Woke up Saturday morning in a bit of a haze. Tried to piece together the evening before as I stood in a pair of shorts and a jacket while watching my girlfriend’s dog peruse the lawn adjacent to my apartment building. He did his business and we headed back in for another hour of sleep. Awoke for the second time feeling no better than before and glanced around the apartment. Nothing was broken and nothing was out of place. I spent the evening before watching the Haiti telethon and Conan’s last show. In the process, I drank several beers and my third bottle of red wine this week. The life of a college student once again.
Today was to be different. Yes, I would be drinking but I had a few details to take care of beforehand. I went to the store, did some homework, and attended to the dog. My main focus of the day was to listen to records. My turntable was gathering dust and seemed to be silently crying out to be used. At 2 pm, I dropped the needle on Son Volt’s “Straightaways”. The music provided the inspiration to finish my work and filled me with a sense of happiness. I later followed up with Bob Dylan, Band of Horses, Tom Waits, and The Boss, all on vinyl. “Darkness on the Edge of Town” is pure genius and Springsteen’s hidden gem.
The beers began to flow a couple of hours later. Henry (the dog) and I settled in for the evening and I somehow finished several beers within a five hour period. I left to purchase more. After returning, I once again took pleasure in the sweet sounds of Bob Dylan on vinyl with “Highway 61 Revisited”. “Queen Jane Approximately” is remarkable, in my opinion. Sonic Youth’s “Murray Street” followed.
At thirty-two years of age, the return to college has been a difficult but rewarding experience. I know that what I am doing is worthwhile and I will be walking away with a master’s degree. But, I spend a lot of time alone and constantly think about my friends and family across the Midwest. I miss them tremendously and they are often on my mind. But, I know we will be hanging out soon and it will be as if nothing has changed. And that’s the way I want it to stay.
Within these two nights of a drunken stupor, I have come to two conclusions that will forever be etched in to my brain. One, if you can find the small, simple treasures in life that make you happy, enjoy them without limits. For me, it’s going to school, having a cold beer, remembering the great times with my loved ones, and listening to good music. Two, Bruce Springsteen is the coolest sumbitch in the history of man. And that’s a fact.
1 comment:
Bruce Springsteen's Darkness on the Edge of Town broke new ground for The Boss in 1978. A counterpoint to the operatic elegance of Born to Run, the album was an angry, raw record that burst forth after a three-year hiatus.
Because of its darker tones, some might call Darkness a difficult album, but despite this, it's a cherished gem for many.
Collecting stories and photos from hundreds of fans, The Light in Darkness celebrates this classic record, allowing readers to revisit the excitement of that moment when the needle found the grooves in that first cut and the thundering power of "Badlands" shook across the hi-fi for the very first time. Or the uninitiated, but soon-to-be-converted teenager, brought along by friends and finding salvation at one of the legendary three-plus hour concerts - shows that embodied all the manic fury of a revival meeting.
The book is also for those more recent converts to The Boss who may have stumbled across a dusty bootleg in a used record store - discovering the magic of the Agora or the Winterland shows.
Finally, The Light in Darkness is for those who never gave Bruce's fourth album much consideration; those more partial to the high-polished sounds of Born to Run or the stadium-rousing choruses of Born in the U.S.A. For the skeptics, just read the tales of those who struggle with the dark and trembling frustration of "Something in the Night," the open-road emptiness of "Racing in the Street," and the too-faraway hope of "The Promised Land." A troubling album indeed. But the passion, the connection, the thrill of the fans as they explore this classic record will make a convert of anyone.
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