The controversial guitarist who called Bruce Springsteen “too overblown”
“He did that song like the record, something I myself have never tried. I never even thought it was worth it,” said Bob Dylan when talking about how much he loved Bruce Springsteen’s cover of ‘Knocking On Heavens Door’, “Maybe never had the manpower in one band to pull it off. I don’t know, but I never thought about it. To tell you the truth, I’d forgotten how the song ought to go.”
When discussing what he loved so much about Bruce Springsteen’s rendition of the track, Dylan inadvertently touched upon why so many people love listening to the artist they aptly refer to as “the boss.” He talks about the transportive power of Springsteen’s music and how his version of the song brought back old emotions.
“I’m not a nostalgic person, but for a second there it all came back, Peckinpah, Slim Pickens, Katy Jurado, James Coburn, the dusty lawless streets of Durango, my first wife, my kids when they were small,” said Dylan, “For a second it all came back … it was that powerful.”
A lot of what Bruce Springsteen writes is seeped in nostalgia. In what can only be described as serendipity, Springsteen was massively influenced by the music of Bob Dylan. After listening to his music and the honest lyricism laced throughout, it became evident to Springsteen that he wanted to make music that impacted people in the same way Dylan’s music had impacted him.
From that moment onwards, Bruce Springsteen kept a few constants at the heart of his writing. He wrote about people with real emotions, hopes, and dreams. The themes contained within these tracks still resonate today as they transport listeners back to a very specific period. Equally, Springsteen also wrote about politics and used his music to portray his strong political views.
While many people are drawn to the power contained within Bruce Springsteen’s music, some other musicians aren’t as much of a fan. One of these artists confessed to having a view that some would see as controversial. When asked about Springsteen, The Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards didn’t hesitate to make his feelings known.
“Bruce, that’s a tough one because I like the guy,” he said, “But, oh, the music, that apparently is where the problem lies […] I’m the toughest taskmaster of all time,” continued Richards, “I’m going to annoy a lot of people […] Too contrived for me. Too overblown. These are just my opinions.”
This opinion might surprise some people, given that Springsteen and The Rolling Stones have performed together on several occasions; however, while Keith Richards thinks Springsteen is a talented musician, he was never a fan of how seriously he took the writing process. Richards has always written music that people could enjoy themselves to, which meant good guitar runs, simple lyricism and catchy choruses at the heart of everything. Subsequently, it doesn’t come as a surprise that Richards might not have been the biggest fan of Springsteen, as while they operated in similar circles, Springsteen took the topics at the heart of his songs a lot more seriously.
