[Powderworks] The Boss
Music Is Special
musicisspecial@hotmail.com
Sun, 22 Sep 2002 12:34:36 -0500
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I too am a big Boss fan - I'll be seeing him four times in the next 10 =
days. Tunnel of Love is outstanding - one of my top three. As to the =
question pf people who look at big themes - I don't think there are =
others who do it as such a high proportion of their songs as Midnight =
Oil does. There are a few others who have a long history of writing a =
fair number of songs on big issues but they are not Americans either =
(though two are residents):
Joni Mitchell -- list to Dog Eat Dog (the first record to protest =
Reagen/Bush excesses) or more recent Taming the Tiger etc. =20
Neil Young - Cortez the Killer, Let it Roll, his pro-farmer songs, etc.
Gang of Four and the Clash - defunkt now but full of protests
Bob Marley - hardly anything but protest
There have been less well know US bands like the Red Rockers but the =
only major US protest singer I can think of is Bob Dylan.
e
----- Original Message -----=20
From: GrnVillageGirl@aol.com=20
To: powderworks@cs.colorado.edu=20
Sent: Saturday, September 21, 2002 9:14 PM
Subject: [Powderworks] The Boss
I am very familiar with Bruce Springsteen's work. The difference is =
that he writes mainly about personal relationships, while the Oils write =
more in the 'universal' sense.
In a million years, the Oils would never produce a "Rosalita," much as =
Springsteen would be incapable of coming up with a "Warakurna."
Bruce is a creature of the suburbs, the seashore and the city (much =
like the Oils, originally, now that I think of it) so these settings =
turn up most often in his work -- excepting "Nebraska," which has a more =
rural sensibility on some tracks. Nonetheless, he doesn't write about =
the land and the earth so much as he does about people, and matters of =
the heart and soul. That is his particular interest, and gift.
BTW, if anyone here hasn't heard "Nebraska" (which has gotten rather =
short shrift, as it's not one of his 'big rock & roll' albums), I =
suggest you give it a good listen. It's an extraordinary artistic =
achievement, and so moving that it gives you chills.
I'm also a big fan of the underrated "Tunnel of Love."
When it comes to putting on a rock show, Springsteen (who turns 53 on =
Monday -- so happy birthday, Bruce) takes a back seat to no one. It's a =
different experience entirely from the Oils, like comparing apples and =
oranges, except that both artists will leave you exhilarated, moved, =
exhausted, thrilled. I'm not saying one is better than the other, so =
don't start throwing tomatoes.
I've seen literally thousands of concerts in my life, including over 3 =
dozen Springsteen shows since 1976, and about 2 dozen Oils shows -- give =
or take a few -- since '85.
Steve Earle is also an exceptional songwriter, championing the =
downtrodden and particularly the imprisoned, although his performances =
have nowhere near the electricity of either Springsteen or Midnight Oil.
The question was, I think, do we as Americans have anybody who speaks =
to the same issues as the Oils in such a powerful way? And the answer =
is, I think not. The good thing is, as other Powderworkers have already =
pointed out, we DO have the Oils -- thank goodness they're still in =
action, still as vital and still as powerful -- and their music is =
transcendent enough to embrace the globe, while remaining distinctly =
Australian in origin.
Fortunate, aren't we?
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I too am a big Boss fan - I'll be =
seeing him four=20
times in the next 10 days. Tunnel of Love is outstanding - one of =
my top=20
three. As to the question pf people who look at big themes - I =
don't think=20
there are others who do it as such a high proportion of their songs as =
Midnight=20
Oil does. There are a few others who have a long history of =
writing a fair=20
number of songs on big issues but they are not Americans either (though =
two are=20
residents):</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Joni Mitchell -- list to Dog Eat Dog =
(the first=20
record to protest Reagen/Bush excesses) or more recent Taming the Tiger=20
etc. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Neil Young - Cortez the Killer, Let it =
Roll, his=20
pro-farmer songs, etc.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Gang of Four and the Clash - defunkt =
now but full=20
of protests</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Bob Marley - hardly anything but=20
protest</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>There have been less well know US bands =
like the=20
Red Rockers but the only major US protest singer I can think of is Bob=20
Dylan.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>e</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
<A title=3DGrnVillageGirl@aol.com=20
href=3D"mailto:GrnVillageGirl@aol.com">GrnVillageGirl@aol.com</A> =
</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=3Dpowderworks@cs.colorado.edu=20
=
href=3D"mailto:powderworks@cs.colorado.edu">powderworks@cs.colorado.edu</=
A>=20
</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, September 21, =
2002 9:14=20
PM</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Powderworks] The =
Boss</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT><BR></DIV><FONT =
face=3Darial,helvetica><FONT=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" size=3D2>I am very familiar with =
Bruce=20
Springsteen's work. The difference is that he writes mainly about =
personal=20
relationships, while the Oils write more in the 'universal' =
sense.<BR>In a=20
million years, the Oils would never produce a "Rosalita," much as =
Springsteen=20
would be incapable of coming up with a "Warakurna."<BR>Bruce is a =
creature of=20
the suburbs, the seashore and the city (much like the Oils, =
originally, now=20
that I think of it) so these settings turn up most often in his work =
--=20
excepting "Nebraska," which has a more rural sensibility on some =
tracks.=20
Nonetheless, he doesn't write about the land and the earth so much as =
he does=20
about people, and matters of the heart and soul. That is his =
particular=20
interest, and gift.<BR>BTW, if anyone here hasn't heard "Nebraska" =
(which has=20
gotten rather short shrift, as it's not one of his 'big rock & =
roll'=20
albums), I suggest you give it a good listen. It's an extraordinary =
artistic=20
achievement, and so moving that it gives you chills.<BR>I'm also a big =
fan of=20
the underrated "Tunnel of Love."<BR>When it comes to putting on a rock =
show,=20
Springsteen (who turns 53 on Monday -- so happy birthday, Bruce) takes =
a back=20
seat to no one. It's a different experience entirely from the Oils, =
like=20
comparing apples and oranges, except that both artists will leave you=20
exhilarated, moved, exhausted, thrilled. I'm not saying one is better =
than the=20
other, so don't start throwing tomatoes.<BR>I've seen literally =
thousands of=20
concerts in my life, including over 3 dozen Springsteen shows since =
1976, and=20
about 2 dozen Oils shows -- give or take a few -- since '85.<BR>Steve =
Earle is=20
also an exceptional songwriter, championing the downtrodden and =
particularly=20
the imprisoned, although his performances have nowhere near the =
electricity of=20
either Springsteen or Midnight Oil.<BR>The question was, I think, do =
we as=20
Americans have anybody who speaks to the same issues as the Oils in =
such a=20
powerful way? And the answer is, I think not. The good thing is, as =
other=20
Powderworkers have already pointed out, we DO have the Oils -- thank =
goodness=20
they're still in action, still as vital and still as powerful -- and =
their=20
music is transcendent enough to embrace the globe, while remaining =
distinctly=20
Australian in origin.<BR>Fortunate, aren't=20
we?<BR><BR><BR><BR></BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></FONT></BODY></HTML>
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