It’s hard to even say some of Bruce’s lines, let alone sing them.Īnd yet somehow, Bruce manages to turn a word salad into a sandwich, pulling off some clever internal rhyming in the process. There’s absolutely no reason why lyrics like “those E Street brats in twilight duel flashlight phantoms in full star stream” should fit any melody or meter. Still, it works perfectly as a lead-in to “The E Street Shuffle” because it telegraphs that something symphonic is on the way only to completely subvert expectations moments later.)Įvery time I listen to “The E Street Shuffle,” I shake my head. The fact that it was recorded completely separately only bolsters my opinion. (Side note: I’ve always considered the orchestra tune-up introduction to be separate from the song itself, serving more as an introduction for the album than its semi-title track. “The E Street Shuffle” may not represent Bruce’s typical sound, but it certainly introduces key elements of it. Years before “ Sherry Darling,” Bruce and the band add their simulated street chatter like a cacophonous Greek chorus. Bruce’s guitar-playing matches Sancious’ clavinet funk for funk the very first E Street horn section (with guest artist Albee Tellone) carries the riff Richard Blackwell adds some Latin percussion Bruce even plays a recorder. Bruce’s third album carries a sense of confidence, desperation and focus, but his second is loose, fun, eclectic, and at times breathtakingly daring. Besides introducing more obvious homages to his musical influences, “The E Street Shuffle” establishes an adventurous, go-for-broke yet what-the-hell attitude that you can only do on your second album (especially when your first one has only been out a few months).īy the time Bruce and the band started recording Born to Run, the pressure was high and mounting. Bruce is clearly making a statement in the opening track of his second album.
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