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I kinda wandered away from Bruce after Born in the USA tour. Bruce has that hardcore edge on this one and the Big Man on sax is great. Sorry, I disagree with most reviews on this cd, maybe b/c of my age my hearing isn't as accute as it once was (same age as Bruce) , but I think this is better than "Working On A Dream". This cd renewed my interest. This is Bruce rocking and I'm sorry I missed this tour, b/c it would have been a high energy, fist pumping production. The ballads on this are also good. Don't get me wrong I was into earlier Boss sounds , not just the commercial stuff. chad in VA.
Bruce has produced his best material when he was either singing about the eternal human angst of our existence mixed with a tinge of hope or commenting on the socio-political problems of the day. Clarence's sax work on Livin' In The Future reminds one of the days of The River and Born In The USA albums. This is Bruce's best album since Born In The USA. I'll Work for Your Love and Girls in Their Summer Clothes give us some of that angst of those searching for illusive love which Bruce has masterly sung about for decades. It is actually one of the attractions of much of what is now considered classic, be it the Who, the Rolling Stones, REM, Nirvana, Pearl Jam or Bruce. Here we get many commentaries on the socio-political catastrophes of the past decade in songs like Radio Nowhere (mourning the dearth of quality music on mainstream radio), Gypsy Biker, the Devil's Arcade and Last to Die (all commentaries on the ill-fated wars our country still finds itselfs in and the effects on those who find themselves stuck carrying out these poorly conceived debacles), and Long Walk Home (on the general malaise that has been destroying our nation since the 1980s). Musically, Bruce rocks here as hard as he ever has and there is some great guitar playing on Gypsy Biker and Last to Die.
Backstreets, Born to Run, Adam Raised a Cain etc). It is also the best CD of any artist of this decade. Some have complained about the sound quality, but let's face it many of Bruce's classic tunes also intentionally drowned out some of the lyrics (ex. The title cut is an ingenious take on our society's mindless, gullible following of leaders who convince the majority of us to support ideas and actions that are not in our interest and upon closer examination in fact are patently ridiculous. The lyrics in all these tunes are among the best we've ever heard from Bruce. This is nothing new. Of course, everything could be done with perfect production, but in my opinion that would take away the appeal of many classic bands and artists.
I end up skipping over the ones that do sound like his typical stuff. There are a few classics of his that I am ok with (Dancing in the Dark was probably my favorite up till now), but there are quite a few more that I really can't stand listening to. I am not a Bruce Springsteen fan. I think he was going for the Ronnie Specter 'Wall of Sound' effect on some of these, which may be what everyone is whining about - sound quality wise. With that said, this is the first Springsteen cd that I have ever felt compelled to buy because of these three songs: Radio Nowhere, You'll Be Coming Down & Girls In Their Summer Clothes. I absolutely LOVE them probably because they DON'T sound like typical Springsteen songs, and they sound better every time I listen. I am still shocked by all the complaints because I really think it sounds fantastic, and I am a very critical 'quality of sound' kind of listener.Bottom line: for those who don't care what Springsteen is SUPPOSED to sound like, and want to hear some gutsy, bedrock, heart-felt American hometown Rock, check it out. At least listen to Radio Nowhere - if that doesn't pull you in, move on.
I am very pleased to write a positive review of this CD.The Boss shows his excellent writing skills on this one. but overall, it's an excellent CD. if you close your eyes and listen to each track, they each tell a story. every track on this CD is worth listening to.I have my personal favorites such as: You'll Be Coming Down, I'll Work For Your Love, Girls In Their Summer Cothes, Last To Die. I am always thrilled to add the Boss to my collection. he has matured beautifully, after all these years he still amazes me.Thumbs up to The Boss.
The more I listen to this CD the better it gets. It isn;t the "usual" Bruce stuff but it weaves its way into your brain and stays there. Radio Nowhere rocks and Magic is bizarrre and unique. Even the songs I didn;t much like at first listening are now better and better.
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