Some musicians...okay, ROCK STAHS.... manage to keep it no matter how old they get. One of the few is Bruce Springsteen.
While i am not a rabid fan of his, i am a fan. i realized this in 1985 while driving down Route 1A to Jamestown to pick up Esme. The local "alternative" station, WBRU, was truly anti-play list- they would play Cream and then Lords of the New Church, The Who then Dead Kennedys.... it was unpredictable, and a hell of a lot of fun. Years later they purchased the million dollar "cutting edge" format and that was that.
That night, they played "Jungleland", and when i heard the opening piano i had to pull my car over. Sure, i had heard "Born to Run." My eighth grade year was filled with "The River," and most of my high school experience was sound tracked by "Born in the USA," which i hated. But "Jungleland" showed me why he was such a phenomena in 1974. i bought "Born to Run" a couple of days later.
Tonight, VH-1 Classic is playing live clips of artists who have played Hyde Park. Springsteen and the E Street Band played "London Calling."
Just when i thought he couldn't get any cooler.
