Here we are... in less than 24 hours I'll be in my car headed for St. Louis to take in the first of two E Street Band shows in two days. I feel like I made these plans so long ago and now it's all right here on top of me and I'm nowhere near ready for it.
Sunday in St. Louis is a complete Born to Run, Monday in Kansas City is a complete Born in the U.S.A. I know I'll get crushed by someone for saying this, but I'd cut off body parts if I was getting a complete Darkness as some lucky fans in Jersey and Philly got instead of BITUSA. Born To Run is still my favorite E Street Band album, with Darkness a very close second. I've gotten so little from that album in my four previous shows and it's such a great record. I've gotten "Badlands" and "The Promised Land" at all four shows. I've gotten "Prove It All Night" once, and Nils Lofgren was phenomenal. I've gotten the title track once. Those are four great songs but there are so many other good ones from that record and they don't get played as often as they should and I'm afraid I'm going to miss out on them. That just shouldn't happen.
"Candy's Room" used to be a song I only listened to when I was listening to the album in sequence, but something happened when I was driving to Greensboro to take in show #4. I don't know what clicked but I found myself listening to it over and over as I weaved through the Smoky Mountains.
Some of Bruce's music can get a little on the melodramatic side for me. There are some classic songs the majority of his fans love that just don't do much for me. "Candy's Room" has a bit of that melodrama but the song is so wonderfully crafted and the tension is built and released in a brilliant way. I'd like to experience that build and release live, in person. I'd like to watch and listen as Max Weinberg performs one of the finest pieces of drumming her ever put to tape.
I'm not optimistic about getting "Candy's Room" but we're getting close to Halloween. Maybe someone will bring a sign asking for a sweet treat. If I were going to be in the "pit," I might well have.
Article comments
1 - Donald Gibson
I've only heard "Candy's Room" once, last year in Orlando on the Magic tour. It was completely out of the blue and it wasn't really even on my radar of possible songs I'd of wanted to hear him play. But, man, hearing it live made me appreciate it on a whole 'nother level; it was fantastic.
2 - Jennifer
I was so lucky to be at GS2 and able to see the whole of Darkness, which is my absolute favorite album. I took the bus back to NYC, practically floating on air. I've never been so happy in my whole life.
I took a few videos with my point and shoot. They are on youtube if you search for fgh71250 (my username). I hope they give you a little flavor of the shows.
3 - Glen Boyd
Interestingly, Bruce seems to have quietly dropped Badlands from the set. Which means "Promised Land" may be the only song from Darkness you get. Darkness is my favorite Springsteen as well, but seeing BTR and BITUSA complete on back to back nights aint' a bad thing at all. I envy you, and I look forward to hearing you bitch about Sunny Day and Bobby Jean in your review...LOL...
-Glen
4 - Glen Boyd
Actually I take that back about Badlands. He just didn't play it that final night at the Spectrum. But he did play "The Price You Pay," which means you could get it as well since that particular genie appears to be finally out of the bottle.
Damn it all, anyway.
-Glen
5 - JC Mosquito
Candy's Room is kinda creepy. The Velvet Underground could have done this....... wow - imagine the single: "Candy Sez" b/w "Candy's Room" - messed up or what?
6 - pete
Darkness is our fave too, and by the response to the book The Light in Darkness it seems likes its other fans too.