Review of Bruce Springsteen: Complete Video Anthology 1978 to 2000 (2 Disc Set)

Introduction

Bruce Springsteen needs no introduction, at least not if your musical formative years were the 80s. Even if you weren’t a fan (and I wasn’t), you couldn’t escape The Boss. His “Born In The USA” album was played everywhere. His concerts were the biggest, longest imaginable (growing up in Ireland, Springsteen’s concert at Slane was the stuff of legend). Magazines, MTV, TOTP, FGTH cover. He was everywhere.

Less so, though, in the 90s. Whether by accident or design, his presence has become more understated. Sure, he still has a sizeable and loyal following but he isn’t pervasive any more. I’m sure that there are kids who got into music in the past few years who have little idea who Bruce Springsteen is. That would have been unthinkable 10 or 15 years ago. But Bruce probably doesn’t care.

For a while he was The Boss – the biggest thing in rock music. Rock was good to him and he was good to rock. But, I guess he got a bit older and, maybe, wiser. As his presence got more understated, so did his music. Or, perhaps, it was vice versa. No matter. In the 90s, his output became more resolutely rootsy and spare, often just Bruce and his guitar. Not that he hadn’t done this before (Nebraska and Tunnel Of Love, for example) but he seemed more comfortable with it.

This DVD collects 23 years (1978 – 2000) of videos and performances and, if you’re not intimately familiar with The Boss, is a good introduction to his work.

Video

As might be expected from a video collection covering over 20 years, the picture quality of the videos themselves varies from mediocre to excellent. Overall, the video quality is good. Not great, but good. Colours and detail are as good as you could expect but the image is often more grainy that you would expect.

Unlike some major acts (Madonna, Jackson, etc), Springsteen never seemed to go overboard on his videos. Even in his stadium rock phase, the videos had a blue-collar simplicity about them. Some would even say naffness. The B-movie imagery (and appalling acting) on “I’m On Fire” for example. Thus, the imagery on display is generally fairly basic; usually concert footage or downbeat Heartland Americana. Decent and well intentioned but rarely all that imaginative.

Things do perk up as we move into the Nineties. “Human Touch” make imaginative use of a ride on a New Orleans cable car (complete with the cable sparking which always sends a shiver up my spine). “Highway Patrolman” make intelligent use of footage from the Sean Penn film "Indian Runner". “Secret Garden” is the most colourful video Springsteen has ever done and contains some striking imagery.

Audio

The DVD features both DD 5.1 and PCM Stereo soundtracks with, interestingly, the DD 5.1 mix coming off second best.

The DD 5.1 mix is disappointingly thin. Sure, it adds a certain spaciousness to the sound but overall the sound is weak with little impact. Basically, it doesn’t rock. It isn’t worthy of The Boss.

The PCM mix, though, is much, much better. The sound is more detailed and exhibits clearer stereo separation. Most importantly, it sounds more forceful. The drums thwack satisfyingly and the bass has a presence sorely lacking in its 5.1 sibling. It is the complete antithesis of the 5.1 mix. It rocks just the way it was intended to.

And, to be honest, I’m neither disappointed nor surprised. All these videos, and the songs they showcase, were originally mixed for stereo. Of course, they were. Undoubtedly, with a lot of effort and care, effective 5.1 mixes could have been created. But the lack of an effective 5.1 mix here isn’t really a cause for criticism. They tried.

You’ve got a choice. 5.1 or PCM. I just think the PCM mix is better.

Features

The VHS version of this is called “Video Anthology - 1978-1988”. The DVD adds 15 videos and performances to the VHS version taking us up to 2000. These appear on a second disc and are all worthwhile additions. The one exception is the alternative version of “Secret Garden” where a string section interjects inappropriately throughout the song.

In addition to the 15 tracks, the only other extra (also on the second disc) is a comprehensive discography which covers every officially released album and video.

I was disappointed, though, to note that the lyrics weren’t available as a subtitle option. Some documentary material would have been nice for the fans too but rare performances from Letterman and Charlie Rose go some way towards making up for this omission.

Conclusion

If you’re a Springsteen fan there is no need to read any further. The fairly rare Letterman and Charlie Rose performances alone make it a worthwhile buy. So, go and buy it.

If, like me, you’re not a complete fan, the decision is a bit more difficult. Make no mistake, the music is great. Regardless of whether Springsteen is pumping out stadium rock with a large band or strumming gently to himself, the standard of music is consistently high. And, on the PCM track, it sounds great too. But, no better than on a CD.

And that’s the real problem with this package of videos. While the music is worth listening to, the visuals are less essential. Looking at what is on display here, Springsteen has never been comfortable with video as a form of expression.

When he appears on screen in his 80s videos, it is often cringeworthy. Worst offenders are “I’m On Fire” where his acting is embarrassing, and the exceptionally cheesy video for “Dancing In The Dark” (look out for a younger and “smaller” Courtney Cox). The videos have improved over the years and Springsteen is more natural in front of the camera. Still, they are never essential and, at their worst, detract from the songs themselves.

The best videos are the moody and atmospheric “Human Touch”, the bright, shiny “Secret Garden” and the bleak storytelling of “Highway Patrolman”. Of these, “Highway Patrolman” is the only one that comes close to being essential – it is really very good. The live concert based material is better than the scripted videos and this is where Springsteen shines. It would have been preferable if the DVD had focussed on this. Maybe next time.

If you want an introduction to Bruce Springsteen, this is as good as any. But, before you buy, I suggest you weigh up how many of his CDs you could buy for the same money.