Early Morning Magic Snow Run

_· Run Time --- 9 minutes 34 seconds (+1:34)

__· Temperature -- 16ºF (-9ºC)

__· Total Trail Time -- 52 minutes

· Trail Time in October -- 8 hours 8 minutes

____(starting Oct. 1)
· Weight Loss Goal -- 24 pounds (11 kg)
__________· So Far -- 3 lb.

I hurt. Specifically my lungs hurt. It's not really a pain. It's more like -- it's tough to breathe properly when taking deep breaths. This was a seriously unfun run. This was not easy by any means. That's not accurate. The first minute was a piece of cake. The last 8½ minutes were essentially hell. That's not accurate. It wasn't really hell. The music playing in my ears was quite difficult to concentrate on due to my mind saying over and over, "Please be close to the end of the song. Please be close to the end of the song. Please be close to the end of the song." All I wanted was for the two chosen tracks to get done so my finishing cue would sound and I could stop and have relief. I could've just quit. That's not accurate. I couldn't just quit because I didn't want to quit, I don't wanna quit, I wanna get better at this. Last spring, before I fractured my tibia, I was improving so nicely. Each run was relatively easy. I was going around 20 minutes then. Now I'm not even to 10 yet. Perhaps I'm impatient and once again I'll get better. All I know is -- I am not looking forward to running ever again. But I will.

More Musical Magic...

Bruce Springsteen
and the E Street Band

Magic

2007

Radio Nowhere
You'll Be Comin' Down
Livin' In The Future
Your Own Worst Enemy
Gypsy Biker
Girls In Their Summer Clothes
I'll Work For Your Love
Magic
Last To Die
Long Walk Home
Devil's Arcade
[Untitled]

Prior to getting this a few days ago, I never heard the first single nor did I download any of it. I'm a fan of Bruuuuce, for sure, very much so... but seriously, one can wait awhile. Speechless Gasping is what many hardcore Bruce fans would think about that statement. I say -- come on, aren't there more important things in life? Will anyone really think about suicide and/or going on a shooting spree if they can't have a new album at the very earliest point in time they possibly can? I don't think so.

In any case, I finally got it and I've gotta say, it's pretty good. Springsteen and the E Street Band have recorded a pretty fun bunch o' tunes here. Many customer reviews on Amazon weren't very positive, often focusing on the sound of the recording being way too over-produced making the music somewhat unpleasant to listen to. I heard a couple instances of that but overall it's just good rockin' Springsteen.

Often I found myself being reminded of the past on so many of the tunes. A bunch feel like leftovers (without a 9/11 theme) from the last E Street Band album, The Rising which was recorded and came out not too long after 9/11, maybe in early 2002. Mostly I'm reminded of the Human Touch/Lucky Town era. One or two feel, at times, like maybe they coulda been on The River and even Born To Run.

One and only one tune I just can't care for and that's Bruce's heaviest political statement, Last To Die. It centers in on, what I am assuming is, the Iraq War. I guess to Bruce, removing Hussein was wrong and fighting terrorists who want us dead, that's all wrong. Maybe appeasing evil is right? Allowing evil men like Hussein to stay in power while they thumb their nose at the world, that's right? Maybe terrorism isn't really a threat to America? And maybe the United States should just sit down and try to talk with Muslim extremists who plan our destruction? Or just ignore them and allow them to do as they please without any interference? Damn, last thing I wanted to do with this writing was be political. Last thing I want from music is political messages but sometimes they're there and sometimes they're wrong. The song itself, like other political songs, isn't a bad song if it was fiction ... but it's Bruce who's making a mistake in singing it.

Anyway, Gypsy Biker is absolutely the best song on here, well, at least in my opinion. I've listened four times to the album so far and that's the only one I've always got to try to crank the volume up on just a little bit higher. Definitely I'm gonna be playing this a few more times in the immediate future and when all is said and done, even though it's Bruce's older stuff I'll turn to most often, I'm happy to have this album!

320 kbps dload
Bruce Springsteen - Magic