BS

When I was in high school the local album rock radio station (I'm pretty sure it was The Zoo, KZEW, 98 FM for those playing at home) used to occasionally do a "BS Weekend". During this event, they'd play songs and albums by artists with initials "BS". You get it?! [1] Examples included Bob Seger, Black Sabbath, Boz Skags, Buffalo Springfield, Bon Scott (AC/DC), Billy Squire, Brian Setzer, and of course Bruce Springsteen (luckily Brittany Speers wasn't even born yet; not that this station would have played her).

Back in the day, I couldn't stand Springsteen. I lumped him in with all the other "blue collar rock" that I didn't like, which included fellow BS'er Bob Seger. However, I changed my tune (get it?) after the Born In The USA album... though not for the title track, which to me was more of the same stuff I didn't like, but rather for songs like "I'm On Fire" and "Dancing In The Dark" (the latter thanks to the video, where Bruce is presented clean shaven and well-washed; this helped me, believe it or not, finally realize he was more than a bar band/blue collar/plain ol' rock 'n roller).

Anyway, I've since come to enjoy and appreciate all of his stuff (though still not "The River"). I really really like the Born To Run album, and especially the first cut, "Thunder Road". Lovelovelove that song. Anyway, my point here is that today the Born To Run album was rereleased, complete with not one but two DVDs... one a "making of the album" and another a live concert from 1975 filmed in the UK.

I listened to some of the CD on the way home from Best Buy (note: if you buy it at Best Buy, you get a bonus CD single of 'Born To Run/Meeting Across The River. Yet another reason to avoid WalMart, which has it for $2 cheaper, no matter what Tom says), and truth be told the new mix or whatever didn't sound much different. However, I love the packaging.

It all comes in a long box, but in the box is a book the size of a CD case, along with the four disks mentioned, each in its own cardboard case. Now the nifty thing is that the Born To Run audio CD's case looks exactly like the original album sleeve. Those of you who have it will remember it opens up like a double album opens up, with the lyrics printed on the two inside sides, and if you open it and look at the front/back it makes a big picture, with Bruce leaning on Clarence Clemons. You could never get this same effect with the original CD. I like it. It's a mini version of the real vinyl album. A replica, if you will. The Beatles did this, too, with a special edition of The White Album. It, too, looked exactly like the original vinyl album, complete with the four "collectible, suitable for framing" pictures of each of the Beatles, along with the poster. You should get it if you can still find it.

What's more, the actual CD looks like the actual vinyl record. In other words, it's black with little grooves painted on it, and the original red Columbia record label in the center. Here's a pic of it over on that other site. It looks like a mini version of the actual album. When I hold the CD and the cover I feel like a giant. ;-) The underside of the CD, moreover, is pitch black, not the usual silver or gold, which helps complete the illusion.

Nifty keen-0 and zany.

I haven't watched the DVDs yet, but I saw a clip on Amazon and it looks good. The Amazon clip is them doing "Born To Run". It's funny, because the song was new and had yet to become the anthem it later became. It's interesting watching it remembering that fact.

[1] BS = bullshit