Elvis Costello & Bruce Springsteen together with just about the best band I could ever put together (Nils Lofgren, Steve Nieve, Roy Bittan, Davey Faragher, and Pete Thomas).

Seriously, this would be my dream band right here. (Or at least my dream back-up band.)

99% of the time this kind of thing is a train wreck, but EC and Bruce have bands that actually know their place as back-up musicians.

Having the balls to play a Sam & Dave song at The Apollo to boot!

Townsman Andyr, in the middle of his spiritual journey to the Holy Land of Jerusalem sent me this shocking photo from one of the world's most famous series of Stations of the Cross paintings. (I'm sorry I forget the name of the church, which he breathlessly relayed to me in an excited transcontinental call.) This is truly a miracle of Boss-like proportions...after the jump!

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Judging by this New York Times' book review of Clarence Clemons' long-awaited autobiography, Big Man, a newly added coauthor, Don Reo, and the book's editors really hacked up the initial galleys that Rock Town Hall was granted exclusive rights to review in November 2007. Back then the book was entitled No Small Parts for The Big Man, and excitement was in the air. Beside cutting out all the gripping stuff about the recording of The Boss' classic records, the galleys we received had none of the fantasy stuff described regarding the likes of Thomas Pynchon and Norman Mailer.

Let’s not even get into this book’s fictional “legend” chapters, printed on gray paper, in which Mr. Clemons has extended imaginary run-ins with people like Thomas Pynchon, Norman Mailer, Richard Brautigan and the surfer Laird Hamilton. It’s too painful. - Dwight Garner, The New York Times

Thanks to Townsman dbuskirk for tipping us off to the book's delayed release and eventual review in this obscure publication.

Few details and eyewitness accounts remain of former Lone Justice guitarist Shayne Fontayne's stint accompanying The Boss on His controversial albums and tours following a move to LA and the dumping of His E Street Band. Even fewer free images survive on the Web of Fontayne alongside The Boss, with Fontayne's knees bent, guitar slung low, and bandana tied around his thigh, as the scriptures describe him. For our fifth work of art in the Stations of The Boss series, mixed-media artist Cam Sutton, of Shelby, North Carolina, worked from stills of the live clip that introduced this piece.

"I had little choice," says Sutton, "His people must have scrubbed the Web clean of photographic evidence of this collaboration."

According to a document that Sutton uncovered identified only as "presskit_bio.pdf," Fontayne was merely a passerby, compelled to serve The Boss at the request of producer Jimmy Iovine.

In January 1992, Shane received a call from Jimmy Iovine who said, “Hey Shane, a friend of mine wants to know if you want to go out on the road.” “Who’s your friend?” Shane responded. “Springsteen,” Jimmy replied. Bruce had just seen a rerun of Saturday Night Live on which Shane had performed with Lone Justice. Springsteen had taken a departure from his E-Street band and was looking for a different set of musicians to take out on the road. The only guitarist asked to audition, Shane was invited to join the band. To start, there was a small industry show at The Bottom Line. Then there was an appearance on Saturday Night Live. “Bruce had never done network television before. He asked my opinion on whether or not he should do Saturday Night Live and I told him it was one of the biggest rushes I had ever had.”

Although Fontayne is barely remembered by His fans, the video clip demonstrates the support he provided the beaten, weary Springsteen. Sutton premieres his work of art and explains his thinking behind it following the jump!

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A number of our Founding Townspeople migrated to this Rock Town Hall blog from our humble, spirited origins as a Yahoo Groups list. Although it's no longer well trafficked, the old list is still active. I refer to it as "The Basement," out of respect for our Rupert Pupkin-like origins, while a disgruntled handful of RTH founders call the old list the "Chess" edition to our current "Mercury" edition and still refuse to join us in the brilliant light of day. Regardless of all that nonsense, a few Townspeople still feel comfortable drifting from one spot to the other, dropping notes of upcoming releases and wiseacre responses, when appropriate. I check in there now and then to see what raw power still ferments. The other day I found the following nascent thread, which I think needs to see the light of day. First the initial post:

1. Re: Springsteen to perform more albums in entirety
"[name removed]" wrote:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091104/music_nm/us_springsteen_1

NEW YORK (Billboard) – Bruce Springsteen is dusting off his catalog once again, as he and the E Street Band have announced two more full-album performances this coming weekend at Madison Square Garden in New York.

On Saturday (November 7), the group will play the Boss' 1973 album "The Wild, The Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle" in its entirety for the first time; on Sunday (November 8) they'll tackle the 1980 double record "The River" from beginning to end for the first time.

And the follow-up, posted shortly thereafter:

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"Mama..."

In 1977, Ronnie Spector, the spiritual mother of Bruce, recorded a single produced by His guitarist and bandleader, Miami Steve, and backed by His E Street Band. The involvement of The Boss had to be kept secret for fear of retaliation by former manager Mike Appel, with whom He was already involved in career-threatening litigation, litigation that His fans feared would threaten His mission.

However, the lawsuits brought forth by Appel could not contain His ability to put forth His message directly, on stage in His customary 7-hour concerts. Along with His E Street disciples and the support of Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, The Boss continued to preach, and on a May night in Red Bank, New Jersey, at the Monmouth Arts Center, he experienced the fateful meeting with his "mother," Ronnie Spector, that our artist for Station 4 of The Boss, Holly Niagra, of Windsor Locks, Connecticut, has interpreted after the jump...

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Lean on me.

Artist Hans Wheeler, of Dayton, Ohio, chose the iconic image of The Boss leaning on The Big Man for support during the trying times of His lawsuit with original manager Mike Appel. Wheeler's original work of art, Bruce Falls the First Time, follows the jump!

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For our second piece in the Stations of the Boss series, artist Toby Wetland, has depicted the moment when Bruce was given his guitar to bear.

"Obviously," says Wetland, this is not a historically accurate representation, as not only Max Weinberg's son but Max himself would not have been on drums when Bruce received his first guitar. I chose this shot because it looked like his Tele is raining down from the heavens."

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In February 2009 Rock Town Hall commissioned 14 artists from around the world to depict iconic scenes representing Bruce Springsteen's ascendancy to the undisputed throne of rock. The Stations of the Boss initiative is an effort to shine a light on the frequently overlooked iconic projections of The Boss and His E Street Band. We know Him as a Humble Man, a Common Man, and a Man of the People, but too often the media and even his own handlers downplay the positively messianic effect His performances have on followers.

To help rectify these oversights we asked our artists to base their works on actual images from His performances. Our first Station in this series, Bruce Is Condemned to Rock, depicts the fateful 2008 Super Bowl performance, pictured above, that sealed Springsteen's legacy.

Our artist, Toby Wetland, from Bonners Ferry, Idaho, USA, painted this scene in the style of Paul Gaugin's Jacob Wrestling with an Angel. "For years The Boss struggled with maintaining His identity within the group collective," says Wetland. "Although He is clearly stunned by the ref's judgment, I wanted the painting to hint at the comforting role His bandmates play in helping Him acccept His destiny as leader of the E Street Band and no other collection of musicians."

The original work of art, Bruce Is Condemnned to Rock, follows the jump.

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To coincide with Bruce Springsteen's latest run of historic concert performances, Rock Town Hall will run a series of works of art commissioned specifically for Our Sacred Chapel of The Boss, located on the campus of RTH Labs. We hope that these images will aid you in praising Him and His E Street Band. At this time we ask you to cleanse your soul and prepare for the coming days' blessings. Thank you.