Taking all this from Nick Corasaniti's Twitter thread from tonight.
Tonight Bruce Springsteen is receiving the 2021 Woody Guthrie Award. Nora Guthrie, introducing the award, describes the award as recognizing those "listening and representing the peoples often quiet voices that you as an artist are privvy to hear." Nora Guthrie, summing up Bruce pretty succinctly: "You can preach, and we can dance!"
Bruce on Woody Guthrie: "I always said that Bob Dylan was the father of my country. But your father was the grandfather of my country. He was the first music where I found a reflection of America that believe to be true."
Bruce on how he ended up teaming up with Pete Seeger during Obama's first inaugural: "Patti said you should have Pete Seeger come and sing with you."
Bruce 'just now': "We have a record coming out soon that’s set largely in the West."
To close, Bruce played some Guthrie covers. First up: "Tom Joad" (and yes, this all took place at the Barn.)
... and now playing one of my absolute favourite lesser known Springsteen tracks: "Across the Border".
I would be happy if the new album had an intense sound in this style.
I really wonder how the Woody Guthrie Jury overlooked Bruce all these years.
On a more serious note. Could it be that the record set in the West actually is WS and that he for the moment forgot it has already been released?
For what it's worth, I think ^ sounds more likely than the rumoured "My Darling Steventine" that's doing the rounds now.
Has anyone heard anything about this supposed "Pike Bishop's Leavin' Town" track?
I'd believe it, but it doesn't make sense unless Bruce is doing some revisionist work...
Wow, breaking news, some alleged track names from the new record have leaked, along with some review notes.
'Outlaw Pete 2 (Pete's Back, Baby).' Apparently, a sequel to 2009's Oulaw Pete where Pete reappears a la Jack Palance in City Slickers. Musically, it is said to be a ballad that sounds very similar to Beth by KISS
'Even In The West There Is A Darkness In The Valley Through Which The River Flows And The Train Runs'. Said to sound like a country version of Born To Run, this is purportedly a sweeping career summational song dressed in western metaphor.
'In Some Fashion'. Title only known, music / lyrics uncertain. Seems a really strange title, not sure where that came from.
'Magic Rat In A Cowboy Hat'. Again, limited info known, aside from the fact this track was at one time called Johnwayneland.
'Orses For Courses'. A sequel to Chasin Wild Horses. The protagonist from the original song ends up in England. People in England enjoy meat pies where said meat in said pie can sometimes be dubious. You do the math...
If I hear any more, I'll let you know. Maybe some of you folk have heard some other rumoured songs...
When I told Mr J what he had said about 'western' music, his comment was 'Outlaw Pete part 2 then'...
I'm all for anything new, but it's high time we got the Born In The U.S.A. boxed set.
I don't think I need to say anything else, I'm back to Joad. It was a fun one week trip, I'm back home now.
Thought I'd write a couple of words:
Across the Border just blows me away.
He's still got what it takes!
Damn. The man sounds good.
Let the new album rumor thread begin. Sequel to Western Stars? A dusty desert E Street roadshow? The ghost of The Ghost of Tom Joad? Will there be a motorcycle song? Are they new songs or were they written previously? Is Bruce lying?
That would mean a tour will probably follow.... Awesome!
he loves to fuck with us.
I feel teased.
"Well for my first two or three records I, I think I kind of don't want to be labeled as, I mean I love New Jersey and I'm from there, but I'm interested in the country at large, as a whole, and I'm interested in the people that are living and are having experiences in the Southwest, or and when we went to California you know it was funny people looked at that part of my life as sort of gee "oh he went to Los Angeles" but when I went to California, you can inhabit a lot different Californias and California was an enourmous influence on some of my most topical writing. Through my 90's, 2000's, and even now on I wrote a record that's coming out soon that is set largely in the West, you know, so i got very involved in telling those Western stories through my work."
I must see and hear this.