It was a very welcome piece of news to wake up to this morning when Backstreets Magazine announced that #88 is finally due in April. The latest issue was published before the Magic album was released in 2007, which means that one of the busiest periods of Bruce's entire career has gone uncovered by the most important Springsteen fanzine. An incredible shame and, some would say, wasted opportunity, and a source of wonder for most paying subscribers.

In his new "Editor's blog" Chris Phillips goes a long way to explain the delay and talk about how he envisions the future of the magazine, which according to him is far from dead. As someone who tries (and more often than not fails) to provide a Springsteen news service in these years of hyper activity by Bruce and constant bombardment of live performances, releases, guest appearances, awards, political activities, books, deaths, etc. etc. - while at the same time trying to have a personal life - I can easily relate to what a challenge it is to make sense of it all and boil it down to what is supposed to be a quarterly magazine.

In other words, no pointed fingers or hard feelings from here. Backstreets has just meant too much to me over the years to not deserve some slack. It was my entry to the whole idea of a Bruce community, way before the internet. During the Bruce drought of 1990-91 my weekly, incredibly expensive, phone call to the now defunct Backstreets Hotline fed my hopes for a new album and tour. And around the same time, a free ad looking for penpals opened a world of adventure to me and gave me friends all of the world, some of whom I still see - and go to Bruce shows with - today.

Most of all, when the internet became public knowledge, Backstreets Magazine helped inspire me to make my own online version of it that became Greasy Lake. In other words, without Backstreets there probably wouldn't be a Greasy Lake. Today the internet is covering a lot of the ground that Backstreet used to be the all-dominating player on, but there's no doubt that we still need Backstreets. The quality of the Bruce writing is still in a class of its own, and the knowledge and insight gathered through almost 30 years of existance is something the rest of us can only dream of.

So congratulations to Backstreets for finding their feet again and their impending 30th anniversary. Hopefully, their 30th anniversary edition will be slightly more timely than certain other 30th anniversary editions.

Most of you probably noticed the Greasy Lake poll on the front page. We've been running it for more than a year now and changing it almost every week. Usually we've put up a new poll every Monday, but in the next few weeks it will be on Sundays. Another thing I'll try to do in the future is commenting on the result. Often the result is so interesting that it just begs for some kind of comment. I won't promise that it will happen every week, but it's something I'll strive to do.

Like, the last poll we did... What should Bruce bring along on the next E Street tour? Horn section, string section, singers, dancers, or just the band. It was no surprise that the contest would be between "horn section" and "nothing". I'm a little surprised that "horn section" actually won out, even though some classic shows and tours over the year did feature horns to great effect. But the biggest surprise was that 15 people actually voted for "dancers". I was almost certain that for the first time in the Greasy Lake Poll history an option would receive 0 votes. I'm still not sure those 15 people were serious, but let's just assume they were. How exactly do they envision dancers as part of an E Street Band show? Is there any way in the world it would work? Opinions are welcome.

Another thing that surprised me was that "string section" received only 14 votes. I would, as a minimum, have been willing to bet my Bruce collection that it would have received more votes than "dancers". At least it's something I could see working. Especially after a string section was included in the first Madison Square Garden show in November when The Wild, The Innocent was featured. I wasn't there, but from the recordings I've heard and from what people have expressed, it worked magnificently. So why not try to bring them on the road?

Well, this week the poll will focus on Bruce's holy grails. Those rumored items that fans would kill to get their hands on. If you cold have one of them, which one should it be? Go back to the front page to vote and to see what other people think.

Looks like Bruce will once again contribute to Record Store Day by putting out a rare piece of vinyl. The official list of Record Store Day releases includes a 10" version of "Wrecking Ball" / "The Ghost of Tom Joad" by Bruce Springsteen, and since a 10" disc won't fit in a CD player, this has to be a vinyl record. Most likely, the songs in question will be live versions, and while "The Ghost of Tom Joad" may be the same version released on the Magic Tour Sampler featuring Tom Morello, "Wrecking  Ball" will see its first release in a physical format. A year ago, in 2009, Bruce also pulled a surprise out of his sleeve for Record Store Day when he released "What Love Can Do" / "A Night With the Jersey Devil" as a single. Record Store Day is on April 17, but the "Wrecking Ball" single is scheduled for April 14 and can be bought at mostly independent record stores.

While we're at new releases, a mysterious 2 DVD set by Bruce Springsteen has also popped up on release schedules for April 12. The title given is Bruce Springsteen The Boss, which smells of crappy unofficial documentary with no original Bruce music included, but who knows, it could in theory be code for the much rumored Hyde Park live DVD from the Working on a Dream Tour.

After 25 years of misunderstandings and using "Born in the USA" as background music to political rallies and other flag-waving events, the American Right may finally be realizing that there are lyrics between the choruses. At least one member of the right-wing political sphere got it right: "Born in the USA" is not a jingoistic tribute to the United States. Right-wing talkshow host Glen Beck calls the song "anti-American propaganda". Of course, that's a little harsh. As Bruce himself has said in interviews, the protangonist in "Born in the USA" is actually proud of being American, but the America he thought he knew has let him down. Still, while Glen Beck is exaggerating his criticism, it's certainly a positive thing that "Born in the USA" may finally be disconnected from patriotic jingoism and be viewed with more nuanced glasses like it deserves. Read more on The Raw Story.

You probably heard it by now. Bruce Springsteen sued a bar New York for having played his music on the sound system without paying a fee to the ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers), but it was actually the ASCAP who sued in Bruce's name without Bruce's knowledge, and Bruce got mad and made a statement saying that he wanted no part of that lawsuit. Presumably because he didn't want to look like a big greedy capitalist suing little people who just try to run a business.

But it turns out Bruce may have been a little hasty here. Because according to an article on Slate, Bruce as a member of the ASCAP has actually given them the right to sue in his name and they don't even have to tell him. Besides, still according to the article, the ASCAP files lots of lawsuits in various artists' names, including Bruce's. In other words, it wasn't the first time it happened. It was just the first time it got on the news. The article also makes the point that by withdrawing his name from the case, Bruce is doing a disservice to all those smaller artists who depend on the money that the ASCAP collects from bars and restaurants on their behalf. If the ASCAP didn't sue the places that didn't pay their fees, no one would pay and small artists wouldn't get the checks they depend on.

Now, I'll be the first to criticize the music industry for suing regular people, but in this case it looks like Bruce may have acted on an impulse without checking his contract with the ASCAP or thinking through the consequences. Whatever the case, it seems like a pretty minor thing that now may be getting more attention than it deserves, which probably wasn't Bruce's intention.

Of course, we all know it's true, even those of us who are guys ourselves. Bruce is and will always be the sexiest man in music. But the rest of the world isn't always as informed as it should be. Billboard is now trying to correct this by putting up a poll and make it official. They have of course added other options to the poll for good measure, and you may go and vote just in case, but the result should be a given: Bruce is the one. Go prove it!

Rumors had been swirling all day, and they were true: Bruce joined the officially announced lineup of artists for the 10th Anniversary Light of Day Concert in Asbury Park. For the first time, the show took place at the Paramount Theatre rather than in a smaller club setting. Bruce was there for the soundcheck and appeared three times during the show. First he was on stage for the end of Willie Nile's set, then he helped out Jesse Malin on "Broken Radio" (Bruce can also be heard on Jesse Malin's studio version of the song), and last but not least he joined Joe Grushecky for most of his set, singing several of his own song as well as playing lead guitar on most of Grushecky's. Of course, they couldn't refrain from doing the songs they wrote together: "Code of Silence" and "Another Thin Line". Having just returned from the beach on St. Barts, Bruce by all accounts, looked tan and healthy and full of energy. Read the full setlist.

Ever dreamed of going on a cruise with Bruce Springsteen? Well, maybe not, and it's not like that scenario is now suddenly possible. But almost. The longest running Bruce cover band, The legendary B Street Band, is celebrating their 30th anniversary by inviting their fans on an anniversary cruise. As a passenger on the cruise you will be treated to exclusive performances with the band, dinner with the band, autographs, and much more. Prices range from $1490 to $1975 per person. The cruise will launch from Bayonne in New Jersey on July 31, so there's still time to save up a little money. You can read more on the band's official website. Oh, and while you are there, take a listen to some of their recordings. It just doesn't get much better unless it's Bruce himself. And you don't even have to go on a cruise in order to experience them. They will allegedly play anywhere in the world if asked.

As we enter a new year that for the first time in a while looks pretty blank when it comes to Bruce activity, let us look at some of the times Bruce has really surprised us and appeared at the most unlikely places or with the most unlikely release, or even with a brand new version of himself. Just to remind ourselves that with Bruce anything could happen at any time.

Street performance, Strøget, Copenhagen, Denmark, July 25, 1988
Thanks to a resolute guy with a camera (legend has it he bought the camera on the spot), this performance has been immortalized to Bruce fans everywhere. This is what happened: Bruce was in Copenhagen for another stop of his Tunnel of Love Express Tour. Two nights before the show, street musician John Magnusson and his partner were playing on Copenhagen's main pedestrian street when he saw Springsteen walk by. He called out to him and asked if he would join. Bruce obliged, borrowed a guitar from Magnusson's partner and did three songs: "I'm on Fire", "The River", and "Dancing in the Dark". The whole thing of course attracted a major crowd. Perhaps realizing it would end up in chaos, Bruce slipped through the crowd after about 15 minutes and disappeared into the Copenhagen summer night.



Café Eckstein, Berlin, German, July 9, 1995
I still remember the rush of panic through my body. A friend of mine had just called me on the phone and told me that the night before Bruce had performed at an obscure café in Berlin. And rumor had it, it was the beginning of short tour of surprise appearances in European cities. It didn't come to that, but still: in the middle of an otherwise peaceful, Bruce-free summer, he was suddenly in Berlin! It turned out the purpose had been to shoot a video of "Hungry Heart" in connection with the Greatest Hits album that had been released earlier that year. And later on, it turned out that had merely been an excuse for Bruce to go to Germany and visit, and play with, his new German friend Wolfgang Niedecken. Whatever the case, the concept of Bruce appearing on stage in Berlin completely out of the blue was just about the most cool and mindblowing thing this fan had ever heard of. Today, however, recording a video for a 15-year-old song, going to Berlin to shoot a video of it, with no chance of either making a dent on any significant chart, seems more like the act of a very insecure Bruce, who really had no idea in what direction to head at the time, than that of a cool superstar.



Nebraska, the album
It's been a long time ago now and I wasn't a fan back then and therefore didn't experience it myself. But imagine this: your favorite rock 'n' roll artist, the most dynamic and life-affirming performer in the world, who on stage could hardly contain his own energy, releasing an album of, mostly, slow and very quiet songs about murder, despair, and traumatic childhood memories. With no band! At the time, as far as anyone knew (and back then, before the Internet, fans didn't know a whole lot about what was going on), Bruce was working on another blockbuster rock 'n' roll album to follow up The River, and then this!? Needless to say for many fans the disappointment was huge. Today, of course, Nebraska is a classic and easily won the "best non-E Street Band album" poll on Greasy Lake a couple of months ago, but back then, it was a curve ball that not even related songs like "Stolen Car" and "Wreck on the Highway" on The River helped predict in a world where Bruce, to most people, was simply a rock 'n' roll artist and nothing else.



Seeger Sessions, the album
Early 2006. Bruce had just finished a solo tour in support of Devils & Dust. Following his usual pattern, it was now time for him to either 1) take a break or 2) rock out with a new E Street Band album. Sure, there were silly rumors that he was working on a project that had something to do with Pete Seeger, but really, that was a little hard to believe. First of all, two subdued "folk" projects in a row would be career suicide, or at least a strong hint that rock 'n' roll was a thing of the past. Secondly, Bruce didn't release albums of other people's songs. A song or two on a tribute album now and then, fine, but a whole album? No way. Of course, as we now know, the rumors were true. What wasn't true was that it would be a subdued album or that Bruce was done rocking out. And while it did make a lot of fans hold their noses while grabbing it from the shelf (if they bought it at all), most of them were all back in the ranks when tickets for the next E Street Band tour went on sale a year later.



Campaigning with John Kerry during 2004 presidential election
It didn't surprise me personally when, in 2004, rumors of Bruce being involved in some kind of election concert started to appear. He had been involved in plenty of political causes over the years, starting with 1979's No Nukes shows. It also was no surprise that he probably wouldn't exactly be supporting George W. Bush's reelection. What he would do, of course, was to perform a few songs at some kind of rally to encourage people to go out and vote. And no, surely he wouldn't be telling people directly who to vote for. That was beneath Bruce. Wrong! Before anyone could say "swing state", Bruce was out there giving his full support to Democratic candidate John Kerry. Not only during the seven-show Vote For Change tour, but in the days up to the election he was actually on the road with John Kerry, standing next to him on the podium at rallies, making political speeches, and performing "The Promised Land" to huge crowds of Democratic supporters. If Bruce had always been cautious about thrusting his opinions down people's throats, instead letting his songs speak for themselves, the 2004 presidential election was the final blow to the illusion that Bruce was above party politics. Some fans hated it, many  accepted it. Probably not too many loved it.



Christic concerts, November 1990
The concerts for the Christic Institute on November 16 and 17, 1990, were in a sense also political. The Christic Institute was a public law firm that specialized in bringing big power to justice. But that wasn't what was surprising about Bruce's performance at the two shows (in fact, he didn't mention the cause at all). The big surprise was the transformation Bruce had gone through during his two-year absence from the public eye. He had shelved The E Street Band, become a father for the first time, moved to Los Angeles and, it turned out, been seeing a psychiatrist. Gone was the larger-than-life, confident, take-no-prisoners rock 'n' roll force of nature. Instead someone had replaced him with a vulnerable, insecure family man who couldn't even remember the lyrics to "Thunder Road". Even his voice sounded different. And he was telling people not to clap along. And one of the usual "We love you, Bruce" shouts from the audience was returned with a bittersweet "But you don't really know me". It was the first glimpse of the "new" Bruce. He has since found his rock 'n' roll persona again, but it has never been without a hint of that vulnerable, somewhat wary guy who stood alone on that stage at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles 20 years ago.

Apparently Bruce and part of the E Street Band were assembled at the Convention Hall in Asbury Park last weekend running through all the songs from the Darkness album. The band spent most of last Sunday afternoon there, playing several versions of each song. While nothing is certain or confirmed, it doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out that there could be a connection to the Darkness boxset project, which, according to the latest information, should be released sometime in the spring. What exactly last Sunday's recordings - provided the action was being recorded - will be used for is anyone's guess. It could be part of a documentary, or it could be for an extra disc of Darkness live versions. Time will tell. Or not.