We are away for a few days so I penned this earlier in the week.
At the time of writing Brucie was to my surprise holding a narrow lead over Bowie with It's Hard Being a Saint in the City.
The scores therefore are now The Boss 2 The Rest 1. If there is a late surge of votes for Mr Bowie then clearly this will be reversed.
I like the interactiveness of this series. There is the comments and the voting along with suggestions of other versions of the song featured.
In week one Drew shared Camera Obscura's version of Tougher than the Rest.
This week I am featuring Hungry Heart our first trip to The River. The great Ernie Goggins legendary surfer of the zeitgeist has weighed in by forwarding me not one but two versions - one by Lucy Wainwright Roche and an ever so slightly bonkers version (Ernie's words) by Swamp Dogg.
Given that how could I not feature Mr Jerry Williams Jr?
Who's got a wife and kids in Baltimore, Jack ? and indeed who has taken a wrong turn and just kept going?
I'm going for the Dogg - bonkers but brilliant.
Others, as always, may choose to disagree.
Bruce Springsteen - Hungry Heart
Swamp Dogg - Hungry Heart
Swamp Dogg for me. Much more listenable than Brucie's tortured vocal.
ReplyDeleteI'd never heard the Swamp Dogg version before today (or even knew that he'd covered the song) and really enjoyed it - thanks for bringing it to our attention Ernie Goggins! That having been said, a tingle goes up my spine just listening to Bruce's original. 'Hungry Heart' is not his greatest song by any means, but it's a total audience galvaniser every time the great man launches into it on stage. It's The Boss for me again this week.
ReplyDeleteI should probably abstain from this one. But I will say, while I'm not a big Bruce fan, I've always had a soft spot for 'The River' and this song in particular. And thank you for the kind if misguided words, CC
ReplyDeleteSnoop.
ReplyDeleteThe Swamp Dogg version is excellent. I also own impressivve versions by Aidan Moffat and Minnie Driver (yes, that Minnie Driver: I think it was from a soundtrack). But, like The Swede, HH holds a special place in my heart, despite it being Bruce's most obvious pop hit, so well done, Mr. Dogg, nice try, but... Bruce.
ReplyDeleteThere is a Minnie Driver album in the shelves which is not too bad.
DeleteMust get round to featuring it sometime
The 'ever so slightly bonkers version' gets my point just for that reason alone!
ReplyDeleteI'm votin' for Swamp Dogg, CC. Thanks for posting it.
ReplyDeleteLiked the bonkers version (alhough thought I'd done something wrong and was playing 2 tracks at the same time) but my vote goes to Bruce this week.
ReplyDeleteAlmost want to call it a draw, but I'm going with the hit version by a hair. Like it in spite of myself.
ReplyDeleteWas hoping to like the not-heard-before SDogg version because this is one of my least favorite Bruce songs but, no, Bruce's version is still better.
ReplyDeleteYup Bruce all the way.
ReplyDeleteSwc
I am beginning to think I'm a bigger Springsteen fan than I thought. The Swamp Dogg version is good but got to be Bruce for me again. I once heard Jesse Malin do a passable version of Hungry Heart at King Tut's and I'm sure I've got it on cd somewhere
ReplyDelete