Friday, June 22, 2012

I Get Up in the Evening, and Dance Around Like a Complete Goddam Homo, Oh For Fuck's Sake Please Kill Me Already

Any Bruce Springsteen fan cringes at the very thought of the horrible, awful Dancing in the Dark video. To this day nobody really understand how Bruce, famously a control freak, allowed himself to be filmed lip-syncing and bebopping around stage like a teenager with a hairbrush: about 4 seconds into filming, how did he not stop and say "oh, fuck this"? How did he see the final edit, and then give the thumbs up? How unsettling is it to see him without a guitar? How did he allow this to happen? Granted, he went on to refuse lip-sync for Born in the USA and ensuing videos, but still, the Dancing in the Dark one stings. It's the one black mark on a career that's last almost half a century and shows no signs of letting up. It's his Vietnam, but worse.  Here's a kid breaking it down (as I would say, "take it frame by frame it" - hey, you know me):
The shoulder bop:

It's a nurturing move. Focused, but caring. I like pointing and I love shoulder bopping, but I've never combined the two. After seeing Bruce pull this off flawlessly, I don't know what I've been waiting on. It's phenomenal, especially coupling the move with some neck work that is accentuated by the unbuttonedness of the shirt. Great move, Bruce.
Carlton! Yes!

Bruce's Band-Facing Carlton

Hey, Bruce Face:

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