Greetings from Asbury Park, 1972
Bruce is clearly searching for a voice and is trying to be the folky New Dylan. I don't think he's quite found it yet. This debut has a weaker sense of place, identity, and coherence than his later efforts. But while "The Angel" is dragging and sticking, it's got interesting imagery, and the "Mary Queen of AK" is even draggier and sticker, but has moments of brilliance with those touching harmonica chords. And the rest of the album is far more coherent, set against the city streets of New York and urban New Jersey. "Blinded by the Light" is magnificently jokey, and says, more than anything, that there is some weird shit going on in the world. "Growin' Up" is a classic and showed Bruce's talent for piano arrangements and comical, playful storytelling. "Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street" is rythmically pulsating and wonderfully non-repetitive, "Lost in the Flood" is a fascinating ramble, "For You" is frenetically sparky and energetic, "Spirit in the Night" is classic, and "It's Hard to be a Saint in the City" is an incredibly ear-pleasing and artsy rocker. A damn fine debut for anyone. The Bulls are killing the Heat-hooray! I don't like LeBron. I'm not from Cleveland.
Here's Bruce circa 1972:
