I had tickets to see Springsteen on his way through town this past Monday, and much enjoyed my sixth Bruce and the E Street Band concert. While I spent the past few weeks catching up on Springsteen, listening to recordings of earlier shows on this tour, listening to some of the best live shows from previous tours, remembering how good Darkness on the Edge of Town, Born to Run or even The Rising is, much of my listening has been his new CD Magic.
This is for two reasons. 1) It is featured fairly prominently in the current live show and I didn't want to be sitting going "I don't know this song" when he played something from it. 2) It's a good CD.
I liked his last CD too, The Rising, but it was too long. Springsteen's best work, Born to Run, Darkness on the Edge of Town, Born in the USA are 8 - 10 songs long and come in at about 45 minutes. The risings 15 songs come in at well over an hour, and could stand to be tightened up. Make it a 9 song 45 minute CD and it possibly ranks up there with Springsteen best stuff.
At ten songs and 47 minutes, Magic is a little tighter. It's also loaded up with fairly good songs. From the opening Radio Nowhere, which has been playing on the Radio Everywhere it seems, a good solid rocker that I liked on first listen and still do. You must, however, excuse the lift from Jenny Jenny (867-5309). the opening guitar line and verse chords are almost identical, although Springsteen rocks the line up while Tommy Tu-tone chose to go poppy.
Another lift is the lovely Girls in their Summer Clothes, which is melodically a slower version of the Who's The Kids Are Alright. None the less it's a nice song, that's romantic and hummable. Livin' in the Future, despite it's political overtones, is one of those great Springsteen numbers that lifts a Motown feel, reminiscent of 10th avenue freeze out.
Springsteen, unlike most of his peers, has lost very little of what made him great. He still writes great, fun songs, and still gives an energetic performance. His voice still growls and he seems not to have really settled down. His legendary work ethic has kept his skills up, and Magic is a CD that belongs in the Springsteen library: unlike a lot of acts of his vintage that are still putting out music, Springsteen seems to still have something to say, and still has an interesting voice to tell it with.
This is for two reasons. 1) It is featured fairly prominently in the current live show and I didn't want to be sitting going "I don't know this song" when he played something from it. 2) It's a good CD.
