Happy Birthday Bruce Springsteen
How did you miss this Calico. Lol Guess because he's not on HL.
65 today. Wow. Didn't realize that. I wasnt a fan.
botheredbyuu2 
joyful 
ianimal 
emaxxman 
Calico696 When my musical "idols" reach 65, that just further marks the passage of time in my own life-
I often look back at someone that is older, that I have some level of respect for- "in some fashion"- as Bruce would say- and wonder what album or where they were in their life at the current age I am now.
Back in 1998, Bruce had just released the fantastic "Tracks" box set- a set of unreleased songs that spanned his career up to that point. He had just turned 49 and was he was still one year yet in the future for his much heralded reunion with the E-Street Band in 1999.
I can remember going to the CD World record store, all the way down in East Hanover, the night of 11/9/98 and waiting for them to sell the first version of Tracks at 12 midnight on 11/10/98. Yes, I am that nutty of a fan. (And still have the receipt with the timestamp of 11/10/98 00:00am) ((and, in a rare double parenthesis usage on the HL Life forum- I no longer would resort to such desparate fandom- with the advent of our good friend "Amazon")) end double parens.
That 16 1/2 years passed pretty darn quickly. Life shifted and moved on- Bruce is still there so am I.
I don't agree with his politics, some of his musical choices have fallen flat- but let me tell you- he has remained true to his craft and his fans- and I am glad he is still here- to continue to celebrate birthdays. (But overall, he is a talented and entertaining person- as he gets older- he opens up more- and hence the material out of the vaults flows with him).
Thanks Bruce- hope to catch you further on up the road (on tour I hope).
PS- Release "The River" box set!
The Rhyme Animal Well said Rhyme Animal! Big fan here as well of his studio work and of course the live shows and not the politics.
Vic 
bashawaySome of his music is good. Some of it is worse than circus music. Most of it is just okay.
Which would be fine, but when he started using the stage to spout off with his liberal views, which must have been a calculated move on his part, he lost me and probably many others as fans.
Reggie Voter From that The River Boxed set The Rhyme Animal was hoping for last year! :-)
Coming soon....In stores on `12/4:
http://www.vevo.com/watch/bruce-springsteen/The-Ties-That-Bind-The-River-Collection-Box-Set-Trailer/USSM21502022
35 years ago tonight:
http://www.backstreets.com/news.html
Well, I'm a "contemporary" of Bruce and went to high school at the Jersey Shore same time he did.
Because I can remember the actual events on which this song is based, this will always be my favorite Springsteen song, with Glory Days a close second.
Because of My Hometown, and some other favorites by artists like Phil Collins, Whitney Houston, Bruce Hornsby, and some nutty songs like Jungle Life and Curley Shuffle, I voted for 1986 in WXPN'S Best Year for Music poll.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6LABdHtkUA
Andy Loigu Andy: I believe this song was written with Freehold Boro in mind... I grew up at the same time as Bruce in West End, Long Branch and have my own stories but primarily they were "troubled times" in Freehold, Asbury Park, Red Bank and Long Branch, I was a product of the "Shore Conference" Group A then Group B. I know you will understand that Andy.
Townie The River box set (thanks Vic for reminding me what I wrote last year), is one of those releases that gives us "Springsteen Aficionado's" goosebumps when you read of what is being included with it.
This set is not at all aimed at the casual fan, so if your looking for a "Glory Days", Greatest Hits type of set, don't bother with this. (And yes, maybe we will get the "extra verse" Glory Days outtake version on the Born in the USA box set in a couple of years! (if you don't understand what I am talking about there, then you probably will not be buying this box set either)
Much like his label Columbia did with the Born to Run 40th anniversary box set (at least for including a live 1975 concert DVD) in 2005, and Darkness on the Edge of Town box set in 2010 (1978 concert DVD and two CD's of studio outtakes from that era), they have dug through the studio session archives and found some great tracks that have mainly not see the light of day. (some have been previously released on the 1998 archive release, "Tracks").
As a pretty dedicated studio outtake collector since 1984, much of this material is known and has been heard on bootlegs over the years, but there are about 10 outtakes that are not commonly out there in the collector community. That is the real meat of this set. (And, the biggest fear most of us hardcore fans have is that he puts 2015 vocals over the 1979/1980 backing tracks- that was one of the weakness of the Darkness Box set in my opinion, and the reason I still lean to the bootleg versions of some of those songs released on that set, with proper era vocals)
That and the 1979 unreleased single disc version that was never put out by Columbia Records, a record that was to be called, "The Ties That Bind"- of which most songs were eventually released on the two disc "The River" set in 1980- are probably the most interesting things here. (and again, for the collectors out there, this is no new find, the bootleg in pristine condition has been out for years- how they mix this version will be the most interesting thing. )
The live Tempe AZ show DVD of the 11/5/80 concert will be great also.
The River is Bruce's most representative album that shows all the various musical styles that he can bring.
This subject is in my wheelhouse- so thanks to those who endured to read through it- another bad thing about WNTI being gone, "The Boss Hour" is no more! (Best to Jon Lewis)
My final hope is that they someday open up the Springsteen vaults totally, much like they are doing with the massive Bob Dylan 18 CD set that covers the studio sessions of 1965/1966- another one of my favorites from his best period. (though at $600 for the 18 CD's, I opted for the "cheaper" $120 6 CD version instead.)
Bring on the Born in the USA boxset!
Townie -- nice to talk Shore Conference, we were in the B group at Lakewood the whole time. but we knocked off A champ Neptune my senior year to win the Shore Conference basketball championship. That was HUGE for us, even bigger than winning the Group III state title the year before.
Long Branch is a good sports town, the Green Wave gave us one of our toughest games in our state title season, we hung on for a 65-60 win at Asbury Park Convention Hall .... nobody we played that year had more talent. Long Branch went on to win the state title in 70 and as the 70s went on Alex Bradley was a D-1 talent, I believe he went on to Villanova if my memory is correct.
Yes, the song was written about Freehold Boro ...when we played Freehold, the black players on our team really wanted that win... they told me stories about Freehold that would make your skin crawl.
The black and white kids at Lakewood seemed to get along OK -- I think success at sports had a lot to do with that -- I enjoyed being called "an honorary soul brother."
By the way, Lakewood was in B-South and then they created a C division in my junior year. We stayed in B, but some of the schools we had played moved into that C division.
There are so many schools in that Shore Conference now -- amazing growth there in the 1980s -- Ocean County is so much more crowded than it used to be.
That limousine liberal can take his faux Guthrie folk songs and take a long hike in the hills.
Not a dime from the Voter Family, and hopefully many others.
auntiel Ah, here comes the politics.
When poor people vote "liberal" they are called lazy good for nothings who want to sponge off the taxpayers.
When someone who works hard and is world class at his craft expresses liberal opinions, he is a "limousine liberal."
Sorry, you can't have it both ways, and I'm a registered Republican saying this.
Maybe growing up at the Jersey Shore in the 60s has given me a different perspective than most of the people who post on HL.
"They're closing down the textile mill cross the railroad tracks.
They say those jobs are going north -- and they ain't coming back
To your hometown..."
It's a problem. Good for Bruce to raise such questions.
HE spouted out all of his hate for our sitting President on stage. In a tirade, not even in a song.
HE brought the politics into it, in front of an audience that paid to hear his songs and watch him perform.
Politics is poopadoodle.
Well, I know most football coaches are hard core conservative.
I still attend football games.
I listen to musicians as I enjoy their music not to listen to their politics and I include Bruce in there with the many musicians who feel the need to do so. I do respect Bruce for his songs that identify issues and concerns as Andy noted. Knowing Bruce in West End, Long Branch before he hit it big kind of gives you a different perspective on his songs. I do not like them all but many I enjoy.
Andy, Alex Bradley teamed up with Joel Dobrin on the LBHS basketball court...they were called the "twin towers" as they went 30-0 that year under Coach Gerry Matthews who went on to a great coaching career at Stockton University...still there I believe. The 1969-70 LBHS basketball team under Coach Bob Walsack went all the way at 28-0. Great players, Tony Lisante, Toot Williams, Jerry Brown, etc. Lakewood and Neptune had great teams in that era also as well as CBA.
Springsteen on HBO 11/27!!
http://www.nj.com/entertainment/tv/index.ssf/2015/11/bruce_springsteen_the_river_the_ties_that_bind_doc.html#incart_river_home
Lenny Rock 
Coach If you don't like Bruce's political comments, you don't have to go to his concerts.
Since most Republicans don't have any rhythm, I guess that limits the musical options ... LOL
Well, you can still attend debates and lectures.
Most creative people have experienced struggle and uncertainty in their lives.
One more hour to go!! HBO @9PM tonight:
http://www.nj.com/entertainment/tv/index.ssf/2015/11/bruce_springsteen_the_river_the_ties_that_bind_doc.html#incart_river_home
Since most Republicans don't have any rhythm, I guess that limits the musical options ... LOL
I plead guilty LOL
Old Gent In 1980 a friend was recovering from injuries from a serious car accident at the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in West Orange NJ. In the same ward was a young college student with brain injuries suffered during a party at his school. The young mans parents knew he was a Bruce Springsteen fan.During the young mans rehab time they played a cassette tape of Bruce Springsteen playing songs on accoustic guitar. During the tape Bruce kept saying you have to get better for your Mom & Dad. I heard this same tape many times during my visits.Years later some of these songs came out on his albums. I had no idea Bruce would take the time out to help these parents who were suffering with an injured child.
A story about good deeds he's been doing, without a lot of self-promoting fanfare.
They say charity starts at home, and Monmouth County is his home.
http://www.nj.com/springsteen/stories/0811charity.html
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