Greetings From Asbury Park, NJ (1973) ****
Not indicative of his exhilarating live performances of the time, Bruce is shoved uncomfortably into the “New Dylan” troubadour persona that the Columbia hype machine was shilling, it’s a testament to his talent that he still put out a great record for his debut.
The Wild, The Innocent & the E Street Shuffle (1973) *****
His sophomore release should have been a revelation, too bad nobody heard it at the time; epic street tales (especially the three lengthy pieces on side 2 that work together as a seamless whole) played looser and jazzier than on any of his other studio efforts (in large part due to the presence of the soon to be booted/departing, respectively, Vinni Lopez and David Sancious). My favorite Springsteen album, and the All-Music Guide concurs, saying that Springsteen “never made a better record.”
Born To Run (1975) *****
It was make or break time for Bruce on his third effort and he knew it (Columbia was about to drop him if he didn’t have a hit here). Boy did he step up to the plate, it sounds like Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound run through the engine of a dragster on the Jersey streets, with Springsteen inspiring a faithful with classics like “Thunder Road,” the title track and his epic “Jungleland.”
Hammersmith Odeon London ’75 (live) (1975/2006) *****
Always a favorite amongst bootleggers, Bruce finally decided to officially release his first European performance, where he is playing for his life (at least for his career), and he leaves everything on the stage. You can hear where the legend of his 70’s performances comes from on this two disc show. Bruce, for the love of God, release the Winterlands show from ’78!
Darkness on the Edge of Town (1978) *****
After a bitter, protracted legal battle with his former manager, Springsteen was a changed man; and you can hear it on this record. Darkness is the transition from soaring hopeful escapist epics to gritty portraits of the working life, and crucially the acceptance of where you are vs. dreaming of escape.
The Promise (1978/2010) ***
Always a prolific songwriter, Bruce had a huge backlog since his legal troubles had kept him out of the studio for a couple of years leading up to Darkness. In 2010, he decided to release two discs worth of these oft bootlegged leftovers, and some of them are great.
The River (1980) ***
Strong double that would have made a stronger single.
Nebraska (1982) ****
This probably solidified his legend more than anything else, a solo acoustic demo tape that he decided to release “as is” full of meticulously crafted stories of small time criminals and on the fringes characters; “Highway Patrolman” is incredible, a five minute song with so much detail it could be a movie.
Born in the USA (1984) *****
Listened to this all of the way through today for the first time in years, just to make sure it was really that good. It is really that good.
Live 1975/85 (live box set) (1986) ****
Much of what is here is outstanding, but knowing what is still in the vaults, it could have been even better.
Tunnel of Love (1987) ***
Chimes of Freedom (live EP) (1988) **
He couldn’t really go any bigger than Born in the USA, so he wisely followed it with a more personal, low key, mature set of songs about troubles of the heart; about half of it is great.
Human Touch (1992) *
Lucky Town (1992) **
MTV Plugged (live) (1993) **
Springsteen himself has described the 90’s as his “lost decade,” where he jettisoned the E Street Band, moved to the West Coast, and tried some new sounds. If he had taken the best tunes from these two simultaneously released records, he would have had one good one.
The Ghost of Tom Joad (1995) ***
Lyrically, this is phenomenal and rivals, and even surpasses in some places, Nebraska in vivid storytelling; but the problem is that reading the lyrics in the booklet is more interesting than actually listening to these songs with quiet, undeveloped melodies and hushed production.
Greatest Hits (compilation) (1995) ***
Blood Brothers (EP) (1996) *
Tracks (box set compilation of rarities) (1998) ****
18 Tracks (compilation of rarities) (1999) ***
Live In New York City (live) (2001) ***
A single disc hits collection for an artist with a catalogue as rich as Springsteen’s is pretty pointless, especially when four tracks are taken up by mediocre new songs. Blood Brothers is a rather anemic studio reunion with the E Street Band, he just wasn’t writing very interesting songs at this point. The Tracks set largely delivers what fans have long wanted, an emptying out of the vaults, and there are indeed many gems in there. His full on reunion tour with the E Street Band in 2000-2001 was celebratory and outstanding in person, but for some reason it does not fully translate on disc.
The Rising (2002) ***
The Essential Bruce Springsteen (compilation) (2003) ****
Devils & Dust (2005) **
We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions (2006) **
Live in Dublin (live) (2006) ***
Magic (2007) ****
Magic Tour Highlights (live EP) (2008) ***
Working on a Dream (2009) **
Wrecking Ball (2012) ***
High Hopes (2014) ***1/2
American Beauty (EP) (2014) *
Since 2002, if you believe the critics, Springsteen has had a creative renaissance, releasing one new classic after another. I think this is a gross overreaction to some decent, but hardly earthshattering, work. The Rising was a welcome return to form and a very good and carefully constructed rumination on the emotional aftermath of 9/11, while Devils & Dust goes further and takes the perspective of veterans of the Iraq War, lyrically very interesting but musically underwhelming. He took a detour with the joyful but ultimately unimportant Seeger covers album and accompanying live release, before releasing his strongest record since Born in the USA, the fantastic Magic. Working on a Dream, however, was worse than bad (only Human Touch is worse in his catalogue), he unintentionally becomes a parody of himself on some of these songs. Wrecking Ball redeems him somewhat, but his Occupy Wall Street sympathies and working man laments get old and the record veers dangerously towards preachiness. High Hopes was a wonderful surprise, a collection of outtakes from the last ten years. Many of these songs were stronger than most tracks on the records they didn't make. Essential Bruce Springsteen is the best compilation available, using two discs to give the listener a broad but accurate introduction to his work through The Rising.
Bottom Line: Almost unassailable through '84, but tread carefully after that.
4 comments:
RayTM,
I have to give you some credit, b/c your post inspired me to revisit the Springsteen catalog in an effort to discover why I can't jump on the Boss' bandwagon. I'm still working my way through, but I will admit that I had forgotten about Nebraska. It is definitely my favorite thus far, and I think it serves as a prime example of what I do enjoy about Springsteen. There's no doubt that he is unrivaled in his ability to paint a lyrical picture, and the sparse production adds to the dark feel of the album.
So what keeps me on the fence overall? I really think I just don't like the E Street Band. It's like there are 2 instruments too many at times. Like I said, my review is still a work in progress, so maybe the sound will grow on me over time, but if nothing else, at least I rediscovered Nebraska.
IM
I'm just glad that someone is getting some use out of these Album Guides. I love making them, so if it can inspire you to discover (or rediscover) some great music, then mission accomplished.
I can see what you are saying about the crowded sound of the E Street Band, especially nowadays. They definitely are one guitarist too many with Springsteen, Van Zandt and Lofgren. But what about the earlier version, like on my favorite TWTIATESS, where Springsteen is the only guitar player, and you have the looser drumming of Vini Lopez and the jazzier piano styles of David Sancious? I love that sound.
NEBRASKA is one of a kind. For an artist of his stature to release that took some balls. I gave it **** instead of ***** because in the second half some of the songs don't really connect for me, but when it works, NEBRASKA is unbeatable.
Yeah, I've never been persuaded that Springsteen deserved the reputation he seems to have in the music-listening public. I've tried early, middle, and late but none of it does much for me. The early stuff seems juvenille (and highly derivative) and the later stuff, where he comes off as the wise sage telling the world its troubles, feels silly. He's written a handful of great, great songs--no question ("Streets of Philadelphia", "Atlantic City", "Dancing in the Dark", "One Step Forward, Two Steps Back"). But I'm still not a fan.
I think part of the Springsteen mystique (actually, a big part) lies in his live performances. Unfortunately, he's a bit old now, so even if you went to see him nowadays obviously it wouldn't be what it was in '75 or '78, or even '85 (when I first saw him). It is hard to explain in words, and it sounds cheesy when you try to, but a Springsteen show in his heyday was something that could loosen up the hardest of cynics and make them true believers in the redemptive quality of great rock and roll. I feel silly even typing that, but that is what it was.
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