The Killers - Sam's Town

[Edwin MacPhisto]

"Born to Run" is an awful song, though. Maybe I don't like Springsteen.

I'm with you on the ills of the Springsteen cultural construct, but can't back you up on this one. Great, great song. Indulgent? Sure. But rarely do you find a song that matches up the tensions between being dead-broke and hopeful as well as this one. I don't really like Springsteen all that much either, but love just about that whole album. It can sound prophetically dumb when you realize that this same wide-eyed enthusiasm led to drizzling shit like The Rising, but take it out of that context and I find "Born to Run" really hard not to like.

[Guest Felonies!]

Come on, as if "wrap your legs around these velvet rims and put your arms across my engines" isn't a real groaner?

[Edwin MacPhisto]

Sure, especially out of context. It works much better in the overblown, hammy Jersey poet feel of that song and the album as a whole. But even given that, I'm not listening to the song for that line or any lyric in particular so much as I am for the overblown epic quality of it all, and the fact that the transition out of the bridge with its 8 billion instruments still makes me wanna pump my fist.

[Guest Felonies!]

Personally, I find the glockenspiel out of place in what's ostensibly a blue-collar kind of album. Nothing very proletarian about a glockenspiel.

[snuffbox]

Do you dislike Thunder Road as well, Czech?

[Guest Felonies!]

It's okay. It's not as bombastic. Sounds like he's really affecting a twang at time.

[Special K]

Well, unfortunately I think Brandon's box is still intact.

 

At least when your child asks you how high the sky is you can say with confidence: "about 200 feet."

 

I find their music just derivative and painfully emotive and achingly, laughably sincere. (probably has a lot to do with Flowers') voice which I hate. Mr. Brightside sounds like the world's biggest sad-sack trying to make his own "Born Slippy."

 

I mean, Springsteen had some of the same qualities, but at least many of his songs had upbeat, fun music. I mean "Born in the USA" was catchy enough that people had no clue it was not a patriotic anthem.

 

I don't mind a band is somewhat over the top or bombastic. I mean Muse's "Knights of Cydonia" is my favorite song on the radio now. It sounds like Queen showed up in the middle of a Sergio Leone movie. And from what I saw of them in concert, they take themselves quite seriously.

[foleyfanforever88]

Why is it a big deal what they look like? Who the hell cares? All that should matter is their music.

[Guest Felonies!]

Why is it a big deal what they look like? Who the hell cares? All that should matter is their music.

That does not help their case, foleyfanforever88.

[Annabelle]

fuck felonies. you sometimes replace your ears with hipster cynicism. born to run is about as amazing of a pop song there is. i don't like springsteens rootsy mr. americana bob dylan-lite schtick, but this song is everything dylan is not. i don't think springsteen has ever been more fun. its a dance song. when you ivories being tinkled in the opening you want to find your gal & fucking dance with her.

 

eventually you're going to have to remember that music is supposed to be fun, and constantly worrying about the lyrical content will only bog yourself down. i've listened to that line 50 times & i've never thought of how corny it sounds. i won't disagree, but fuck if care.

[Annabelle]

most ridiculous looking band ever. look at them

 

 

Since ridiculous is par for the course in black metal imagery.

 

thats rock n' roll

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Maybe, but saying the band of dorks depicted in this thread are the most ridiculous looking is hyperbole, dude. They could walk out of the local grocery store and no one would flinch. Rockin'? No. Ridiculous? No.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

For the record, I find "Born to Run" almost as annoying as "American Pie."

 

The only massive classic rock/pop musician(s) I dislike more than Springsteen are the Eagles. Unless Jimmy Buffet counts, then he's number one. At any rate, I think Bruce's vocals are all-time levels of bad.

[Annabelle]

Maybe, but saying the band of dorks depicted in this thread are the most ridiculous looking is hyperbole, dude. They could walk out of the local grocery store and no one would flinch. Rockin'? No. Ridiculous? No.

 

i guess. their costumes are just very unbecoming of them. and if i saw half hipster/half cowboys with awful moustaches and afros walk out of the local grocery store i'd certainly laugh.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

All four of them in a row? I would too. One or two of them? Nah. They look like hoosiers with money.

[snuffbox]

A friend of mine once told me that he can't tell the difference between Bruce Springsteen and Johnny Cougar. I no longer speak of music with that friend.

 

Anyone else find the 'door is open but the ride aint free' lyric from Thunder Road a bit creepy?

[Edwin MacPhisto]

EXCEPT ROLL DOWN THE WINDOW AND LET THE WIND BLOW BACK YOUR HAAAAAIR is almost as good as the exit from the bridge in "Born to Run." And yes, snuffy, that is a little weird. I always kinda chuckle at both that and the "you ain't a beauty, but hey, you're all right" line.

[Guest Felonies!]

Man, I just don't know when to be an elitist and when to be a faux-populist. Life is hard.

[spiny norman]

I think I'm the only person to love every album Springsteen's released, bar Human Touch. And even that has the great title track, so as far as an artist's world album ever goes, it's a pretty good one.

[Annabelle]

Man, I just don't know when to be an elitist and when to be a faux-populist. Life is hard.

 

you can still recover

[benn]

I like The Killers and I like this album. Fuck if I know where the Springsteen comparisons are coming from though.

[Henry Spencer]

Have you ever heard a Springsteen song before?

[benn]

Of course I have, I just don't think these songs really sound like them.

[C Dubya 04]

I think I'm the only person to love every album Springsteen's released, bar Human Touch. And even that has the great title track, so as far as an artist's world album ever goes, it's a pretty good one.

 

Just you and everyone who lives in Jersey or vacations "down the shore".

[Special K]

its a dance song. when you ivories being tinkled in the opening you want to find your gal & fucking dance with her.

 

eventually you're going to have to remember that music is supposed to be fun, and constantly worrying about the lyrical content will only bog yourself down. i've listened to that line 50 times & i've never thought of how corny it sounds. i won't disagree, but fuck if care.

 

I don't necessarily disagree about this particular song, but you can make this argument about any cheesy 80's pop song. You could say the same thing about Bon Jovi or Def Leppard but they still suck.

[Guest Felonies!]

It's hard to tell when you're supposed to idiosyncratically embrace bad music. For me, it's dance music from the mid-90s.

[snuffbox]

Don't a bunch of posters here like that radiopoop from the 70s/80s like Foreigner and REO Speedwagon?

[Special K]

A lot of it probably is what parents/older siblings exposed you to as a kid.

 

We listened to stuff like Zepellin, Credence, Pink Floyd and the Animals. A few more esoteric bands like Talking Heads Kraftwerk, and the Cramps. So I'll always have an affection for those bands, even if I don't actively listen to most of them that often.

It wasn't until my teens that I started getting into more 80's bands, because my impression was it was all cock rock.

 

Lastly, one Springsteen Song that always cracks me up is "Dancing in the Dark." It would be a good 80's pop song, it's just his voice sounds so wrong in it. I don't think Springsteen was meant for 'peppy.'

[Annabelle]

its a dance song. when you ivories being tinkled in the opening you want to find your gal & fucking dance with her.

 

eventually you're going to have to remember that music is supposed to be fun, and constantly worrying about the lyrical content will only bog yourself down. i've listened to that line 50 times & i've never thought of how corny it sounds. i won't disagree, but fuck if care.

 

I don't necessarily disagree about this particular song, but you can make this argument about any cheesy 80's pop song. You could say the same thing about Bon Jovi or Def Leppard but they still suck.

 

i don't think either has released anything nearly as brilliant born to run (the song). or even close. but i'm sure there's others like springsteen where great songs have come from usually bad/boring artists.

[Anorak]

I think I'm the only person to love every album Springsteen's released, bar Human Touch. And even that has the great title track, so as far as an artist's world album ever goes, it's a pretty good one.

 

Count me in as well.

 

I've always thought the run up to Born In the USA was pretty faultless. Nebraska is a personal favourite of mine and everything bar Human Touch that followed i've found to be worth my time.