My intro to the Boss came December 1984. Born in the USA was at the top of the charts and must have been one of the automatic answers to "what album would my daughter like for Christmas?" at the record store. Boston's self-titled opus must have been the other because I received multiple copies of both. On vinyl AND cassette.
Yes, obviously. Those are perfect choices for a ten year-old girl. F*ck you, Sam Goody.
Now that I am at a point in my life where Bruce is age appropriate, how does he strike me?
Old. He sounds old. He makes me feel old. I age as I listen. In fact, I feel as if these earphones are sucking remnants of youth right out of my soul. Get them off!!
The songs that I do recognize on Tunnel of Love conjure aural memories of early jobs at mall food courts and piped in music from the adult contemporary station. The ones that I don't honestly just blend together with the rest of the late 80s pop offerings. "Ain't Got You" reminds me of a failed demo track of U2's "All I Want Is You" which would be released shortly afterwards. "Tougher Than the Rest" is just Chris De Burgh's "Lady in Red" in a different color scheme.
"Spare Parts" once again invokes Bono's "When Love Comes to Town" mixed in with some Fabulous Thunderbirds' "Tuff Enuff." "One Step Up" = Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" (which, incidentally, was penned by Harrisburg's own The Hooters)
"Tunnel of Love," I admit, I like. But only because the Boss is doing his best Lloyd Cole impression. And there's no one smoother than Lloyd Cole.
Listening to Tunnel of Love makes me crave Boardwalk Fries washed down with an A&W root beer float. That, mixed in with its aforementioned reverse Botox effect, cannot be good for my health.
November 13, 2007
Apologies to Jahidi
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3 comments:
Were you riding around in a Delorean time machine with Marty McFly that holiday season? Did your family shop at the worst Sam Goody in history?
Why would the choice of an album come between Bruce Springsteen's "Tunnel of Love" released on October 9, 1987 and Boston's "Boston" released on June 25, 1976?
I will also not even dignify the song comparisons with a response. I nearly fell out of my chair when I saw the "Lady in Red" comparison. I fear what would happen to me if I went through them in more detail.
I told her, "before you say anything bad about 'Tunnel of Love' listen to Don Henley. It'll make Bruce seem like Keats"
Alas, she did not follow my advice. And I think it was 'Born in the USA' and 'Boston' but the chronology doesn't make much sense to me either. Its no wonder Sam Goody went out of business. That and $17.99 CDs!
Dear speed reader Jahidi, please re-read:
"My intro to the Boss came December 1984. Born in the USA was at the top of the charts and must have been one of the automatic answers to "what album would my daughter like for Christmas?"
Re the Boston reference - mea culpa. What I MEANT to say was the eponymous "Third Stage" album (released 1986). All the Boston albums have that ridiculous space ship imagery on the cover. You can't blame a young girl for being confused.
I am sure my family shopped at the worst Sam Goody in history. Worst, of course, being a relative term.
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