This wonderful collection of songs is an absolute treasure trove of unreleased Springsteen. Here are 21 songs from the sessions for 'Darkness on the Edge of Town' that didn't make it to the final album which was released in 1978.
After the success of 'Born to Run' in 1975 Springsteen was forced into a legal battle with his former manager, Mike Appel, this is a separate story in itself but the result was that Springsteen was unable to release a record for three long years which back in the 1970's was basically career suicide. These days bands take years to get around to making new albums but back then it really wasn't very common (just take a look at the '70's discographies of Bowie, Zeppelin, John Martyn or any other notable artist and you'll see what I mean, they used to knock out a masterpiece most years).
Springsteen in his frustration wrote over 70 songs and recorded all of them with the E Street Band between 1976 and 1978, after much agonising he then whittled this down to the final 10 songs that ended up on 'Darkness'. What happened to the others? Some turned up on 'The River', others on the 'Tracks' box set, some even changed form and ended up on future albums ('Fire' changed to 'I'm on Fire' on 'Born in the U.S.A') but many were simply locked away until now.
On listening to this double CD and having watched the accompanying documentary on HBO it seems incredible that some of these songs were shelved. Steve Van Zandt on an appearance on 'Jimmy Fallon' said that an alternative title to this collection should have been '70 Lost Arguments'. There is some amazing stuff on here, the alternative, far livelier version of 'Racing in the Street' which opens the collection is a very different take on the version we all know and features a beautiful David Lindley violin solo. 'Gotta Get That Feeling' is a wonderful '60's pop song and 'Someday (We'll Be Together) is a sweeping arrangement with echoes of Phil Spector. It's great to finally hear the studio version of 'Because The Night' too, and 'Candy's Boy' is the working version of what ended up as 'Candy's Room' on the final album.
For me the focal point of this collection is the title track, 'The Promise'. Any fan will tell you that this is one of the great lost songs and Springsteen has resurrected it in concert and on record before, but here, finally is the original studio version and it is beautiful. Another song of interest is 'Come On (Let's Go Tonight)' which fans will recognise as the same melody as 'Factory' albeit with a much lighter vocal lyrically.
As an aside, some of these songs, such as the aforementioned 'Someday (We'll Be Together)' do sound like expert pastiches of other syles of music (Spector, Orbison) and in that respect, for me this collection resembles 'The River' tonally. It also gives the listener a greater understanding of why Springsteen abandoned these songs at the time. 'Save My Love' is a hit that never happened and it's difficult to understand how you could lock away a song like this but you have to admire Spingsteen's reasons for doing so, he wanted a stark, austere album for 'Darkness on the Edge of Town' which sounded like nothing that had gone before it and in order to fulfil his ambition he had to sacrifice songs along the way. Needless to say, he absolutely achieved his ambition as 'Darkness' stands up as one of his great albums. I'm just relieved that even 30 years later we get to hear these lost songs in this fabulous collection, the world is a better place with them in it.
A lot of care has gone into this collection and the discerning ear will pick out the occasional vocal which has been re-recorded or touched up but it certainly doesn't detract from one's enjoyment of the songs.
I can only hope that these 'lost' albums keep turning up and I have my fingers crossed that the fabled alternate, full E Street Band version of 'Nebraska' will surface eventually but this will certainly keep me happy for many months to come.
Disc 1:
1. Racing In The Street ('78)
2. Gotta Get That Feeling
3. Outside Looking In
4. Someday (We'll Be Together)
5. One Way Street
6. Because The Night
7. Wrong Side Of The Street
8. The Brokenhearted
9. Rendezvous
10. Candy's Boy
Disc 2:
1. Save My Love
2. Ain't Good Enough For You
3. Fire
4. Spanish Eyes
5. It's A Shame
6. Come On (Let's Go Tonight)
7. Talk To Me
8. The Little Things (My Baby Does)
9. Breakaway
10. The Promise
11. City Of Night
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Ween at 1st Bank Center, Broomfield, Colorado, October 31st, 2010
My first Ween show this Halloween was an epic, ear-splitting extravaganza which went on for 3 hours and 15 minutes. In that time the band played 36 songs from all of their records, they dressed as rabbits, they played 'Let's Dance' by Bowie and there were huge instrumental breaks. It was fantastic, slightly maddening at times, incredibly loud and overwhelming.
Ween as anyone who knows them will attest, are a one-off. Funny, subversive and seriously weird. Their music hops around genres, defying easy categorisation. They have built up a loyal following over the last 20 years which enables them to pack out venues like this one with close to 5000 screaming, drunk and stoned fans all dressed up for Halloween and raring to go.
Opening with the instrumental 'Fiesta' the stage resembled a sort of carnival as the band came on stage as rabbits. Next was 'Don't Get 2 Close (2 My Fantasy)' with the crowd singing along to every word. Gradually parts of the costumes started to come off the five members (credit must go to guitarist Dean Ween, who kept his on the whole evening minus the head, I'm surprised he didn't pass out). After that it was pretty much a greatest hits set for Ween fans although many of these songs have evolved live and were much, much longer than their studio counterparts. 'Transdermal Celebration' was the ultimate classic rock song with Dean throwing back his head whilst playing the solo, 'Take Me Away' had the crowd going completely crazy and whilst everyone was singing to 'Spinal Meningitis (Got Me Down)' it got me thinking, how on earth did this song (disturbing to say the least) turn into a joyous singalong? How have this band reached the point where thousands of fans know all the words to their songs? The answer to that, is that behind the apparent pastiche in some songs and the goofiness and humour, the music is just really, really good. They know what they are doing and how to craft a good song. However, some of these songs almost lost me in places as they veered off into massive guitar solos that went on for ten minutes, I'm certainly not averse to instrumental breaks but it did seem at a couple of points during the show that they had turned into a jam-band which I thought was slightly ironic, since Ween have always expressed distaste for that particular type of music. There was no denying though, that this was their night, with no support the band were clearly in the mood to keep playing until the plug was pulled and they certainly went for it.
Highlights included a rocking version of 'Gabrielle', the cover of 'Let's Dance' which almost tore the roof off the venue, and a surprisingly moving version of 'Sarah' with just Gene and Dean playing their guitars.
I have to mention just how good the band are. The founding duo, Dean and Gene Ween (aka Aaron Freeman and Micky Melchiondo) were joined by their longstanding fellow bandmembers Claude Coleman Jr on drums, Dave Dreiwitz (bass) and Glenn McClelland on keyboards, all of whom are outstanding musicians and the ease with which they play together is evident. Dean Ween even stepped behind the drum kit for a beautiful rendition of 'The Mollusk' towards the end of the show.
The encore was another show in itself, kicking off with one of their uniquely disturbing pop songs 'Mister, Would You Please Help My Pony' , followed by crowd favourite 'Freedom of '76' and then the rocking 'Stroker Ace', the band played out with a 20 minute version of their Prince-like 'L.M.L.Y.P'. By the end of the song there was about 30 women up on stage dancing. It was a fittingly bizarre end to the longest concert I've ever witnessed and celebration of all things Ween.
Setlist.
1. Fiesta
2. Don't Get 2 Close (2 My Fantasy)
3. Touch My Tooter
4. Transdermal Celebration
5. Hey There Fancy Pants
6. Take Me Away
7. Spinal Meningitis (Got Me Down)
8. Learnin' To Love
9. Don't Sweat It
10. Voodoo Lady
11. Your Party
12. My Own Bare Hands
13. Happy Colored Marbles
14. Up On the Hill
15. Gabrielle
16. Piss Up a Rope
17. Reggaejunkiejew
18. Let's Dance (David Bowie cover)
19. Buckingham Green
20. Ice Castles
21. Final Alarm
22. Back to Basom
23, Sarah
24. She Fucks Me
25. Bananas and Blow
26. Booze Me Up and Get Me High
27. Push Th' Little Daisies
28. Roses Are Free
29. Piano "Interlude" -- Glenn McClelland
30. The Mollusk
31. Doctor Rock
32. Blarney Stone
Encore:
33. Mister, Would You Please Help My Pony?
34. Freedom of '76
35. Stroker Ace
36. Pusher Man Intro/LMLYP
Ween as anyone who knows them will attest, are a one-off. Funny, subversive and seriously weird. Their music hops around genres, defying easy categorisation. They have built up a loyal following over the last 20 years which enables them to pack out venues like this one with close to 5000 screaming, drunk and stoned fans all dressed up for Halloween and raring to go.
Opening with the instrumental 'Fiesta' the stage resembled a sort of carnival as the band came on stage as rabbits. Next was 'Don't Get 2 Close (2 My Fantasy)' with the crowd singing along to every word. Gradually parts of the costumes started to come off the five members (credit must go to guitarist Dean Ween, who kept his on the whole evening minus the head, I'm surprised he didn't pass out). After that it was pretty much a greatest hits set for Ween fans although many of these songs have evolved live and were much, much longer than their studio counterparts. 'Transdermal Celebration' was the ultimate classic rock song with Dean throwing back his head whilst playing the solo, 'Take Me Away' had the crowd going completely crazy and whilst everyone was singing to 'Spinal Meningitis (Got Me Down)' it got me thinking, how on earth did this song (disturbing to say the least) turn into a joyous singalong? How have this band reached the point where thousands of fans know all the words to their songs? The answer to that, is that behind the apparent pastiche in some songs and the goofiness and humour, the music is just really, really good. They know what they are doing and how to craft a good song. However, some of these songs almost lost me in places as they veered off into massive guitar solos that went on for ten minutes, I'm certainly not averse to instrumental breaks but it did seem at a couple of points during the show that they had turned into a jam-band which I thought was slightly ironic, since Ween have always expressed distaste for that particular type of music. There was no denying though, that this was their night, with no support the band were clearly in the mood to keep playing until the plug was pulled and they certainly went for it.
Highlights included a rocking version of 'Gabrielle', the cover of 'Let's Dance' which almost tore the roof off the venue, and a surprisingly moving version of 'Sarah' with just Gene and Dean playing their guitars.
I have to mention just how good the band are. The founding duo, Dean and Gene Ween (aka Aaron Freeman and Micky Melchiondo) were joined by their longstanding fellow bandmembers Claude Coleman Jr on drums, Dave Dreiwitz (bass) and Glenn McClelland on keyboards, all of whom are outstanding musicians and the ease with which they play together is evident. Dean Ween even stepped behind the drum kit for a beautiful rendition of 'The Mollusk' towards the end of the show.
The encore was another show in itself, kicking off with one of their uniquely disturbing pop songs 'Mister, Would You Please Help My Pony' , followed by crowd favourite 'Freedom of '76' and then the rocking 'Stroker Ace', the band played out with a 20 minute version of their Prince-like 'L.M.L.Y.P'. By the end of the song there was about 30 women up on stage dancing. It was a fittingly bizarre end to the longest concert I've ever witnessed and celebration of all things Ween.
Setlist.
1. Fiesta
2. Don't Get 2 Close (2 My Fantasy)
3. Touch My Tooter
4. Transdermal Celebration
5. Hey There Fancy Pants
6. Take Me Away
7. Spinal Meningitis (Got Me Down)
8. Learnin' To Love
9. Don't Sweat It
10. Voodoo Lady
11. Your Party
12. My Own Bare Hands
13. Happy Colored Marbles
14. Up On the Hill
15. Gabrielle
16. Piss Up a Rope
17. Reggaejunkiejew
18. Let's Dance (David Bowie cover)
19. Buckingham Green
20. Ice Castles
21. Final Alarm
22. Back to Basom
23, Sarah
24. She Fucks Me
25. Bananas and Blow
26. Booze Me Up and Get Me High
27. Push Th' Little Daisies
28. Roses Are Free
29. Piano "Interlude" -- Glenn McClelland
30. The Mollusk
31. Doctor Rock
32. Blarney Stone
Encore:
33. Mister, Would You Please Help My Pony?
34. Freedom of '76
35. Stroker Ace
36. Pusher Man Intro/LMLYP
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)