Dylan praises Springsteen

The USA Today newspaper published yesterday an interview with Bob Dylan. The artist talks about his new and excellent new album Modern Times, comments on the current state of pop music and has time to praise Bruce with these words:

"The performers who changed my life were individuals," he says. "They didn't conform to any sense of reality but their own. The last performer who stood up to be counted as an original is Bruce Springsteen, I think. Individuals move me, not mobs. People with originality, whether it's Hector, Achilles, Ted Turner or Jerry Lee Lewis or Hank Williams."

Bruce responds to "ugly" rumours on his official website

If you had any doubts about the veracity of the recent rumours spread by the New York Post, check out Bruce's personal message in his own site:

"Patti and I have been together for 18 years- the best 18 years of my life. We have built a beautiful family we love and want to protect and our commitment to one another remains as strong as the day we were married."



Check the full message at BruceSpringsteen.net

Bruce & Patti sing at Red Bank antiques store

Despite the recent rumours published in the New York Post, and quickly spread worldwide in numerous publications, Bruce and Patti were seen together last friday at the Antiques Center shop in Red Bank, New Jersey, with no signs at all of "trouble in paradise".

Redbankgreen.com publishes the story as told by Judy Barnaby, a shop's employee who's been friends with the Springsteen's for over 20 years. The couple were buying antiques in the store for a value of over 3,000$ and even sang for a few minutes after grabbing and old guitar and a mandoline, which they later dediced to buy. According to redbankgreen.com:

"the couple was holding hands, and laughing with dealers and customers as they shopped for about an hour". "I got a hug from Patti, and I told her I was very happy to see that they were back together," says Barnaby. "She said, 'Isn't this the pits?' referring to the coverage. She said, 'Isn't it ridiculous? My friends are more upset than I am.' "Several of the dealers said the same thing to them—that they were sorry to see what was in the papers. But (Springsteen and Scialfa) said it was ridiculous." "The rumor's not true, from the horse's mouth," says Barnaby. "They were holding hands and kissing and carrying on. They weren't any different than they have been in the past 20 years. They were their old selves. They enjoyed themselves, and they took their goodies and went home."

Bruce Springsteen releases extended "Seeger Sessions" album on October 3rd

It's official! The 'expanded' version of Springsteen's latest album "The Seeger Sessions" will be released worldwide on October 3rd. Its new title is "We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions - American Land Edition" and will include a lot of additional stuff, including 3 new songs. Read the full official press release (from Shorefire Media) below:

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN OFFERS FANS THREE NEW SONGS, FOUR NEW CONCERT VIDEOS, EXPANDED DOCUMENTARY AND UNSEEN PHOTOS FOR 'WE SHALL OVERCOME: THE SEEGER SESSIONS - AMERICAN LAND EDITION,' OCT. 3 ON COLUMBIA RECORDS

SPECIAL CD/DVD SET INCLUDES NEW BONUS TRACKS, LIVE CONCERT VIDEOS, MUSIC VIDEOS, EXPANDED DOCUMENTARY AND EXPANDED BOOKLET

Bruce Springsteen will offer fans five additional songs, exclusive live footage, music videos and previously unseen photos for the upcoming release of 'We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions - American Land Edition.' Columbia Records will release the enhanced album October 3.

'We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions - American Land Edition' will include a CD, DVD and 28-page booklet in a striking package. New features and content include:

· New songs "How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times And Live," "Bring 'Em Home" and "American Land."

· "Buffalo Gals" and "How Can I Keep From Singing" on CD for the first time. (They were previously only available as bonus audio on the DVD side of the DualDisc release.)

· An extended, 40-minute cut of the behind-the-scenes film, including footage of Springsteen with the Seeger Sessions Band recording "Jacob's Ladder," "Froggie Went A Courtin'" and others and a complete rendition of "Erie Canal."

· Music videos of "American Land" and "Pay Me My Money Down" by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Thom Zimny.

· Concert footage of Springsteen with the Seeger Sessions Band performing "How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times And Live" (from Los Angeles, CA, June 5, 2006) and "Bring 'Em Home" (from Concord, CA, June 6, 2006).

· Rare photos of Bruce Springsteen taken by Danny Clinch.

· Additional lyrics and fascinating complete track notes by distinguished music scholar Dave Marsh (also available at http://www.brucespringsteen.net).

Springsteen wrote "American Land" and performed it in New York and New Jersey. The song was inspired by "He Lies in the American Land," a poem by a Slovakian immigrant steelworker that Pete Seeger later translated and set to music.

About "How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times," Bruce Springsteen said, "This song was written by Blind Alfred Reed and recorded a month after the crash of '29 that heralded the Great Depression. I first heard it on Ry Cooder's self-titled debut album (1970). To his arrangement we owe a debt. I kept the 'doctor' first verse by Reed then wrote three others with a mind to the great trials the people of New Orleans have faced this year."

Penned by Pete Seeger during the Vietnam War, "Bring 'Em Home" quickly acquired anthemic power in the anti-war movement. Springsteen first recorded the song in January 2006 and added a final lead vocal during his European tour, at a studio in Oslo, Norway. His poignant rendition, performed frequently on the Seeger Sessions tour, adds several new verses and connects the song to a much earlier topical song, "When Johnny Comes Marching Home." "Bring 'Em Home" was written in 1965 and originally released on Seeger's 1971 Columbia album, 'Young vs. Old.'

'We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions - American Land Edition' will be available on a track-by-track basis from iTunes, allowing fans that have already purchased 'We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions' DualDisc to download the additional tracks.

Bruce joins Fogerty at New Jersey show

Bruce Springsteen joined John Fogerty onstage last night (saturday, August 5th) at PNC Bank Arts Center (in Holmdel, NJ) for an encore of "Long Tall Sally". Bruce was onstage for less than three minutes, wearing a Yankee baseball cap. John's words to introduce Bruce were: "I met this kid wandering around backstage with a guitar. And his name is Bruce".

See some images from the show here.

Bruce Springsteen adds second show at Wembley Arena

In only 1 hour most tickets for the Nov.11th Wembley Arena show were soldout, leaving only a few single tickets left (from the back of the hall sections). At 11am a second show at Wembley Arena, for Sunday November 12th, has been added and it's now on sale at the Ticketmaster website.

Update: Tix for the saturday Nov.11th London show soldout at noon.

UK tickets on sale Friday August 4th

Tickets for all of Bruce Springsteen's shows in the UK in november will go on sale Friday August 4th at 9.00am (UK time). Prices will be 55 pounds for Wembley and 50 for the other cities (plus booking fees).

For more info please visit:

Sheffield Hallam FM Arena website
London: phone 0870 060 0870, Live Nation website
Birmingham: www.necgroup.co.uk. or phone 0870 909 4133. More info: NEC Arena

Tickets for all shows will also be on sale thru See Tickets 0871 220 0260 and Ticket Line 0870 444 5556.
Photo: Wembley Arena, London.