"I've escaped it, a life wasted/And I'm never going back again." - Pearl Jam, "Life Wasted"

Thursday, November 09, 2006

The Saints Are Coming

- Go download this song. By U2 and Green Day, IMO the only two bands that matter now.

- Just had a long drive around the island, with Bruce Springsteen blasting in the car stereo. I realised I had to do a top 10 on a musician I'm still in awe of. So here goes.

10. Streets Of Philadelphia
Perhaps the most restrained song of his. Yet one of his most moving, a stark portrayal of an Aids victim for the film "Philadelphia".

9. Atlantic City
With a guitar and a four-track, he recorded this sad gambling tale. No need for refinement.

8. My Hometown
There are more famous songs from his "Born In The USA" album, but none as poignant.

7. Brilliant Disguise
The best song about a relationship falling apart.

6. Born To Run
His first hit, and he piles on the grandiosity. Beneath it, however, is a desperate tale that we can relate to - to leave our small neighbourhood and make it big.

5. I'm On Fire
A short interlude, but somehow, I find it extraordinarily moving.

4. Born In The USA
No it's not a patriotic song.

3. The River
Jobs can kill relationships. The heartbreaking line: "Is a dream a lie if it don't come true/Or is it something worse?"

2. Darkness On The Edge Of Town
His bleakest song, yet perhaps his truest.

1. Thunder Road
No other song encapsulates as much joy, pain, anger and happiness into four unforgettable minutes of rock and roll.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home