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Wpnfire · 11-07-2014, 08:41 AM

Changing Direction

Not really a fan of Springsteen's debut. My parents own the complete set of Tracks, and that was one of the first things I listened to once I decided to start exploring the Boss's music around five years ago. I made the mistake of listening to that before I listened to Greetings, and I firmly believe "Growin' Up," "Mary Queen of Arkansas," "Does This Bus Stop," and the other demo tracks that Springsteen re-recorded for the album, are severely lacking compared to the original acoustic demo versions found on Tracks. Springsteen is good at arrangement, but he fails to match the intensity that the acoustic versions that "Growin' Up," for example, provide. Still, they are good songs on their own.

My two favorites from this album are the rapid-fire "Blinded By The Light," and the hypnotic "Lost in the Flood." "Blinded" is one of my favorite Springsteen songs, and is the definition of singable with over 600 words! "Lost in the Flood" is an addicting, progressive lyrical ballad that could be one of Springsteen's most violent (and depressing) songs, lyric-wise. The song ends with a story of a shootout on the city streets of one New York City's lesser boroughs. One of the last lines are:

Quote:

And some kid comes blastin' 'round the corner, but a cop puts him right away
He lays on the street holding his leg, screaming something in Spanish, still breathing when I walked away

"For You," and "Spirit In the Night" are my other favorites, but they pale in comparison to "Blinded" and "Lost in the Flood."

Overall rating: 3/5