SOD: Bruce Springsteen "We Are Alive

For today's Song Of the Day, I intended on posting "Cowgirl In The Sand," by Neil Young, a facet of any musical library. It's one of those single tracks that feels more massive than certain albums. I had a whole writeup about how it was my dad's favorite Neil Young song, and that before he died he proclaimed that I must teach him at least one of the guitar parts of the song. He said he'd even settle for the bass, but that he had to play one of the parts to the song before he died. I stand before you guilty of not having granted that wish to date. But all this was before I came to the stark realization that I was not using this freshly conceived, embryo of a medium to talk about something that's on the forefront of my mind. And that was the point, no?

"The Boss is back. Well, mine just went on vacation, but the REAL "Boss" is back. Bruce Springsteen. There's a special place for this man in heaven, or wherever HE believes he's going to go (I have no doubt he'll get there). I'm not sure that I can pick out another True American Singer Songwriter that has impacted my life more continually. I was born into his music, and I've spent my life with it. Old and new. Big events and memories in my life always involve music. It's actually how I keep track of dates better than anything. I just think of what I was listening to at a certain time, and that tells me surer than anything when it was. 

"The Rising" was a very important album of his for me. It was poignant to the time, and it could be very personal, all at once. I still remember when I first heard some of those songs like, Empty Sky and Paradise. They were haunting. I remember being frozen in the back seat of the car when Paradise ended, unable to move. Other tracks like Mary's Place or The Rising I attribute to good times in general because they were always playing (and still do whenever this guy is in charge of the radio). It was finally a widely praised, accepted and loved Bruce Album again. It was what America needed at the time. But now, "Wrecking Ball" is a real breach back into the early days, emotionally. He's never lost that physical sound or that fire and if you've seen him tour you know he's still really got it. As in, he can still do what he did 30 years ago. He hasn't lost a step. But this album just has more of "it," than any I've seen in a long time. And I've heard it described as his angriest yet, or variations of, but to me its passionate. Sometimes he sounds like his young, virile self, and sometimes he sounds like a hardened veteran, preaching down the line. But in both cases, and in all cases on this album, there is an honest and powerful energy flowing through it. I should also mention the large Irish influence throughout much of the album, emphasized with tin whistles, accordion, mandolins and violins (a large string section really). St. Patty's Day is after all about to come crashing in. 

This is my kind of Bruce album. He slams into subjects head on with in-your-face lyrics and attitude, like the title track, Wrecking Ball, and the patriotic We Take Care Of Our Own. Others are a bit less obtuse. This Depression, is downright beautiful. Everything is balanced eerily perfectly in this song. From the absolutely soul bending guitar solo (that sounds very uncharacteristic of them, but works), to the synth like choral effects between lines of the chorus. Listen, I could go on forever about each of these songs, and the album in full because it is truly a cover to cover type album in terms of playability. But neither of us has the time. The song I have gotten hooked on at the moment has a quiet power that builds into a force beyond reckoning. In certain instances I can hear similarities to the Mumford & Sons album, which I thought was brilliant. It's called We Are Alive. It's an amazing example of writing (lyrically and musically), arranging, and emotion all coming together to create something, well...Great. Yea. It doesn't need a big fancy SAT word. I don't think Bruce would give it one either. It's simply a great, big, lively song. Enjoy (hopefully like I am).