SPRINGSTEEN FOR OBAMA IN PHILLY

Bruce Springsteen pleaded the case for Obama for President at a free rally in Philadelphia on Saturday. Steph Brown and I went down after a lengthy SEPTA hassle getting there but made it in time for Bruce who came on about 30 minutes before his scheduled time. There were approximately 50,000 people there for a rally designed to help register voters in the swing state of Philadelphia.

Bruce played a stirring, emotionally riveting 40+ minute solo acoustic set as City Hall loomed behind him with an American flag billowing in the wind from atop a downtown skyscraper on this beautiful day in the town where this nation was formed.

Each song chosen contained an appropriate line or message of hope and the crowd cheered and sang along at each appropriate phrase.

After former mayor Ed Rendell and Gov. Bob Casey spoke, Bruce came out as rumors of a surprise Obama visit swirled in the wind and said, "I'm not Barack Obama, but I'll do my best," he said. "It's good to be back in my home away from home." Not only the city where the United States got it's official launch, it is also the town that broke Springsteen, who before local DJ Ed Sciokey took up his case and The Boss hit town with some legendary early, long, incendiary shows was known only along the Jersey Shore.

The Promised Land (all audio and video in this blog are from Philly Obama Rally)

THE PROMISED LAND (his tune not Chuck Berry's!)
"The dogs on Main Street howl 'cause they understand
If i could take one moment into my hands
Mister, I ain't a boy, no I'm a man / and I believe in the promised land....
...There's a dark cloud rising from the desert floor
I packed my bags and I'm heading straight into the storm

Gonna be a twister to blow everything down
That ain't got the faith to stand its ground
Blow away the dreams that tear you apart
Blow away the dreams that break your heart
Blow away the lies that leave you nothing but lost and brokenhearted."

Audio of Tom Joad:

THE GHOST OF TOM JOAD
Bruce sings, by way of John Steinbeck,

"Where there's a fight against the blood and hatred in the air

Look for me, Mom, I'll be there

Wherever there's somebody fightin' for a place to stand
Or a decent job or a helpin' hand
Wherever somebody's strugglin' to be free
Look in their eyes, Mom, you'll see me."

Audio of Thunder Road:

THUNDER ROAD
"SHOW A LITTLE FAITH!" (the crowd screams this line with him)

"With a chance to make it work somehow,
hey, what else can we do now
except roll down the windows and let the wind blow back your hair.
Well, the night's bustin' open these two lanes will take us anywhere.
We got one last chance to make it real
to trade in these wings on some wheels
climb in back, heaven's waitin' on down the tracks."

Audio of No Surrender and Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street:



NO SURRENDER
"We made a promise we swore we'd always remember
No retreat no surrender

Like soldiers in the winter's night with a vow to defend
No retreat no surrender."

DOES THIS BUS STOP AT 82ND STREET?
He hasn't played this one in ages but did it in Philly since he'd played it here so much before he was a star...
great line: "The Daily News asks her for the dope / She said, 'Man, the dope's that there's still hope.'"

- he intro'd the next song with a little speech. He wanted to "say a little something" and asked for a rock to hold down the paper he'd read from, "Don't throw it," he laughed.

And man he should be a speech writer for Obama. Eloquent, poignant, pointed and poetic. The Boss...here's what he said. (pt. 1 begins with the end of BUS STOP and ends with 1st half of speech w/ crowd shots and the first minute of THE RISING. Pt. 2 video is most of the speech plus the entire version of THE RISING)


PT. 1:


PT. 2:


"Hello Philly,
"I am glad to be here today for this voter registration drive and for Barack Obama, the next President of the United States.

"I've spent 35 years writing about America, its people, and the meaning of the American Promise. The Promise that was handed down to us, right here in this city from our founding fathers, with one instruction: Do your best to make these things real. Opportunity, equality, social and economic justice, a fair shake for all of our citizens, the American idea, as a positive influence, around the world for a more just and peaceful existence. These are the things that give our lives hope, shape, and meaning. They are the ties that bind us together and give us faith in our contract with one another.

"I've spent most of my creative life measuring the distance between that American promise and American reality. For many Americans, who are today losing their jobs, their homes, seeing their retirement funds disappear, who have no healthcare, or who have been abandoned in our inner cities. The distance between that promise and that reality has never been greater or more painful.

"I believe Senator Obama has taken the measure of that distance in his own life and in his work. I believe he understands, in his heart, the cost of that distance, in blood and suffering, in the lives of everyday Americans. I believe as president, he would work to restore that promise to so many of our fellow citizens who have justifiably lost faith in its meaning. After the disastrous administration of the past 8 years, we need someone to lead us in an American reclamation project. In my job, I travel the world, and occasionally play big stadiums, just like Senator Obama. I've continued to find, wherever I go, America remains a repository of people's hopes, possibilities, and desires, and that despite the terrible erosion to our standing around the world, accomplished by our recent administration, we remain, for many, a house of dreams. One thousand George Bushes and one thousand Dick Cheneys will never be able to tear that house down.

"They will, however, be leaving office, dropping the national tragedies of Katrina, Iraq, and our financial crisis in our laps. Our sacred house of dreams has been abused, looted, and left in a terrible state of disrepair. It needs care; it needs saving, it needs defending against those who would sell it down the river for power or a quick buck. It needs strong arms, hearts, and minds. It needs someone with Senator Obama's understanding, temperateness, deliberativeness, maturity, compassion, toughness, and faith, to help us rebuild our house once again. But most importantly, it needs us. You and me. To build that house with the generosity that is at the heart of the American spirit. A house that is truer and big enough to contain the hopes and dreams of all of our fellow citizens. That is where our future lies. We will rise or fall as a people by our ability to accomplish this task. Now I don't know about you, but I want that dream back, I want my America back, I want my country back.
"So now is the time to stand with Barack Obama and Joe Biden, roll up our sleeves, and come on up for the rising."

THE RISING
"Come on up for the rising
Come on up, lay your hands in mine
Come on up for the rising
Come on up for the rising tonight."

Audio of This Land Is Your Land:

THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND
He sings Woody Guthrie's populist classic with the seldom sung verse with crowd chanting "Yes, We Can" in time to the song. Incredible.

Bruce Springsteen has been the every man's poet laureate of the rock n roll world for the past 35 years and has time and again taken a stand for what he believes in. This show was remarkably moving and to have been a part of it will forever be a memorable and proud moment in my life.


all of the excerpted lyrics in the review above are
Copyright © Bruce Springsteen (ASCAP)
except THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND by Woody Guthrie
© Copyright 1956 (renewed), 1958 (renewed), 1970 and 1972 Ludlow Music, Inc.

RECENT MOVIES I'D RECOMMEND

In the last month or two, these have been the films that really stood out for me at the theaters...

The Fall - the most unique and visually stunning film I've seen in some time



Vicky Cristina Barcelona - Woody Allen's best in a while with wonderful performances from Penelope Cruz (who was also great in ELEGY), Javier Bardiem and Scarlett Johansson.

Tell No One - French crime/romance intrigue in the grande tradition.

Trumbo - bio/doc of the blacklisted writer of Spartacus, Roman Holiday, etc.

Trans-Siberian Express - action thriller set on a train hurtling across Siberia. Ben Kingsley and Woody Harrelson shine.

A Girl Cut In Two - by French legend Claude Chabrol. A sexual black comedy of sorts

Choke - wild and funny with many twists and turns is the story of a sex addict, who is a Williamsburg re-enactor by day and who stages fake Heimlich rescues for aa living by night; dealing with a strange mother in an old folks home by the writer of FIGHT CLUB. With Sam Rockwell, Joel Grey and Anjelica Huston.



Righteous Kill - DeNiro & Pacino star as NYPD partners investigation what may be a serial murderer who is a cop.

Appaloosa - Ed Harris stars and directs a wonderful Western that his characters of quirky depth. also Viggo Mortensen and Renee Zellweger

Towelhead - social drama centered on the coming of age of a young Lebanese/American girl. Written and directed by Alan Ball creator of HBO's Six Feet Under

Also on cable:

The Pledge - Jack Nicholson is powerful, Robin Penn Wright tries to look plain but is still s tunner. Wonderful crime drama about a retired cop's last case.

CD REVIEW: CSNY / Déjà Vu LIVE (Reprise Records)

Boy, did I SO MUCH want this to be a masterpiece. Granted, it’s a live album i.e. a picture of a moment, a glimpse of an evening, a facsimile of an experience. Nostalgia for those who were at the shows of CSNY’s 2006 Freedom of Speech tour, which by all accounts of the long-time fans I’ve spoken to who attended, was very moving, inspirational and impassioned.

And yes, if you are a right-wing fan of CSNY (there must be some...those who just like good music, or perhaps some who don’t get what they hear or pay attention to the words – like those who thought BORN IN THE U.S.A. was a pro-Reagan song), you should probably stay away from this CD, and I’m sure if you're a neo-con who happened to find yourselves in attendance at these shows you will run from this CD in due course.

For you old hippies, left wingers, hopeful idealists, cynical rebels, believers in free speech and democracy this just might be your cup of organic chai. Now, it’s not the best CSNY musically, but then again, they have always been about capturing moments, not necessarily striving for perfection. Some nights (years, projects) there are more illuminating moments than others.

And if you couldn’t make it through Neil’s recent LIVING WITH WAR aural diatribe against the current administration’s veil of b.s. then this outspoken revisiting of many of that records songs and ALL of the invective stance espoused by that release than this outing may soon replace TRANS as your least favorite Neil experience.

As a window into the place where art and politics, the 60s, rock n roll and outspoken creative, humanistic stances meet then this is a CD-long glimpse into what is the bread and butter of what has fueled CSNY for 40 years of sporadic interaction and inspiration—not just a nostalgia trip—but the belief that as artists, part of what you do is seek truth. You investigate, observe, spill your guts, take a stand, remain fearless in the eyes of those who observe you, those who criticize you, those who look to your for insight and inspiration.

So thanks to these guys, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, Joe Strummer, Steve Earle, Billy Bragg..those who at one time or another could not help themselves but observe and investigate, explore and seek some kind of truth beyond the egos, the in-fighting, the girls and drugs and glow of success and put something on the line for what they believe.

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Now, musically, there’s not much you haven’t heard from these guys before (especially if you’ve been paying attention to Neil lately), but this won’t be the album to turn around any new, young listeners who wonder what the fuss has been about, unless of course, they are recently politicized and looking for messages they can rekindle into their own passions. The longed-for ferocious guitar interplay between Stills and Young is not the focus here though there are glimmers. In fact Stills is all but non-present here with only three of his tunes in less than remarkable renditions and his guitar and harmoniy voc al work takes a decided low profile. Neil is, as always insane on the guitar. The opening notes of his first solo on AFTER THE GARDEN just cracked me up. So audacious and appropriate (like the ballsy, dirge version of BLOWIN’ IN THE WIND from Neil’s Arc-Weld tour during the first Gulf War), explosive, war-like edge.

Now, back in the day, being a huge David Crosby fan, the first thing I’d do when I got back from a CSN or CSNY show or cracked the cello off of a new LP or CD was to count how many songs each of the four proponents contributed. Soon realizing that I’d never get enough Crosby songs, whether because his brilliance came in less prolific spurts than the foaming flow of Neil's output, the hooky craftsmanship of Nash or the brazen macho of Stills' writing, or because he just couldn’t win those internal battles over running order, minutes available and such. Each album and tour had a figure who seemed to lead the fray in the perspective department, at least until the CSN of the later, Neil-less years became more of a nostalgic live experience than a viable group with something NEW to say.

The fact that the disc starts with a Woodstock-y audience chant over which the band harmonizes on an acapella rendering of Croz’s timeless WHAT ARE THEIR NAMES is a wonderfully timely opening. This followed by Neil’s studio-tracked solo piano (with minimal overdubbed synth and bass by Neil) piece LIVING WITH WAR-THEME is curious. I wonder if this was taped and added to bookend the message of the CD or if it was perhaps piped into the p.a. at the start of the shows or as soundtrack to a pertinent video? I would love to see some DVD of this tour since I unfortunately missed it.

The fact that the four of them are coming together more often in the last decade than ever before has been just a good sign and sure, Neil’s direction has predominated, being the force of nature that he is and by far the most prolific and visionary artist of his generation.

Musically, it is nice to hear the harmonies of these guys together on some of Neil’s new stuff as well as the old stand-bys. The vocal version of LIVING WITH WAR is especially nice as is the aforementioned AFTER THE GARDEN. What I just don’t get is the trumpet. PLEASE leave it at home. Or at least get someone who can play in tune. I get the idea of it…I like and actually adore the mariachi punch that this kind of coloration gives the tunes what would work best on one tune as coloration gets old when so shabbily executed each time it rises out of the mix. Perhaps, I was just SO looking forward to hearing these great songs without the horn with perhaps Steve Stills filling in with riffs or Spooner Oldham filling the spot with a tasty B-3 fill. But hard to second-guess Neil. ROGER & OUT is gorgeous and haunting, somewhat like a cross between a poignant and mournful version of Dylan’s KNOCKIN ON HEAVEN’S DOOR fused with the melancholy edge of CORTEZ THE KILLER’S softer huge guitar sentiments. This is the highlight of the disc for me, I think, on first listen.

This is followed by a gorgeous rendition of FIND THE COST OF FREEDOM missing only the transcendent high harmony of their earlier years’ versions. TEACH YOUR CHILDREN, while apropos and a ready anthem, is also a bit tossed off sounding, as the huge anthemic hits tend that get troded out towards the end of shows often are. More about connecting with the fans than actually nailing something stunningly musical. And again, with the original studio version being a signpost of a generation, always a hard one to top.

The album ends with the second instrumental version of the LIVING WITH WAR-THEME. This is a very evocative and hauntingly beautiful Neil melody. Simple and moving. Here with some subtle synth strings as opposed to the earlier versions more active effects.

All in all, this album, while musically not their most compelling of output (always their first two studio records and Four-Way Street must be deemed essential along with the black CSN record—and I won’t even get started on their solo output which is filled with a wealth of treasures), this album makes me proud to be a long time fan, proud to be someone who can still believe in the power of art--be it Picasso’s Gurenica, Hunter S. Thompson’s political writing, Robert Mapplethorpe’s stunning visual images, or CSNY’s “Ohio--to observe, inspire, pontificate, push buttons and allow the audience to see another point of view on the road to forming one’s own ever-developing opinions.

At the outset of this review, I was half way through my first listen and I was feeling a bit disappointed. Now by the end of the first spin, as I hit the play button once more, I am sitting peaceful. Nostalgic, hopeful, and impassioned on the opening night of the Democratic National Convention. Forward into the fray. One day at a time, head held high, heart a-flutter.