Springsteen is superb

Press, 21 June 1984, Page 12

Springsteen is superb

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN “Born In The U.SA.” (CBS SBP38008).

Right from the opening bars of the title track, this album is simply superb — the best of ’B4 so far. The song, “Born In The U.S.A.” takes on the mantle of an anthem summing up the modern American experience after Vietnam and living with the recession — the themes it deals with run right through the album, and the song itself features heavy drumming, and soaring keyboards and vocals, more fitting for a finale. “Cover Me,” the next track, is probably the pick of the whole album. The song roars like an R. and B. celebration, with Springsteen playing his guitar like he was Neil Young, as he appeals for help against a tough world.

But the album switches to the more impersonal for the next four tracks. “Darlington County” slows down the pace with “Wayne and Me” trying to make it, with the final letdown of Wayne handcuffed to a state trooper’s Ford. The song is summed up in Clarence Clemon’s haunting sax solo. “Working On The Highway” comes on like Eddie Cochran’s “Summertime Blues.” A 50s guitar sound with beautiful keyboards in the chorus, the irony of the song is inescapable as the character in the song moves from being bored working on a highway gang to working in a prison gang after “we lit out down to Florida, we got along all right/One day her brothers came and got her and they took/me in a black and white.” “Downbound Train” is an-

other short story of a man laid off work; his wife leaves on a train; and he finally ends up working on the track, all reflected in the sad vocals by Springsteen. “I’m On Fire” picks up the pace, with a nice guitar sound that Johnny Cash favours. The keyboards sound eerie and the drums are like a metronome with time ticking away, as the urgency of the singer indicates for the surrender of the girl. The track picks up the album from the previous sad songs.

Side two continues this more personal theme, opening with “No Surrender.” It is played exactly as it sounds, in a typical, driving Springsteen style with nice snatches of church organ from Dan Federici.

“Bobby Jean” and “Dancing In The Dark” are probably the most personal of the songs. In spite of the departure of Bobby Jean, Springsteen sings more in terms of a celebration, and “Dancing In the Dark” is a thoughtful song, also with a lot of hope, helped by a driving rhythm from the drums of Max Weinberg. “I’m Going Down” features some lovely bass lines by Gary Tallent, as the song deals with the aftermath of “Fire” — a cooling relationship. Clemons plays a nice sax break here and also on “Bobby Jean.” “Glory Days” shows Springsteen he is not fooled by the good old days, in spite of the calls of “No Surrender” to time at the start of side B.

“My Hometown” is the final track, but it is the most moving. Its simple lyrics understate the big

changes in society. From the stability of a father showing his son the hometown from a Buick; the son growing up in the race riots of ’65, losing his job in the recession; the husband and wife talking of moving; to the husband showing the son “his hometown” now. It sums up much of the album. What looked promising has turned to dust and the dreams have been lost. “Bom in the U.S.A.” is a powerful album, packed with talent and brilliance. The use of differing rock styles, the quality of the songs, including lyrics and music, make the album a goldmine to listen to. Springsteen leaves Bob Seger and Billy Joel for dead.

JOE COCKER “Civilized Man” (Liberation L 185032). Two years ago Joe Cocker proved he was not a rock has-been. His album, “Sheffield Steel,” made great listening and marked a renaissance in his career. One of the reasons why it was such a good album was the work of the übiquitous reggae sessionmen, Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare. “I don’t think that “Civilized Man” is as strong because of the impact that the two session musicians made on the previous album. The new LP features L.A. session musicians on side one and Nashville players on side two, with different producers for each section. There are moments when “Civilized Man” takes off. The title track, with the L.A. sound, is particularly strong, but there is just not the same atmosphere that

seemed to hold “Sheffield Steel” together, a feeling I put down to the sound that L.A. produces, which seems ordinary now. The Nashville side comes out best on the version of “Hold On (I Feel Our Love Is Changing),” already done by B. B. King and the Crusaders. Cocker puts a lot of soul into this R. and B. track. All the musicians are not Nashville veterans, however. Jim Horn shines on alto sax in the rocky “A Girl Like You,” and the percussionist, Paulinho da Costa, is featured on three of the five songs. However, after “Sheffield Steel” this album is disappointing. There are no real Cocker classics here, and certainly no truly memorable tracks.

- NEVIN TOPP