Grammy or Not, Springsteen Keeps Treating Us Good
Springsteen, on the other hand, makes raise-the-roof, save-the-world rock ’n’ roll, and with “The Rising” helped heal some of the scars left by Sept. 11 to boot. So of course the Grammy folks pretended it didn’t exist, and went back under the covers to listen to their Christopher Cross records.
This caused quite the uproar among my small circle of Bruce fans, and even led my sister-in-law to declare that not only should Bruce have won the Grammy, he should be given the Nobel Peace Prize. I’m not sure how UN weapons inspector and current nominee Hans Blix would feel about that, but OK.
Besides, another nominee this year is U2 singer Bono — if he can be considered, why not Bruce? (Granted, Bono has been working to eliminate Third World poverty, and had to spend all that time on a bus with Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill; I hear once that guy gets going on the Medicare Trust Fund there’s no shutting him up).
So in honor of Bruce’s historic appearance this weekend at Fenway Park, I’d like to list 10 things he’s done that are more than award-worthy (Grammy, Nobel or otherwise):
1) Annoyed snooty grammarians the world over by making the musical wish that “these Badlands start treating us good.”
2) Can hang upside down on a microphone stand. Just try that, Hans Blix!
3) Continues to play Hartford, Conn., where residents are so starved for entertainment they actually spent years attending arena football games.
4) Has never once smooched Madonna on national television.
5) Is still playing stadiums, whereas Lionel Richie — who beat him out for Album of the Year in 1984 — was recently spotted singing a karaoke version of “Dancing on the Ceiling” at Al’s Egg Roll Hut.
6) Playing at Fenway could exorcise the Curse of the Bambino, causing millions of frustrated Red Sox fans to be nicer to their fellow man. (Except Yankee fans.)
7) Actually gives New Jersey a good name. Just try that, Hans Blix!
8) By playing raucous concerts at age 53, makes us feel like there is hope for middle age, even if just standing through one of said concerts at age 34 made my ankles hurt for three days.
9) Can inspire people with small children and ankle pain to actually go to a concert that doesn’t feature a Muppet or a guy in a dinosaur suit.
10) Can make those same people feel like we did at 16, when music mattered and rock ’n’ roll could set us free — and maybe even save the world.
Actually, for that last reason alone, just having Bruce out there gives me a little more faith in humanity. So while he might not be preserving the peace, he is shelling out a little peace of mind — and these days, that’s probably what people need most.
Although as my sister-in-law points out, front-row tickets at Fenway would be nice, too.