It has been decades since I rushed out to purchase a new Bruce Springsteen album, but I did yesterday. I caught a whiff of a couple of the tunes from Only The Strong Survive on social media over the past month and it just sounded right.
The last time I was genuinely excited about new Springsteen material was 1980’s The River. The album, still a favourite, was before the American musician’s career took off to the heights we now know it. This was before Born in the U.S.A., before mainstream radio overplayed his music to tiring proportions.
The new album is Springsteen’s pandemic project, a collection of rich soul and r+b covers from mainly ‘60s radio; songs that meant something to the man as he was just starting out.
It is delightful.
It’s, by no means, a typical Springsteen album with backing by the E Street Band, and his voice is right up front. It’s a strong voice for a 73-year-old man who understands its capacity, and its limits. It is honest and full of the character the material needs.
Most of the songs were popular on the radio in their time, but they are timeless and the entire album is well worth a listen.
11/13/2022 j.g.l.
