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Bruce Springsteen

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Bruce once sang, I ain't gonna play Sun City. I wonder if that will change? When Stevie left the band in 1984 he did many projects. One of the was to set up Artists United Against Apartheid. In 1985 he wrote and produced the song Sun City protesting about the white's only ultra expensive gaming resort where musicians from around the world would come and perform to the wealthy whites, Las Vegas style. He got about 50 artists to sing/play instruments in the song. Bruce and Clarence were 2 of them.

It followed The Specials - (Free) Nelson Mandela 1984 song and the passage of new racist constitution in South Africa 1984, condemnation by the UN security council in 1984 and the call for economic sanctions against them. All these factors helped lead to the imposition of economic sanctions - of vary degree - in 1986 by USA, EC, Japan, Australia , Canada etc. The UK and Switzerland were notable exceptions.

Hopefully Nelson will still be around to see the Boss and Little Stevie have finally made it to South Africa. He wont go to the show, but he might get a visit from the band.

 

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Oh well...I thought it was a break up song, breaks up and walks home and its all gone to shit like the relationship.

The song was recorded during the Magic recording sessions which took place between March and May 2007 at Southern Tracks Studios in Atlanta, GA. Patrick Warren contributes Chamberlin and/or tack piano on this track.
The lyrics "I looked in their faces / They were all rank strangers to me", and much of this song's theme, are borrowed from the old country/gospel song RANK STRANGERS (TO ME): "They knew not my name and I knew not their faces / I found they were all rank strangers to me".
"In that particular song a guy comes back to his town and recognizes nothing and is recognized by nothing," Springsteen told The New York Times' A. O. Scott. "The singer in 'Long Walk Home,' that's his experience. His world has changed. The things that he thought he knew, the people who he thought he knew, whose ideals he had something in common with, are like strangers. The world that he knew feels totally alien. I think that's what's happened in this country in the past six years."
"It's sort of the summational song of the album," manager Jon Landau told Rolling Stone. "I think it's one of Bruce's great masterpieces."
"That's one of my favorite songs that he's done in a long time," producer Brendan O'Brien told Rolling Stone. "It's mournful, but also hopeful. It has very introspective verses and then he opens up lyrically as the song progresses. It hits me in a real great spot."
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Cruyff14 said:
About a town changing I think... could be wrong though.
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a bit of a metaphor for US changing under Bush, was my understanding - the town represents the country - unrecognisable.

Long Walk Home was anti Bush. Last to Die was pro 2004 democratic candidate Senator John Kerry who Bruce campaigned for in the last month of the 2004 election. It was a paraphrase of Kerry's comment in the early 1970's when he testified to congress against the Vietnam War and asked "How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake?"

Another song on Magic is about John Kerry and his election loss - Livin' In the Future.
 
Girls in their Summer Clothes is probably Bruce's greatest Phil Spector Wall of Sound type song.

With a 17 piece band there are other songs that are bigger wall of sound songs when re done with the "big band," but in terms of what he put down in the studio, Girls is the most Phil Spector type production.
 
I watched Paul Kelly Stories of Me doco on ABC last night. Geez there are a lot of similarities with Bruce in what drives them to write songs. the early struggles, the almost obsessive drive to write the perfect lyrics, the way they approach the theme of love - different type of love, the imagery in their words, the leaving the band behind, the solo career to try different styles as they spent time around their kids growing up and then coming back and having universal respect from the industry and the inspiration to and collaboration with so many young musicians who are blown away by both the written words as well as the melody and music. Its probably why I am a big fan of them both and find their songs talk to me and their music nourishing my soul.
 

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http://www.bigconcerts.co.za/show/bruce_springsteen-582

Big Concerts is excited to announce that Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will be coming to South Africa for the very first time to perform 3 concerts. Don’t miss this once in a lifetime opportunity to see Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band live Tuesday 28thJanuary 2014 and Wednesday 29th January 2014 at the Bellville Velodrome Cape Town and 1st February 2014 at FNB Stadium, Johannesburg. Another Big Concerts Experience.
 
pjcrows said:
Magic is my favourite post-BITUSA Bruce full band album, easily.
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Must agree wholeheartedly. I know that there's been a fair bit of criticism regarding the production and the whole "wall of sound" thing, but I bloody love it. Although I do like both The Rising and Wrecking Ball, both have quite a few songs that I really don't care for, whereas I don't skip any tunes at all when listening to Magic. Devils Arcade the absolute highlight for me.
 
paddy18 said:
Must agree wholeheartedly. I know that there's been a fair bit of criticism regarding the production and the whole "wall of sound" thing, but I bloody love it. Although I do like both The Rising and Wrecking Ball, both have quite a few songs that I really don't care for, whereas I don't skip any tunes at all when listening to Magic. Devils Arcade the absolute highlight for me.
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Its the album I quote when I get the 'Springsteen ...wtf you like him still' comment with my response being that it is probably one of his best albums since Born in the USA.
 

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Bruce Springsteen

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