SUPER BOWL | Hudson anthem outshines Bruce's hokey half

'Tomorrow is Super Bowl XLIII, in which the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals will open for [Bruce] Springsteen," Seth Meyers said during "Weekend Update" on "Saturday Night Live."

And that's pretty much the way it played out Sunday evening -- though not even the Boss' time-honored and well-rehearsed feel-good bombast could match the drama of James Harrison's interception and historic 100-yard touchdown return, which immediately preceded it.

The music started in Tampa during the pre-game show as glossy country crooner Faith Hill delivered an unremarkable "America the Beautiful." Then Jennifer Hudson took the field and stepped onto the television screens of an estimated 100 million viewers, struggling to choke back a tear before powering through a bravura performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner."

As if the emotions of singing the national anthem at this point in time, after the inauguration of her fellow Chicagoan Barack Obama as president, weren't overwhelming enough, the Super Bowl also marked the first high-profile appearance by the 27-year-old singer since the killings of her mother, brother and 7-year-old nephew in October. Dressed in a classy but casual black jacket and white top, Hudson seemed to put all of her pent-up feelings into her performance, and the crowd was with her for every soaring note.

As for the Boss, he filled his 12 minutes with vintage E Street Band histrionics.

"I want you to step back from the guacamole dip!" Springsteen said at the start, imitating the cadence of a revival-tent preacher. "I want you to put the chicken fingers down and turn your television all the way up! And what I want to know is: Is there anybody alive out there?"

Actually, a significant portion of the audience probably was not alive when Springsteen first recorded and released three of the hoary oldies that dominated his four-song medley. It opened with "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" (during which Bruce slid across the stage on his knees, smashing crotch-first into one of the cameras) and "Born to Run," both of which date back to 1975, and it closed somewhat jarringly (given the tune's subject matter of an aging jock who can't stop reliving the past) with "Glory Days," which was originally released in 1984.

The one tune that was fresher than a quarter-century old was the title track of "Working on a Dream," the album Springsteen released last Tuesday. It got a mere 60 seconds of air time as the Boss, his wife, Patti Scialfa, and the absurdly do-rag-sporting guitarist Steven Van Zandt mugged for the cameras on a platform jutting into the crowd while a gospel choir was marched out behind them in an attempt to add some of the soul the tune otherwise sorely lacks.

Ironically, during a pre-game chat, when Bob Costas asked the Boss why he decided to do the halftime show this year after he'd passed several times before, Springsteen cracked, "I have an album to promote, dummy. It's not rocket science."

Given the staggering cost of advertising time during the Super Bowl, the Boss essentially scored a $36 million commercial for his mediocre new album and his upcoming concert tour. No wonder he closed the set by proclaiming, "I'm going to Disneyland!"

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The Boss Takes Over Halftime, With a Few Edits but Little Imagination

To Bruce Springsteen’s credit, he made it clear from the start that his performance with the E Street Band at the halftime show of Super Bowl XLIII on Sunday night was business, not personal.

“We have a new album coming out,” he said in a news conference Thursday. “We have our mercenary reasons, of course.” That album, “Working on a Dream” (Columbia), was released Tuesday. Presales for Springsteen’s coming tour with the E Street Band begin Monday.

Springsteen, now 59 and for many years the Boss, has had a good deal of face time lately, headlining a pre-inauguration concert last month for President Obama in front of the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall. But in his news conference, Springsteen seemed far more ambivalent about this performance, an opportunity he said he had passed up in previous years. In part, that’s because accepting the gig comes with built-in boundaries.

Five years have passed since the fateful day in Houston when, with the help of Justin Timberlake, Janet Jackson’s wardrobe malfunctioned, revealing, in part, her nipple and, in whole, a puritan streak that has clouded subsequent Super Bowl halftime affairs.

And so while shilling does not carry the sting it once did, perhaps Springsteen let the weight of responsibility limit his imagination in his 12-minute set.

The Rolling Stones, in 2006, and Prince, in 2007, managed to inject spice and surprise into their performances. But Springsteen’s tweaks were far gentler and safer, poking fun at the event itself, and possibly at himself for participating in it.

He rose to the occasion, but never above it. And Springsteen, a reliable left-winger — when he described his band’s sound as “righteous,” it had a splash of double-meaning grit — didn’t use his platform to advocate for anything more pressing than louder volume.

“I want you to step back from the guacamole dip, I want you to put the chicken fingers down and turn your television all the way up,” he said, pointing into a camera. “And what I want to know is, is there anybody alive out there?”

Or maybe more specifically, is there anyone paying close enough attention to notice that in each of the band’s four songs — “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out,” “Born to Run,” “Working on a Dream” and “Glory Days” — verses were dropped altogether?

The edits didn’t prove to be a liability. Springsteen appeared in good cheer throughout, sliding across the stage on his knees (and into a camera) at the end of “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out,” and singing a collegial duet with the guitarist Steven Van Zandt on an ecstatic “Glory Days.”

“Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” was warm and bluesy, with Springsteen building up energy for “Born to Run,” which concluded with a spectacular burst of fireworks. For the measured “Working on a Dream,” Springsteen was backed, in triangle formation, by Van Zandt and Patti Scialfa (also Springsteen’s wife), all of them flanked by a gospel choir, the set’s most heavy-handed moment. (Springsteen’s performance was as notable for what he didn’t play — the reliable party anthem “Dancing in the Dark,” the cynical but hugely popular “Born in the U.S.A.”)

Lyrically, Springsteen made a couple of concessions to the event. In “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” he sang, “I’m going to sit back right easy and laugh, when Scooter and the Big Man” — that’s Springsteen and the saxophonist Clarence Clemons — “bust the Super Bowl in half.” (In the original, “this city” is cleaved.)

And on “Glory Days,” Springsteen changed the antihero of his opening verse from a baseball pitcher to a football quarterback. The “speedball” that could “make you look like a fool, boy,” became a “Hail Mary.”

It turns out the early protestations were overstated; this show wasn’t even close to the worst collision of art and commerce to occur between bursts of pigskin. That would be the Pepsi ad featuring Bob Dylan and the rapper-producer Will.i.am performing Dylan’s “Forever Young” (or the country music star Faith Hill singing, during the show’s introduction, “Super Bowl Sunday on NBC/Al and John” — Michaels and Madden, that is — “are the best on TV”).

But the final discomforts were all Springsteen’s. At the end of the show, he shouted inexplicably, “I’m going to Disneyland!” A moment earlier, a man dressed as a referee appeared on stage, threw a yellow flag and crossed his arms in front of Springsteen, the signal for delay of game. Springsteen mock fretted about the ticking clock, and Van Zandt protested, screaming, “It’s Boss time!” Except that it wasn’t, and everyone knew it.

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Bruce Springsteen Biography

BORN : September 23, 1949, Freehold, NJ

Birth Name : Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen

Nickname : The Boss

Height : 5' 10" (1.78 m)
"The Boss" hit the music industry with the release of his first album Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J., in 1973. The Wild, the Innocent, and The E Street Shuffle quickly followed this release. The albums received critical claim with comparisons to Bob Dylan, but did not sell well with the fans. Bruce Springsteen's career had begun.

Springsteen was born in Freehold, New Jersey, on September 23, 1949. He grew up in a "normal middle class family" and first started playing around with the guitar in High School. After graduating from High School he moved to New York to try and break into the Folk Music scene. After getting nowhere on this front he returned to, be it reluctantly, to Asbury Park, N.J. and hooked up with a number of bands. With brief stints with such bands as Rogues and Dr. Zoom and the Sonic Boom, Springsteen found himself a place with the E-Street Band, and with them he remained until 1989. Though, this wouldn't be the last time they would play together.

The 1973 albums marked the beginning of Springsteen's career and since then, "The Boss" has sold tens of millions of albums and won over legions of loyal fans worldwide in his 30 plus years as a "rock and roll legend". His break came after a tour with the band Chicago. Springsteen captivated the audiences in these live shows, and seeing an opportunity, the singer-songwriter came up with what is called his breakthrough effort Born to Run in 1974. The title song "Thunder Road"'s continuous playing on the radio brought the album to the top five. The album received an abundant of praise leading Springsteen to be dubbed the "Savior of Rock & Roll". Magazine's and Newspaper's were swarming to get him to appear in their publications.

After spending some time resolving management issues, the 1978 album Darkness on the Edge of Town was released. Marking the first of Springsteen's darker albums. Following this the album The River, in 1980 quickly went platinum in the United States and established Springsteen as an international star. Next was the release of his second darker album 1982's Nebraska. This album, an artistic despairing acoustic style recording, was recorded live in his New Jersey home and wasn't followed by a tour.

Switching gears again, "The Boss's" most famous release Born in the U.S.A came out in 1984. This pop style arena rock album sold 20 million copies and was followed by a massive two year long world wide tour. The new working class image of Born in the U.S.A. made Springsteen an international superstar. "The Boss" was born!

1987's Tunnel of Love was released during a time when Springsteen was facing marital problems. He began singing of lost love, emotional turmoil, and other adult concerns. He set off after this for one more tour with the E-Street Band and then in 1989 they parted ways. Three years later he released two albums Human Touch and Lucky Town. The first, Human Touch, was more radio orientated while Lucky Town, the latter, is seen as a step forward for the Springsteen. He did a stint on MTV's Unplugged program and then resumed touring in 1993.

Springsteen released the song "Streets of Philadelphia" for the movie "Philadelphia" which won him a Grammy award and an Oscar for "Best Song". With his career in full-comeback, he released a "Greatest Hits" album which seen him re-unit with the E-Street Band for some new tracks. Next came 1995's The Ghost of Tom Joad which was a return for Springsteen to the folk music style of his early career. This was followed by a release from Columbia records of a box set including 56 previously unreleased tracks and 10 B-sides called Tracks, in 1998.

After 30 years he is still going strong, "The Boss" is currently touring internationally and we can only wait and see what will be next.

site : http://www.brucespringsteen.com

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Bruce Springsteen at the Super Bowl: Were you sold?

The National Football League announced in September that Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band would provide the halftime entertainment at today's Super Bowl. Last week, Springsteen released an album that surely warmed the hearts of NFL and NBC execs. His "Working on a Dream" is largely an upbeat and positive pop record -- one without any deep political implications and plenty of PG-safe proclamations of love.

In the post Nipplegate-era of halftime entertainment, that's just the way the NFL likes it. No risks, no surprises and nothing that's going to slow the momentum of one of the biggest rah-rah moments on American television. Oh, and keep the new stuff to a minimum.

Springsteen got in a couple verses of the title track off his album, but it was straight into "Glory Days" just as the crowd was warming up to the cut's gospel groove. When you have 12 minutes, better go keep them wanting more, especially when dabbling with the unfamiliar.

It was apparent that Springsteen and the E Street Band -- introduced as "booty-shaking" in a pre-taped reel of NFL personalities -- understood the game from the moment the performance started. "Step back from the guacamole dip," Springsteen yelled through gritted teeth. He then followed it up with this impassioned order: "Put! The! Chicken! Fingers! Doooowwwwwwwn!"

Love him or hate him, is this what we want from one of our most celebrated songwriters? Springsteen's always been at the very least an artist who's unafraid to tackle big topics. He shouldn't be faulted for trying to drum up some excitement for his new album, but is it necessary for him to have to deliver jokes for the NFL to do so?

Heading into the performance, the only major question was why Springsteen needed to sing in Tampa Bay today at all. The halftime show rakes in the viewers -- last year's Super Bowl was watched by a record 97.5 million people, according to Nielsen Media Research -- but it turns artists into pitchmen. In getting the spotlight for just 12 minutes, verses are dropped and melodies are clipped.

It's not a concert, but a teaser -- and it was, admittedly, an entertaining one -- for Springsteen's upcoming tour, which comes to the Los Angeles Sports Arena on April 15 (tickets, conveniently, on sale tomorrow morning). While Springsteen has been saying that there are few outlets for an artist of his age to promote his music these days, the Bruce Springsteen Business hasn't exactly been dipping. According to Billboard, Springsteen tallied the second-highest grossing tour of 2008, bringing in a total gross of more than $204 million.

But today's Super Bowl performance will net Springsteen a whole lot more than brisk ticket sales. In the days following his halftime performance last year, Tom Petty saw a 352% increase in digital track sales. The four songs performed today -- the set ended with "Glory Days" (you were expecting something else?) -- are surely rocketing up the iTunes sales chart as this quick reaction blog is being typed.

There was, however, plenty to like, and Springsteen is one of the world's most successful live performers for a reason. The set began when the band broke into the swinging "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out," striking a communal vibe from the start. If the easy-going saxophone sway of the tune was a surprising way to begin, Springsteen punctuated every note with a high-five to a fan and wasn't above a little lyric-altering pandering -- "bust this city in half" became "bust this Super Bowl in half."

Indeed, when it comes to providing entertainment for big-time events, few are more fit for the job than the Boss. Fewer still can follow the likes of the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Prince and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers -- the artists who have been called upon to provide family-friendly entertainment since the Janet Jackson/Justin Timberlake debacle of 2004.

In contrast to Petty's performance last year, Springsteen was more than eager to ham it up. The set ended with a gag-worthy shtick with Steven Van Zandt and a referee. When time was up, Springsteen egged the crowd on, suggesting the band play on and get taxed with an over-time penalty (ha!).

Yet every bad moment was tempered with something good. Springsteen showed off his agility, even if he couldn't stop himself from sliding straight into a cameraman between "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" and "Born to Run." The look on Springsteen's face -- he was clearly struggling not to laugh -- seemed to imply the moment wasn't staged, which would be a true rarity in halftime gigs.

So yes, things got corny toward the end -- tradition or not, never again does Van Zandt need to declare that it's "Boss time" anywhere ever -- but Springsteen still largely fulfilled the goals he set out for himself. Speaking about the halftime performance in the New York Times, Springsteen said, “If you do it right, you should feel the tension of it wanting to spread beyond that time frame. But it can’t.”

And this was a moment to celebrate the crowd sing-along. Every lyric of a joyous rendition of "Born to Run" was hammered home with a fist-pump or a pyrotechnic display. "I wanna die with you Wendy," sang Springsteen, but he may as well have been cheerleading a punt return.

If "Glory Days," a song built for sports nostalgia, was an obvious choice for a set-ender -- "Born in the U.S.A." is too political a tune for the NFL -- Springsteen proved himself to be a rather excited salesman.

Give Springsteen credit. He was clearly enjoying the stage, although he misfired by changing the lyrics to "Glory Days," swapping out the dead-beat baseball player references for lame nods to football. But this was a Springsteen clearly caught up in the advertising-driven spectacle of the Super Bowl, and completely unashamed about all of it.

His performance ended not with a statement -- but a sales pitch: "I'm going to Disneyland!"

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