Day 0942 - The Rising

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.

Day 0861 - Live 1966

Bob Dylan "Live 1966" (1998)

Recorded during Dylan's controversial early move to electric music.  The first half of the concert/album is Dylan alone playing acoustic tracks.  For the second half, Dylan is accompanied by his excellent backing band the Hawks, who would go on to find fame themselves as "the Band" (see days 127 and 156).

The book states that Dylan and the Hawks were heckled and jeered during the electric set... maybe that was edited out of the version I listened to because it just sounds like cheers for the duration.

I like the mix of sounds between the two sets and I guess it's an important historical musical recording, but at an hour and a half, this is a touch too much Bob for my tastes.

Day 0546 - Born in the USA

Bruce Springsteen "Born in the USA" (1984) - got it

Following the moody and downbeat "Nebraska", the record company were putting pressure on Bruce to produce something a bit more commercial.   An expectation that he lashed out at lyrically in "Dancing in the Dark" but at the same time, one that he ended up meeting in crafting one of the biggest hits of his career.

Even as Michael Jackson's "Thriller" was dropping off the number 1 spot in the charts, Bruce took over that position for the next stretch of time.  As both artists were signed to CBS subsidiaries, that label must have been popping champagne... and probably some cocaine, being the 80s and all.  Like that other album, this one is almost entirely populated with hit singles, making it seem as much a greatest hits as stand-alone album.

"Dancing in the Dark" wasn't the only song with hidden undertones.  The title track seems like a cry of patriotism, but was actually a criticism of the Vietnam war and how America had gone on to treat veterans of that conflict.

This album is a monster.  I was not a rabid Springsteen fan by any stretch of the imagination, but I enjoy every song on this album, including the few songs that haven't been thrashed on the radio!  Ended up picking up copies of this album and Nebraska as a result of doing this list.

Day 0255 - Will the Circle be Unbroken

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band "Will the Circle be Unbroken" (1972)

This is a phenomenal album for any fan of country, country-rock and bluegrass... but a 38 song double album with a running time of near enough to two hours is a bit much.  Even if this was a live concert setlist, it would be getting into Bruce Springsteen or Pearl Jam territory!

The band put their spin on a number of country standards. The album has a relaxed atmosphere with a range of guest stars and a lot of studio dialogue in between tracks.

For me the rambling lengthiness of the album lets it down somewhat, especially with some tracks being fairly similar sounding little banjo jams.  It's one of those cases where a decent double album could have been whittled down to a stellar single album.  However, if you want a one-stop country album that you're able to listen to in increments, this is pretty damned good (and I imagine that true country aficionados would happily listen through the whole thing in one sitting, as I would for my few favoured double albums.)