I clearly remember the first time I saw Bruce Springsteen in concert: the Oakland-Alameda (CA) Coliseum Arena, October 28, 1980. I was kind of late to board the Springsteen bandwagon. I don’t know why, but he didn’t resonate with me until his 1978 album, “Darkness At The Edge of Town.” He put on his typical show-3 and a half hours of high voltage rock roll paired with an uncanny ability to connect with his audience. After the concert, I went to work-I was working the graveyard shift in a liquor warehouse. If you’ve ever worked graveyard, you know why it’s called “graveyard.” Usually, by 4 in the morning, things appear to be a little surreal. Often, I had to fight to maintain focus around that part of my shift. However, I was clear-headed and focused, tossing booze cartons on a conveyer belt as if I were two hours into a day shift. That’s when I understood why Springsteen was called “The Boss.”
The man who was the first rock star to appear on the cover of Time and Newsweek the same week (in 1975) is still making music, but that’s not all he’s been doing since 2011 when he turned 62 and became eligible for a reverse mortgage (although it’s doubtful he would need one).
So, what has Bruce Springsteen accomplished since his 62nd birthday? His output has changed, but he’s been busy for the past nine years:
- He released three albums of original material and supported his albums with four concert tours.
- He released two older material albums, including a lot of songs that had never been released before; one, “Chapter and Verse,” was released to accompany…
- His autobiography, “Born To Run,” in September 2016, and
- “Springsteen on Broadway,” a one-man-show on…Broadway. It was supposed to run for eight weeks beginning in October 2017. It was extended twice due to its popularity and finally closed in December 2018 (You can see it on Netflix if you want to check it out).
“Wrecking Ball” came out in 2012 and immediately charted #1 on the Billboard Top 100 albums (Billboard is the bible of the music industry), and in sixteen other countries. In general, the critics liked it. Rolling Stone Magazine chose it as it’s #1 album that year. I liked it just fine-it had the hallmarks of what I love about Springsteen’s music and singing, plus his lyrics were compelling.
“High Hopes”-more of the same. It was Rolling Stones’ #2 album for 2014, it debuted at number 1 on the Billboard chart, and although critics were all over the place with their reviews, it’s my favorite Bruce album since “The River,” “Nebraska” and “Born In The USA,” his albums from the early ’80s. The highlight for me is an electric reworking of “The Ghost of Tom Joad,” the title song from a 1995 acoustic album.
“Western Stars,” Springsteen’s 2019 album, is a significant departure from anything he’s ever done. The critics loved it, but I just didn’t get it.
The songs don’t rock, they kind of swing. But what’s important here’s a 70year-old rock icon totally shifting gears and putting together an exceptional piece of work in a musical style that is different from anything he’s done in a career spanning five decades. Also, he made the album into a film, “Western Stars,” which he co-directed.
I took an hour and a half break from writing this to watch the movie. It’s beautiful: composed of a live performance of the album in Springsteen’s barn with a full orchestra.
In between songs, film clips, and his narration describe how he came to write the songs. The cinematography is exceptional and seeing the film changed my view of the album. Although it will never replace my Springsteen favorites, I appreciate “Western Stars.” It’s beautiful.
“Born To Run,” the autobiography, was a New York Times number one bestseller, as it was in the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Denmark, and Sweden. Yes, I’m a big fan, I enjoyed it but trying to be somewhat objective, he’s a great storyteller and the narrative flows. Accompanying its release was the album “Chapter and Verse,” a set that included cuts from his first three bands (The Castilles, Steel Mill, and the Bruce Springsteen Band) and cuts from his studio albums. The previous year he released a retrospective, four cd/two DVD box set, “The Ties That Bind: The River Collection,” (which I first learned about while I was writing this blog- I’m a big fan, not a Springsteenologist).
During these past nine years, Bruce Springsteen has toured extensively. And his performances are still intense, high energy experiences that always test the stamina of his audience. At the tender age of 63 (in 2012), touring in support of “Wrecking Ball,” he played a 4 hour and 6 minute set in Helsinki. In Philadelphia, in 2016, the then 67-year-old dynamo played for 4 hours and 4 minutes.
I read that shortly after he completed work on “Western Stars,” he planned to return to the studio to once again record with the E Street Band. He’s talked about it, but I don’t know if he is there’ll be a new Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band album. I sure hope there is one, cause, given what he’s done post-age 62, I’m pretty sure I’ll like it.
– Edward from McMinnville, Oregon, a FAR customer who is finding purpose in this new stage of his life.
Edward
Edward writes for FAR and is also a customer. He is 73-year-old, born and raised in and around New York City. After college and a little graduate school, he took Horace Greeley’s advice and went west. Edward lived in several cities throughout California and currently resides in Oregon. He practiced law for a few years as part of a law collective doing what they called “people’s law,” but spent most of his career working as an internal organizer for the unions.
When Edward’s career ended with the unions, he was determined to become an advocate for older adults. He enrolled at Portland Community College studying Gerontology. He learned a lot about aging and how it applied to his own life experiences and my own aging process. Much of Edward’s writing is related to what he learned in his Gerontology studies.
* The opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of the Finance of America Reverse (FAR) LLC
This article is intended for general informational and educational purposes only, and should not be construed as financial or tax advice. For more information about whether a reverse mortgage may be right for you, you should consult an independent financial advisor. For tax advice, please consult a tax professional.
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