. For me a Bruce show is therapy, but not Springsteen on Broadway. I was fortunate enough to see it twice, yet it was only the 2nd time -a week before the end of the run that I understood, appreciated and lauded his performance. Bruce is the 'Boss' of all of his personal endeavors and nothing gets approved for any show until Bruce gives it his ok. The first time I saw him was the 3rd week in October 2017. He seemed anxious and it appeared he was often checking the promptor. The last time, a week before closing in December, 2018 I saw/heard an amazingly creative artist weave his literary prose and cuts from his songbook into a Broadway show. One could argue that it wasn't a musical, eg. no pit orchestra, no chorus but this show was a blend of Bruce at his finest. His nuanced stories which then floated into a perfect song from his vast repertoire to memorialize the moment, was brilliant. Tears flowed often hearing about how Vietnam changed his life, not by going, but by the death of rock n roll icons from his hometown that he idolized ,that never came back. Bruce Springsteen has a heart, cares about people. When mentioning The Big Man , he teared up- exactly like a best buddy would. It was real, it was a painful loss both professionally and personally. Moreover Bruces' tribute to his mom, Adele, was perhaps the most meaningful ; a son sings about his mom, whom he just had announced was battling Alzheimer's. If the show didn't move everyone or have everyone understand that he's still just a kid from Jersey- sometimes rebellious-but a man dedicated to be truthful in his life and in his work and allowed us to share all of that with us. He is and will be be known as a songwriter, musician, poet and a man who never was afraid to speak his mind - mostly thru music- about this great country in which we live ( despite our leader(?)who has just entered the terrible twos).
Sent from my iPhone
sari leon
p.s. The biggest disappointment from Broadway? The ticket prices , which I would think the 'Boss' had some input, ergo Netflix
_________________________________________
I watched the entire show and I'm not a huge fan. Some great songs.
Like you I find his cultish fans annoying. Like all musics fans who can't get over any one particular band.
The show got a bit long in places. Then again most movies could be cut twenty minutes and it would be an improvement.
His acting is better than lots of stage actors. While at times he seemed to be overacting just a bit, generally there weren't too many false notes. Were those real tears?
Every song didn't work as an acoustic piece but it was interesting to see them as they were conceived with one instrument not a band.
Elvis and The Beatles might have changed the world. For you and many others it was the Beatles. But Elvis primed the world for all of you and your buddies to pick up guitars and join bands. Hank Williams might have done the same.
Springsteen's honesty about his never having been a working class joe or a hot rod car obsessed rebel was refreshing. He's fans don't seem to to be interested in this fact.
As he said. I made it up. That's how good I am. How's that for the "stay in your lane" PC crowd.
The hard nose father, kind loving mother and softer sensitive son stuff might not have been your Connecticut life experience but many people in lots of small towns born in the USA can and do relate. Just like they do to the fantasy escape from the factory town, he imagined, with his fast car and good enough girlfriend.
Small town provincial unattractive kid risks it all and makes it big in your tainted yet beloved music industry.
Isn't that rock and roll at its best.
Unlike you I'm not sure music ever really changes the world in some giant historical way. Music helped convince boys to go to war once just as it helped stop a war once. But it's likely the wars would have and will continue to exist no matter the state of music or the current slate of musicians.
But it's always nice to have an ever changing soundtrack to our memories.
No matter how distorted, disturbed, sentimental, nostalgic, beautiful or romanticized or imagined they may be.
Hang in there Bob
You might get your music and world revolution yet.
Me. I'm just looking for another backing track to today's adventure.
Jack Haynes
_________________________________________
Yeah
From someone who was a child when I started touring with him
He's a phony and landau is Svengali
He doesn't care about anyone but himself
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-TuneIn: http://tunein.com/lefsetz
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1
If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
-- powered by phpList, www.phplist.com --
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.