Bruce Springsteen "The Rising" (2002)
This is essentially Bruce's 9/11 album. He told a story to journalists
that at some point after the World Trade Centre attacks, a man in a car
had pulled up alongside Bruce, wound down his window and said "we need
you now". Probably for a lesser artist, that story and some of these
songs would seem a bit corny; but for the boss it feels about right.
The album seems to manage to capture a myriad of conflicting feelings
that were swirling around, from anger, loss, sadness, confusion.
There's the morose "Paradise" contrasting with the gospel tinged "My City of Ruin" and the upbeat "Let's Be Friends (Skin to Skin)".
It was Springsteen's first studio album in 7 odd years and his first
full album with the E-Street Band since "Born in the USA", and
Springsteen and the band slip with ease back into that particular groove
of hot-blooded stadium-ready rock with an earthy soul to it.
Definitely "Lonesome Day" feels like it would sit quite easily with that
album.
There are some different sounds too, with "Worlds Apart"
opening with middle-eastern vocals (a daring move, all things
considered), or "The Fuse" which with its looped beat and high drawling
vocal sounds almost like a Chris Cornell solo track in places.
Springsteen is in fine voice and it's a good album that manages to offer
up enough patriotism to keep conservatives happy but with enough
understanding and trying to heal wounds to appeal to those who hadn't
given in totally to the hate, anger and xenophobia that tried to take
hold after the attacks.
