“Fear’s a powerful thing
It can turn your heart black you can trust
It’ll take your God filled soul
And fill it with devils and dust.”
The
chorus of the title track from Bruce Springsteen’s latest CD/DVD sets
the tone and theme for the entire disc. If you’re looking for the
“Born to Run” or “Born in the USA” rockin’ E Street Band kind of stuff,
this ain’t it. Folks may be surprised to see me reviewing
something from a “popular artist” who gets $85+ for tickets to
his shows, but this music is OKOM - Our Kind Of Music...songwriting at
its finest!
I married a true Springsteen fan, and for most of our 15+ years
together, I’ve been the “okay” fan. You know, “it’s okay to hear a
song or two, but not a lot and not terribly often and only because
you’re my spouse”. Some of the older stuff had grown on me, and
then seeing him on the “Tom Joad” tour won me over a little more.
This latest effort, though, is really, really good.
In the media blitz of interviews, Springsteen admits this CD is more
comparable to “Nebraska” and “The Ghost of Tom Joad”. These songs are
dark, tragic, gripping and insightful. Of the two sides, the DVD,
though only 5 songs, is the best. But then, I prefer when it’s just the
man, his story, his guitar and his harmonica.
“Devils and Dust”, the first song, is particularly striking right now.
It’s written from the perspective of a soldier overseas, something very
near and dear to most of us at this time. Somehow, Springteen manages to
step into the shoes of the unknown soldier, and in turn put you into
those shoes. It’s not an anti-war song per se, but it does make
you want to just pull this guy out of the war, hold him close and bring
him home. You actually feel what’s going on inside the soldier,
and it’s not comfortable.
This disc came with a warning label stating “This song contains some
adult imagery.” Yes, it does. It will be interesting to see
if any of the “religious biggies” come out and blast the artist and his
music because of the song “Reno”. I had the good fortune to see
Springsteen talk about the song before I heard it. He laughed and
said that “Actually, it’s a love song.” It’s graphic, with detailed
dialogue and description of a man with a prostitute. But he’s
right, it’s a love song. It’s all about being somewhere
physically, but emotionally elsewhere. It seems often in today’s
music that singers throw in cursing and sexuality for shock value, but I
didn’t feel this was the case. Sometimes making a point takes a
dose of reality. Once again, he does this very well and in his own
way.
Ironically, another tune further into the CD is “Jesus Was An Only Son”. Springsteen says this song was written from the perspective of Mary, as
his mother. I hadn’t even thought of it before, but she probably did
view him very differently than the rest of the world did then and does
now. Jesus was her son, He just happened to be a big deal, but He was
her baby. But I think my favorite part of the song is the final verse
which reminds the listener a little bit about what faith truly is...
“Well Jesus kissed his mother’s hands
Whispered, ‘Mother still your tears
For remember the soul of the universe
Willed a world and it appeared.’”
The
DVD side of the disc has “The Boss” sitting in a chair in an old house
talking candidly and performing with his guitar and harmonica. The
director sparks some of the conversation with questions. Featuring
five of the songs from the CD side, the DVD was by far my favorite part
of the purchase.
“All I’m Thinkin’ About” on the DVD side sounded differently than the CD.
Reading at the end of the video, I saw the back up singers were wife
Patti, and kids Evan, Jessica, and Sam. It made for a neat touch to the
song, which he sings in a falsetto. The song is a gentler version
of being somewhere physically, yet emotionally being somewhere else.
I think I relate to these type songs, as many music lovers do, because
music has that effect. Being lost in emotion is very akin to being
lost in music.
The final song on both the CD and DVD is “Matamoros Banks”. He describes
the song best in his liner notes.
“Each year many die crossing the desserts, mountains, and rivers of
our southern border in search of a better life. Here I follow the
journey backwards from the body at the river bottom, to the man walking
across the desert towards the banks of the Rio Grande.”
This is a tender and sad song. It’s of love, thanks, hope, faith,
and of not making it. No matter what a person thinks of the
illegal immigrants sneaking in to our country, this song does bring the
listener to at least feel empathy. He once again puts you into the
shoes of his character, giving you a little taste of how it feels to be
someone else.
There’s no sure ‘nuff “Rock and Roll” station in Dallas any more. And
honestly, I don’t think I could categorize this as such. If Kid Rock and
Bret Michaels can be played on country stations, maybe someone will spin
some tunes from “Devils and Dust” there, too. Though considered by many
to be a commercial artist, I would say this one doesn’t fit a commercial
genre. It’s personal storytelling at its finest. There’s not a bad song
on the disc, in fact, they are all strong. You won’t be skipping tracks
on this one.
We got a good deal on this CD/DVD, paid only ten bucks for it. Having
heard and seen it now, it is worth much, much more. It’s not something
to listen to with the kids, and it can’t be listened to lightly. If
you’re on a CD spending budget, move this one to the top of the list.
Lone Star Mama
Written by Dana Jones, May, 2005
