Add a Little Sunshine
Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out - Bruce Springsteen (Blast from the Past Tuesday)
I was home last week for Thanksgiving, and I had a job to do. Some people consistently vacuum the floors or wipe the windows, fluff the pillows or do the dishes. Well, my job around the house is to change out the albums every time we have people over. I’m lucky enough to be in a house with more vinyl than fits on the shelf, and so I have the assignment to put three of them up for display. The last time I did this was for the Fourth of July — where I had The Beastie Boys Cooky Puss, Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run, and The Replacements’ Let It Be for red, white, and blue respectively. I’d say out of every record I’ve put up there, Born to Run is probably the most consistent. I mean just look at the cover and you’ll get what I mean.. it’s gotta be up there as one of the best. That album is just great for a whole load of reasons, but I have a particular affinity for it because of “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out”, the second track.
I had heard Springsteen’s classic tracks, but the first time I heard “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out”, it completely changed my perspective on what he could do. There’s a maniac energy to it that’s really fun to listen to. Funnily enough, it almost reminds me of The Beastie Boys’ “Paul Revere” in the way that it tells a dramatized, obviously fictional version of how the group got together. “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” is so good at telling this story that it’s almost palpable — it feels like you’re right next to him as he reminisces.
And reminisce he should. The power of the E-Street band is in full force on this track, everything from the horns to the drums to the piano coming together to form some kind of musical tornado that’ll bowl over anyone in it’s path! Take the beginning for example. The slow let-down progression of the chords prepare you for more of an easy-listening type of song; then here comes the snare roll finished with a single strum, enough to motivate the horns back into a bright, joyful sound. Springsteen himself has some great vocals here, gravelly and almost growled at times. When he increases in intensity, so does the rest of the band, with everything from an echoed piano flourish to a quick horn crescendo. And of course I would be remiss to skip over mentioning Clarence Clemons’ absolutely perfect mid-bridge delivery of “And kid you better get the picture”.
“Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” is a classic, a push-pull track that feels like every member of the band was in harmony with each other. It sounds like everybody on the track was having a great time, so much so that it’s sure to add a little sunshine to your life when you listen.
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