When Bruce Springsteen went back on the road in 1984; he opened every show by shouting out; ldquo;one; two; one; two; three; four;rdquo; followed by the droning synth chords of ldquo;Born in the U.S.A.rdquo; Max Weinberg hit his drums with a two-fisted physicality that cut through the swelling chords. With a rolled-up red kerchief around his head and heavy black boots under his faded jeans; Springsteen looked like the character of the song; and from the very first line (ldquo;Born down in a dead manrsquo;s townrdquo;) he sang with the throat-scraping desperation of a man with his back against the wall. When he reached the crucial lines; though; the guitars and bass dropped out and Weinberg switched to just the hi-hat. Springsteenrsquo;s voice grew a bit more private and reluctant as he sang; ldquo;Nowhere to run. Nowhere to go.rdquo; It was as if he werenrsquo;t sure if this were an admission of defeat or the drawing of a line in the sand. But when the band came crashing back at full strengthmdash;building a crescendo that fell apart in the cacophony of Springsteenrsquo;s and Weinbergrsquo;s wild soloing; paused and then came together again in the determined; marching riffmdash;it was clear that the singer was ready to make a stand.
#2447871 in eBooks 2011-12-31 2011-12-31File Name: B006MYKFAI
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