In 2002, Tom Petty released The Last DJ, a concept album about the pathetic condition of the music industry and the decaying state of our culture. And while most of what he sang was indisputable, Petty came across as that crazy uncle who sits at your kitchen table spewing verbal diarrhea about how things “ain’t what they used to be.” So when word came across that the first single from Bruce Springsteen’s new album Magic was going to address the sorry situation of rock and roll radio, my immediate reaction was “oh, no, not this again. Not another aging rock star lecturing the masses about how his generation was head and shoulders above the rest and mine is not even worth writing about.”
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Bruce Springsteen |  Entertainment
Art
"Magic"
(Sony)
Released October 2, 2007
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Springsteen’s 35 year illustrious career affords him the luxury to offer strong opinions about the changes in Rock and Roll, but the vocals on “Radio Nowhere” are close to a 25 year old punk rocker raging against the machine rather than a crusty old fart lamenting for the good old days. I was tryin’ to find my way home/But all I heard was a drone/Bouncing off a satellite/Crushin’ the last lone American night/This is Radio Nowhere…is there anybody alive out there? The poetry of this blistering single is not just of a man fighting for his art but an interpretation of how we talk to each other in George Bush’s America. We don’t listen to each other anymore, we scream over one another as means of getting the point across whether we’re right or wrong.
Magic by no means is a conceptual album about an individual disturb by a generational shift but a commentary on the State of our Union.
In the aftermath of 9/11, The Rising, a commercial and artistic success for Springsteen, offered a message of hope from the devastating ruins. But 5 years have passed and that message has fallen on deaf ears and The Boss isn’t all too pleased. He doesn’t mention the President by name, or the war, or even the controversial policies that have turned our Constitution into a worthless piece of paper. But when you listen to the words, it’s painfully evident that Springsteen is betrayed by the actions of the very people we elect to uphold our true American values.
At the onset of the title track “Magic,” the trickster charms his fellow citizens with his usual bag of tricks.
I got a coin in my palm/I can make it disappear/I got a card up my sleeve/Name it and I’ll pull it out your ear/
But as the song progresses, we soon realize that the charming magician is nothing more than a wolf in sheep’s clothing, spoon feeding the masses with lethal doses of Snake Oil.
Now there’s a fire down below/But it’s coming up here/So leave everything you know/Carry only what you fear/On the road the sun is sinkin’ low/There’s bodies hangin’ in the trees/This is what will be/This what will be/
“Gypsy Biker” is a devastating tale about a war hero returning home. However, unlike “Born in the U.S.A.” which offered a stinging indictment of how Vietnam Veterans were treated after they returned home, the loved ones in “Gypsy Biker” prepare for their hero’s funeral. “Last to Die” is a emotional rebuke of the “wise men” who led us down the road to darkness on a stockpile of lies.
When it comes to the music, Springsteen doesn’t break new ground.
“Radio Nowhere” is a fast-pace, guitar-driven number with a sound that is eerily similar to Tommy Tutone’s 1982 hit, “867-5309/Jenny”. Other notable tracks are reminiscent of Springsteen’s earlier work. “Last to Die” sounds like a darker companion to “Thunder Road.” “Livin in the Future” is “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” on Steroids. Blatant nostalgia can kill a record, ask Wilco. But the obvious longing for the past coincides with what the people in “Magic” have lost. The individuals in this record are mourning the loss of their country. Bought and sold by Machiavellian men. Yet, there’s no light at the other end of the tunnel as was always the case in Springsteen’s previous records.
“Magic” is a straightforward account of what is happening to America today. Considering the ignorance that the usual talking heads belch on a daily basis, this record is a breath of fresh air and offers a stunning observation on what it’s been like to live in George Bush’s America for the last 7 years.
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ForYou
Written by Guest on 2007-12-25 14:49:58
Fans of Bruce Springsteen are not only devoted but articulate about why they worship the Boss. The new book 'For You: Original Stories & Photographs by Bruce Springsteen's Legendary Fans' is the work of disciples from Boise to Barcelona. The mayor of Delray Beach, Fla., says it best: 'Bruce fans are a fraternity - we share something deep and special, a relationship with the artist and with each other. |
here&now
Written by Guest on 2008-08-25 13:11:41
what Bruce has to say is still relevant regardless of whom he's speaking to...if its the over 30 set- well, we get it and agree...any younger than that- still relevant and something to fall back on when everything else on the radio sounds the same, violent, monotonous, and intellectually void. So what if its revamped classics...millions still scream for them.
Teens and adults alike still rave on legends in rock- when the music meant something.
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