Bruce at The Super Bowl....


I thought he was great. The song selection, energy and showmanship all first rate. It had a carnival, circus vibe going on. Appropriate for the venue I think.
dreadhead
Let's see: two songs from 1974, one song from 1984, and one song from today. Probably should have called him in 1985, when he was a) vital b) relevant to the music of the day c) at his height.

Yesterday seemed like a bad Las Vegas Review and he was just dialing it in. Same old banter from the 1999 Come Back Tour.

IMO, I thought Prince did a better job at setting the bar, throwing in some unexpected covers (Foo Fighters) with the expected Purple Rain hits.

I agree with the comments on the last two albums. I think both albums seem bloated, weighted down by too many layers, dynamically compressed, and a mere shadow of his incredible 1970 talent. The new song did not stand up well against his legacy hits yesterday--very flat and brought the tempo down a notch.

I actually like the quiet albums by Bruce the best. The last great sounding album, IMHO, was Tom Joad from 1996.

Hate to say it, but you are spot on. Bruce hasn't put out a good album in three decades. And he should stop trying because each attempt is more pathetic than the last.
Dreadhead,

What has Springsteen done in the last twenty years that can measure up to Dylan's last three?

Time Out of Mind
Love and Theft
Modern Times

Truth is, one is still an artist, and one has become a "politically correct" rock star, very much attuned to public opinion.

One more thing, are you going to hurry down to get Saint Bruce's "Greatest Hits" at Wally World?

Talk about being a "sell out", Bruce cuts an exclusive deal with Walmart for his "Greatest Hits", but then regrets the deal when some of fans give him a "hard time" about it. You know it's hard to be the "hero of the working class", when quite a number of people (including many or Bruce's fan) think of Walmart has a company that treats it's employees poorly.

Make you wonder why Bruce would do an "exclusive" deal with them, as Walmart doesn't seem to be a "pro-union, pro-labor" company the likes of which Bruce would be chanpioning.

To me tbat goes beyond merely "selling out", it goes to the point of being a "hypocrite". How can you be an artist that "supposely" stands up for the "working man", and cut a deal with a company that has one of the worst labor practices in America?

Guess if the "purse if fat, there's were it's at".

As for Bruce's regrets, I guarantee he's not going to "regret" taking his Walmart royality check to the bank.

What a "fraud".
Let's face it - regardless of who is a still relevant and who is not, playing at the SB halftime show isn't a format that will allow anybody to show their relevance. I thought the performance came off alright - it looked like everybody was having a good time, he played all the expected songs. No costume malfunctions - it's all good.

I've never been the biggest Bruce fan, but I'm definitely not a detractor. I thought his voice was weak, his energy high, the fans into it. I also thought Bruce looked stiff - like he needed to stretch out a bit.
Sorry. He should have retired on top. Use to be the real thing. Loved him when he was coming up. I was working in NYC + living NJ then. Saw him at local bars in Hoboken and Jersy City. Now it's all showmanship. And quite poor showmanship at that. Rock 'n Roll and B.S. had parted ways some time ago. That's my belief. You're entitled to yours.

I just couldn't watch too much of him at the S.B. He's too far gone from rock 'n roll... .