Deliver Me From Nowhere

I was literally the only person in the theater for a weekday matinee screening of the new Bruce Springsteen biopic Deliver Me From Nowhere. Part of this was by design. I knew I was so emotionally invested in this subject I had to go it alone. So I blew off a handful of well-meaning invites to make this happen. I am not going to bury the lead here, so let’s just get right at it. I really enjoyed this movie. But will you enjoy it? I have no idea.

I was mildly surprised to find the entire theater empty, but then again maybe I wasn’t.

First off, this movie isn’t a biopic in the traditional Hollywood sense, though the misleading trailers would try to convince you otherwise. Based on the excellent book of the same name by Warren Zanes, it covers a very specific time in Bruce’s life while he was focusing on his DIY acoustic masterpiece Nebraska. In the process he postponed the release of Born In The USA and was seen as jeopardizing his career; a career which had only recently reached arena status on his previous record The River and the top ten hit, “Hungry Heart.” A common misconception about Bruce is that he was always some kind of hit machine tearing up the charts. Think about it, Bruce didn’t have a top ten hit until his FIFTH Record. He was thirty-one years old when this happened. (Note: Rock Anthem “Born To Run” peaked at number 23 on the Billboard charts in 1975.) For context, Bob Dylan was barely 22 years old when he first played the Newport Folk Festival and “Blowing In The Wind” was taking off.

Or put another way, there are very few scenes in this film featuring exciting live music performances. That alone makes it completely different from the recent Dylan and Queen biopics. Or practically every music biopic, now that I think of it. And this, a movie about probably the single greatest rock n roll performer of all time. Geez, now that I think about it, this movie sounds like the record Nebraska itself. It could be career suicide.

Also, to many people - including myself - Nebraska was the gateway drug to becoming a Bruce fanatic. It is absolutely essential listening and a cornerstone on which all rock n roll has been built since its release. But here is the thing, nobody knows Nebraska. I have had many conversations at the coffee shop about the movie and when I reference this record people get a blank look. “What record?” “Was that the one with “Tom Joad” and Rage Against The Machine playing on it?” “Was that the 9/11 one?” I was even discussing the movie with a musician who does a whole set of Springsteen covers and he too was unfamiliar with the record. Ummm. Probably not a good omen.

Then again, I guess I should not be surprised. As the movie and book make clear, Nebraska is probably the least accessible record ever released by a major pop artist. They literally had to invent a way to transfer his bedroom recordings from cassette to vinyl because they were considered unlistenable. Sonically unlistenable…by HIS OWN PEOPLE. Bruce didn’t care. This is what he wanted. Also, Bruce refused to tour, do any press or even put his photo on the record. He insisted it had to sink or swim on its own merit. There would be no Born To Run “Time and Newsweek” hype machine this time around.

Interesting, sure. Good subject for a movie? Debatable.

At this point I should probably mention that much of the filming was done at the Power Station studio in New York City. I spent three very intense months of my life in that exact studio recording demos and then the Watershed record Twister for Epic Records. I used to stare at the Bruce gold records in the hallway all the time. So in full disclosure, I just cannot be unbiased watching this movie. It was too much fun for me.

Most of the movie focuses on Bruce’s dysfunctional relationship with his dad, his girlfriends, and himself. Bruce lives for music. Only for music. When he isn’t playing he is a lost soul. The movie opens with Bruce coming off tour and moving into a fully-furnished rental with only one bag and a guitar. He lives alone. He doesn’t redecorate. It’s kinda depressing. He has to walk into town to buy a car. It’s the first new car he had ever owned. Bruce Springsteen isn't like you and me.

Anyway, this isn’t a movie for Bruce fans, it isn’t a movie for music fans, but it just might be a movie for everyone else. I think people should see it.

Bruce v Bob

Thinking about A Complete Unknown vs Deliver Me, it occurred to me that if Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen were in the same high school class Bob would be the star quarterback dating the homecoming queen while Bruce and his pals would be likely to be getting stuffed into lockers by Bob’s sunglass- wearing hipster friends.

Bob was proclaimed a genius right from the jump by influential folks like Pete Seeger and Allan Ginsberg. Hell, he was dating the Taylor Swift of the folk-music era, Joan Baez, before his first record came out. Nothing wrong with this, Bob is a genius and who wouldn't date Joan Baez? (Except maybe Ricki C.)

But like a star athlete being told how great he is at a young age, Bob comes at every situation with supreme confidence. He is cool so everything he does is cool.

For example, Bob teaches the band the song in the studio and they only record it once or twice. Doesn’t matter if it could be better, good enough, he is Bob Dylan, so it’s cool.

Bruce is the opposite. He learned to be insecure at a young age. Told he was a loser. That he’d end up like a dog that’s been beat too much. Spend half his life just covering up. He had no way out unless he fought like hell, so that is what he did. Bruce leaves nothing to chance. He will record 100 songs to pick 10 for the record. He will play 3-hour shows night after night. A working musician since he was a teenager, Bruce slept on floors of surf shops in Asbury Park and played guitar 7 nights a week. Even if he never made it, I bet Bruce Springsteen would still be playing a bar tonight. Just like Willie Phoenix.

But what if Bob Dylan had never had a hit or had to wait until he was 31 years old to have one? My money is he would have given up music and become a college professor or even worse…..a music critic. (editor’s note; Or a hermit mystic prophet.)

But lucky for us that never happened and we all get to enjoy Bruce and Bob and all the great music they have created.

UH-OH

I regret putting this into print but I have a big problem with the opening scene of Deliver Me From Nowhere. I regret writing this because once you see it, you will not be able to un-watch it. (Kind of like Faces of Death.)

So the movie opens with Jeremy Allen White doing his Bruce thing as the E Street Band are playing “Born To Run” to a sold-out audience. Everything is spot on, except…Jeremy is barely playing rhythm guitar with his right hand. Bruce would be coming down on that thing. In fact Bruce often wears wristbands because he plays so hard he draws blood. Instead, The Bear is playing limp, looking like David Hasselhoff posing on the cover of his record playing electric guitar with his thumb. (See Night Rocker cover below.) RocDoc 101 makes sure the band has microphones onstage and everyone looks reasonably realistic playing their instruments.

But overall Jeremy Allen White does a fine job along with the supporting cast.

Electric Nebraska

Also of note, I have had friends sending posts saying the new “Electric Nebraska” release is underwhelming. Like this is some kind of failing laid on Springsteen. Why do you think Bruce scrapped the band versions in the first place? He only put this stuff out because YOU fans wanted to hear it. It isn’t as good as the original Nebraska? No shit, Sherlocks.

Colin Gawel wrote this at Colin’s Coffee. He plays in the band Watershed and solo with his band The League Bowlers. They have both played a shit-ton of Springsteen throughout the years. He also founded Pencil Storm.

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