Wednesday, September 5, 2007

JUST AROUND THE CORNER...


By now, everyone has heard that Bruce Springsteen has a new album coming out in October, and it will be with The E Street Band. There's a lot of Bruce fans who just don't like to see him do anything other than tour with E Street, which is silly. It makes it more exciting - for him, the band, and I think the fans - if he does different things. Although I didn't love the Devils & Dust album, his solo acoustic tour was incredible. And The Seeger Sessions Band album and tour were mind-blowingly great. But, it's great to see him back with The E Street Band.
So, the new album, Magic, will be out October 2, which is when the band's big tour kicks off in Connecticut. You can get the dates at Bruce's official site, or at the awesome fan site Backstreets.
Of course, Bruce is all over Patti Scialfa's new album Play It As It Lays, which came out this week (which also features E Street guitarist Nils Lofgren).
But you may not know that Bruce has some lower key songs coming out before Magic's release, and both are collaborations with Pete Seeger, of all people: the guy who inspired Bruce's last album. Both releases are on Appleseed Recordings - the label that Bruce recorded "We Shall Overcome" some years back... which was the recording that led to Bruce's doing the whole Seeger Sessions deal in the first place.
The first release is on September 11: Sowing The Seeds: The 10th Anniversary. Pete and Bruce recorded a new version of Bruce's "The Ghost Of Tom Joad" (during what Seeger reportedly called "The Springsteen Sessions"). Other interesting tracks on that album include Pete with Ani DiFranco, Billy Bragg and the great patriot Steve Earle on "Bring Them Home," and Eric Anderson with Wyclef Jean doing Phil Ochs' "White Boots Marching In A Yellow Land."
The second release will come out two weeks later on September 25: Give US Your Poor. This one raises funds for Give US Your Poor, a national fund- and awareness-raising initiative established by the University of Massachusetts Boston to end homelessness. Bruce and Pete recorded "Hobo's Lullaby" for that one.
By the way, earlier this year, Bruce released an instrumental track, "Once Upon A Time In The West" for the We All Love Ennio Morricone tribute album, which also featured tracks by Metallica and Roger Waters. His track is very un-Bruce like: it's him on electric guitar backed by an orchestra.
Anyway, tickets for Bruce's NY/NJ shows go on sale September 10. I can't wait for these shows!

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