Premature Evaluation: Bruce Springsteen - Magic
Now that we've all had a chance to stream Bruce's new one, let's get down to it: There is something Magic about Springsteen when he teams with the E Street Band. There's been plenty of magic when he goes it alone (see Nebraska, etc.), but on the other side of things, for instance, it remains difficult shaking a lackluster, somehow sad performance by Clarence Clemons at a rainy Trenton State Fair ten or so years ago (unless memory's playing tricks, he was wearing a long leather trench coat). The point? Bruce can go it alone just fine, but he's a brilliant director, who gets these players to articulate his vision, bringing out their strengths and helping us forget their weaknesses. Plus, it's always fun watching them interact, lean into each other for a chorus ... just that friendship, and time spent together in the studio and on stages. These guys and gal have been playing together so long, it's fun (and easy) to find the echoes. Pair "Livin' In The Future" with "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out." Here, there's a taste of blood on a tongue, lots of "darlin'," and Clemens's sax solo hits like a gorgeous memory. Same goes for that redolent piano at the beginning of "I'll Work For You Love"...
At this point in the E Street time line, the gang may not dish as many shivers as they did in the Born To Run era, but on the Boss's fifteenth studio album, there are still some plenty rousing moments. Opener "Radio Nowhere" is a call for an inspired broadcast world with rhythm and soul and folks speaking in tongues ... asking for a lot, Bruce, no? The idea of radio as a personal connector ... remember that? On the downside, it ends a bit early in a mid-jam fade. (Sweeping "Devil's Arcade"'s one moment where the band lets loose: Springsteen repeating "the beat of your heart" over a growing swell.)
"Radio Nowhere" is interestingly unlike the rest of the album -- a kind of modern rock call to arms separated from the mellow (but suitably, softly anthemic) "You'll Be Coming Down." Magic doesn't feel political in the same way as other recent work -- it's family & friends, small town comings and goings, street lights shining. The pretty, nostalgic "Girls In Their Summer Clothes," a breeze crossing a porch with "Thunder Road," totally makes us think of Stephen Merritt: "Lovers, they walk by, holding hands two by two ... tonight I'm gonna burn this town down." There's a nighttime feel throughout: Chimes, sleeplessness, swooning melodies, and strings of "Your Own Worst Enemy." The piano ballad closer "Terry's Song" looks at an attitude stronger than death ... That don't-wait-up trek, "Long Walk Home," "in the distance ... the town where I was born," has already made us drive to Jersey and grab a grilled cheese sandwich.
Relatively forgettable tracks like "Gypsy Bike" (despite the name) and "Last To Die," a tone like "Highwayman," just kinda blow past. Of course, the second you make that statement, lyrics float to the top, you hear the story he's telling, and things get significantly more interesting (see, especially, "Last To Die"'s highway run ... see, the
"Highwayman" thing makes sense). Springsteen's been quoted (or referenced) as being a fan of the National. "I'll Work For You Love" -- some blouse smoothing, blood droplets -- is reminiscent, in feel, to images flowing from Berninger's pen.
The strummed, stringed title track, with its ghostly backup vocals and keys, feels like Tom Joad with a bunch of magic tricks, cards, shackles, rabbits, slicing someone in half ... Springsteen asking to be chained in a box in a river. Of course, we have a metaphor going on: "Trust none of what you hear / and less of what you see." Freedom is described as a ghost drifting among trees ... the sun sinks ... there are bodies up in the trees, etc. Right, certain things don't disappear.
Magic is out 10/2 on Sony.
Posted at 5:44 PM in Premature Evaluation
Tags: Bruce Springsteen
Anyone want to go up to Greasy Lake?
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What Springsteen proves here, and what I sorely miss from so many new music stars, is that you can have a great career, be relatively drama-free, not rely on cheap gimmickry to get you by and still have the oomph to put out a solid record.
Springsteen's an old man. But rather than rolling around in young man cliches, looking foolish (A Bigger Bang?), he's used age and a bit of hard-earned wisdom to actually inform the work. This is his best album in a long time but not something he could have made 10, 20 years ago.
I hope that our new crop of rock icons are able to create careers for tomorrow rather than just paychecks for today.
DwD
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well put DW
this album is great
of course you can't expect a great evaluation from a porn site, can you?
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Bruce is one busy artist this October-new album, tour and now a new book. 58? The guy has staying power
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i had my head out of the window, janie's fingers' were in the cake.
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Agreed, Dw. You should write for this blog. :) I'm excited to hear the album in full. I listened to a bit of the stream, and it sounds good. I look forward to albums by the likes of Bruce and Paul Simon and Bob Dylan moreso than I look forward to any modern bands' new releases. Keep 'em coming, guys.
As I said before, Bruce makes me proud to live in New Jersey. Almost.
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right on Dw Dunphy
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@msigur:
Careful what you say around here or you will be greeted by this next time you try to comment:
"You are not allowed to post comments"
Yep, the Stereogum babies can't handle the truth, and have dropped the banhammer on me. Like I care. This blog is becoming as irrelevant as the Britney they used to write about every freakin' day.
And as parting shot to Scott, Amrit, and the rest of the fools on this site, regarding the Meg White thing. Have you jerks ever heard of "fact checking" before publishing libelous material about someone? Thought not...
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Glad to hear the album is good because when I listened to Radio Nowhere, I was thinking it was an outtake from the Jesse Malin record or something, not that its fair to compare the Boss to Malin, but you have to admit Radio Nowhere sounds generic...I started to think, 'since when did the Gum stand for that kind of thing,' but i'm glad to hear the rest of the album doesn't continue the same cheesy-ness. And hey, maybe Radio Nowhere is a play on the "rockin' out for the radio single because we can" sentiment, in some 21st century ironic way.
Well put DW, you're totally on the Bigger Bang/Memory Almost Full effect and older artists not acting their age or of the times.
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Bruce is old but, far from dead. If you are looking for front row tickets to one of his shows? Checkout Charitybuzz.com You can bid on tickets and help two great charities Musicians On Call and The Kristen Ann Carr foundation.
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'"Radio Nowhere" is interestingly unlike the rest of the album -- a kind of modern rock call to arms separated from the mellow'
this seems to happen a lot with older artists: U2 led off with "Vertigo", an energetic song from a relatively mellow album ("How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb"); "E-Pro" from Beck's "Guero"... I'm sure there's more - anybody?
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I am totally impressed- This is the boss's best album in years. Listened to it several times today- Can't get "Devils Arcade" out of my head.
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Well. I think the Radio Nowhere tune is a cool statement for today. It's got rock n roll in it. It's interesting to hear these posts say that the Boss is 'old.' One doesn't feel old just because the numbers change. I'm 57 and I rock out too. You will be surprised how fast the years zip. No escape.
I haven't heard the rest of the album. I'd be disappointed though if RN is the only rocker.
Keepin on is the only way...
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