Still unclear on the definition of “synergy”? Take this example: Rolling Stone has an item about how Bruce Springsteen is on the cover of the issue of Rolling Stone that contains a review of the new Bruce Springsteen album. You may not be surprised to learn that Working On A Dream receives five stars, and is praised as “the richest of the three great rock albums Springsteen has made this decade”—which, as Chris Molanphy notes, means it must be better than The Rising, which also got five stars from the Stone back in 2002. [RS]
videodrone
Categories:
videodrone
videodrone
I know it’s RS and all, but this item still makes me want to throw things. And then next moth they’ll remember what year it is, and come up with some fawning profile of Animal Collective or Fleet Foxes.
@Varina: I know it’s RS and all, but this item still makes me want to throw things.
That’s far too polite, really.
My coworker is playing this record right now.
It stinks.
T minus five weeks until the Boss is a celebrity “mentor” on “American Idol” …
“Bruce’s Dream”
Soul patches for all?
To complete my thought, above: Bruce seems to be settling into the RS pattern formerly reserved for Stones albums — overrate-then-re-rate-while-overrating-the-next-one. The pattern for Stones albums used to go like this (I’m paraphrasing, but you really can find ample evidence in their reviews/Album Guides):
“Did we say Dirty Work was a classic? Forget that, we were insane. But Steel Wheels, now, this is one for the ages…”
[Five years pass]
“Man, Steel Wheels was lame, wasn’t it? Thank god Voodoo Lounge is a return to form…”
etc.
etc.
etc.
@Varina: If only. They’ll just do AC like they did TVOTR: pretty much ignore them, maybe throw them a bone along the way, and then suddenly call it out at their album of the year.
I’m a pretty big Springsteen fan, and this record is by far the shittiest thing he’s done in the 21st century. The only decent tune on the whole thing is the one from “The Wrestler.”
Yeah, I like Bruce too - but aside from the “wrestler” tune, it’s incredibly overproduced, even compared to the bombast that is Born in the USA.
@mahkiavelli: Born in the USA is rad. And I wouldn’t call I’m On Fire or I’m Going Down or Downbound Train bombastic, exactly. But the overproduction has got to stop. Brendan O’Brien is NOT GOOD, Bruce. Sigh. Dude needs a Daniel Lanois redo, like, now.
this is the first Bruce Springsteen album I’ve ever loved, fwiw
“It is a clear-eyed and inspired Mick Jagger who crafted Goddess in the Doorway, an insuperably strong record that in time may well reveal itself to be a classic. World, meet Mick Jagger, solo artist.”
@Christopher R. Weingarten: You need to get on this Rolling Stone gravy train already!
RS new smaller format blows. they don’t even care enough about music anymore.. they put Brad Pitt on their year in music wrap up. and since they unveiled the new smaller size they have 50% non music stories that are twice as long as music stories
the irony of this smaller size is that it’s easier than ever to miss the magazine on store shelves. i was in a wal-mart a few weeks back checking out the music mags and flipped through spin and XXL, was getting ready to walk away and then noticed RS. picked it up…flipped through it…felt sad…whined to the wife about it…walked away without one. i’m never, even going to cotton to the new format enough to buy another copy. i just know it.
@Chris: The “overrate-then-re-rate-while-overrating-the-next-one” pattern drives me nuts. They do the same thing with Paul McCartney.
@Chris Molanphy: … And then bam! 5 stars for Goddess in the Doorway…
@Lucas Jensen: Surely he’s old enough to qualify for Rick Rubin now?