11 reviews
Sales Rank: 28696

Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dvd-video, Live, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 60
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6

MPN: D53492D
UPC: 074645349299
EAN: 0074645349299
ASIN: B000AMWJ16

Theatrical Release Date: February 25, 1998
Release Date: September 6, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days

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Editorial Reviews:

Amazon.com
If you'd rather hear Bruce Springsteen talk than sing or play, then this edition of VH-1 Storytellers is for you. That's not just faint praise. While it's obviously his music that has made his marathon concerts legendary, Springsteen is also a gifted raconteur; "storyteller" applies to no one if not to him. That's the case here, as he is effortlessly funny and wise, humble and self-deprecating, yet still the ineffably iconic Boss. Drawing from the full breadth of his immense catalogue, from early faves like "Blinded by the Light" (referring to Manfred Mann's hit version, he muses about how the British group managed to turn "deuce" into "douche") and "Thunder Road" to several tunes from his 2005 album Devils & Dust, Springsteen dissects his songs line by line, explaining how the music fuels, informs, and complements the lyrics. The insights are often fascinating, as is the reminder that he has always had the knack for taking any subject, be it personal or political, and expressing it in the simple poetry of the common man. Nevertheless, it's worth noting that he performs just eight songs, including two on piano, and that the actual music occupies less than forty minutes of this more than two hour show (counting the Q & A session with the fans). So if it's Bruce's music that you want, check out one of his several excellent concerts or video collections. Heck, the man himself seems to recognize that talking about his songs is somehow superfluous when, after going into great detail about the meaning of and motivation behind the Devils & Dust title song, he says, "How much of this was I thinking about when I wrote the song? None of it. How much of it was I feeling? All of it." --Sam Graham

Customer Reviews: Read 6 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

One of my favorite episodes of storytellers February 10, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

There are two sides of Bruce Springsteen, we have Bruce Springsteen the solo artist who gives us folk albums and then we have Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street which give us rock albums.

So on this episode of Storytellers we find Bruce Sprintsteen the solo artist giving us insight into songs (some popular others much less known) that span his career as an artist in general. Bruce treats the show as if his audience are aspiring songwriters. He delves into how he approaches the craft of songwriting more than focusing on the individual stories and I think that's why I really enjoyed it so much.

Aspiring songwriters will likely watch this one over and over again, casual fans and fans of the more up tempo side of Bruce may be disappointed.

1 out of 5 stars

New world record in boredom July 30, 2007
3 out of 8 found this review helpful

Well, I'm a huge fan of The Boss.

But I had one of the worst expriences ever watching this DVD. Why?

The trouble, in my opinion, was not all the talking. I appreciated the idea behind the performance and it was even fun. The trouble was the execution of the songs. I knew it was all to be acustic (with only Bruce playing), but I never figured that he would suck out the essence of the songs to the point that they became unbearable to listen, so boring and lifeless they became. Even the great favorite of mine, "Brilliant Disguise", was atrociously mutilated.

4 out of 5 stars

A inside look February 14, 2007
2 out of 8 found this review helpful

Bruce gives a inside look at how he approaches his song writing.Good stuff

5 out of 5 stars

Disarmingly honest and with perceptive insights into human nature May 6, 2006
19 out of 22 found this review helpful

Any inclination to put Bruce Springsteen into the mold of being a shallow pop performer is wiped away after watching "Bruce Springsteen - VH1 Storytellers".

"VH1 Storytellers" is a television program where singer-songwriters perform some of their songs and tell about the how and why of each song's creation. One can argue that the program is more for the education and inspiration of budding songwriters than for fans of the artists invited to participate. Still, I'm reviewing this DVD version of "Bruce Springsteen - VH1 Storytellers" as a fan, not as an aspiring songwriter.

In this program Bruce sings eight songs, accompanying himself on guitar or piano. No band. On "Brilliant Disguise" he invites his wife Patti Scialfa to sing backup, but otherwise he is alone on the stage.

Between the songs Bruce tells the story behind each song. This results in about 40 minutes of music and 56 minutes of talk, at least for the PAL version of the DVD. (Timing may be a bit different on the NTSC version.)

Bruce's discussion of his songwriting is very enjoyable, even confidence-inspiring. He comes across as a disarmingly honest person with perceptive insights into human nature. I found myself liking him a lot, much more than I had expected, having my prejudices regarding what show business and success does to people.

For example, Bruce mentions that he wrote up a lot of notes in preparation for this program. He then quips that on reviewing the notes he thought they made him sound very self-centered, and figured that for that purpose he didn't need notes!

And when discussing "Thunder Road", he dissects the line, "I got this guitar and I've learned how to make it talk." His verdict: "Probably the hokiest line I ever wrote - and I've written a few of them, let me tell you!"

Bruce presents both serious songs and fun songs. The serious songs are followed up by serious discussions of personal ideals vs. politics and reality, the influence of religion (his Catholic background) on his songwriting, and the multiple personalities that we each present depending on the situation. All of which I found fascinating - I was impressed by his understanding and his modesty.

Following the main program there is a 16-minute question and answer session. This too was very interesting, with Bruce talking about his feelings and motives as a songwriter. For example, when asked about "Devils and Dust", he mentions that he has a couple of boys who are 14 years old, so a parent's concern about his child going off to war has become relevant for him.

A few final notes about the DVD itself. As mentioned above, for the PAL version the program is 96 minutes and the Q&A session is 16 minutes, for a total of 112 minutes. Subtitles are available in Dutch, French, German, Italian and Spanish, but not, unfortunately, in English.

Highly recommended, even if you're not a Bruce Springsteen fan.

Rennie Petersen

2 out of 5 stars

More music, less talk. April 22, 2006
0 out of 24 found this review helpful

I didn't see the VH1 show, or I might have been more prepared for what I was buying. Saw the duration of the dvd and figured the listed songs must be extended versions.

So I put in the dvd and sat back, planning to enjoy an evening of great music. But then Bruce began to talk...and talk...and then he talked some more. Yes, he talked about the songs and the story they told. He talked about his philosphy of life that was inherent in those songs and the stories they told. Had I not been expecting and looking forward to hearing him sing songs, perhaps I would have been more interested in his outlook on life. But frankly if I want philosophy I don't go to Bruce Springsteen. I go to Tom Cruise.

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