All jokes aside, New Jersey is a pretty great place. While it has a lot to offer as a state, it also has a rich musical history of which many people remain unaware. Everyone knows Sinatra and The Boss, but there’s much more.
“Whatever your personal politics are, there’s no doubt that things are a little ominous out there. Maybe that’s what people always think and say, maybe that’s how everyone qualifies their place in the ever-expanding galaxy we call home: now is their personal time on Planet Earth, these times are singular, how lucky they are to witness them.
In any case, few would disagree that tumult, suspicion, anxiety, and distrust are the order of the day. Maybe that’s why revisiting Bruce’s 1995 album The Ghost of Tom Joad on its 20th anniversary isn’t a bad idea. Today, the climate is right for us to sink into the shoes of the characters Bruce sketches on this album and walk a mile, or two, even if the path we are led down is a little dark and cold.
One of the major values of art is—if done right—the viewer is forced to see the world through new eyes. Sometimes that’s uncomfortable, but that’s the point. The Ghost of Tom Joad isn’t an easy listen, but it’s not supposed to be. Tune in.” —EZT
