Take the cover off the old hot rod and head for Thunder Road. Bruce Springsteen’s newest release, Magic, closely resembles The Boss’ earlier work with the E Street Band, and that’s a good reason to fire up your engines.
Leaving the solemn attitude of Devils ‘ Dust on the shelf, Springsteen reunites with the E Street Band to make the kind of rock ‘n’ roll album that has made them the voice of blue-collar America for over 30 years now. Sprinkled with songs of hope, love and deception, Magic carries an uplifting spirit from track to track that’s both inspirational and thought provoking. Even the album cover dons Springsteen in the plain white T-shirt he has famously worn on some of his earlier albums.
After 9/11, Springsteen’s liberal political views and issues with the war on terror came to light in his last two albums, 2002’s The Rising and 2005’s Devils ‘ Dust. While both albums were critically acclaimed and exemplified the singer’s songwriter side, they lacked the set-the-stage-on-fire quality that was typical of his earlier career.
Through Magic, Springsteen and the gang were able to channel that sound from the past and incorporate it into simple but alluring songs. The first single, "Radio Nowhere," kicks the album off with a no-frills-attached rocker that sets the mood at once. With vintage distortion, straightforward vocals and the sweet sound of Clarence Clemons on sax, this is the Springsteen we’ve all wished would resurface.
"Livin’ In The Future" rekindles the r’b flavor of "Tenth Avenue Freeze Out," complete with driving horns and na-na-na’s galore.
Other highlights include "Girls In Their Summer Clothes," which paints a great picture of warm day on the Asbury Park boardwalk, as well as "You’ll Be Comin’ Down" and "I’ll Work For Your Love," two more songs perfect for a drive with the top down.
While "Gypsy Biker" and "Long Walk Home" both contain well-crafted lyrics, they become the album’s biggest flaw, as they sound exactly alike. Drop the lyrics to the two, and it’s almost impossible to tell the two songs apart. Longtime producer Brendan O’Brien should have caught that.
Not to be completely forgotten, issues of war and casualties do appear, as the topics are clearly still a concern. The death of one of Springsteen’s closest friends and personal assistant, Terry Magovern, causes The Boss to include an extra track as well that fits to close out the album.
Over all, the album is a pleasure to listen to. It’s a flashback to some of rock ‘n’ roll’s best years and the music that defined it. Having the same core members for most of their existence (Clarence Clemons, Danny Federici, Garry Tallent, Roy Bittan, Max Weinberg, Stevie Van Zandt, Patti Scialfa and Nils Lofgren), the E Street Band still knows what it takes to get the best out of Springsteen, and they certainly get that here.
