Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band - Las Vegas 22/03/24

I thought it was about time I posted something from the current tour by Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band. Next stop is Cardiff, Wales on the 5th May 2024.

Official Audio Picture Sleeve:

 The Official Audio of the show clocks in at 2hrs 44mins and 2secs and is available here, as are all shows from the 2023 and 2024 Tour.

"Roll of the Dice" was a Tour Debut and played for the first time since 2017. "Viva Las Vegas" was also a Tour Debut and had only been played live twice before with The E Street Band, the last time being in 2002 in Las Vegas and the first time also in Vegas back in 2000. Here's the dates for the Tour:

Current Line Up:
   Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
Bruce Springsteen (vocals, guitar, harmonica)
Roy Bittan (piano, synthesizer)
Nils Lofgren (guitar, vocals)
Garry Tallent (bass guitar)
Steven Van Zandt (guitar, vocals)
Max Weinberg (drums)
Patti Scialfa (backing vocals, guitar) (some shows)
Charlie Giordano (keyboards)
Soozie Tyrell (violin, guitar, vocals)
Jake Clemons (saxophone, vocals)
The E Street Horns
Barry Danielian (trumpet, percussion)
Eddie Manion (saxophone, percussion)
Ozzie Melendez (trombone, percussion)
Curt Ramm (trumpet, percussion)
The E Street Choir
Anthony Almonte (percussion, vocals)
Ada Dyer (vocals, percussion)
Curtis King (vocals, percussion)
Lisa Lowell (vocals, percussion)
Michelle Moore (vocals, percussion)

Ramones - Ramones (23rd April 1976) 48 Years Old Today!

 I've done a lot of posts on Soundtrack4Life over the years spotlighting the Ramones but I was flicking through many of them recently and noticed that most of them have dead links and pictures that are missing and so I thought maybe I should redo some of them and there's no better place to start than the debut album which was released on this day 48 years ago in 1976. There's lots of links to the music so click on them to enjoy.

Ramones - Ramones
Sire
Produced by Craig Leon
Released 23rd April 1976
US Chart #111
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A1 Blitzkrieg Bop 2:12
A2 Beat On The Brat 2:30
A3 Judy Is A Punk 1:30
A4 I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend 2:24
A5 Chain Saw 1:55
A6 Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue 1:34
A7 I Don't Wanna Go Down To The Basement 2:35

B1 Loudmouth 2:14
B2 Havana Affair 2:00
B3 Listen To My Heart 1:56
B4 53rd & 3rd 2:19
B5 Let's Dance 1:51
B6 I Don't Wanna Walk Around With You 1:43
B7 Today Your Love, Tomorrow The World 2:09

It's been 48 years ago since my ears first heard the sound of the Ramones blaring out of the radio (thanks John Peel) and in that moment the way I listened to music totally changed. The world of music was a bizzare place in the mid seventies. There were Prog bands playing songs that sometimes lasted 20 minutes or more, hard rock bands who seemed divorced from reality, and a pop world that was even more confusing at times. Enter into this mix the self titled debut album of a band from Forest Hills, New York called Ramones.
Released on April 23rd 1976, containing 14 songs that clocked in at 29 minutes and 4 seconds! This album was a radical departure from what had been the norm. Even in New York City bands like Television and Talking Heads were quite arty whereas the Ramones were a band that had their sight clearly set on reclaiming true pop music! Though in saying that, the themes of their songs were not exactly "radio friendly" and on release the album was pretty much ignored by American Radio and the record only reached #111 on the Billboard Chart. You wonder if today a number of these songs would not see the light of day due to their subject matter.
The album cost $6,400 to record over a period of seven days. There's no guitar solos, no pompus musical arrangements, just plain old rock and roll played at breakneck speed.
It was an album that for many changed their whole musical landscape and 48 years on it still sounds incredible.
"Hit it Dee Dee...1-2-3-4!"

 There was a 40th Anniversary Mono Mix of the album released by Rhino Records in 2016 that came as part of a 3CD, 1 LP Limited Edition of 19,760 set (the LP was the Mono Mix). You can listen to the Mono Mix by clicking here. You can also listen to the complete 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition by Clicking Here.  CD1 includes the 2016 Remaster & Mono Mix on CD1. CD2 is a mixture of Single Mixes and Demos. CD3 features two identical sets from The Roxy, CA on 12th August 1976.

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 Joey Died 15th April 2001
Dee Dee Died 5th June 2002
Johnny Died 15th September 2004
Tommy Died 11th July 2014

 

All the original members of the band have passed away but their legacy still lives on through the music of CJ Ramone, Richie Ramone, Marky Ramone and loads of bands scattered across the world.

 

Cock Sparrer - Hand On Heart (5th April 2024)

It's been a couple of weeks since the last post so let's get down to business spotlighting the new album from Cock Sparrer and a little look back at some of their previous releases.There's many links to the music so click on them to enjoy.

Hand On Heart - Cock Sparrer
Captain Oi/Cherry Red (UK)
Randale Records (Germany and Europe)
Pirate Press Records (US)
5th April 2024

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 A1 With My Hand On My Heart
A2 Mind Your Own Business
A3 I Belong To You
A4 Rags To Riches
A5 No Way Out
B1 Take It On The Chin
B2 One Way Ticket
B3 Nowhere To Be Found
B4 My Forgotten Dream
B5 Here We Stand

Formats:
CD
CD Limited Edition Book Sleeve - UK
Limited Edition Vinyl LP:

 

Red/Black Splatter LP - UK 

Picture Disc LP - UK and Europe

Oxblood/Blue LP - Germany
Red/White Splatter LP - Germany

Milky Clear LP - USA

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For a band formed in 1972 the catalogue of Cock Sparrer could quite easily be classed as "lacking", especially when you consider the output of bands who have been around just as long. I feel though that it's not the quantity of released titles that defines them but the quality of those titles. 'Hand On Heart' is only their eighth studio album and from what I gather it's their last.

 

Current Line Up:
Colin McFaull – vocals (1972–1978, 1982–1984, 1992–present)
Mick Beaufoy – lead guitar and backing vocals (1972–1978, 1982-1983, 1992–present)
Steve Burgess – bass guitar and backing vocals (1972–1978, 1982–1984, 1992–present)
Steve Bruce – drums (1972–1978, 1982–1984, 1992–present)
Daryl Smith – rhythm guitar and backing vocals (1992–present)
Former Members:
Garrie Lammin – rhythm guitar (1976–1978)
Chris Skepis – rhythm guitar (1982–1984)
Shug O'Neill – lead guitar (1983–1984)

One of the things that stands out about the band is the consistency of line up. As you will see from above, all the original members are still in the band despite the passing of fifty two years. The stability of band members has also meant a consistency to that Cock Sparrer sound that has rarely deviated from the first time I heard them singing "Runnin' Riot" in 1977 to the present day with the new album 'Hand On Heart'.

In 1977 they were signed to Decca and released two singles: "Runnin' Riot" and "We Love You". Decca dropped the band in 1978 and even though they had enough songs for a debut album it never got a UK release, but for some reason it was only issued in Spain as 'Cock Sparrer' (and it got an official UK release as 'True Grit' in 1987 and has since been reissued "unofficially" a number of times in Germany, Russia and on different labels in Europe. It did finally get an Official UK release in 2022 on Captain Oi as part of Cock Sparrer's 50th Anniversary celebrations and was a Limited Edition of 2000 on vinyl). To date I have still never seen a physical copy of the Decca release but did purchase the 'True Grit' album in 1987 released on Razor Records. The band ceased activity in 1978 but caught a new lease of life when a couple of their songs appeared on the Oi! compilations 'Oi! The Album' (1980) and 'Strength Thru Oi!' (1981). In 1982 Cock Sparrer returned with an exceptional single, "England Belongs To Me" followed in 1983 by their "debut album" (in the UK at least) 'Shock Troops'. One more album, 'Running Riot in '84', followed before the band for a second time ceased activity.

In 1992 the band reunited for a second time and played a number of reunion shows and released in 1994 the excellent 'Guilty As Charged' album and 'Two Monkeys' in 1997. Since then the band has toured and played at festivals like Wasted/Rebellion, Punk & Disorderly and Riot Fest in Chicago. 'Here We Stand' album came ten years later in 2007 and then 'Forever' in 2017.

Thanks goodness we haven't had to wait until 2027 for another new album! Have a listen above to the  'Hand On Heart' album.

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My Top Five Cock Sparrer Songs

1 - Because You're Young
2 - We're Coming Back
3 - Chip On My Shoulder
4 - Spirit of '76
5 - Anthem