One of the great things about blogging – besides the international fame and noteriety that it brings – is the never-ending exposure to things that are new and cool. It’s a give and take thing – you give somebody something that you perceive to be cool, and they turn around and hit you with a “did you know about this?” kind of moment.
Shortly after posting today’s Springsteen ramble, my pal Emma, host of the excellent Cleveland radio show The Occasional Detour, got in touch and asked me if I had heard the Camera Obscura cover she had played of Springsteen’s “Tougher Than The Rest”. A cover of one of my favorite Bruce tunes by a group that sits high on my list of “groups I’ve been meaning to get into” – this, was something that I had to hear!
First, I dialed up Youtube, expecting that there might be video of the band performing said cover. And sure enough, I found the following video of Camera Obscura performing live on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic.
A little bit of research in the Youtube comments led me to discover that a studio version of the cover was released recently as the B-side of Camera Obscura’s latest single, “The Sweetest Thing”. If you’re like me, I’m guessing you’ll be purchasing that single immediately after watching the above video. Camera Obscura are now on my list to acquire mucho music from, ASAP!
Tunnel of Love vibes must be in the air today, because elsewhere on Twitter, Dave Lifton tweeted a link to Burning Wood’s weekend post of acoustic performances of tracks from Tunnel of Love, captured at various Springsteen dates on the Devils and Dust tour in 2005. More and more, I’m asking myself – why the heck didn’t I catch Bruce on the Devils and Dust tour?
One final Bruce-related link to send you properly on your way into weekend bliss – I’ll point you towards Outlaw Pete and Blogness on the Edge of Town for a look at some of the other artists that have taken a crack at covering “Tougher Than The Rest” over the years, including a couple of twang-tastic versions by Chris Ledoux and Travis Tritt.
Yee-Ha!
