Wednesday, May 15, 2019
Rag Mama Rag
My friend Geoff Hoover:
"...unloved by many of his fair weather fans, to me, one his greatest accomplishments - reconnecting our hidden American musical DNA with our conscious present. Some of the most joyous music ever "laid to wax." There is talk about a possible E Street Band tour and album coming in the next year, and that's great. But a return of the Seeger Sessions band? That would be truly special."
I couldn't agree more.
Every new Bruce record brings on the excitement (and if you live in NYC, the anxiety) of a new tour. Tickets will be impossible in New York and New Jersey, but easy-peasy just about everywhere else in the USA. But in 2006, when "The Seeger Sessions" was released and the tour was announced, I had no problem getting tickets. The night of the performance, I sat in mild shock at an 85% full Madison Square Garden. Why wasn't the entire world thrilled by the music on this record? This tour should have been record breaking. At the end of each song, I stood up and cheered emphatically, and then followed it with "I can't believe this place isn't full." It was involuntarily. The joy of the music managed to raise my body off the ground, and then as if I was being controlled by some higher power, said aloud, after each and every song, "I can't believe this place isn't full."
Geoff and I briefly discussed the beauty of "The Seeger Sessions" last night and I brought up this song, which was only played at a handful of shows during the tour. The video is a B+, but the audio and performance is hall of fame worthy.
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16 comments:
Still miss Levon..sigh
joe
Never saw this before--great cover for the Seeger band.
I really enjoyed the Seeger Sessions band, but within the online Bruce community that I participate in, I was one of the few. Unfortunately, to longtime and casual fans, Bruce is a bit pigeonholed - - most only want to see him with the E Street Band. I'm sure that is due to the incredible legacy they have created, but IMO they are missing out. From my observations, many of them appreciate (but don't love) Bruce's solo work, despise the 92-93 ("fake") band, and are largely indifferent to the SSB.
As for me, I love the SSB version of Rag Mama Rag, as well as Pay Me My Money Down and several others. I enjoyed the SSB show I saw in Chicago, but like Sal observed, the venue was not sold out and the crowd was only somewhat engaged. I still need to watch the full SSB show at Jazz Fest, which was just released. THAT is a crowd who gets it.
Thanks for this, Sal. I loved this tour. So joyous and such a fantastic bunch of musicians. Thanks Troy for the SSB Jazz Fest tip, didn't know about it. There's a fantastic dvd of this tour filmed live in Dublin that is really a treat. Just captivating.
Boy does this hit the spot. I was lukewarm with the Seeger Sessions at the time but just relistened to them. Sometimes you come at something from the wrong direction or mind set and need something that gets you listen again with different expectations. Also listening to Live in Dublin which is a power house. Maybe could have used a little more sloppiness but great horn charts.
Hmm, I'm going to stick my neck out here and disagree.
I love the whole idea of the Seeger Sessions and enjoy the album a lot. I didn't see the tour but watching this video... well, it didn't connect for me. I'm sure it was a hell of a lot of fun to be in the audience—but watching the video, it seems like intimate sittin'-on-the-porch pickin' music blown up (overblown) to arena bombast.
Do we really need four guitars, two fiddles, and an entire 4-piece horn section to play folk songs?
I really admire Bruce for the project—and it's sad that so much of his fan base ignored it.And I certainly want to see this SSB Jazz Fest show. Maybe it'll change my mind. But this version of "RMR" didn't grab me at all...
@ "Ken D"
Whoever this is, please tell the real Ken D to come back. He is missed. Tell him we love him and we know he would love this version of "Rag Mama Rag." And to you, "Ken D?", I am not amused.
:)
"Do we really need four guitars, two fiddles, and an entire 4-piece horn section to play folk songs?"
I'm bringing cookies to Phil Spector in prison. I'll ask him what he thinks.
Okay, enough cracking wise.
The lack of interest in the Seeger Sessions Band was bad enough with four guitars, two fiddles and a 4-piece horn section. Do you think there'd be more interest in another acoustic take of "Mary Don't You Weep" or "John Henry?" I say no. I think the big, faux E Street bombast of these folk tunes is the very appeal. Never been done.
Only the Pogues have ever approached the amazing all acoustic thunder that the SSB produced. 4 guitars? Yes! ABSOLUTELY!! 2 Fiddles? YES! Horns! Pedal Steel! Upright Bass! Accordion! Banjo! You put it all together with a killer songbook of classic americana and then add the best bandleader/songwriter in the world. It's rolling thunder all without Marshall stacks or fender twins. And uniquely American. Why do you think European punters went wild? It was the American Promise, the American Revolution, the American idea all wrapped up in a powerful oversized but uncool, so uncool juggernaut. The SSB was a Quixotic journey. They were the greater fool. America was founded by Greater Fools. We may have forgotten that. But Europe didn't.
It would appear I am in the Burning Wood equivalent of solitary confinement.
Hope to be back in the general population soon.
Love to all,
Ken D
@Ken D
Don't sweat it. You should see the anonymous comments aimed at me that I don't publish!
Meanwhile, as long as I'm incarcerated, I'll also accept cookies!
Bit late to this one but...
I really like the album, but don't love it - poor man and Shenandoah apart. I saw the band at Wembley. A superb concert but for me, the highlights of the show were the reworked versions of his older stuff - Blinded By The Light and Atlantic City were phenomenal - and being there for the first performance of Long Walk Home. I somehow, and I still don't know how other than sheer luck, got in the pit and from there it felt like an intimate show, not an arena show. A great night. It looked full too, but I didn't have the best vantage point as everyone was behind me.
And another vote for The Pogues - another great band I saw many times in one of their spiritual homes and best crowds - Glasgow. I saw them twice in 2 weeks, once in Toronto then in Glasgow, and it was a not dissimilar situation - Strummer filled in for Philip Chevron and you could hear this new, raucous style re-invigorated him when he was playing Clash tunes.
The other appealing thing to me about SSB was the musicians-live-in-the-same-room vibe. You could tell they were playing together and having fun. I hadn't heard that on a Bruce record since The River. It got me to thinking/wishing that, when Bruce assembles the ESB again for the next record (which he said is written), I hope they just go in and bang it out live, together. Not counting on it, but one can always hope.
Couldn't agree more! I saw many SSB Concerts in Europe all with their own unique highlights.
But, perhaps the most memorable was Barcelona.
Generally, concert start time is around 8'ish; no Sir, not in Spain!
At 8'ish we are still drinking cool Spanish beer and indulging in early evening Tapas!
Bruce will have to wait, the night is young...and clearly the organisation was aware of this.
But...and a really big BUT...
At 10 'o clock with everybody inside, the atmosphere was totally electric. The air was alive and we had eaten and drunk our fill. There was no other place to be except here and now. When Bruce and the Band arrived on stage the reception they received was unlike any I had seen before anywhere including Sweden and Italy. Bruce had to wait quite a few minutes before it made any sense at all to start the show. As much as I love the E St. Band I've so enjoyed being able to watch the New Orleans Show these last few days and sincerely hope to see the SSB again.
Greetings From Berlin, Germany
Dave L
I too look forward to Springsteen being inspired to reunite the SSB and do another album and tour. It seems heresy but the MSG gig may be my favorite Springsteen concert of all. Oh Sal, too bad we didn't bump into each other. My guest and I had a third ticket. We tried to sell it out front -- just face value! we're not in it to profit -- and were so annoyed when a kid tried to nickel and dime us for less than face we ate the cost of the ticket and just headed in. I also spent the entire night astonished that Springsteen hadn't sold it out. I mean, it was just one night, as opposed to the multi-night stands he would usually do. Were people really turned off by the fact that an Artist they love wasn't going to do "Thunder Road" for the 47th time in their presence? (And I love "Thunder Road.") He was having such a blast and seemed so liberated from the expected songs and arrangements that the night was just glorious. As I recall it was someone's birthday (the tuba player?) and Springsteen left him on stage to the last until the guy's mom came out from behind and tapped him on the shoulder to stop. Or did I imagine that? I know I didn't imagine the terrific, shambling sound of that band. So good.
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