TVD Aches

You know, I’ve always liked this room. With the lights out like this, the street lights just flood through the trees and slither up the walls. See? Oh yea, when it rains, there’s no better bay window, I tell you.

OK, sure – I’ll have another. No, you sit, I’ll turn the record over.

I have to laugh, all the years I sat here alone it’s actually nice to have some company. Thanks for stopping by. I mean that.

The Bathers - Dreamless (Mp3)
Big Black Nun - Caramel (Mp3)
The Blue Nile - Easter Parade (Mp3)
Crowded House - Walking On The Spot (Mp3)
Aztec Camera - Knife (Mp3)

TVD | No One Trick Pony

I've been obsessively repeating Bruce Springsteen's "The Wrestler" all morning. The party line is that he wrote this song for the film of the same name (If you haven't seen it, do), about Mickey Rourke's Randy "The Ram" Robinson. But the song can just as easily be heard as a lament on Springsteen's own struggle to stay relevant after 37 years.

Go ahead, make all the relevant criticisms of The Boss - He's a one trick pony. He's repetitive - only 2 of his 15 records depart from his tried and true arena rock template. He's technically a shitty singer. He's technically a shitty guitar player. He's become a caricature of himself. Levy them all, I can't argue. But the fact is that the man has a unique ability to tap into that level of human emotion that actually resides below despair better than any artist I've heard. He is actually able to write from the perspective of people so bleak, the rest of us can't even fathom their desolation.

It's a talent that has kept me coming back for more despite all the things that should have driven me away. But he can't shake me, because in my opinion there are only 2 acceptable answers to the question - "Who is the greatest American songwriter?" Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen.

Bruce Springsteen - Factory (Mp3)
Bruce Springsteen - Stolen Car (Mp3)
Bruce Springsteen - The River (Mp3)
Bruce Springsteen - Racing in the Street (Mp3)
Bruce Springsteen - Atlantic City (Mp3)