We are well and truly up and running now. It was a close run thing between Bruce and Everything But the Girl with Tougher Than The Rest for a while before the Hull husband and wife duo pulled away and ended up winning by a convincing margin of 6 to 3.
So it is The Boss 0 The Rest 1
Will it be honours even or will Bruce like the Gambling Commission be hanging on by the skin of his teeth following the first, and certainly not the last visit, to the magnificence that is the Nebraska LP
Bruce's Atlantic City is up against another voice which divides opinion the late, great Levon Helm of The Band.
Their version is available on their 1993 album Jericho but I have taken it from Uncut's Born to Run 2003 which will probably provide a number of tracks for this series.
A tougher call for me this week. I quite like the Band's jingly jangly country/folk version but it's the Boss for me this time round
Others, of course, may choose to disagree
Bruce Springsteen - Atlantic City
The Band - Atlantic City
I could listen to both of today's versions on more than one occasion. But I prefer The Band's version.
ReplyDeleteBruce. Allo Darlin' do a good version of this with great drumming
ReplyDeleteI have to cite the Nebraska Protocols, which state that while there have been many fine covers made of songs from that album (Ed Harcourt does a decent enough pass at AC too), none can match the sound of Bruce alone in his bedroom with guitar & four track.
ReplyDeleteSpot on.
DeleteLevon Helm's voice divides opinions? Surely not. For my money it's one of the fundamental beautiful noises of the 20th century, but perhaps that's just me. Having said all that, I'm going for Bruce in this particular instance. Recently, the E-Street Band's live interpretations of 'Atlantic City' have become increasingly big and epic, which is all well and good, but I've really enjoyed revisiting the simple stripped back original this morning.
ReplyDeleteYes I think Levon Helm's voice does divide opinion because although I prefer the Band's version because of the fuller sound, I'm not so keen on that vocal! Now if Bruce could sing with that backing I'd be happier but where would I put the points?
ReplyDeleteSo, the Band edges it for me. Bruce's more stripped back version put me in mind too much of David Brent's 'Free Love On The Freeway'.... (Sorry TS!)
A song set around the boardwalks of Atlantic City could only be sung by Bruce for me (plus I do prefer his vocals).
ReplyDelete0-0 draw for me.
ReplyDelete