Springsteen's Country

Description

In 2022, Ace Records released Ladies Sing The Boss which, as its title suggests, brought together artists such as the Patti Smith Group, Lucinda Williams, Emmylou Harris and Bettye Lavette, performing Bruce Springsteen classics. This compilation was put together by Sean Rowley, who now returns with Springsteen's Country, where artists such as Johnny Cash, Travis Tritt, Kenny Chesney, Neal Coty and Sonny Burgess bring their own perspective to Springsteen’s repertoire and offer their own interpretations. It is a fantastic collection of songs that reveals not only Springsteen’s talent as a songwriter, but also the way these songs can be revitalized by being placed in a different musical context. Over the past five decades, Springsteen’s writing has intertwined with all forms of American roots music, including the wide range of genres represented on this album, from country to folk to americana, bluegrass and rockabilly. But the influence of these musical forms on Springsteen was not so obvious in his early days. This influence began to bear fruit on some songs written for his fourth album, Darkness On The Edge Of Town, released in 1978. Even the chord progressions were much simpler, more country. Then came “The River” and “Wreck On The Highway,” both released in 1980, where he interpolates lyrics from Hank Williams songs (a trick he repeats on “Mansion On A Hill” and “Born In The USA”). By the time he gets to Nebraska (1982), country codes are embedded at the heart of his writing and will later be found in much of his repertoire. Springsteen also began performing Williams songs live, adding Johnny Cash to the mix. Over the years, he has sprinkled other country classics into his sets: “Waltz Across Texas” by Ernest Tubb, “The Ballad Of Jed Clampett” by Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, “A Satisfied Mind” by Red Hayes, “Gulf Coast Highway” by Nanci Griffith, and, more recently, a haunting version of “Rhinestone Cowboy” by Glen Campbell. Country’s appeal for Springsteen lay in part in its provincial side, which mirrored him. He was neither sophisticated, nor bohemian, nor a hipster. He described himself as “an ordinary guy with above-average talent. And I worked hard for it… country was the truth that came out of your sweat, your corner bar, your grocery store. It looked back at yesterday’s blues, tonight’s pleasures, and maybe Sunday, the hereafter.” This compilation bears witness to the lasting impact Springsteen has had on the country community, but his songs are not the only ones making an impression. There is something about his personality that connects him and he has almost been elevated to the status of a country legend. Working-class, hardworking, honest, big-hearted, the Springsteen myth is sometimes too good to be true