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The Afterword #89: The Bosscast

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Twang is joined by Dai, Blue Boy and newbie Bogart to discuss Bruce Springsteen, AKA The Boss. From his earliest beginnings they consider the three phases of Bruce (an absurdly reductive concept inflicted on the team by ringmaster Twang), the monumental live performances and what they want him to do next. Much fun is had and the result is a stadium sized pod as befits its subject.



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  1. Was enjoyable, hope it comes across quite well, I won’t listen myself naturally.

    Hardly got into how magnificent Born to Run is, with 5 of his greatest songs all on one 8 track album.

    I also meant to mention this:

  2. Very good chat chaps – some nicely considered views and theories. Off the back of this I will go back and re-listen to Magic and The Rising. Oh and on technical point I did not mention Bacharach re the new album – Jimmy Webb yes but deffo not the great BB. The point about Sinatra’s Watertown album was interesting – I hadn’t considered that but can see a possible reference point there.

    • Problem with Magic is it his worst sounding album, not sure what they were trying for, but it is a crying shame that such brilliant songs are so poorly presented. I like listening to live versions, the Boston 2007 download in the archive series has many of the best from the album.

  3. Have to agree with Dai, it was a enjoyable conversation and great to hear interesting insights from the three of you which will no doubt cause much nodding and shaking of the head amongst the Springsteen followers and may encourage the non-believers to go and see what the fuss is all about. But like Dai I won’t listen, not even to see if you’ve managed to edit my meagre contribution into something approaching worth hearing. But then again your not a magician!

    Oh and it’s rumoured that Tracks vol 2 is to be released around Christmas time.

    • I thoroughly enjoyed your pithy interventions @Bogart

      I wonder what would be left for Tracks 2 given there are also rumours of a Born in the USA box set.

      I say make your own:

      Disc 1 Born in the USA remastered (in box set a few years ago)
      Disc 2 Outtakes previously released on Tracks and The Essential Springsteen
      Discs 3, 4 and 5 From live archive download, either Meadowlands 84 or L.A. 85
      Disc 6 DVD/Blu-ray Whole album performed live in London (released with High Hopes album)

  4. Great chat, fellas! You could do another 20 hours if you want to. Twang have mercy on the man who doubts what he’s sure of.

    My top five albums would be (right now, anyway) Darkness, River, Tom Joad, Magic and Wrecking Ball.

      • Well, I play Wrecking Ball more than BTR. It doesn’t HAVE to mean I prefer Wrecking Ball, of course.

        Though Thunder Road, Born To Run, Meeting Across The River and Jungleland. And 10th Avenue Freez-Out. Backstreets.

        So yeah, I’m probably wrong. But I find WB great. Musically it picks up where Seeger faded out. Perhaps lyrically too.

        But at least ten of his albums are in my top five, so what do I know?

  5. I came here under false pretences.

    I expected a discussion on the ripe melodies of Paul McCartney, the polyrhythms of Bernard Edwards and jazz flights of Danny Thompson.

  8. Very interesting cast. Dai’s emotional connection to the man and his music was very moving to hear.

    Sinatra’s Watertown was co-written and produced by Bob Gaudio, the mastermind behind those other Jersey Boys, Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons. Connecting those dots to a Springsteen album can’t be that much of a stretch.

    Most importantly, I want to know how @Blue-Boy won a competition in the NME.

    • I can’t for the life of me remember what you had to do to enter the comp; probably answer some damn fool question on a cut out entry form which you then posted off (none of your instant enter online nonsense in those days, kids – we had to work for our prizes). And, lo, I was one of I think three winners who won around a dozen CBS albums. This pretty much had the effect of doubling my record collection even though most of them were, frankly, shit. Let’s see how many I can remember:

      Bruce Greetings, and The Wild, The Innocent
      Poco Cantamos
      New Riders of the Purple Sage Brujo
      Dave Mason Dave Mason
      Loggins and Messina Mother Lode
      Donovan 7-Tease (Geddit?)
      Johnny Winter John Dawson Winter III

      The others are expunged from my memory. The Bruce ones, and Poco are the only ones I still have.

        • Haven’t listened to it for over 40 years- maybe I should give a go again! Only thing I remember is that the selling point was that it featured a new John Lennon song called ‘Rock’n’Roll People’ which I remember as being as dull as it’s title suggests.

          • The Captured Live version is mega. I think they were paid according to the note count. It’s probably his most rock n roll album as opposed to blues, and has some of his best singing and variety of songs. I think it’s fun. Not his best but good all the same.

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