Bad songs on great albums

To say that Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the U.S.A. is a great album is an understatement. It is the 85 in Rolling Stone’s Top 500 albums of all time, and was the sixth best album produced in the 1980s (also Rolling Stone). It had seven top 10 singles.

Obviously it’s a great album and you could host a great debate in deciding its top musical moment. However, we’re looking in the opposite direction.

What’s the worst song on Born in the U.S.A.?

The top 10 singles are automatically out of the argument (my rules … even if the song sounds old and cliche now, it was considered great at one time and, therefore, is safe from “Worst Song” status. “Glory Days,” I’m looking at you …). Taking out the top 10 singles, we’re left with five:

• “Darlington County”
• “Working on the Highway”
• “Downbound Train”
• “No Surrender”
• “Bobby Jean”

Of those five, two quickly emerge as relatively stinko: “Working on the Highway” and “Downbound Train.” Here’s my thinking: “Working on the Highway,” with its Bo Diddley-esque beat seems a little out of place on this album. It’s bouncy, sure, but it doesn’t sound like anything else. “Downbound Train,” seems a little dirge-y, especially the vocals; however, the “train” theme fits with the beat of the following song on the album, “I’m on Fire.”

Int he final analysis, though, a fun, out-of-place song beats a dirge nine times out of 10. Therefore, “Downbound Train” is the worst song on Born in the U.S.A.

Both songs continue to be in the Boss’ repertoire (see videos below), so he obviously still sees their relevance.

 

What about you? What’s the worst song on Born in the U.S.A.?

 

Retro comic ads: NBC Saturday Morning, 1986

Just looking at this centerfold ad from a 1986 G.I. Joe comic makes you ask: “Is it any wonder the world’s the way it is?” (The scan looks a little sketch, but if you click it, I think a larger one will appear, and if you zoom in, it clears up.)

I mean, it certainly clears up why there was a Smurfs movie (starring Doogie Houser, M.D., no less). Twenty-five years ago, the creators of the movie were watching it on Saturday morning.

But I doubt there’s going to be a Kissyfur movie any time soon. I mean, really, Kissyfur?!? What was that? And Frufur? A show about Gummi Bears? And what the heck was Kidd Video?

And then there’s Punky Brewster … well … there’s nothing wrong with Punky Brewster, so never mind.

But just take a glance at two of these “One to Grow On” PSAs, starring Michael J. Fox and Mr. T, and you can see the seeds of the things to come.

What are some of your Saturday morning memories? (If, of course, you’re old enough to remember that Saturday morning had the possibility of inspiring memories …)

DVD’oh!: Sea Wolves

A friend of mine loaned me a copy of the 1980 war film Sea Wolves recently and I was struck by the cover. Can you spot the incongruency?

Top billing goes to, in order, Gregory Peck, David Niven and Roger Moore. However, in the illustration, the order is Roger Moore, Gregory Peck and David Niven. Granted, Peck is standing out front, but if you look at the combination of words and pictures, you would think they match up.

I used the term “incongruency,” in the opening paragraph because it’s not really a “mistake,” it’s just a quirk. Obviously, Peck gets top billing and because we read left to right, his name goes to the left. And of course, being the top billing, he stands in front of the other two actors … in this case the center.

It reminds me of the original DVD cover of The Big Lebowski, where the names a pictures don’t seem to match:

I don’t really have an insightful observation about this clash of marketing priorities, but there seems to be something there. Maybe it has to do with our cultural norms of words and pictures. Some sort of battle for supremacy between the printed word and the image. Why can’t we all just get along?

What about you? Have you noticed any similar mismatches?

Become a Jedi Master (1982)

Found this ad on the back of an old 1982 comic book I picked up last week:

I miss the old Atari systems and their limited graphics. Say what you want, but at least old video games still required your imagination to make those jagged blobs on the screen into you and an opponent. There’s a level of unreality there (a suspension of disbelief, if you will) that clearly separates reality from fantasy.

Wow, that paragraph sounded like the musings of a grumpy old man …

Anyway, did anyone ever have this game? What was the point, because I see this video and I still don’t know. Maybe I need to suspend some more disbelief …

 

If you want to relive those old days, drag out those skin-tight Jordache jeans and download it.

Will this one come with ” … and fancy free”?

I’m sure that in this Glee / So You Think You Can Dance / America’s Got Talent re-mix culture that we live in, this movie will do well.

It still doesn’t stop me from feeling like something is being violated here, that there’s this unknown, unseen cultural contract out there and this remake breaks that contract.

Anyone else feel this way?