In the end a fairly convincing victory by Bruce over Johnny Cash with their respective versions of Johnny 99. I suspect that it may well have been different had The Man in Black been on the top of his game.
Generally agreed that both have recorded much better.
Bruce is now building a somewhat commanding lead with the score now The Boss 5 The Rest 2.
Can he be stopped and will this week's offering narrow the gap?
It is our first visit to Darkness on the Edge of Town with Springsteen's blue collar anthem Factory.
The cover version was not originally on my radar when I mooted this series put it popped up the other day when I was listening to Lucinda Williams latest album The Ghosts of Highway 20.
I'm a massive Lucinda fan and no-one does a dirge better than her so it is Lucinda for me this week.
Others. of course, may choose to differ
Bruce Springsteen - Factory
Lucinda Williams - Factory
Played the Lucinda version first, not terribly impressed, very dirge-like as you say. I'm going for Bruce.
ReplyDeleteI've consulted with my wife, who is particularly unimpressed with both. "Dreary old song" she said about Lucinda. She has also added that "she sounds a bit like a pub singer". Bruce "has the better music". She is refusing to pick.
ReplyDeleteWas all ready to struggle towards a score draw on this one, but listening to them back to back made me realise that it would take a truly extraordinary performance to topple anything from 'Darkness'. Bruce, all the way.
ReplyDeleteI'm with George and the Swede on this one.
ReplyDeleteIt's Bruce for me too but listening to the lyrics it was scary how the word Office can now be substituted for Factory in 2017 - I don't know if any of you work in offices but my new LEAN environment (where 18 people now sit where we used to have 5) makes going in and out of the "factory gates" equally as depressing as for his daddy in this song.
ReplyDeleteIt's happened again - Bruce for me once more, what is going on?!
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid it sounds to me as if Lucinda is just in pain (not in a good way).
I love Lucinda... but you know my vote here. The Swede said it best.
ReplyDeleteYour second sentence summed up last week perfectly. Going with the crowd again this week. Bruuuuuuce.
ReplyDeleteThis may be of interest:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.halfhearteddude.com/2017/04/any-major-springsteen-covers/
Cheers Rol
DeleteI've a couple of these lined up should the series get that far