#501

Really love this one.

1 Like
#502

Second greatest ‘divorce album’ after Blood on the Tracks?

2 Likes
#503

Richard and Linda Thompson’s Shoot Out the Lights up there too maybe?

This is the Springsteen album I’ve grown into the most - when I first became a fan it really did nothing for me but his songwriting on itreally has a way of getting under the skin.

It’s just so multi-faceted. He really digs into relationships from all angles. Brilliant Disguise is just the best lyrical depiction of the insecurities that every couple deals with to some extent. When You’re Alone just devastatingly gets into the anger, sadness and pity after the breakdown of a relationship. Tougher than the Test takes the opposite approach evoking the optimism and fear of entering into a new one.

I kind of consider this as part one of a loose trilogy with Human Touch and Lucky Town which takes Bruce from the breakdown of a marriage, through a period of doubt and questioning to contentment and reflection on being a father. Production-wise Tunnel avoids the late 80s pitfalls the other two fall into though by always choosing the minimalist option when it could go big, in that it reminds me of a lot of the recent wave of synths bedroom pop.

The whole thing is summed up for me by the line in the title track:

“Then the lights go out and it’s just the three of us
You, me and all that stuff we’re so scared of”

I mean who can’t relate to that…

2 Likes
#504

Interested to get stuck into this one. From this point on I mostly don’t know the albums already, just individual songs from compilations and shows.

I have however come to love Tougher Than The Rest in the last year, via the wonderful video ofc. Now to try out the rest (of the album)

2 Likes
#505

If asked to name Springsteen’s best songs I don’t think Tougher Than the Rest would make my list, but I’ve got a real soft spot for it, it’s been one of my favourites for a long time.

A group of us were in the pub before his Hampden gig in 2013, and had the inevitable “if you could pick one song for them to play tonight, what would it be?” chat - I said Tougher Than the Rest. A dozen songs in (amazing gig, beautiful summer night), he’s picking signs from the audience and out comes the one I wanted, dedicated to the memory of the requesting girl’s father Shug. The band played it and Bruce handed the girl his harmonica at the end.

I think there’s just something about that most basic possible beat, no frills, leading into that chord change where the “road is dark” line comes in. Absolutely love it.

6 Likes
#506

Lots of the big artists toyed with synths in the 80s but very few did it as well as it’s done on Tunnel of Love. eg. I heard a live version of Tougher Than The Rest and I thought it sounded hideous, like something Garth Brooks might do. But the production on the original is so good, those synths! and the between-verses/coda where he keeps adding these little instrumental touches.

1 Like
#507

In a similar place to @hardworking from this point on, familiar with songs but not with the albums from this point on. I can’t abide by Can’t Have You, however, so I’m going to pretend that Tougher than the Rest is the opening track.

Speaking of which…

Think this is my favourite cover of a Springsteen song, all told, and is possibly better than the Bruce version?

It’s certainly a very different animal from the original, but it doesn’t feel like it’s even doing a wilfully subversive version of it. It just does a great job of stripping away the machismo that’s kinda present in the original, so you’re just left with something that sounds like it would be the perfect first dance at a second wedding.

5 Likes
#508

didn’t know about this cover!

#509

Spare Parts and Cautious Man both sound like they’re in the same vein as the Nebraska material to me (haven’t listened to this album in full in a long time, forgot how much I liked Spare Parts in particular).

1 Like
#510

This is really rather lovely. Had the Bruce version on our wedding playlist (and another Bruce song was our first dance) but this would have fit perfect.

#511

INTO THIS TUNNEL OF LOVE!!!

3 Likes
#512

I’m another one new to this album only knowing Brilliant Disguise before now (love it). I came by Tougher Than The Rest thanks to this remix on an old Italians Do It Better Compilation. I can’t explain why it took me 11 years to listen to the Bruce version

Vogel didn’t change much just dusted it in glitter, coming to the album version I found it a bit (only a bit!) flat after I’ve been used to it as a gently percolating bit of Italo. I like Emmylou’s version too. It’s a tremendous song, masculine but tender, “tougher than the rest” doesn’t mean I’m the hardest fella in town, it means I won’t bolt when things get hard, The road is dark, and it’s a thin thin line… is one of my favourite little sections in Bruce’s catalogue, so sweetly earnest.

I feel like I could take to calling people Handsome Dan’s and Good-looking Joe’s. Looking forward to getting to know the rest of the album this week.

4 Likes
#513

Intrigued to hear this italo version! But this is the definitive version to my mind. I just can’t get over those looks between him and Patti:

Totally agree about the toughness here being mature and more complex: staying power and resilience rather than fightiness.

1 Like
#514

I know we’ve had Nebraska, but that was more obviously a solo album - it’s weird after the last five albums to get something that sounds like a “band” album, but without that E Street piano/glockenspiel/sax sound all over it.

#515

It’s intriguing that in the context of its inclusion/placement on the album it sort of lends the lyrics an air of false optimism.

1 Like
#516

Really liking this on the first couple of listens. Going back into the territory of not knowing any of the songs on the album, although I had heard Brilliant Disguise without knowing it.

A few filler tracker like ‘Ain’t Got You’, ‘Spare Parts’ in particular and Cautious Man veering too close Highway Patrolman, not sure if that is intentional? but great second half. Really enjoying Two Faces, Brilliant Disguise and Valentine’s is a great closer - it just plods along in a slumpy melodic way.

#517

Tunnel of Love was my first introduction to Bruce Springsteen when I was a young kid. It was (and still is) one of my father’s favorite records. I’ve grown to appreciate it more and more over the years. It’s a quiet, laid back, melody driven record. No big sweat and bravado of the E Street Band (although some play sporadically throughout). The first half is interesting, Tougher Than The Rest is big synth’s to start, wonderful tone throughout. Spare Parts sounds like it could have been straight off a Merle Haggard record, a bit outlaw country.

While the beginning of the record is good, it’s the back half of the record that makes it soar. Brilliant Disguise is simply one of the greatest songs he’s ever written. You think your listening to the start of a Paula Abdul track or something at the beginning of Tunnel of Love, then the subtle synth comes in and goes straight head bobber from there.

He obviously gained a lot of fans from the previous release of Born in the U.S.A./Live 1975-1985 (selling over 10 million copies). Some of those were probably looking for a similar blood, sweat and tears big rock and roll sound. However, I think a lot of those people left with a newfound respect for the songwriter that is Bruce Springsteen. My father sure did.

9/10

5 Likes
#518

Brilliant Disguise might be my favourite Springsteen song. I enjoyed this article about the making of the video by the director. I was very surprised to read that the vocal was recorded live rather than Springsteen miming and he used this technique in some of his subsequent videos as well. I never would have known if I hadn’t have read it

http://meiertavis.com/archives/1215

3 Likes
#519

Not sure if there are others but he certainly employed this technique for ‘Streets Of Philadelphia’

#520

This too - bizarrely released to promote the Greatest Hits album in 95