Before: Oh man. My parents adore Bruce. Adore adore ADORE, as in my dad has seen him in concert over SIXTY TIMES. I suppose my rebellious phase peaked early when I was little because I remember whenever a Bruce song snuck onto our oldies radio station (98.3: the one radio station I listened to for a solid 14+ years when driving with my dad), I'd kick the back of his seat until he changed it. What a little brat, I know! And the crazy thing is that I'm still trying to iron out the kink of being too proud to concede that Bruce is actually okay/enjoyable that I've upheld for so long. Here's hoping that this record can reform this one.
(This ethereal cover by The Staves came very close.)
After: Oh man. I'm hooked from the very first song. His unique voice: tremble/wavering, accent, bold delivery is infectious.
You can hear such passion in his voice. The chords, the lyrics, the intonation. It's impossible to not feel when you listen to him.
It feels very 80's, with those notoriously soft thunder claps and twangy beats.
SO MANY FEELINGS
So many tempos, sub-genres, styles... he does it all.
It's not my favorite album, but it has definitely whetted my appetite for more Bruce. Part of me can't believe I'm admitting that. The other half is shouting "get over your childhood ego already and soak up the greatness that's waiting!!"
After reading about it, I now understand that it's a concept album about the evolution of love. It was a stray away from Bruce's name-brand high energy music. I'd have to listen to this a few more times to really soak up the genius of it all, but for now, just one listen-- a little eavesdropping on a full conversation-- is enough to have hooked me. There you have it, parents. Well done.
Finally, you've come to your senses!!!! Welcome Soph!
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