Every year, the MerleFest roots music festival features a “Hillside Album Hour” hosted by The Waybacks. Each year, a different classic album is chosen for re-interpretation, and each year there’s a cryptic clue guessing game leading up to it.
In 2015, the album was Bruce’s Born in the U.S.A., and special guest Joan Osborne was on hand with The Waybacks to perform the entire album start to finish. It’s a remarkable performance full of fresh takes–well worth a listen (you can purchase or stream the live album). I’m sure this won’t be the only track from that concert that I’ll feature, but this is my favorite–a downright funky take on “I’m Goin’ Down,” reimagined and mashed up with… well, I won’t ruin the surprise, but I think the Temptations would approve.
If you’re a fan of how Bruce reinvented “Reason to Believe” on the Magic Tour, you’ll dig this:
Bonus: Here are the clues that led up to the reveal of Born in the U.S.A. as 2015’s featured album. Can you solve the clues? (I’ll post the answers tomorrow in tomorrow’s featured post.)
Clue #1: “We promise to treat you right.”
Clue #2: “Smiling rookie flips out on two joints.”
Clue #3: “Myrtle Grant, his ex, wanted nightly bar romance.”
The Theme From Shaft?