The album Steve Van Zandt calls “the highest pinnacle of the art form”
On July 25th, Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band took to the stage at Wembley Arena and delivered the live show for which they are so readily praised. Often cited as the best live band on the planet, their gig in London was no exception. Each member played like their life depended on it, at the forefront of which was the faultless guitarist Steve Van Zandt.
Bruce Springsteen has never been shy in talking about how important his live performance is to him. In fact, if you rewind the clock to his first gig in London, you will understand how sacred performing is to him. “As we pulled up to the outside, this brightly lit marquis reads, ‘Finally!! London is ready for Bruce Springsteen’. Reflecting, this is not exactly the tone I’d have preferred been struck,” he said, “It feels, perhaps, a little too… presumptuous?”
Springsteen’s attitude is simple, “My business is show business and that is the business of showing… not telling. You don’t tell people anything, you show them, and let them decide.” For this reason, his live shows remain one of the biggest must-sees in modern music, and it’s also an attitude shared by his band.
Steve Van Zandt has been performing with the E Street Band (on and off) for decades now, and one of the reasons he is such a good addition to the band is that he holds the importance of live music as close to his heart as his musical counterpart does. It means that when he goes out on stage, he knows the drill and doesn’t hold back in giving the performance of a lifetime every time he picks up his guitar.
His love for live sound is evident in his performances and his listening. When asked about his favourite live album, he admitted it had to be something bigger and better than the studio recording for him to bother with it. “I’ve never been a big fan of live albums unless they’re changing the arrangements or doing something substantially artistically,” he said.
“There have been some real exceptions, like The Who’s Live At Leeds. It was ground-breaking at the time,” he continued, “And when they introduce new songs, it really does justify its existence. That was the first time we heard them do ‘Summertime Blues’, for instance.”
Van Zandt’s admiration for The Who doesn’t stop at their live albums, either. Given the emotional range explored by the guitarist throughout his catalogue with The E Street Band, it’s no surprise that Van Zandt would be a fan. Their concept albums construct complicated narratives and explore different aspects of the human mind through sound. It’s one of these albums to which Van Zandt pays a particular compliment.
Released in 1969, The Who completely changed people’s attitudes towards albums with Tommy, which had an exciting story buried into it in the most beautiful way. Pulling no punches, Van Zandt was happy to admit, “The Who’s Tommy is the highest pinnacle of the art form.” A perfect blend of Van Zandt’s attitude towards live music and studio albums.
