Jungleland (by Bruce Springsteen) : A (Belated) Review by Alfred Muggins

26/11/21

    To all my fans, of my novels, written, unwritten, and partly written, and short stories, poems and blogs, chronicles, and posts. It has been suggested that I might reveal some of my favourite songs, albums, and musical artists in the form of a personalized review. Although I do not really have enough precious time for this rather enticing idea, I might just, when the mood takes me, and time allows (which it doesn’t normally), provide a short review for the benefit of my unfortunately limited audiences on Facebook (through the of my friend and mentor, typist, shadow, and bouncer of ideas David Kirtley), and also abctales, which is a rather special community of writers and friends, which can be accessed through their writing and reading site on abctales.com  . (again I share the account of David Kirtley, my close confidant, co-conspirator and fellow writer, mentor, guru, and fellow music and literature fanatic. (He lets me use it!))

    And so, I happened to be listening to Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Born To Run’ album (1975) on You Tube, on our shared computer, while looking at Facebook posts, when the music began to move me to such a degree that I was suddenly moved to write about this marvelous selection of energy and emotion. As usually happens spectacularly major emotions are usually felt around the time of the last track on the album, ‘Jungleland’, if not earlier (which is quite possible, because it is such an evocative and exciting album, from start to finish!). But if you have the album on in the background, so to speak, and are not concentrating too closely, as you may be doing something requiring concentration, or at least attention, usually by the last track the realization that this really is wonderful music, and the passion of it will really surface within you, and will be brought out by the last long track ‘Jungleland’. Clarence Clemons, the saxophone player with Springsteen’s E Street Band blows his heart out on Jungleland, as anyone who listens who has a heart (or whoever had a heart? – a bit of Lou Reed or Velvet Underground coming in there?) will surely feel!

    This is definitely the time to pass the handkerchiefs, and I usually feel moved to tears as the horrors and pressures and injustices of the Junglelands of New York City and its surrounding areas fully descends upon me, and the world generally for that matter. I suggest you have a box of handkerchiefs closely to hand, and do turn up the volume, so you can work through the torrent of feelings it so easily creates inside you. (You do not wish to drown without a handkerchief surely.) Be sure to let it all out! Weep for humanity! Glorify Springsteen and his whole band, and all of rock music and beyond.

    Understand why people, including criminals, do all the things they do. I know it might be slightly unfashionable to say it, but you just might have been brought just a little closer to God by the end of it!