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Western Stars: Bruce Springsteen’s Cinematic Gem

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By Anthony “Zute” George

Warning. There will be spoilers.

Western Stars. Is it a concert film? Or is it a documentary? Bruce has never played by the rules, so who would have expected him to do so in his directorial debut? Along with director Thom Zimny, Springsteen directs Western Stars in a way that produces a big fat musical orgasm, which is also very tranquil, and cerebral in nature. The Springsteen way.

The subject album for this film is one album, Springsteen’s last, which was released in June of 2019. The music was a titanic curveball compared to the rock and roll driven records that put Bruce on the map, as well as on the cover of two prominent magazine covers simultaneously back in the seventies. Bruce said explicitly in the film that he wanted to take a break from writing rock n’ roll, and his energy is now revved up for the kind of sound you hear on Western Stars.

With that said, the content of Western Stars is a familiar territory for Bruce and his fans. Which is probably why it was so well received by his often maniacal (in a good way) fan base. We are introduced to fragile characters involved in intense storylines connected to that complicated carousel we call life, with the aid of some fantastic metaphors. You know, the Springsteen way.

In Western Stars, Bruce introduces each song with a terrific anecdote of how the song was created, accompanied with some awe-inspiring scenery of the Mid West, with Bruce playing the harden, broken down cowboy who is trying to make the best out of the life his boots have walked in, and despite the bumps along the way, he is very thankful he is still walking in these boots. A small sample of the commentary Bruce provides sounds likes this, “you can run away a lot for a little while, but you can’t run away from it all forever. You certainly can’t outrun yourself.” ‘nuff said.

Each song is played in Bruce’s hallowed barn, in front of a select group of family and friends who were treated to the live concert in person. Exactly who was the elite few for the viewing was more or less kept a mystery, as the cameras did not venture deep into the audience.

Vocally, Bruce has never been better. With the help of a fantastic orchestra, Bruce sings with poignant range, range I never thought he had before this album. Recently Bruce said he did not believe he had an exceptional voice, as singers like Rod Stewart and Bob Seger had superior instruments with their vocals, and that if not for his writing genius, he would not have a career. Well, I challenge that notion because I question if Stewart and Seger’s singing chops would have been able to do the kind of job Bruce does in this film. Sorry, Bruce I disagree with you here.

Some of the highlights of the film are Bruce’s tantalizing cut of the title track. His vocal on Western Stars in this film are exceptional, as he paints a picture with his voice and facial expressions that really bring this character to life. Then you have the marvelous Patti Scialfa joining Bruce on vocals for the tracks Stones and Moonlight Motel. All I can say is….WOW!

Bonus footage of Bruce is shown after the film, where he states that he probably had Patti sing on these songs for the album. After all, Patti has a gorgeous voice that compliments Bruce’s raw instrument immensely. Again, I will have to disagree with Bruce here because now we have two great versions of Stones and Moonlight Motel to enjoy. Similar to Tougher Than The Rest and Brilliant Disguise, we have Bruce’s terrific solo versions on the album, as well as the contributions with Patti over the years to compare, contrast, and just listen to with pure delight.

The voluptuous delight that is the Western Stars film concludes with Bruce and the band doing a crackling cover of the Glenn Campbell classic, Rhinestone Cowboy. It was leaked a while back that Bruce would be covering this song for the film. Which was a tad irritating for me because I do not like knowing such information beforehand. Is there a person on the planet who does not think it would have been better to hear Bruce belt this song out without any prior knowledge? (Hopefully, you adhered to my spoil warning at the start, if you did not know!). However, knowing it was coming did not take any of the joy away when you hear it. Rhinestone Cowboy was a perfect choice for the content of Western Stars, and the band does a great job with it. Bruce tackles the vocals with precision, taking a simple approach on this one. You can tell the pressure is off when Bruce sings this cover, and he is just having a great time doing it.

And all who see Western Stars will have a great time watching it. Bruce has been on quite a run. After his great River Tour, he has treated us to the Born to Run biography, Springsteen on Broadway, the Western Stars album, and now this splendid film, which is chock full of great music, scenery, and thoughtful commentary. The best part of all is that Bruce does not appear to be slowing down. At age 70, there is now talks of a new album with the E Street Band and a subsequent tour. I will take two of each, please!

Bruce Springsteen, thank you once again for all the joy you bring with your joyful work. Getting up for work every day would not be the same without your music. What will the next project bring?

Stay tuned…

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