It started on The River, this fan divide concerning “Serious Bruce” vs. “Fun Bruce.” For some, tunes like Crush On You and I’m A Rocker are lower tier songs, to be looked upon with a barely-disguised sneer.
For the same reason that I have a hard time rating albums (read: numerically), the idea of pitting Bruce’s more emotionally charged material against his garage party stuff? Pointless. “Working On The Highway” is no Jungleland. Well, duh, it doesn’t have to be. And neither “Detroit Medley” nor “Quarter To Three” pretend to be Lost In The Flood either.
I just see “Working On The Highway” as a breezy pop tune. It’s a guilt-free confection that Springsteen obviously still gets a kick out of playing. Whether he brings the spirit of Elvis to the show, or quick reference to the K-Pop juggernaut “Gangnam Style” (last week in Charlottesville), Bruce is just having a great time and bringing us along for the ride. No, it’s not serious, but it is serious fun.
Up next: Downbound Train
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| Working On The Highway – MP3 | Born In The USA – MP3s | Born In The USA – CD |
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