Here it is. My top twenty (technically twenty-one) Bruce Springsteen songs of all-time. One...the list for the most part is quite fluid--meaning that the top six are pretty much set in stone but the rest of the list lends itself to flexibility. In a year, month or even a week the list might look different and might even have different songs on it. It is also evident that the recent concert and album has had a large influence on the list. That's probably to be expected.
I'm starting the list off with All I'm Thinkin' About. This song is not ranked but it needs to be mentioned. It's a song with a lot of personal meaning to me as it is Jenny and I song. Even though I know subjectivity pervades my list this song has to much of an outside context for me to fairly put it on a list. This might sound kind of geeky but if my list is a celestial body than this song is a moon that hovers around it. Its not part of the list but it's there anyway.
20. The Promised Land
Vintage Springsteen anthem. The song also showcases Springsteen's use of religious terms (or ideas) and how that intertwines with his larger narrative of Americana.
19. Blinded By the Light
It's hard to fully appreciate Springsteen's version when its the Manfred Mann version that everyone is familiar with. But when you finally reach that point where the Springsteen version takes precedent in your mind then... one is free to appreciate just how much fun Springsteen and the band is having. That exuberance is what sells the song for me.
18. Human Touch
I almost forgot about this song as I hadn't yet ripped the greatest hits album to my itunes library. ( I don't actually own the Human Touch album). I've always really liked this song. I remember at the bowling alley jukebox (in Greensburg) I would almost always play this song on Wednesday night bowling.
17. Livin' in the Future
The live version left a little to be desired last week but that still hasn't hurt how much I dig this song. I'll admit I'm not entirely sure what Springsteen is trying to say in this song...it's a little confusing...but I'm willing to go with it nonetheless. I'm thinking that the song is a case of the classic Springsteen paradox where the music is saying one thing and the lyrics are saying something else (think Born in the USA).
16. Johnny 99
Springsteen follows the lineage of classic American musical storytellers—Guthrie, Dylan—and for some reason this song has always stuck with me. I'm not really sure that it's any better than any of other songs from Nebraska or The Ghost of Tom Joad but the storytelling here is just very direct and vivid. It's like a good short story and this one in particular really sticks with me.
15. Long Walk Home
I really thought Bruce and company rocked this song at the concert last week. It's been in my head ever since then. It's very possible that a year from now this song might not be in my top twenty but as a snapshot of March 2008 the song is really resonating with me.
14. Into the Fire
It seems like every Sunday when I'm sitting in church singing a hymn this song pops in my head. Don't ask me why. I think for some reason I want the church choir to perform it. I think it would be awesome and it would work—even in a Baptist setting.
13. Atlantic City
More good Bruce storytelling even if it involves blowing up the chicken man in Philly (I just hope they didn't boo him). I've always really liked the chorus in the song...just the way he says Atlantic City...with such desperation and contempt.
12. Waitin' on a Sunny Day
The Boss goes pop again and it really works for me. In context of the seriousness and relevance of the Rising album this song provided a welcome break. Maybe it was Springsteen's way to cheer us up...even for a few minutes...and he succeeded.
11. Lonesome Day
Speaking of the Rising album...here's Springsteen's attempt to digest a post 9-11 world. Unfortunately his warnings (“Better ask questions before you shoot”) might have went on deaf ears with our administration. Regardless I still find this song relevant and when the Boss says it's all right, I don't just want to believe it...I do believe it.
10. Girls in Their Summer Clothes
This selection is bound to raise a few eyebrows. But remember this, when the Boss goes pop it divides the fan base. It happened with Dancing in the Dark and it’s happened to this song (although I only have a small sampling size).
Is this Springsteen’s best vocal performance—far from it. Should he even be singing the song—maybe not. Would it be like one of the best songs ever if the Beach Boys were cutting this record circa 1966—Yes. My point is what sells the song for me is the Phil Spector…wall of sound…sound that the song has. I like how the lyrics represent (on the surface) a whimsical summer night but… and this happens with a lot of Springsteen’s songs… the lyrics cut deeper to something much darker. But in this case…everything is going to be all right. In essence the song just makes me happy…I thoroughly enjoy listening to it.
9. I Wanna Be With You
This is probably my most out-of-left selection as it's off his Tracks Box Set of previously unreleased material. The song is direct...in your face...I just love jamming to it in my car...especially when Jenny's with me...she loves it.
8. I’m On Fire
It’s impossible to think of this song without remembering the 80’s video. In the video Springsteen almost crosses the line into lustful temptation with a married woman. (I’m making it a little more dramatic than how it's actually depicted in the video). Anyway…the Boss ends up setting a good example and just puts the key into the mailbox. Good move, Boss.
7. Maria's Bed
As soon as I heard this song from the Devils and Dust album, I fell in love with it. It's just a good little ditty. I really like how the song kicks in at the 1:49 mark. The song isn't anything spectacular...I just really like listening too it...a lot.
6. 4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)
Unfortunately Springsteen didn't play this song at the Cincy show...even though he played it at the Indy show. Smith informed me that grown men were crying during the performance at Conseco. I can completely understand that. The song about young love (“Oh love me tonight and I promise I'll love you forever”)set in a 70's backdrop really captures a specific time and mood that on one hand greatly appeals to those of that generation but it also transcends to appeal to younger generations as well—young love seems to have that universal appeal.
5. Dancing in the Dark
In college I declared this to be my favorite song from the ‘80’s. That’s still true to this day. It’s a song that sounds like it’s from the ‘80’s…but in a good way.
4. The River
3. Thunder Road
Not really much to say about this song that hasn’t been said before (and said better) by countless other critics or fans. What I will say is that I just recently downloaded (via itunes) the live version from the Hammersmith Odeon, London '75 concert album and it is simply outstanding. I really can’t stop listening to it.
2. Badlands
Probably has what I think to be Springsteen’s best line—“That ain't no sin to be glad your alive.” This song gets me fist pumping during the live shows almost to the extent of Born to Run. It’s that good.
1. Born to Run
I don’t think this song needs any explanation. Greatest rock song ever.
Owen Wilson's latest comedy is the Judd Apatow produced, Drillbit Taylor (PG-13). Wilson stars as the aforementioned title character and gets contracted out to protect three “geeky” high school freshmen (Nate Hartley, Troy Gentile and David Dorfman) from a demented bully. Initially Wilson's only in it for the scam but eventually succumbs to the charm of the three high school students.
Ryan: For those hoping for another high-quality comedy from the Judd Apatow machine then one is going to be in for some disappointment. Drillbit Taylor is certainly not as bad as many of the low-brow comedies that gets cranked out of Hollywood on a weekly basis but it is definitely not up to the standard that Apatow and company have set for themselves. With its similarity to Superbad (with a story centering around three high school dorks) the movie lacks some originality. But even more unfortunate it lacks the comedic touch of Superbad.
Andy: It's hard to characterize Drillbit Taylor as anything but a letdown. It's too bad, because the concept is a pretty decent one. It's basically Superbad for thirteen and fourteen year olds. The kids actually look the age they are supposed to be and the course language they banter back and forth with is somewhat realistic. But pretty much every aspect of the plot is unrealistic or simply dumb. Add to that the fact that the title character is a boring, watered down version of characters we've seen Wilson play time and time again, and you've got a movie that doesn't bring much to the table.
Ryan: We have documented throughout this column that we like Owen Wilson. He's made some fantastic films but--and I believe Andy would agree with me--Wilson's also made some pretty low-quality movies. For every high quality Wes Anderson movie there's a The Big Bounce. For every Wedding Crashers there's a You, Me and Dupree. What I'm saying is that even though Wilson is always enjoyable to watch on screen his movies are far from being automatic comedic gems. While I admire Wilson's unique comedic persona one never knows what kind of film one's going to get when Wilson stars in a movie.
Andy: I'd say that's spot-on analysis of Wilson's career thus far. Considering the talent involved in this one, it looked like it had potential. Obviously that potential was not lived up to. Don't get me wrong, there were some very laughable moments in the movie, and it was impressive how much it pushed the boundaries of its PG-13 rating. It is a generally entertaining movie, but it's really just not very good.
Ryan: One of the biggest issues with Drillbit Taylor is the uneven tone of the film's story. The three high school kids not only look like real high school students but act like it as well. This lends authenticity to the movie. Regrettably this clashes with the absurdness of basically everything else going on in the movie. One never fully grasps what Wilson's character is really all about. Worst of all the entire bully storyline and portrayal is so over-the-top (as well as being completely ridiculous) one knows how the film is going to turn out within the first thirty minutes of the movie.
Andy: Along the same lines, the movie was structured in a sloppy way. In spite of the title, the movie is really about the three high school kids. So pretty much every scenes that shows Wilson's Drillbit character on his own is a little awkward and seems mostly unnecessary. And as the story plays out according to stereotype, the viewer gets more and more bored with the plot.
Drillbit Taylor has several amusing moments, but never really gets off the ground. Final grade: C.
This week we'll be taking a look at Penelope, from first-time director Mark Palansky. Christina Ricci stars as a girl born with the curse of a pig-nose. Believing she must marry a “blue-blood” to break the curse, she unsuccessfully courts several men. James McAvoy, Catherine O'Hara, and Peter Dinklage costars.
Ryan: Penelope prides itself as a modern fairy tale. Sometimes that works—like with last year's Enchanted and sometimes it doesn't—like with just about every Hillary Duff movie. Penelope falls somewhere in between. It's a film with the standard—generic—elements of a fairy tale. It really doesn't offer anything new and unfortunately recycles those timeless ideas with a mostly contrived plot. There are a few bright spots, McAvoy's performance and the somewhat surprising ending but for the most part Penelope is one of those indie movies that falters from being the clever bit of art that it aspired to be.
Andy: Mostly I found Penelope pretty weird. It starts off with a which cursing a family, but then proceeds to be fairly realistic and modern with its portrayal of the world the characters inhabit. It seems to be stuck somewhere between committing to being a fairy tale and attempting to rationally explain the strange events of the movie. It also suffers from the fact that the pig nose didn't really look that bad on Christina Ricci, so it was hard accept the extreme reaction of many of her suiters.
Ryan: This certainty isn't James McAvoy's best work but like with most good actors dealing with sub-par material he is at least able to put forth a reasonable performance. If anything this role just reassures that he can aptly handle indie material and that a jump to something bigger would be in his best interest as he could be a true Hollywood star. The rest of the performances by the leads do little to enhance the movie. Reese Witherspoon, who normally is a joy to watch on screen, lacks the screen time to make a memorably impression. As for the lead herself, Penelope, Christina Ricci struggles to find a direction with the part.
Andy: I actually found all of the performances except Ricci's to be pretty solid. I don't think James McAvoy has ever had a bad performance in a movie, and this one is certainly no exception. Reese Witherspoon did a nice job in a different role than she is accustomed to, and Peter Dinklage was outstanding as the scrappy reporter trying to get a photo of Penelope. Unfortunately Ricci's leading performance was the weakest of the pack, and that's a problem for any movie.
Ryan: Part of the problem with Penelope is it's running time or lack there of . Normally this argument goes the other way—that most movies are too long. But with the Penelope the shortness of the film hurts the overall product. The characters are not fully developed and the storylines are rushed to come to a suitable conclusion. I'm not saying that this movie needed the length of an epic film but a few more minutes here and there might have made for a more fulfilling film-going experience.
Penelope has some good performances, but it generally falls short. Final grade: C-.
This week we’re taking a look at the heist flick, The Bank Job (R). Inspired by true events, The Bank Job takes place in the early ‘70’s in London, England. A group of second-class criminals are contracted to break into a safety deposit vault. Unbeknownst to them, the British Secret Service is pulling the strings on the operation for their own ulterior motives. Jason Stratham and Saffron Burrows star in the movie.
Ryan: Traditionally the best heist films (The Getaway and Reservoir Dogs—come to mind) are those that don’t rely on the actual heist to propel the story along. Admittingly The Bank Job is not on the same level as those two above-mentioned movies but it is a solid entry into the genre. That is mainly because the movie is not just about the pulling-off of the crime. The consequences of the crime are as important (if not more important) to the development of the narrative than the mechanics of the heist.
Andy: I've always had a problem with the prevalence of heist films. I find it strange that an event that makes up such a minuscule proportion of actual life would have such a vast genre of films in Hollywood. But the likely reason that they keep getting made is that a good heist film can be full of suspense, action, drama, and end up wildly entertaining. The Bank Job comes as close to putting it all together as any heist movie that's been made in the last few years.
Ryan: Jason Stratham has made a healthy living making mid-budget action flicks. This role in The Bank Job is a departure from his usual parts. He more than shows that he can aptly handle material that doesn’t rely on him beating people up. He doesn’t have a lot of dialog but that’s not to surprising as the traditional action movie stars normally say more with their facial expressions than with their speaking voice.
Andy: I've now seen no Jason Stratham movies that don't include the word “job” (The Italian Job being the other) which is surprising, given his notoriety in the action genre. I was startled to not see him partaking in more action for the first hour or so of the film. What was more surprising, I guess, is that he was doing a pretty good job. This movie doesn't really ask much of its star, but Stratham is able to be a likeable, believably tough everyman that the audience is going to at least root for a little bit.
Ryan: The Bank Job does have a few issues working against it. The movie is unable to keep up the snappy pace established in the first act. Regrettably the picture does have a slightly out-of-place feel- good vibe at the film’s resolution that is not in tune with the outcome of the movie. The biggest question mark on the film is its accuracy. The entire reason for the heist as orchestrated by MI5 is to recover (compromising and embarrassing) photographs of then Princess Margaret. To this day, it is unclear if the motivation for the crime (and the photos themselves) is indeed based on fact.
Andy: I would agree that the tone of the film is a little uneven. At the beginning it seems like a good-natured bumbling heist film, but after a while it turns (unexpectedly) violent. Then the end as that awkward good vibe that Ryan was talking about. I did enjoy how much this feels like not just a movie about the 70s, but from the 70s.
The Bank Job is a very entertaining though somewhat flawed heist film that stands up pretty well against the paltry competition in theatres right now. Final grade: B.
the roads in town...including Main St. and Lincoln St. were just horrendous. The trip to Wal-Mart including shopping took over an hour. Some idiot (I'm guessing whoever cleaned out the Pizza King parking lot) had pushed the snow from the Pizza King lot into Lincoln Street. That was really smart.
