The artist that Tom Morello idolizes and with whom he has played together

Mainly remembered for his work with Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave, Tom Morello has been involved in several other projects over the years. He also built a long list of collaborations, even with one of his favorite artists: the guitarist is considered an “honorary” member of E Street Bandthe backing band of Bruce Springsteen.

The Americans’ first musical encounter took place in 2008, when Morello participated live in the song “The Ghost of Tom Joad”. THE Kerrang!Tom recalled the beginning of the partnership and extolled his admiration for “The Boss”.

He explained:

Bruce Springsteen is one of my favorite artists of all time. I discovered it later in life, in my late 20s or early 30s, but if you asked me who the biggest Springsteen fan in the world was, I would fight anyone who said it wasn’t me. We first played together in 2008, on an electric version of his song ‘The Ghost of Tom Joad’. It was one of the most incredible moments I’ve ever been in, where the combination of the E Street Band, my guitar playing and that song created something that exceeded all of our expectations, and led to 6 years of playing together on and off.”

Since the jam in 2008, Morello began to make sporadic appearances in shows Springsteen. He also plays on two albums: wrecking ball (2012) and High Hopes (2014). In the second, the guitarist appears in practically every song.

In 2013, a few months before launch, bruce spoke to Andy Greenein Rolling Stone USAon the participation and influence of Tone in your sound. “The Boss” said:

AE Street Band is a very big house. But he built another room… with that idea in mind – that I had another architect – I reviewed the music I had and said, ‘I’m going to run this through Tom’. So that’s what I started doing. His influence is quite noticeable on maybe half (of the album). I’m not sure the album would exactly exist without his influence. It really allowed me to tie things together in a way that I had been looking for but not finding. He really brought these things to life.”

Tom Morello of the E Street Band

The greater participation in High Hopes came as a result of the 2013 tour, when Tom Morello replaced Steve Van Zandt as a guitarist for E Street Band. The veteran also has an extensive career as an actor and was recording the series “Lillyhammer” at the time, which prevented him from traveling.

The chemistry between musician and band became even more evident. Springsteen inserted moments so that Morello shined in shows, including a cover of “Jump”from Van Halen.

In 2020, the guitarist participated in the podcast MusicNowfrom the Rolling Stone USAand talked about his time with the artist. Among the main revelations is the absurd amount of songs he needed to learn in a short time: 250. Of this number, 182 were played over 34 shows.

Tone also commented on the responsibility of being in the E Street Band:

You know, the E Street Band has been amazing for over 40 years without me. So, first of all, don’t cause trouble. And secondly, when Bruce gives you the signal, try to rock the place with some crazy solo that E Street Band fans aren’t expecting. I found so much inspiration in Bruce’s work and to be able to be a part of that for a period of time is such a fulfilling and incredible thing to happen. I know that some of the non-traditional elements of my guitar playing may have divided some of the fans, but Bruce asked me to play like myself.”

The musician even gave more praise to “Boss” as a person and professional. He said:

Seeing him work every day was very inspiring. He was, as a friend and as a person, exactly as expected. And realistic and committed to excellence in all aspects. We played in Johannesburg and Pretoria, and some of the same fans were in the front row at those shows! And they were very excited to see Bruce Springsteen. But no one was more excited to be there that night than Bruce Springsteen. He has that kind of commitment of: ‘I’ve been doing shows for 42 years and tonight’s going to be the best show’. It was inspiring to be around that. And honestly, every night I would give myself 15 or 20 seconds, maybe during ‘Born to Run,’ just to stand there and look and think, ‘I’m crushing ‘Born to Run’ with Bruce Springsteen.'”

Tone continues to be a sporadic presence at shows bruce. In April 2024, the guitarist appeared at the artist’s performance at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles. It was the first time they were together since 2016. Morello rang “The Ghost of Tom Joad” and “American Skin (41 shots)” with the E Street Band.

Collaborated: André Luiz Fernandes.