Following the success of his album of soul covers (over a thousand albums shipped in New Jersey alone), rock icon Bruce Springsteen will be releasing a companion collection of roots reggae covers, Rastaman Vibration, in July. "The Boss" granted False Memory Foam© this exclusive interview:
FMF Heyyy! Looking buff n' tuff, The Boss!
BS My voice is kick ass!
FMF So - tell th' Four Or Five Guys© about the new album!
BS Yeah, well, it's something I've been wanting to do for the longest time, and when I spoke to my producer Ron [Aniello - Ed.] about it and he just kind of flipped! He was like, let's do this, people! It's a project whose time has come, it feels right. My voice is kick ass!
FMF People are going to be like, wo-ah! A roots reggae album from The Boss?
BS It's going to surprise a lot of people, but I've always been into reggae, everybody who played the bars in New Jersey back then has reggae in their DNA, it's like they called Asbury Park "Little Jamaica" for a reason! [laughs] So yeah, Ron [Aniello - Ed.] and me rolled up our shirtsleeves and each came up with a list of songs we wanted to cover, we did a lot of research, YouTube, Google ... the internet ...
FMF What songs made the cut?
BS Well, the title song had to be in there, it's iconic. We both came up with Don't Worry, Be Happy - Ron [Aniello - Ed.] gets a great whistle sound out of the synth for that one! Do You Really Want To Hurt Me, that's a deep cut, but it's good to get it some exposure. Can't Help Falling In Love - I channel The King for that one! Ron [Aniello - Ed.] was in tears, crying, we were both crying. He says, it's like Elvis has come back into the building. That's the biggest damn compliment I ever got. I'm real proud of that one [turns away, blinking].
FMF Wow! There's some surprising choices in there!
BS Wait 'til you hear De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da. And there's Never Gonna Give You Up, which I always heard as reggae, it's got that reggae beat, one-and-two, and-one ...
FMF And you assembled a group of crack Jamaican musicians.
BS Yeah. Getting the feel authentic was, well, Ron [Aniello - Ed.] nailed it. He plays everything. He did the cover art, too [above - Ed.]. I mean, I art directed it, he did the ... art. He went to Jamaica on vacation one time, and all the rastas recognised him as a soul brother. He has this instinctive feel, that I have, you can't learn it, mon! So in the end, we went with what we had, because it couldn't be improved. Or cheaper, although that was never a consideration. My voice is kick ass!
FMF You'll be touring the album? You had some trouble with ticketing, fans weren't too happy last time.
BS Uh huh, I listen to them, and I'm grateful for their suggestions. Well, most of them. We're changing the system. Tickets will be sold direct from my office, online, and there'll be a flat fee, just two thousand bucks a seat, so nobody gets ripped off.
FMF Every seat, two thousand bucks?
BS [nods] That's how it's gonna be. Across the board, no exceptions. Unless you want the VIP package. You get a view of the stage, and a complimentary bottle of water in the parking lot, there'll be like an area roped off, and Ron [Aniello - Ed.] will be signing programs. That's, uh, [coughs into fist] ten grand. Worth every cent!
FMF How's the voice?
This post made possible by a surprise rainstorm keeping me inside.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0HgUd0I8DY
ReplyDeleteHorns! Just like on a Burning Spear LP!
DeleteAnd better than UB40!
DeleteAnd slipperier than WD40!
Delete40 is such an interesting number.
DeleteNot to mention the Aramaic language.
Back in 1977 I rehearsed a cover of "Ring of Fire" as a punk-reggae tune. Our inability to play well enough to pull it off meant we never finished the arrangement (that, and the beer. And the drugs. And stopping to smoke cigarettes. And spending more time on the name of the band than music. And arguing about our drummer not showing up for practice).
ReplyDeleteSome of you thought he should?
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aErNjERoLJM
DeleteI saw Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes at the Green Parrot in Neptune (Jack Nicholson's hometown) around the time this was done.
ReplyDeleteThis was done yesterday?
DeleteGee, I can hardly wait! Another Springsteen release that I will ignore...
ReplyDeleteHmmmmm. I have a hunch, a sneaking suspicion, that that's not really Broooce conducting that interview. 'Car park' is not the term Jerseyites, save for the Bri'ish ones, use for parking lots. Are you sure it wasn't Sam Fender?
ReplyDeleteC in California
He didn't "conduct" the interview. I did. Gee whiz.
DeleteYou have forgotten that we're talking about The Boss; regardless of who's asking the questions, The Boss is also The Conductor. We jizz!!
DeleteC in California
*strokes chin suspiciously*
DeleteWho would've thought that Bruce's little karaoke project would mobilize Farq to spend, like, five thousand words on The Boss as a big-ass fake. So, what's the over-under on Bruce hit pieces? I'm good for some gambling action, put one buck down for me on three.
ReplyDeletePS: It's all good, I smiled once or thrice.
Nobody, but nobody, was a bigger Bruce Believer than I, from '73 up to ... this when it starts to get hazy. Took a while to realise how good BTR was, in spite of its popularity. The River, too. Nebrasky, no problem. Everything else (noble exception, Western Stars) has needed either indulgence or excuses or forgiveness and other qualities that belief bestows. But I haven't believed in The Boss for decades. And when he releases such a shitty record as the "soul" album (one more time for the world - it's a Ron Aniello solo project feat. Bruce Springsteen) he should get called out for it, not indulged or forgiven or whatever.
DeleteAnother thing - this piece was written as a humorous squib, not bile-filled invective. It was written to elicit a laff or, in your case, OBG, a smile or two. Which, in your case, OBG, is quite the achievement. I'm glad this isn't a video call, though.
For me, it was '75 through '88, with interest slowing waning in the 90s.
DeleteThe "two albums released at the same time" thing was dumb; just put out a double album and be done with it. The "Other Band" was okay, but I did miss the E Street Band. The Nebraska Part 2 Tom Joad was also okay, but it was no Nebraska. But it was all okay, not great, but good.
I kept going to the live shows, 1975 through 2009, but this century's releases have been of little interest. As we've previously argued, I had increasing awareness that the "character" he plays was wildly different than the actual Springsteen. While there's nothing wrong with playing a role, it just....takes me out of the moment.
I just picked up "Western Stars" two days ago and will give it another shot - even that one splits the audience down the middle, as pretty much any record since, yeah, about 1987 and "Tunnel Of Love".
DeleteSome records, good as they are in theory, are just hard listens. The whole 'literary short story' concept of The Ghost Of Tom Joad and Devils & Dust is fine, but, musically they are just kind of...boring.
If I grab a Springsteen record from the shelf that was done after 1985 it's probably The Rising (too long, a couple of duffer tracks) or Magic (super-processed sound and noisy production hide the quality of the songs). I liked Wrecking Ball when it came out, though the album loses a lot of steam and interest in its last third.
BTW, Farq, I did get - and enjoy - the more light-headed nature of your Springsteen sequel. There are worse ways to pass the rain storm, I guess.
You might've already said that elsewhere, since Bruuuuce crops up a number of times, but what is your take on "Letter To You"? I liked it, but much like draftervoi said, it's good, not great, nothing to get too excited about.
Return To Sender.
DeleteChapeau, monsieur. Vous êtes en rare forme ces jours là...
DeleteThat rastarized image of BS is a laff riot unto itself.
ReplyDeleteFor this comment, apauling wins a coveted "Foamie™' award. This handsome life-size statuette is hand-crafted from available materials and will tastefully accent den or lobby, starting conversations whenever unexpected guests drop by!
DeleteDoes The Boss smoke the dope?
ReplyDeleteoff 2 c the Boss in 20 hours in KC. carmuh huh?!
ReplyDeleteIt'll be groovy. He can still do a good show.
Delete