Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen was born on September 23,
1949 in Long Branch, New Jersey. In 1973
he released his debut album, GREETINGS FROM ASBURY PARK, N.J. Over the years he became known for such songs
as ‘Born to Run’, ‘Hungry Heart’, ‘Born in the U.S.A.’, and ‘Tunnel of
Love’. In 1992 he released two albums on
March 31st, HUMAN TOUCH and LUCKY TOWN, both on Columbia
Records. Here, I am reviewing the
former, which peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200. It was produced by Bruce, Jon Landau, Chuck Plotkin,
and Roy Bittan.
The title track, ‘Human Touch’, is up first. It is over six minutes long and hit #1 on the
Album Rock Tracks chart and #16 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Patty Scialfa sings harmony vocals on this
great song that finds Bruce addressing a gal: “So you been broken and you been
hurt/Show me somebody who ain’t/Yeah, I know I ain’t nobody’s bargain/But hell,
a little touchup and a little paint.../You might need somethin’ to hold on
to/When all the answers they don’t amount to much/Somebody that you can just
talk to/And a little of that human touch”.
David Sancious plays the Hammond organ on ‘Soul Driver’. I like these opening words: “Rode through
forty nights of the gospels’ rain/Black sky pourin’/Snakes, frogs, and love in
vain/You were down where the river grows wider/Baby, let me be your soul
driver”.
’57 Channels (And Nothin’ On)’ was the album’s second
single. Musically and vocally it sounds
like something Cash would’ve recorded.
It’s a bare bones story song: “I bought a bourgeois house in the
Hollywood hills/With a trunkload of hundred thousand dollar bills/Man came by
to hook up my cable TV/We settled in for the night, my baby and me/We switched
‘round and ‘round ‘til half past dawn/There was fifty-seven channels and
nothin’ on.../So I bought a .44 magnum/It was solid steel cast/And in the
blessed name of Elvis, well, I just let it blast/’Til my TV lay in pieces there
at my feet”. ‘Cross My Heart’ was
written by Bruce and Sonny Boy Williamson.
It’s a rock ballad with words of wisdom: “Well, you may think the
world’s black and white/And you’re dirty or you’re clean/You better watch out
you don’t slip/Through them spaces in between/Where the night gets sticky and
the sky gets black”.
‘Gloria’s Eyes’ is an electric guitar driven rock song that
opens with these words of confession: “I was your big man, I was your prince
charming/Kind on a white horse, hey now look how far I’ve fallen/I tried to
trick you/Yeah, but baby you got wise/You cut me, cut me right down to size/Now
I’m just a fool in Gloria’s eyes”. Mark
Isham plays muted trumpet on ‘With Every Wish’, a quiet song that offers this
advice: “Before you choose your wish son/You better think first/With every wish
there comes a curse”.
‘Roll of the Dice’ is one of two songs penned by Bruce and
Roy Bittan. This one’s a happy rock love
song: “Well, it’s never too late so come on girl/The tables are waiting/You and
me and lady luck/Well tonight we’ll be celebrating/Drinkin’ champagne on ice/In
just another roll of the dice”. Sam
Moore contributes vocals to ‘Real World’.
On it, Bruce shares his desires: “I wanna find some answers/I wanna ask
for some help/I’m tired of runnin’ scared/Baby, let’s get our bags packed/We’ll
take it here to hell and heaven and back/And if love is hopeless, hopeless at
best/Come on put on your party dress, it’s ours tonight/And we’re goin’ with
the tumblin’ dice”.
‘All or Nothin’ At All’ is a dance/rock song that finds
Bruce being straight forward: “Said you’d take me for a little dance/If you had
a little time on your hands/Well, all I do is push and shove/Just to get a
little piece of your love/I want it all or nothin’ at all (2X)/Well, now I
don’t wanna be greedy/But when it comes to love there ain’t no doubt/You just
ain’t gonna get what you want/With one foot in bed and one foot out”. ‘Man’s Job’ aims to sway a gal away from
another guy: “Well, now his kisses may thrill/Those other girls that he
likes/But when it comes to treatin’ a real woman right/Well, all of his
tricks/No, they won’t be enough/Cause lovin’ you baby/Lovin’ you woman/Lovin’
you darlin’ is a man’s man’s job”.
Bobby Hatfield sings harmony vocals on ‘I Wish I Were
Blind’, a pretty, but sad, ballad: “And though this world is filled with the
grace and beauty of God’s hand/Oh, I wish I were blind/When I see you with your
man”. ‘The Long Goodbye’ includes this
admission: “Well, I went to leave twenty years ago/Since then I guess I been
packin’ kinda slow/Sure did like that admirin’ touch/Guess I liked it a little
too much”.
Ian McLagen plays piano on ‘Real Man’, while David Sancious
plays organ on the upbeat rock song: “Took my baby to a picture show/Found a
seat in the back row/Sound came up, lights went down/Rambo, he was blowin’ ‘em
down/I don’t need no gun in my fist baby/All I need is your sweet kiss/To get
me feelin’ like a real man/Feelin’ like a real man”. Last up is ‘Pony Boy’, which dates back to
the early 1900’s. Harmonica is used on
this folk song: “O’er the hills and through the trees/We’ll go ridin’ you and
me.../Down into the valley deep/’Neath the eaves we will sleep/Sky of dreams up
above/My pony boy”.
HUMAN TOUCH is an album of perfection! Passionate vocals, skilled instrumentation,
and thoughtful lyrics propel this disc to greatness! Bruce sings about male-female romantic
relationships in a way anyone can relate to.
The songs are full of emotion and feeling and Bruce paints simple
stories in everyday man’s language. By
no means is this one of Bruce’s flashier efforts, but it is earthy. Adults who enjoy the rock songs of Tom Petty,
Tom Cochrane, and Kenny Marks, should pick up HUMAN TOUCH, which I’m rating
100%. For more info visit: www.brucespringsteen.net.