Steven Hale
1 min readSep 30, 2022

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These are all pretty darned close (and really good in terms of writing and performing. I'm giving each one a separate "Bruceness" score (1-10).

Jesse Malin: Solid rocker, everything works. 85

Gaslight Anthem: My favorite of the 3 because of the complexity of the structure. 92

Willie Nile: Also more complex but a little less showy. 90. I like his vocals (see below)

Bruceness Scores

Jesse Malin: vocal timbre isn't quite as rich and textured. Otherwise the song could easily pass for Springsteen. 7

Gaslight Anthem: Closest of the three in vocal styling and energy. 10.

Willie Nile: the vocal is a fascinating mix of Springsteen, Reed, and Dylan--all at the same time! But although the song itself could pass for a Springsteen number, the vocals set it apart. 6

Two country artists whose work resembles Bruce's (especially with their intelligent lyrics and melodic energy--but again, the vocal timbres are somewhat different):

Rodney Crowell https://youtu.be/h318mN87v8Q

Robert Earl Keen https://youtu.be/iJRWtKePKuY

Many thanks for the shout out.

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Steven Hale
Steven Hale

Written by Steven Hale

Music: Discovering the lost and forgotten. Politics: Exposing injustice. Screenwriting: Emotional storytelling.

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