Springsteen Revisited: Nebraska

The following is part of an ongoing series in which I re-evaluate Bruce Springsteen's records, in chronological order (reverse chronological in this blog), and their impact on my life and musical tastes. Some are more well written than others and the same holds true for grammatical errors. They were originally written for an online community that I participate in, but I thought I'd post them here for the sake of posterity.



Nebraska is a stark, spare meditation on hope, despair, corruption, poverty, faithfulness, infidelity, dreams gone bad and dreams still alive...The intimacy that is a hallmark of this album is achieved by the use of a Tascam 4-Track cassette tape recorder that was a gift from the record company (these days 4-Track analog cassette decks are a dime a dozen, what with the advent of the superior digital portastudios, but back in '82 they were quite the coveted centerpiece of home studios). Springsteen set it up in his living room and recorded songs and ideas for songs as they came to him, overdubbing when appropriate.
When he was finished with a set of demos he presented them to the record company executives with the tacit understanding that these were only demos, that band arrangements were soon to follow. But the execs were taken aback by the immediacy and honesty of these tracks and before too long the decision was made to simply master the original cassette recordings to a professional analog board and release them in their primitive state.
The result was a record unlike anything Springsteen had done in a short career that saw him changing and progressing over the course of 4 excellent albums. Miles away from the city landscapes that permeated Born to Run and The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle, the album continues in a vein that was hinted at on Darkness On The Edge Of Town, a more mid-western, southern Gothic setting, where State Troopers allow their "no good" brothers to cross the state line and mass murderers go on a killing spree from Lincoln, Nebraska to "the badlands of Wyoming" with a baton-twirling adolescent in the passenger seat.
The former, "Highway Patrolman" is a story of a lawman, Joe Roberts and his trouble making brother, Frankie. Two sides of the same familial coin, Joe has devoted his post to an "honest job", but he turns his head when Frankie gets in trouble. Frankie on the other hand, returns from Vietnam with a chip on his shoulder, and in one way or another he finds himself at odds with the law. Eventually Frankie goes overboard and winds up seriously injuring, perhaps even killing a man in a bar. This is probably the worst trouble Frankie has ever gotten himself into, and Joe, as he chases him down, is forced to contemplate his actions, his honesty and his dedication to his job as a lawman. The overriding thought that impresses him the most: Man turns his back on his family, he ain't no friend of mine....
And yet when Frankie gets to the Michigan county line all the way to the Canadian border Joe once again "turns the other way". And in doing so he proves the truth of those haunting thoughts, Man turns his back on his family he just ain't no good.
"Highway Patrolman" is the centerpiece of side one on the record. It's followed by a track called "State Trooper" which could very well be Frankie Roberts response to his brother Joe's life decisions. It's punctuated with a couple of unnerving shrieks that sound very much like Alan Vega's trademark "whoops" in the early '80's duo Suicide. Springsteen, when interviewed during press junkets for Nebraska briefly mentioned a taste for Suicide's confrontational brand of electro-shock. Nothing else here invokes that seminal New York band's sound, but the yelps in "State Trooper" are enough to conjure their spirit, especially the lyrics and theme of "Frankie Teardrop" (perhaps a clue, in dropping the name, that it is indeed Frankie Roberts narrating).
"Used Cars" is a sweet rumination of childhood, poverty and the dream of escaping into a better life than the one you grew up in. Used cars are a metaphor for all the things in our youth that we are ashamed of, even though they may be necessities. But, as in "Thunder Road", there is a long highway that takes you far away from all that, hopefully into a place where you won't ever have to ride in no used car again. There are details in this song that are bittersweet (Well, my mama fingers her wedding band and watches the salesman stare at my old man's hands)...and these details are woven through the set of songs that make up Nebraska.
If I remember correctly, the pre-release record company constructed buzz was that this album was going to be like a musical tribute to Bob Dylan. Once again they invoked Zimmy's name in hopes that it might sell a few records. There is very little here that's obviously Dylan inspired (though Woody Guthrie's ghost hovers over some of the proceedings), but it does have in common the same devotion to the songwriting craft and lyrical symbolism that reveals itself over the course of time.
With the success of Born To Run and the even more financially successful The River, Columbia records was willing to pretty much give Springsteen carte blanche for his next record. Say what you will about the negative aspects of record companies (and there are many) but it is a testament to Columbia's integrity and devotion to their artists that they would be willing to release this rough collection of demos. And in so doing they put out a true masterpiece that has inspired legions of singer/songwriters (there's even a full CD available of other artists covering the songs from Nebraska. Entitled Badlands: A Tribute To Bruce Springsteen's 'Nebraska', it's no "second tier performer"'s fare, as it features big names like Johnny Cash, Ani DiFranco, Ben Harper, Chrissie Hynde, Hank Williams III, Son Volt, Los Lobos and more).
I've only touched a few bases in this humble review of Nebraska, but it must be said that this is, in Springsteen's canon, an almost flawless album. It gets you further into his mind than just about anything he'd done before and really, just about everything that followed.
I would feel remiss, however, if I didn't say something about the concluding number. "Reason to Believe" is about how life deals some harsh blows, and it may strike you funny, but at the end of every hard earned day people need some reason to believe. And during that day the cycle of life goes on, as a baby is taken to the river to be baptized while, in an old shack on the other side of town, an old man passes away. All you can do is sit and watch "the river" roll on, and unlike man with his trials and tribulations that wound and scar for life, the river makes it's way "so effortlessly". Who knows but that contemplating that river may be enough to give someone "reason to believe".
"Reason to Believe" is the only logical choice with which to close Nebraska, as we've come to know so many different people and so many different stories throughout the course of the record, all of whom are searching for that same reason, none of whom will find an adequate reason, but the lucky ones will believe anyway.

5 Stars
Favorite Tracks: "Reason to Believe", "Used Cars", "Atlantic City", "Highway Patrolman"
Least Favorite Track: "Open All Night"

Springsteen Revisited: The River

The following is part of an ongoing series in which I re-evaluate Bruce Springsteen's records, in chronological order (reverse chronological in this blog), and their impact on my life and musical tastes. Some are more well written than others and the same holds true for grammatical errors. They were originally written for an online community that I participate in, but I thought I'd post them here for the sake of posterity.



I've said it before so many times I'm sure everyone is sick of hearing it, but if any album deserves a re-mastering, it's this one. Not all of the songs are as badly mixed as others, but the whole could stand it. From the git-go it's noticeable, with "The Ties That Bind" blaring so much trebley high end that it hurts the ears when played at a loud volume.
But anyway, enough complaining about that.
I think my problem with The River is this: After three albums from Springsteen that didn't have a single bad song in the lot, I found that I didn't like not only a couple but a few songs on this double album. How many double albums have you heard folks say about them, "It's okay, but there's really a great single album in the whole thing". That's exactly the case with The River. I could compile a list of ten songs from it and I guarantee it would be every bit as strong, maybe even stronger than one or two of the last 3 albums he'd put out.
I had a real hard time choosing Favorite Tracks (as opposed to "nearly impossible" on the last 3)...I thought I knew exactly which ones were going to make the cut, then found myself re-arranging the list...it was not quite so hard this time to make a Least Favorite Track list.
So yeah, to my mind The River is a very uneven affair that suffers from a bit of filler (not to say some of that filler is bad, it just doesn't live up to the truly great songs that it's mixed in with).
If The River had been my first exposure to Springsteen instead of Darkness On The Edge Of Town, it would have been "Drive All Night" that would have made me a hardcore Bruce fan. This is Springsteen at his pinnacle. Just breathtaking.
I caught something today that sort of slipped by in all these years of loving that song. I always thought it was your typical love song, albeit more powerful and soulful than most. But the first line came on and he sings "When I lost you honey, sometimes I swear I lost my guts too"...so he's singing all this to a girl he's somehow or other "lost". Did he lose her to another man? Did he lose her to death? No matter how he lost her, he's caught up in an intense fever dream where she's right there with him. He reminisces on the past, singing "I would drive all night AGAIN, just to buy you some shoes and to taste your tender charms" as if this is something he did once, on a whim, and now recalls with affection. He sings about how she's got his love, his heart & his soul, as if they are things she took with her when she left. The depth of his love is displayed in his promise not only to drive all night, but through the wind, through the rain, through the snow. This song and it's lyrics are, IMO, too powerful to be about a girl who ran away. I get more out of it in thinking that it's about a man whose wife has passed away sometime in the past.
But that may all be a load of bollocks. You decide.
The songs that didn't make the Favorite Tracks, just barely, are, in no particular order, "The Ties That Bind", "Independence Day", "I Wanna Marry You", "Fade Away", "The River" and "Wreck on the Highway".

4 Stars
Favorite Tracks: "Drive All Night", "Stolen Car", "The Price You Pay", "Point Blank"
Least Favorite Tracks: "Ramrod", "Cadillac Ranch", "I'm a Rocker", "Hungry Heart"

Springsteen Revisited: Darkness On The Edge Of Town

The following is part of an ongoing series in which I re-evaluate Bruce Springsteen's records, in chronological order (reverse chronological in this blog), and their impact on my life and musical tastes. Some are more well written than others and the same holds true for grammatical errors. They were originally written for an online community that I participate in, but I thought I'd post them here for the sake of posterity.



Very sentimental for me, indeed. This is the album that turned me into a fan. It's the first I'd ever heard from him (not counting hearing "Born to Run" a few times previously on the radio). I got it from the Columbia House record club and I had not ordered it. It was just one of those Selections of the Month that you'd get if you didn't return the card within a certain amount of time. I missed the deadline and Bruce found his way to my mailbox. I didn't even think I'd like it...I thought Bruce was one of those middle-of-the-road crooners (although looking back I don't know how I could have got that impression, having heard and liked the song "Born to Run"). As was the case with so many of these unsolicited Selection of the Month albums, my curiosity got the best of me and next thing you know I'm reading the lyrics on the inner sleeve, no way to send it back for credit now, with the shrink wrap gone.
I don't remember much about that first time I put the needle into the groove. I heard "Badlands" and thought, hey this isn't bad. Kinda dispelled any thoughts I had that Springsteen's style might be akin to Billy Joel's. "Adam Raised a Cain" was quite a bit different than the opening cut, and to be honest, I haven't really liked that song until fairly recently (nowadays I REALLY like it, especially Bruce's searing guitar solos). So at this point I had not quite been converted.
Then...then...4 words..."Something in the Night". That rumbling build up, like a storm on the horizon, heading toward you. Then Bruce begins wailing, "Oh, Alright...Whoa, Alright" with more soul and passion than I think I'd ever heard before. The storm crashes as he lets out one more yelp and the lyrics begin to paint a grim picture...You're born with nothing and better off that way...soon as you've got something they send someone to try and take it away...Nothing is forgotten or forgiven...and finally the last verse where the rebel's dream comes crashing down around them. And then, with even more intensity, Bruce tears into another series of howls, like a grieving mourner at a funeral.
The deal is sealed at that point. I was a certified fan, anxiously anticipating the songs that came after that one.
"Candy's Room" was a bit of a letdown. It's another one that has taken me a long time to appreciate. I assure you that I have developed that appreciation at this point. I think it was because it was such a radical change from the more subdued "something in the Night", the uptempo speed of the thing, the shift from anticipation and failure to a song quite vividly depicting sexual lust.
One thing I've noticed about Darkness On The Edge Of Town is that it is much less character-driven" than the previous albums. Most (if not all) of the songs here are sung in the first person. This change has served Springsteen well, IMO. To be sure, he still does his share of character songs, but I think the majority of his post-Darkness output has seen him singing, maybe AS a character, but in the first.
All I really want to say about "Racing in the Streets", besides the fact that it's another heartbreaker like "Something in the Night", is that Roy Bittan plays some of the finest piano lines in his career. This is a quite a commendation, seeing as how he is a very talented man and has played many a perfect piano line throughout Bruce's career. But the stuff he's doing in the last minute and a half of "Racing in the Streets" is so tasteful, so perfect I can't really praise it enough. It definitely makes you want to turn the album over and hear what else is in store.
Clarence gets a chance to shine for the first time here on "The Promised Land". His solo is short and sweet, nothing like the sprawling take in "Jungleland", but every bit as powerful. There aren't too many bands out there with sax players, but Clarence is integral to the E Street sound.
Always like the line The dogs on main street howl cause they understand that I could take this moment into my hand...great song.
Another really great song that most folks don't seem to talk about much, "Factory" effortlessly conjures the dreariness, the resignation, the necessity of "the working life". He goes through the working day, between the horns of the factory whistle. And for all that, when the day is done, Somebody's gonna get hurt tonight. It's a sad song, made even sadder by the knowing that it's the true life story of thousands of men and women who toil in places they'd just as soon rather not be because they have to make ends meet.
"Streets of Fire", for some reason, doesn't connect with me most of the rest of the album. It's a really good song, and Springsteen delivers a very good vocal performance, especially towards the end (beginning with the line Don't look in my face...I can't even understand what he's saying directly after that, but it almost raises the level of the song to no small degree. Still...
I'm sorry but "Prove It All Night" has never been one of favorite Springsteen songs. However I do give it more credit these days after hearing the version on the Live In New York City version, where Miami Steve helps elevates it to a new level. Another nice solo from the Big Man and an excellent guitar solo from the Boss, one of the most under-rated lead guitarists in the world.
Another thing...the production on Darkness is much more spare and spacious than it was on Born To Run. I suspect that's what the material demanded, as this is a bit more stark than that one was (not that it wasn't stark, just not quite so much as this one).
The final cut, "Darkness on the Edge of Town" kind of sums up the whole thing. Lives on the line where dreams are found and lost. They all wind up here, on that hill, paying the cost for wanting things that can only be found in the darkness on the edge of town. No use looking for them anywhere else. That's where you eventually wind up, for better or worse.

5 Stars
Favorite Tracks: "Something in the Night", "Racing in the Streets", "Factory", "Darkness on the Edge of Town"
Least Favorite Track: "Streets of Fire"

Springsteen Revisited: Born To Run

The following is part of an ongoing series in which I re-evaluate Bruce Springsteen's records, in chronological order (reverse chronological in this blog), and their impact on my life and musical tastes. Some are more well written than others and the same holds true for grammatical errors. They were originally written for an online community that I participate in, but I thought I'd post them here for the sake of posterity.



Not only one of the best albums in Bruce's very high quality repertoire, but one of the greatest albums in the history of rock music. That's no lie. From start to finish it never ceases to amaze and to stir the soul with visceral power.
Yeah, I confess it's been a long, long time since I last played Born to Run. It was one of those albums that was etched in my memory to the point where I didn't think I needed to hear it again to appreciate it (I'm the same way with the Beatles...I just know everything they did back and forth). And indeed I found myself singing along to the majority of it, remembering lyrics that most people would have forgotten had they waited so long to listen again. But I've got to say that with the passage of time and advancing of years, I came away from today's listening with a new-found respect for it.
It is as close to a flawless record as you can get and still be considered a rock album. And it is a rock record, there is no doubt about it. From the obsession with cars to the burning desire to run away from a stagnant existence, from the Bo Diddley drum pounding in "She's the One" to the wall-of-sound in "Night" and the title track, from the bonding and then betrayal in "Backstreets" to the Stax/Volt horn section in "10th Avenue Freeze-Out"...and let's not forget that reference to Roy Orbison that kicks off "Thunder Road".
Speaking of which, have you ever heard an end-piece section of a song that conjures the road and freedom like the one here? Clarence Clemons finally shows his stuff and it's only a foretaste of the grand, majestic solo he lays down in "Jungleland".
Bruce lets out his now famous wordless moan, towards the end of "Backstreets", and it brings out the goosebumps, like he's already said all that needs be said, that the repetition of "Hiding in the backstreets" has reached a saturation point and all he can do is howl at the moon, devastated by the anguish of losing a very close friend. It was at that point that I turned my stereo up to wall-shaking levels, which turned out to be quite appropriate as the beginning strains of "Born To Run" rattled my speakers.
I have to confess that initially I was going to choose "Night" as one of my four favorite tracks on the album. I think "Night" is one of the overlooked gems here. Definitely as worthy of being a single as "Born To Run" was. But when I heard that glockenspiel and that Telecaster guitar and the driving rhythm section, then Bruce's voice (of which I cannot find a proper accolade), I knew I had to include this masterpiece.
But seriously, "Night" is a helluva song, musically and lyrically (it's also another one on which the Big Man really shines).
I liked "Meeting Across the River" a lot more than I used to. When I was young I had no idea that this was about the anticipation of a major drug deal and how the narrator is deluded into thinking that what comes of it will change his life and the lives of those in his close circle of friends. Call me naive, I was just never into that scene in those days. Now that I'm a bit more aware I can hear the subtle nuances of the lyrics and the vocal performance. Nice arrangement, too, quite unlike anything else on the album.
Anyhoo, I could go on jabbering about this album all day. I'm gonna let someone else sing it's praises now.

5 Stars
Favorite Tracks: "Thunder Road", "Backstreets", "Born To Run", "Jungleland"
Least Favorite Track: "She's The One"

Springsteen Revisited: The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle

The following is part of an ongoing series in which I re-evaluate Bruce Springsteens records, in chronological order (reverse chronological in this blog), and their impact on my life and musical tastes. Some are more well written than others and the same holds true for grammatical errors. They were originally written for an online community that I participate in, but I thought I'd post them here for the sake of posterity.



The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle is a rarity amongst rock albums. It's a sophomore release that not only completely outshines it's debut predecessor but also still stands as one of the artist's finest works over 30 years after it's release. And furthermore with all that passage of time this record still sounds as fresh as if it had come out just last Tuesday.
Heavy duty praise, no doubt, but surely not hollow.
The opening "horn tuning" on "The E Street Shuffle" and the quick, congo-laden follow-up lets you know that this ain't going to be like Greetings From Asbury Park NJ which, admit it, suffered from some pretty lousy arrangements. This song is sort of a precursor to most of the others insomuch as Springsteen uses his lyrical prowess to create characters and whole worlds for them to interact within (sort of like he did with "Spirit In The Night").
This is followed by one of his absolutely most beautiful love songs, "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)", another character driven song, only most of the people described are caricatures ("boys from the boardwalk", "boys in their high heels", "actors", etc.)...it's all revolving around this scene in Asbury Park, carnival and all. I love the line where he says "You know that Tilt-a-Whirl down on the south beach track? I got on it last night and my shirt got caught...and they just kept me spinning, they didn't think I'd ever get off..." Funny, to be sure, but I can't help but to think that it's also an analogy of this guy who wants to take his girlfriend and run off with the carnival, not even sure if he'll love her forever.
After this sweet song comes the first of two serious rockers on the album. "Kitty's Back" is simply unrelentless in it's performance and the way it utilizes tension-release, climaxing in a wondrous "Kitty's back in town!" sung like a true celebration of a long-awaited homecoming. This material is so far removed from what you heard on Greetings that you'd be excused for looking at the album covers to see if it's the same guy responsible.
Following such exuberance is no easy task. Springsteen is smart enough not to try and top "Kitty's Back" with another blistering rocker. Instead he gives us another caricature (as well as character) driven carnival ballad "Wild Billy's Circus Story". What a great way to end side one than with this one-of-a-kind track. At one point he sings of the Ringmaster leaving the circus and this sets up one of the best lines Springsteen has ever written: "A ragged suitcase in his hand he steals silently away from the circus town...and the highway's haunted by the carnival sounds, they dance like a great grease-paint ghost on the wind". Awesome.
"Incident on 52nd Street" is another one that makes Greetings pale in comparison (but then again, they all do that). A somewhat lengthy story of Spanish Johnny and his exploits after returning from "the Underworld". The pimps all call him a cheat and a liar, but he seems to have found love in a girl he calls Puero Rican Jane (not her real name, as he asks "Oh won't you tell me what's your name?"). It's a very believable saga, even to the point where the cops find "the vein" and Johnny is driven to murder. Great story song that opens side 2 admirably.
"Rosalita" is the second rocker, perched between two other long-ish songs that form a loose trilogy. Every Springsteen fan in the world has surely heard "Rosalita". The first "video" his record company ever released was a rousing live version of this song, complete with young girls jumping out of the audience to grab a hug from him. Suffice to say it is one of his chestnuts. It's a crying shame that it wasn't included of the Greatest Hits package.
And finally we go out with yet another hauntingly beautiful song, "New York City Serenade". Opening with the sound of piano strings being strummed and then a flourish of piano, it then settles into a nice, down-tempo ballad. Basically a song about sex couched in the music of a love song...not that it stays on the subject throughout it's entirety, but all that comes after the initial erotic lyrics has to do with that. It's a very gentle way to end the album, something so different than "Rosalita", which would have made a fine end-piece, but could not ease the listener into wanting to hear the whole album again then and there. "New York City Serenade" does just that.

5 Stars (easy!)
Favorite Tracks- "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)", "New York City Serenade", "Kitty's Back". "Wild Billy's Circus Story"
Least Favorite Tracks: "The E Street Shuffle" (Not that it's a bad song, I just had to pick one, which is very hard to do when there's really not a bad song on the album)

Sprinsteen Revisited: Greetings From Asbury Park NJ

The following is part of an ongoing series in which I re-evaluate Bruce Springsteen's records, in chronological order (reverse chronological in this blog), and their impact on my life and musical tastes. Some are more well written than others and the same holds true for grammatical errors. They were originally written for an online community that I participate in, but I thought I'd post them here for the sake of posterity.



In the same vein as I went through Tom Petty's catalogue I am now embarking on a trek through the Boss's oeuvre. It is a much more daunting task than the Petty binge. First of all there are so many more albums to listen to. Second of all I fear that I will not be able to come up with enough superlatives, as I like so much of his stuff. Third, I am much more familiar with Springsteen's output than I am with Petty's, so my opinions are pretty much already formed.
But I'm gonna get through this...I hope. Don't be disappointed if I give up mid-stream 'cuz you never know, I might be stricken with "Springsteen Burnout", especially around the time of Live 1975-1985 or, if I make it that far, the Tracks box set.
Gonna use a star rating system this time around, all ratings are relative to Springsteen's other work, and I'm also going to list "Favorite Tracks" and "Least Favorite Tracks" (both of which will be limited to, but not necessarily including, 4 songs...this is going to be hard on albums like Darkness on the Edge of Town and Tunnel of Love.
And one last thing before I get to the man's debut album...I am DREADING the time when I get to the dismal Pete Seeger Sessions.


As for Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J., it's a wildly uneven affair. I wouldn't blame anyone for turning the damn thing off after the silly, meaningless and pointless "Blinded by the Light". It's junk like this that garnered the "Next Bob Dylan" accolade, but the only thing he has in common with Zimmy is a tendency to be verbose. At least Dylan's wordy stuff makes a little bit of sense. "Blilnded by the Light" seems to revel in it's inability to be anything more than an exercise in the proper use of a rhyming dictionary.
And it doesn't get much better with "Growin' Up", which for some bizarre inexplicable reason is a fan favorite. But just take a gander at this lyric: "When they said come down I threw up". Huh?
There are lots of silly lines scattered throughout this album that seem written just to fill up a verse. Even "Mary, Queen of Arkansas", a song I quite like, contains this horrendous line" "I've been a shine boy for your acid brat and a wharf rat of the stage". What the fuck is an acid brat, I want to know? And why does he need a shine boy?
"Does This Bus Stop At 82nd Street" is a monotonous affair with such sage wisdom as "Don't trust men who walk with canes". Why not? Why are they less trustworthy than those who have full use of their legs? I'm sure there's some deep symbolism involved, but it sure as hell went over my head.
After this 1 for 3 hitter we finally get to a good, possibly great song, "Lost In The Flood", a precursor in many ways of "Jungleland". It took me awhile to figure out what he was really saying with "Nuns run bald through Vatican halls, pleading immaculate conception"...I thought, well why would they be bald? Then I realized he was playing with words and the implication was "Nuns run BALLED...". Maybe I'm wrong on this one.
"The Angel" has long been my favorite song on this album. It starts out kind of like something you might expect from Nebraska until a cello comes in at about the half-way mark. The singing is equal parts weary and impassioned. My only question is, Who are "The Servants", what is their purpose, and why do they keep popping up in this song? I've ALWAYS wondered this.
Another fan favorite, "For You" has never been a favorite of mine (especially after hearing Manfred Mann's Earth Band's version). That said, I have to say it sounded better to me now than it did in the past. It has a minimal share of ding-dong lyrics, and that's saying something.
Likewise, "Spirit In The Night" is another one I never cared much for in the old days. But aside from the music, which I'll probably never cotton to, the song was actually pretty impressive (which would mean that I thought the lyrics, vocal performance and melody were pretty good). Nice story song, and who can resist a line like "Janey's fingers were in the cake"?
Taking it all home, where most of it belongs, is "It's Hard To Be a Saint In The City". It's not too bad, but it has it's share of goofy lines. Reminds me too much of "Does This Bus Stop...". They should have closed the whole show with "Lost In The Flood" and who knows why they chose this one. Not me.

2 Stars
Favorite Tracks: "The Angel", "Lost In the Flood"
Least Favorite Tracks: "Blinded by the Light", "Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street"

Jubal Blog: A Festival in Lexington

For the last two weeks I haven't written the blog posts at our MySpace page (even though the last gig at the 89'er club in Lexington was a blast), mainly because I was convinced that very few were actually reading it. I still am. But boredom inspired me to do something this morning, as I had awakened far too early and could not get back to sleep. And so I decided to write a blog post. I don't know if this will be the last one from me...my brother has taken over that duty (somewhat reluctantly, I believe). But who knows..I may find myself awake at a ridiculously early time and dash one off now and again.
Anyhoo, here's the latest installment:


It's now officially confirmed...They love us in Lexington. And that's very encouraging, because we have come to love the people there as well.

Saturday we were the headlining band at the 89'er Festival, where the streets are lined with vendors selling their wares (mostly in the form of vittles), the carnival stays packed all day and bands of various stripes take the stage on the other side of Main Street. We played pretty well for the most part for audiences that came and went most of the day and then got pretty big near the end of the night. The only real problem we had was that we were told, after some of us had already put our instruments up and we'd said "Goodnight", that we were expected to play until 10PM. All of us were under the impression, even up to then, that the show was to last from 5:30 to 9:00. But the policeman who hired us said that the Chamber of Commerce or whoever was sponsoring the whole shindig had advertised that we would play until 10:00, so we really didn't have much of a say in the matter. We pulled out our instruments after taking a short break and gave them another 45 minutes. I don't know about anyone else, but I, as the bass player, silently lamented the level of pain in my fingers from playing a 4 & 1/2 hour gig with only two short intermissions. The wind was brutal and it got a little nippy towards the end of the night, but all in all the weather was cooperative.

While there, Jerry, the owner of the 89'er Club, offered us another gig in a couple of weeks. It's always a hoot to play there so we jumped at the opportunity. That show will be on May 5 and the address is 108 W Broadway down there in the swirling metropolis of Lexington. After that we're taking the weekend off before we hit the Watering Hole in Shawnee. That's a pretty fun gig, too.

Something you might want to know...we are NO LONGER hosting the Sunday night Tri-City jam sessions at Dietrichs. To the best of my knowledge no one is picking up where we left off, so there will most likely be no jam sessions anymore in the foreseeable future. Of course there are reasons for this and they are many, but discretion prevents me from sharing them in this forum. Suffice to say that I don't THINK there are any hard feelings in the wake of our departure. It was fairly amicable as far as I know, but by the same token I don't claim to know much about the whole she-bang. I'm just happy that now I can spend Sundays with my family. It was getting hard for me to come home at 3:30 in the morning, wake up wore out and ragged and then have to do the jam later in the day. Ugh! But I must reiterate, that's just ME. The other guys likely had no problems with that. I'm just kinda sickly these days and can't get around like I used to.

And finally, we were somewhat troubled when Jubal didn't make it to the show yesterday. That was a real heart breaker, not only to us but to his dedicated legion of fans, many of who had driven quite some distance to see him. I pulled out my cellphone and called him...this is what he had to say, "Man, I'm sorry but I don't like Festivals. I can't handle 'em, it's something that's haunted me since childhood. I don't know, maybe my mom left me at a carnival for several hours while she went out to do her own thing. Maybe the carneys spooked me. All I remember is getting on the Ferris wheel all alone and crying my eyes out, screaming 'Mother! Mother! Where are you?'...So you can have yer Festivals, each and every one. I won't be there."

Jubal Modine & the Love Handles: "One Nite Only" at the 89'er Club

I don't know that I'm going to continue writing the MySpace blogs for our band...last time I did it was pretty much an out and out plea for Comments and I got none. Zilch. Zero. Nada. I was mainly wanting to see who was reading them, since the counter indicated that several would view it in the period directly after I'd post one (like 30-40 hits). But then again, I also figured that many of those were spammers/hackers or whatever, not interested readers. So I threw out that last blog post fishing for comments and got none whatsoever.
So I really don't feel like wasting my time...not that NOONE is reading it. I'm sure the band members read it and their girlfriends/wives, but they already know all the stuff that I write about there. I had hoped that we would get some folks who weren't directly involved with the band to read it (hopefully regularly).

Anyway, we played last night at a place called the 89'er club in Lexington Oklahoma. It was the furthest we've had to drive to do a show so far. Long ass trip, but it turned out to be well worth it. A crazy night, really.
You see, there's this guy who plays keyboards that we met during one of our jam sessions. His name is Isaac and I guess he knows our guitarist pretty well. He lives in the general area of Lexington, so he asked last week if he could sit in for a couple of sets and that if he did he could bring in several people he knew to the gig. He's played with us, like I said, at the jams and he's not a bad keyboard player, tends to blend in pretty well with what the band's doing. So we were okay with the idea.
So we get there and get all our stuff set up. We're wondering where Isaac is going to sit because the stage they had was very small. So small that our keyboard player and guitarist had to be on the floor and I was in a pretty cramped space on a stage that's just a little bit bigger than a typical drum riser.
But we were starting to think that it wouldn't be an issue because Isaac was nowhere to be seen. He did eventually show up, just before we were about to take the stage, so we were delayed while he started to set his stuff up.
I don't know, maybe he was frustrated because there really wasn't a suitable place for him to be and he tried a couple of spots.
Then, for whatever reason, he made a couple of disparaging remarks (ie. he "popped off") and the next thing you know the club owner, Jerry, is just yelling at him at the top of his lungs. I mean to tell you he was pissed at Isaac and voiced his opinion in no uncertain terms. It turned into a bit of a verbal exchange and Isaac tried to throw some insults around (about the bar, about Jerry, that kind of thing). But he cowered in comparison to Jerry's wrath, which was kinda scary even for us not on the receiving end. When it all started the place turned quiet as a mouse. I don't think I've ever heard a bar get so quiet. I KNOW I haven't.
Well, long story short, Isaac got kicked out of the bar (I'm sure he would tell you he left of his own free will, but anyone who was there knows better). So we didn't have to worry about having an extra man. As soon as Isaac had dragged his last piece of equipment out the door we took the stage and I tried to lighten the situation by singing an a capella version of "Happy Birthday" to Reita, our keyboard player's wife. It seemed to work. It didn't hurt that at that time there weren't that many people there.
And from that point on the evening just got better and better. We got some of the best responses we've ever received with lots of people singing along and making that noise we so like to hear after the songs (that would be "applause"). The place filled up in increments and though it wasn't quite a packed house it was nevertheless respectable. Lots of people wound up using the small dance floor, too. That's always encouraging, to me at least.
There was a police officer who came in and stayed for a little while. I guess he was in charge of booking the bands for the upcoming 89'er Festival (on April 21) and he liked us so much that he asked if we'd be interested in doing the 5:30PM-9:00PM slot that day. The money was good so we all said "yes" and he hired us on the spot.
Then, at the end of the night, besides giving each of us a little bit more cash than we had agreed to, Jerry asked us if we'd come back. We had had such a good time that we said "sure...when do you want us?" We figured it would be next month at the earliest. But he had an open night THIS UPCOMING SATURDAY and wanted us then. Long, long drive notwithstanding, we agreed to do it and I gotta say I'm looking forward to it. Really good crowds like that are hard to come by. I don't mind travelling a bit, as long as it's not every week.
The only thing about playing next Saturday...I know for a fact that my voice is going to be wrecked when it's all over. Plus, being up so late and getting home so early really takes a toll on me (for instance, I am exhausted right now after last night's festivities). So what am I supposed to do when we have a regular weekly jam session at 6:00PM every Sunday? I dunno if I can do it. I guarantee I'm not going to WANT to do it, so not only will I have a ruined voice and be worn out physically, I'll likely be in a pissy mood as well.
I like our guitarist's idea to scale back and only do the jam sessions once a month. I'd even go twice a month. But this every week plan has lost it's novelty, at least as far as I'm concerned. And for the rest of the month we have Saturday night gigs. Hmmph. We shall see what transpires.

I hope everyone is having a nice Easter. I have always loved this holiday, as it reminds me of Jesus' death and resurrection. Plus, we don't have to do a jam session! Whoopee! Surely the club is not open today. Gotta be a lot of bad luck associated with being open on Easter.
That's all for now. See you next time, be it in a couple of days, a couple of weeks, a couple of months or a couple of years.

69 "Dirty" Little Secrets Meme

Here's a meme I filled out over on MySpace. Yes, I was bored. I don't know what's so "dirty" about any of it, but it was kind of fun anyway.
Enjoy:


1. The phone rings; who do you want it to be?
My daughter, who I haven't seen in almost 20 years.

2. When shopping at the grocery store, do you return your cart?
Yes.

3. In a social setting, are you more of a talker or a listener?
Listener

4. Do you take compliments well?
Depends on what the compliment is and who is doing the complimenting. I always like to hear people say I'm a decent bassist, guitarist and vocalist.

5. Do you play Sudoku?
No.

6. If abandoned alone in the wilderness, would you survive?
Probably not. I'm too spoiled by modern-day conveniences. I think most people are.

7. Do you like to ride horses?
Yes, but it's been a long, long time.

8. Did you ever go to camp as a kid?
Yeah, 3 or 4 times.

9. What was your favorite game as a kid?
Gee, I don't remember. We used to play a lot of gin rummy with my mom, though.

10. If a person was pursuing you, but you knew he/she was married, would you go for it?
I'd have to ask my wife it was okay first. ;)

11. Have you lied to get out of a date?
I didn't exactly have a lot of dates when I was younger. I'd have been more prone to lying to GET a date rather than to get out of one. So the short answer is NO.

12. Could you date someone with different religious beliefs than you?
Well, I'm married to someone who has different religious beliefs than I do, so I guess so.

13. Do you like to pursue or be pursued?
Depends on whether or not a gun is involved.

14. Use three words to describe yourself?
Philosophical, Introspective, Audiophile

15. Do any songs make you cry?
"Ruth Marie" by Mark Kozelek, "Valentine's Day" by Bruce Springsteen

16. Are you continuing your education?
In a sense.

17. Do you know how to shoot a gun?
You just aim and pull the trigger, right? I'm not too keen on firearms.

18. If your house was on fire, what would be the first thing you grabbed?
Easy. My Bible. (That's assuming that my wife and son have already escaped the flames)

19. How often do you read books?
Just about every day.

20. Do you think more about the past, present or future?
Present.

21. What is your favorite children's book?
I used to like Dr. Seuss when I was a tot, but the passing years have found me appreciating children's books less and less.

22. What color are your eyes?
An indescribable color.

23. How tall are you?
6'4"

24. Where is your dream house located?
Probably in Colorado with a view of the mountains.

25. Do you have a secret fetish?
Secret fantasies, maybe. Secret fetish, no, I think not.

26. Have you tried sushi?
No, I don't even like seafood.

27. Have you ever taken pictures in a photo booth?
Who hasn't?

28. When was the last time you were at Olive Garden?
I've never eaten there. I was going to take my wife to the one in Tulsa for our anniversary a few years ago, but the line at the door was just too long.

29. When was the last time you were at Church?
It's been awhile. I assure you, I'm no less a Christian for not attending church services lately.

30. Where was the furthest place you traveled today?
To the bathroom and back.

31. What was your favorite job?
I liked working at CD Warehouse a lot, and I enjoyed the regular gig playing in the house band at Charlie's Palace.

Where is #32?
Spending the weekend in Boley.

33. Do you prefer to sleep or eat?
Sleep. Oh how I love to sleep and dream.

34. Do you look like your mom or dad?
I don't think I look like either.

35. How long does it take you in the shower?
15-20 minutes

36. Can you do the splits?
The WHAT?

37. What movie do you want to see right now?
I can't think of any movie I want to see right now. The last one that was on my "must see" list was "The Departed" and I watched that one this morning.

38. If you could fast forward your life, would you?
Maybe until this time next year, then I would slow it down considerably

39. What did you do for New Year's?
Nothing, really. In fact, I think I went to bed before midnight.

40. Do you think The Grudge was scary?
No, actually it was kind of dumb.

41. Could you relate to a character in Mean Girls?
It's been too long since I saw that movie, I don't recall much of it. And I won't watch it again because Lindsey Lohan has become increasingly annoying to me.

42. Do you own a camera phone?
Nope. Don't want one.

43. Do you have an "ex box" with pics and letters in it?
Got a lot of photos from years past, but I don't save letters (as if I've received any in umpteen years...e-mail killed the postage stamp...huh?)

44. Was your mom a cheerleader?
I don't think so, but I was.
(Just kidding there)

47. How many hours of sleep do you get a night?
Ever since I began taking Ambien I've been getting at least 8 hours a night. This is wonderful to me, because I suffered from some pretty bad insomnia for most of my life. Ambien is my wonder drug.

48. Do you like care bears?
What do you expect me to say? "Yes, they're so adorable"? Of course I don't like care bears. I'm almost 45 freakin' years old! (Which does not explain why I'm filling out memes on the internet OR why I even have a MySpace profile...he he he)

49. What do you buy at the movies?
I don't. Even on the EXTREMELY rare occassion that I'll go to see a movie in a theater, all the concessions are ridiculously over-priced. MAYBE a monster Coke to share with wife and son...that's about it.

51. Do you wear your seatbelt?
Yes. It's the law, you know? And once you've been busted for failure to wear your seatbelt (and they slap you with that hefty fine) you kinda remember to buckle up from that point on. Though it may be irresponsible I must say that if it weren't illegal not to wear them, I wouldn't.

52. What do you wear to sleep?
I sleep butt naked. Whoopee!

53. Anything big ever happen in your hometown?
Ha ha ha ha ha ha! You're joking, right?

54. How many meals do you eat a day?
2 or 3.

55. Is your tongue pierced?
Nope. Can't see the point of it (although I'm sure the millions who've had their tongues pierced had a good, utilitarian purpose for doing it)

56. Ever meet anyone you met on MySpace?
Can't say that I have. Most of my MySpace friends are people/bands I already know.

57. Do you read myspace bulletins?
Depends on who posts them. Most of the time I do, though. Don't be offended if I don't respond to "chain letter" type bulletins. It doesn't mean I don't consider you a friend. I just don't forward anything to anyone, basically.

58. Do you like funny or serious people better?
Probably serious people. My wife's pretty serious, if that means anything...I gotta LIVE with her.

59. Ever been to L.A.?
No, and I don't really have any desire to go there. I'd rather spend some time in New York.

60. Did you eat a cookie today?
No, but believe it or not, I ate one yesterday. One of those big cookies you get at Subway. I'm not really much of a cookie eater, though, to be honest.

61. Do you use cuss words in other languages?
Nope. Just English.

62. Do you steal or pay for your music downloads?
The few music files I've downloaded were from LimeWire, so yeah, I guess I stole 'em. I don't need internet music downloads because I have a CD collection that's 2,000 strong PLUS I have XM Satellite Radio.

63. Do you like chocolate?
When I was a kid I kinda had a taste for chocolate, but anymore I just don't care for it. We're talking about plain chocolate here, because I DO like Snickers, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Heath and few other candy bars.

64. What do you and your parents fight about the most?
I don't remember fighting much with my mom. As for what me and my dad fought about, what have you got? Just about anything and everything.

65. Are you a gullible person?
I hope not.

66. Do you need a boyfriend/girlfriend to be happy?
10 years ago, probably yes. Now, probably no.

67. If you could have any job what would it be?
Police officer. You didn't say I had to have any aptitude for it.

68. Are you easy to get along with?
I think most folks would say I'm NOT easy to get along with, not counting long term friends. Not that I'm cranky or anything, I'm just introverted and I don't trust a lot of people.

69. What is your favorite time of day?
Bedtime, of course.

Jubal Blog: 7th Tri-City Jam Session

April Fools shenanigans notwithstanding, the 7th Tri-City jam session went down yesterday and, in stark contrast to the last couple of weeks, we had quite a few jammers show up. We've been doing this for almost 2 months now so it's no wonder the word has spread about our little Sunday parties.

Let's see, we had Alan on guitar (at least I think that's his name), Lee on guitar, Dave on bass, Robert on drums, Jimmy on drums and Isaac on keyboards. As far as I know it was the first time these guys had ever played with each other (I could be wrong). They played several songs...and spent a lot of time tuning up---LOL. They did a good job, especially on such short notice.

Next up was a short set by a rock band called Element of Existence (and there's no way we'll ever forget the name, as the singer said it over the microphone at least 40-50 times). Loud and pretty doggone heavy, these guys were a bit of a change of pace for the Tri-City jam session. Regardless, they were quite entertaining and received a tremendous outpouring of support from the audience. I'm told that these guys are gearing up to perform at a Battle of the Bands somewhere, and I think I speak for all of Jubal Modine & the Love Handles when I wish them the best of luck. They all seemed like nice guys (plus they brought ALL of their own equipment! Kudos!).

We brought the show to a close with Alan, who really wanted to perform the Marshall Tucker Band's "Can't You See" with us. It was an excellent rendition.

As for our band, we only got to play the first set, there were so many jammers. It was a pretty good set. Not our best, but there were highlights. "Werewolves of London" sounded great, IMO. A couple of other songs...

Remember, folks, there will NOT be a jam session this coming Sunday, April 8. It's Easter, you know, and some of us are going to be spending time with our families while the rest of us are going to be hunting Easter eggs.

Jubal failed to make an appearance yesterday. Instead he opted to stay home and write letters to the President. "I can't be bothered," he said, "I'm lost in the Thesaurus!...Get it? Lost in the Thesaurus...kinda rhymes, see?"

Here are a few pictures of the band for ya...








Left to Right:
Jeff Easley-Keyboards, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
Charles Casey-Drums, Vocals
Jim Casey (me)-Bass, Vocals
Roger Holman-Guitar, Vocals