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Originally Posted by Heel n Toe
Rick, as a longtime fan of Springsteen, I'll say that there are plenty of people who wish he wasn't such a superstar. We remember when he played much smaller venues and you could show up an hour before the tix went on sale and be 20th in line and get 10th row.
Then MTV happened. That "Dancing in the Dark" video directed by Brian DePalma. And all of a sudden, millions of women finally "got" Springsteen and made their boyfriends and husbands get tickets when he toured... and it all went superstar from there.
For most fans who have been with him since the early days, that Born in the USA album is their least favorite. It's got some good songs on it, but it represents the newbie fan... the latecomer who didn't feel the blue-eyed soul thing from the beginning... think Motown meets Young Rascals meets Elvis meets Dylan.
It's all there... if the music and lyrics resonates with you, you get it totally... if it doesn't, well, no big deal, but make sure you've sat down with one or more of the early albums and listened on headphones and read the lyrics before you say he's nothing great.
I don't dig his politics at all, and will probably never ante up the big bucks to go see him live again because he's gotten so big... last two times I saw him it was in Charlotte in the old Hornets arena. Just nothing close to the old days, and now when he launches into a song or a harp solo, the newbie fans scream bloody murder for 5 to 10 seconds and cover up the magic.
Also, if you know anyone who is a big fan, ask them if they have a copy of the 35th anniversary BTR set that includes the DVD of the 1975 Hammersmith Odeon concert. Ask 'em if you can borrow it or watch it with them.
It's pure magic.
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Rumor was that he'd still do an unannounced show at the Stone Pony from time to time.
Being from Jersey, you can't escape the guy. His music is played every 4th of July, non-stop and most other times of the year too. So it's easy to get sick of the guy really fast.
His politics have gotten much more vocal and left in recent years (or am I paying more attention?) and that turns some folks off too.
Not unlike Dylan, he's a poet with a lousy voice that can play the guitar.