Californication

Well, I'm a travellin' fool, visiting California for the 4 Bruce Springsteen shows: 2 in Oakland & 2 in LA.

From the Golden Gate Bridge...

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...To the Bruce show

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From the fires in Oakland....

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...To the Bruce show

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From Hollywood...

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...To the Bruce show

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The shows were awesome, although the first night set lists have little variance. The 2nd shows are definitely the money shows. If you're thinking of seeing only one, make it a second-nighter, where he's rotating in songs from Darkness and BTR. My fave to-date: Adam Raised A Cain.

And I even met Henry Winkler, who effused "He's the greatest."
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Radio Nowhere <<<<<>>>> BRUCE !

Wow, Bruce Springsteen's new album, Magic will be released October 2, with a tour to follow! He's back with the E Street Band, and this album promises to definitely be more rockin' than the last 3. I wouldn't be surprised if his label "urged" him to go more commercial this time around and produce something for them more akin to the Born in the USA phenomena for which they reaped the rewards several fistfuls more than expected.

The first single, Radio Nowhere, is a surefire exhilarating hit, although the lyrics remain the biting commentary of our society Bruce has favored in the last decade or so. It's been leaked all over the internet (YouTube, torrents, etc) likely by the label itself since the sound is studio perfect. It should create some great buzz and get the word out to the thinning fan base desperate for some of the Old Time Bruce instead of the post-9/11 Bruce we've been getting. I'd like to think that the Pete Seeger Sessions reinvigorated Bruce and urged his creative hand in this direction.

The intro is straight out of classic 70's rock and roll, and the tune itself could be easily mistaken for a classic R.E.M. song. I guess all that hanging out with Michael Stipe during those benefit concerts paid off. I wasn't thrilled with it and found it a bit of fluff at first blush, but after letting it repeat several plays through, the hook definitely got me and I began to appreciate the composition. Very deliberate and purposeful, I predict it will be his Next Big Hit.
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