Customer Reviews

Live 1975-85

5 star:		(90)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Yes, it is the only album you'll ever need, but than again, with over 200 minutes of music, its nearly 5 times longer than the average Springsteen album!

The Live Box Set is an extremely impressive collection of Springsteen, arranged chronologically (with exception of the last track)

The First Track, Thunder Road, is the only one taken from the '75 tour (Born To Run). Its missing its Rock and Roll feel, but stripped to the piano and no guitars or drums, it has a much more intimate feel to it that you can really appreciate.

The Next 8 Tracks are taken from the '78 Tour (Darkness On The Edge Of Town) and interestling enough, only 1 from the album released during that time. Here you'll find many early classics, from Its Hard To Be A Saint In The City, Rosalita and Growin' Up to an previously unreleased "Paradise By The 'C.'" Its also important to note that Bruce covers the song "Fire," a song he wrote, but was never released before, which had become a #1 hit for another group. These are all immaculately recorded, and sound better than their original albums, they are taken from the Roxy, which holds only a few thousand, if even that (some say closer to 1000) so you get that small, intimate feeling

The next several tracks are from the "River Tour" in '80 and '81 and are mostly tracks from his '78 album (Darkness On the Edge Of Town) Including blistering versions of Badlands, Darkness On The Edge Of Town and Candy's Room. Also included here is an electrifying previously unreleased version of "Because The Night" the song Springsteen co-wrote with Patti Smith. Also included is a cover of Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land" and a very good cover at that. 3 of his songs from his recent album are also included in Cadillac Ranch, You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch) and Independence Day. These tracks are nearly all taken from Arenas.

The rest of this collection (final 5 Tracks of Disc 2 and All of Disc 3) are taken from Bruce's most recent tour (when this came out) and his record-breaking one, the Born In The USA tour. First, we have 3 songs from his Album "Nebraska," which, while they don't have the feel they have on his album, sound much better because of first rate recording equipment. Than, there is a thunderous organ version of Born In The USA, which, upon first listen, doesn't measure up to the Album's version, but the more you listen to it, the better it sounds to you.

The highlights of this tour are a version of Born To Run that blows away the album's version, and it is the definitive version of the song. Great recordings of "The River" and "The Promised Land", along with a great cover of the song "War" which makes the original look poor in comparison. An acoustic version of "No Surrender" and a fanstastic horn version of "Tenth Avenue Freezeout."

Overall, the songs sound much better live than they do in the studio, particularly songs from Darkness On The Edge of Town and The River. Some of the songs from Born In The USA sound exactly the same (Bobby Jean, Working On The Highway, Darlington County) and some a little worse (Cover Me) Some great previously unreleased material (Fire, Because The Night, War, Raise Your Hand, Seeds) also helps. The first disc, as you can see by the picture, is supposed to be from small, intimate settings, holding not much more than 1000 people. The second disc, as seen by its picture, is mostly from Arena shows, and the third disc, is from giant, Stadium concerts.

In all cases, the recordings are immaculately done, and are as clear as possible. Springsteen's music sounds better here than on album, and considering the amount of stuff here, this is essential for anyone even remotely interested in Springsteen. There is a reason this is the highest selling box-set of all time! Even though its missing a few songs that should be on it (Blinded By The Light, Prove It All Night, Out In The Street, I'm Goin Down, Dancing In The Dark, Glory Days) it doesn't suffer much from not having them. Get this album today, you won't regret it, and will listen to it rather than to the studio albums.

When Bruce released this live album back in '86, fans jammed record stores to wait in line to buy this much anticipated release. Bruce released it as a gift to his fans who had been with him since the beginning and were begging for a live release. Bruce made his name a live act and although no live album can ever replace being at a concert, this album comes the closest to actually achieving that feat. Most live albums are a double or maybe triple album affair, Live 1975-1985 was originally a five record set. From the opening track of a solo Bruce on the piano in "Thunder Road" to the closing "Jersey Girl", we are taken on a musical journey through Bruce's career. We are treated to unreleashed gems like "Seeds", "Because The Night" & "Fire" to covers like "Raise Your Hand", "War" & "This Land Is Your Land" to fiery versions of "Rosalita", "Born In The USA" & "Born To Run" to moving epics like "Independence Day", "The River" and "Racing in The Streets". There are too many great live versions of songs to list and there is no let up from beginning to end. Bruce was so popular at the time that altough this was a pricey five-record set, it was first album to debut at number one since 1976. It's common place nowadays, but a rare feat at the time. Bruce is the king of the stage and this album provides recorded proof of that fact.

This was a long awaited box set. It comes as close to a Bruce Springsteen Concert as possible without buying a ticket. The "Boss" takes you down the thundering road of his musical history of this time frame. If you have never seen the "Boss" live then you don't know what your missing.From the hard core Bruce Springsteen listener to the newly discovered fan this set is a MUST HAVE.The pure sound and feeling I get from this historical recording is unsurpassed. Bruce Springsteen's performance from Thunder Road to Jersey Girl will evoke feelings of joy,sadness and pure outright feeling of having you heart dancing in the aisle. Springsteen's cover of "War" and "This Land is Your Land" are the best I have ever heard. Bruce includes songs such as "Beacuse the Night" and others that have never been included in a studio recording before makes this more of a treat. Owning this set is not an option in the life of a Bruce Springsteen Fan's music collection. This is the live set to rival all others. If you don't own all of the Boss' recordings this will make you want more and more!

When I grudgingly accepted a pair of tickets to see Springsteen in Austin in the early 80's, I thought I'd simply drag my not-so-interested sister with me and stay for a few songs just so I could tell my generous friend I'd gone. Springsteen was not someone whose music I knew anything about, and I sure didn't think I wanted to sit in a crowded auditorium and listen to mediocre music.

In Austin, in the Frank Erwin Center, I soon realized I had nosebleed seats and Springsteen would be little more than a speck to me. Oh, well, I thought. Going downstairs will be easier than going up, and I won't be here for long.

It took me three days to really get my voice back and a lot longer to come down from the high of that evening.

Springsteen, as usual, had no opening act, and for 4 hours that evening, I watched the rest of the audience stand up and sing along with every single song. (The only time anyone sat down was when Springsteen chatted with us, and even then most people stood up and talked back to him as if he could hear what they were saying, as if he was having a personal dialogue with them.) I saw a performer who not only did his personal best to make the show a spectacular one, but who also had a firm hold on what it took to make a show magical while never coming across as conceited or self-involved. Springsteen sat at the edge of the stage and talked to us, introduced us all to Vietnam vets, talked softly (and a bit shyly) to us about the plight of farmers both local and national. He encouraged us to contribute to various community-based organizations that served vets, farmers, and food banks. He talked about himself, and about his music. And he played some of the most touching and rousing music I've ever heard. I didn't know his songs, so I couldn't sing along with everyone else, but I *wanted* to sing along. God, I wanted to. His performances are understandably legendary, and based upon my own experience, I can say that he deserves legend status. He may be a quiet man when it comes to talking about himself, but when he's playing and singing--he puts himself completely out there, no holding back, and he makes you want to put the same energy out there, too.

It's clear he brings emotion to his sets; his interaction with the soon-to-depart Van Zandt was touching and lovely. It was so amazing to see two men willing to admit that they were important to each other. Seeing Springsteen perform "Billy Jean" that night was incredible.

So, in case you're wondering if the above is apropos of nothing, I meant it to convey to you what this performer puts out there with each performance and how this boxed set reflects that or doesn't.

It does Springsteen justice.

This boxed set represents some of his best work, and it also shows why he is so well-loved as a performer. He truly loves what he does; that's apparent in every song. The E Street Band is spectacular, always in sync. You won't find a misstep here. These guys played together like they grew up helping each other fine-tune their skills and their approach to each song. Absolutely fantastic together! There isn't a cut in this set that doesn't reach out and grab you. Over a decade after its release, it remains one of the most amazing live collections ever, maybe even the best of all.

Turn off the lights, turn the stereo up, find a temporary spot to sit. Don't worry if your couch is uncomfortable. You won't be sitting down for long anyway.

This set earns five stars, because it contains very good music ... and it's live, a very rare experience for a Springsteen fan. It is out of question that there are a lot of unreleased songs by BS - I own about 2,000 bootlegs by him, all of them rare live and studio songs and I know what I am talking about when I say that this collection of live recordings does not offer much of them. But the songs it offers are really great. I would recommend you to buy this album together with the recently released Live In NYC cd. It might be great fun to listen to the way he did his songs back in the late 70's and early 80's and how performs them today. For exemple, the live version of "Born in the U.S.A." on LINYC is completely different than the version contained in this box-set. "Badlands" sounds pretty much the same, while you get a very emotional introduction (more than 5 minutes) by Bruce Springsteen to "The River" on this album, yet the sound of the music is not as sinister as on LINYC.

My favorite songs from this box-set, my top five, are:

1. Thunder Road 2. Born To Run 3. No Surrender (my favorite song by BS) 4. The River (because of the intro) 5. Racing In The Street

LINYC:

1. Lost In The Flood 2. If I Should Fall Behind 3. Atlantic City 4. American Skin 5. Born In The U.S.A. (very fresh compared to the earlier vs.)

If you scan this list of my 10 fav. songs I get from these 5 cds, you will notice, that if you own both of them you'll have a very fine collection of live music by one of the greatest song-writers/singer of all time. Bruce Springsteen's music offers a huge spectrum of different facettes: darkness, despair, sadness, outrage, humor, passion, humanity.

His music is very true to people, to our lives, to our fears and the way we deal with them - expressions built upon our memories and our dreams. I think that not only the music on these 5 cds (LINYC and Live: 75-85) is very a very rare live collection, but that Bruce Springsteen himself is very rare. He has the power to not only express his thoughts but to let us feel.

If you have never listened to BS before and you want to try him out, I'd suggest that you start out with the 3-cd box-set first before checking out LINYC.

If you want to get convinced of buying one of his two live albums or even both of them, let me tell you one thing: this is Rock'n'Roll - the way it has been and the way it is supposed to be, because after all "we learned more from a three minute record than we ever learned in school." And you might want to listen to these records.

If you never get to see Bruce Springsteen in concert, at least get this collection! This CD captures much of the energy he has. "Rosalita" is great with the E-Street Band intoduction and he changes the lyrics slightly "...Because the record company Rosie just gave me big bucks!". It features early greats like "4th of July (Sandy)" "It's Hard to Be a Saint.."and "Spirit in the Night". He includes covers like "Raise Your Hand" and "War" and some never before released songs like "Paradise by the C" and "Seeds" (which seems to be about the farming industry). Not to mention songs he wrote for or with others like "Fire" and "Because the Night". There are the hits "Born in the USA", "Born to Run", "My Hometown",the singalong "Hungry Heart", and the classics like "Thunder Road" (which opens this boxset), "Candy's Room", "Backstreets", "Badlands", and "Bobby Jean". The Boss tells stories about his past in "Growing Up" and "The River" ("My mother wanted a writer and my father wanted a lawyer. Well tonight, you're both going to have to settle for rock and roll!"). He does great acoustic versions of "This Land Is Your Land", "No Surrender" (which I prefer over the studio), "Johny 99", and "Reason to Believe". The only song I wish this set had included is "Jungle Land" (which he played at the show last night in Dallas!) The set closes with the lovely "Jersey Girl". Enjoy!

..."Screen door slams...Mary's dress sways..."

--from THUNDER ROAD.

Ok, ok, so what if I am now 48, and married and I have 5 sons. When I hear this song I still feel the passionate intensity I felt the first time I heard it. Bruce Springsteen is a poet and he continues to infuse my life with his remarkable writing. I never try to separate his words from his music however--that would be a waste. They have a dual integrity that is stunning. I just funnel both the words and the music way down in deep--right to my soul--and suddenly I am eighteen again and I am ready to run...

and I never get tired of listening to his music.

by the way: you younger people: say age 20 or so: this is valuable for you to listen to. In fact, it is definitely one of THE quintessential musical collections of this era. Possibly, a time will come when you need help understanding your parents. They might want to explain what they were like when they were young to you, who knows why. Humor them and they might give you money! You never know! best, Jean

Bruce Springsteen is one of the best musical talents of the lsat 50 years. Since his debute album "Greetings from Asbury Park" in the early 1970's to the present... he continues to produce good to great work. There is very little music from The Boss that is not good.

This album collection, along with the later Tracks collection, is a great introduction to what is great in Bruce Springsteen music. Of course, I would point out that it is still only an introduction. The individual albums like "Born to Run", "The River", "Nebraska", "Born in the U.S.A." are more than collections of songs. The songs, together, on those albums make a larger statement about life.

Still, this is good for people who don't want to delve totally into purchasing all of his Springsteen's work. It also contains some of his good songs that never made it on to the normal albums themselves.

This album has been criticized for what it does not contain- too little material from 75, no interlude during Backstreets, no uncut show, no full-band Thunder Road, etc. Those may be valid complaints but they overlook the many strengths of this fine album. My very first exposure to Springsteen outside of a few Born in the USA songs on the radio was disc 3 of this set. I had no interest in Bruce in 1987, but someone had told me that it was a good way to show off the full potential of the new CD player I'd just gotten for Christmas. I popped in disc 3, heard the introduction to The River and then the live version of that song- I haven't stopped listening since. I had never heard anything like it, and it taught me that music was something more than a pleasant distraction in the background. The emotions, the power, the pure joy of Springsteen's music is captured perfectly on this album. There are many defnitive live versions of Bruce's songs from BIUSA and earlier on here- Born to Run, the piano Thunder Road, The River, Darkness on the Edge of Town, Jersey Girl, even Backstreets. No bootleg could ever surpass any versions of these songs. The few spoken bits that are included, like the aforementioned intro to The River, are also essential Springsteen (makes you wonder why he's stopped speaking much in concert over the past 4 years) and don't really get old. Yes, Bruce does need to release a full, uncut concert recording (a series of them covering each tour in his career is what's needed), but until then, this set epitomizes the absolute best of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. There is simply nothing like them, period.

I only wish that I could give this CD set the ten stars it deserves. Initially, one might flinch at the price, but it is well worth it. Bruce delivers each song with heartfelt urgency--you feel the energy as if you're actually there in the crowd, and the dialogue between songs is fantastic. (Try not to cry at the story he tells about his relationship with his father on the lead-in to "The River.")

The best part about this set is the fact that almost every version of each song is superior to the original studio recording, probably due to Bruce's obvious passion which comes through each note he sings. Some of my favorites include "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)," which is so much better than the studio version that I could hardly believe the difference, "I'm on Fire," which Bruce sings in such a way that one practically blushes, and "Thunder Road," a gorgeous, tender solo piano rendering of the classic hit. Besides those is a great cover of Tom Waits's "Jersey Girl," as well as the Patti Smith song "Because the Night"--a far, FAR better cover than the 10000 Maniacs version from a decade or so ago.

Just a quick note: I'm a little surprised that another reviewer seemed to feel that most of these songs are "Born in the U.S.A." True, a large number of the selections are from that fantastic album, but I feel that they did a good job taking songs from all of Bruce's albums that had been released up to this point in time.

Even if you already own most or all of the music from this set in the form of the original recordings, definitely invest your money in this way. I'll wager that you'll spend more time listening to the cuts from this album than the originals.