7 / 10
Aside from 'Ghost Of Tom Joad', the last ten years haven't been Springsteen's best. In an attempt to recall his salad days, when his earthy, working man protest songs had him pitched as the biggest (and most misunderstood) rock'n'roll star on the planet, he has gone back to what he knows, calling in the entire E Street Band.
There are some good moments on this his record built from the September 11 rubble, such as the title track which could fit on 'The River', 'My City Of Ruins', his 9/11 hymn, and 'Paradise', built around the sort of sparse, barely verbalised longing he does so well.
But too many of the 15 tracks are padding and the entire record is neutered by a
production that brushes everything up to a mediocre gloss. His best for some time, but by no means his best.
Paul McNamee
10
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