For Springsteen fans, Christmas comes in November
Written by: Matt Wardlaw
Leave it to Bruce to make sure that the holidays are just a little bit more special this year with today's announcement that you can celebrate the legacy of Darkness on The Edge of Town with six (!!!!) discs overflowing with more Darkness related material (three CDs and three DVDs) than we possibly could have hoped for!
Conversing with fellow Springsteen author and aficionado Lawrence Kirsch earlier tonight, he remarked that with this project, "Bruce is absolutely delivering on this one - he's been listening to his fans."
My pals over at Blogness have done a great job of collecting many of the news links that have been posted so far regarding the pending release of the set, which will hit stores on November 16th. The box has a retail price of $119.98 and you can pre-order it right now at Amazon for $95.99, with an additional choice of a Blu-ray edition dropping day and date with the regular CD/DVD version. (And there will also be a version coming out on vinyl!)
Dave Lifton has additional thoughts and a look at the trailer for the box right here.
Me? I'll just be over here counting the days until November 16th. You know what I mean, right?
Box set image via Backstreets
View CommentsRandom Notes: Rolling Stones, Rush, Justin Currie, etc.
Written by: Matt Wardlaw
A few random notes regarding things we've discussed recently here at ATV, plus a couple of new items for you to be aware of:
First of all, I'd like to direct Stones fans to the excellent breakdown of the forthcoming Exile on Main Street reissue from Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune, featuring a review of the deluxe edition, plus separate interviews with Mick and Keith about the set. As you might expect, the stuff from Keith is typical gold....
Q: What about the remix of the older material?
A: My approach was basically hands off, don’t touch. I don’t want to do any fancy, modern ideas on top of a 40-year-old record. My job was to guard the sanctity and purity of the original tracks. But there was some overdubbing of vocals on some of the extra tracks. There was one track where we heard an acoustic guitar, then about one-third of the way through another acoustic guitar because I string must’ve broken, so I overdubbed that. I wouldn’t touch the original tracks with a barge bull.
Check out the complete Stones coverage from Kot right here. Pre-order Exile on Main Street via these links - deluxe edition - super deluxe edition.
For You, For A Good Cause.....
When author Lawrence Kirsch published For You, his first book of Springsteen fan-sourced recollections and photographs in 2007, the limited pressing of 2000 copies quickly sold out. If you missed out on that pressing, don't be TOO sad - Kirsch has one more chance for you to win a brand new signed copy of the book, via a drawing benefiting the Montreal Heart Foundation's 2010 fund raising drive.
Here's more information from Lawrence:
Bruce Springsteen represents a great deal to his fans, not only as a world-renowned artist, but as a giving and caring person, someone who stands out by helping and donating to many charitable organizations over the years.
Today I am asking for your help to raise money for a great cause: The Montreal Heart Institute, a cutting-edge cardiology center dedicated to education and prevention of heart disease.
As you may know, the limited edition For You has been sold out since December 2008. This spring, I'm offering a chance to win a new signed copy of the book while contributing to the Montreal Heart Foundation's 2010 fundraising drive.
Register for your chance to win by clicking here.
View CommentsFinding The Light in Darkness: A conversation with Springsteen author Lawrence Kirsch
Written by: Matt Wardlaw
As we break the seal on 2010, I'm looking forward (as so many Springsteen fans are) to the much-discussed commemorative box set for Bruce Springsteen's classic release, Darkness on the Edge of Town. We don't know at this point specifically what shows/materials will be incorporated into the bonus elements of the release, but it is allegedly going to hit the shelves this year. If you bought the previous box set for Born to Run, I think you'll agree with me that this new release will be something to look forward to as a Bruce fan.
My anticipation for the release of this set doubled late last year with the release of The Light in Darkness, Lawrence Kirsch's excellent chronicle of the Darkness on the Edge of Town tour. Told from the fan's perspective, by the fans themselves, Kirsch took the numerous fan story submissions, combined them with over 200+ classic photographs from the tour, and delivered an amazing gift to Bruce fans. With time travel via DeLorean still unlikely, The Light in Darkness is the closest that you'll ever come to attending a show on the Darkness tour.
After finishing the book (my review is posted here), I had some further questions and wanted take a look under the hood at the assembly process behind releasing something like The Light in Darkness, one that is most certainly mammoth. Kirsch was more than happy to answer a few questions, and I'm glad that I took the time to inquire, because he certainly had plenty to say, and I think that all music fans will enjoy reading the story of how The Light in Darkness (and Kirsch's previous book For You) moved from a concept to the actual release.
View CommentsBook Review: The Light in Darkness by Lawrence Kirsch
Written by: Matt Wardlaw
When I unwrapped the Live: 1975/85 box set, which I received as a Christmas gift from my parents in 1986, I don't think I truly had a complete idea of exactly how much of an impact Bruce Springsteen would have on my life. As I put in the first cassette, and began thumbing through the booklet that was included with the box set, it slowly began to register with me. Born In The U.S.A. had been my first exposure to Springsteen, and as I sat listening to the early club recordings on the box set - "Thunder Road," "Adam Raised A Cain," etc - I was naturally intrigued to learn more about the pre-Born In The U.S.A. material, and further facts about the man behind the recordings. I spent quite a bit of time soaking in the music from the box set, and in 1992, I finally saw my first Springsteen concert. While you might lament that my first experience came via the "other band" - I'd argue that seeing Springsteen backed by a trio of mariachi players, would still impress anyone seeing Bruce for the first time. After all, he is "The Boss."
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