The cover of Martyn Joseph’s 2013 album, “Tires Rushing by in the Rain.”
I wasn’t aware of it at the time, but in 2013, Welsh singer-songwriter Martyn Joseph released an album of 17 Bruce Springsteen covers titled Tires Rushing by in the Rain. It came out on the Cardiff-based Pipe Records label in the United Kingdom, and was available in the United States only as an import.
Joseph said at the time, “I have always found a reference point in Bruce’s material that I was able to connect with and make my own, and I always try to carry that honesty and integrity to the stage. Many kind folk have asked me to record an album of his songs so I decided to give it a go.”
I was searching for something else on YouTube today and one of the songs came up. I listened and noticed two things: It had just been posted a few hours earlier. And it had practically no views. I looked a little further and discovered that all the songs had, indeed, just been posted, and that all the videos had few views.
So here are all 17 covers. They’re pretty straightforward, solo acoustic versions of the songs, but performed with a lot of passion and soul, and definitely worth a listen for any Springsteen fan. They range from signature Springsteen songs (“Thunder Road,” “The Rising,” “The River”) to some that rarely have been covered (“Walk Like a Man,” “Cautious Man,” “The Promise,” “Blood Brothers”). Enjoy!
For more on Joseph, visit martynjoseph.net.
CONTRIBUTE TO NJARTS.NET
Since launching in September 2014, NJArts.net, a 501(c)(3) organization, has become one of the most important media outlets for the Garden State arts scene. And it has always offered its content without a subscription fee, or a paywall. Its continued existence depends on support from members of that scene, and the state’s arts lovers. Please consider making a contribution of any amount to NJArts.net via PayPal, or by sending a check made out to NJArts.net to 11 Skytop Terrace, Montclair, NJ 07043.
