I saw my first Boss concert last week. It will be my last one too. It was like watching an Oliver Stone and a Steven Spielberg movie at the same time in an IMax cinema with 3D magnifying glasses. Four hours on end.
I know now what larger than life means. Spare me.
A few observations:
- If you have someone as good as Nils Lofgren playing guitar for you you should give him some space even if you are a legend like Bruce or Litte Steven, but cannot play guitar nearly as well as Lil' Lofgren.
- It's nice if a song has a melody. You may want to repeat it. But not over and over again with five or more melody instruments playing blaring it in unison towards the end of every song. For several minutes.
- Compared to the sonic barrage of the E-Street Band many heavy metal bands are disciplined and economical. Maybe music as simplistic as Bruce's does not need to be played by three electric guitars, a hammering piano, an oversize horn section that should take lessons with either Chicago or Blood, Sweat & Tears as regards neatness of arrangements, a violinist, Max Weinberg's unsympathetic drumming, an accordeon player and what have you ...
- I always assumed that Jon Bon Jovi patterned latter day Bon Jovi after The Boss' sonic assault. I was wrong. Somewhere along the line Springsteen turned his band into a sloppy Bon Jovi II.
- Garry Tallent had throughout all the mayhem a nice warm sound and was actually tasteful at times - a living minority on stage the man.
- Herr Springsteen works hard for the money, I'll grant him that.
