As much as we all love Bruce Springsteen’s classic albums of the Seventies and Eighties, we will always modify our praise with a “but you have to see him live”. Unlike fans of Beatles or fans of Elvis or fans of just about any other major star, we are somehow afraid that the albums alone won’t be enough for people to “get it”. A lot of that is of course due to Bruce’s phenomenal abilities as a live artist - you just don’t get a complete picture.... Read more

   

The Berlin Wall unexpectedly cracked open 25 years ago on Nov. 9, 1989 and the Cold War was over. And Bruce Springsteen unintentionally played a role in helping bring down that iconic symbol of the world’s division.How? Springsteen went to East Berlin 16 months earlier in July 1988 to play the biggest, most riveting and earth-shaking rock concert in the history of East Germany – a concert that some historians agree with my theory, as published in Rocking the Wall - The Berlin.... Read more

   

Last week Bruce announced the release of The Albums Collection Vol. 1 (1973-1984) containing the first seven studio albums in remastered versions. Fans were, as always, divided in their reception. Some thought it was about time that the early albums got a much-needed soundlift. Others were furious that the much talked-about River boxset had been postponed. But if anyone should feel cheated, it would be the people who bought the 2010 release The Collection, 1973-1984 containing - you guessed it.... Read more

   

 Just as you can’t judge a Bruce Springsteen album based on the first listening, you can’t judge a Bruce Springsteen tour based on the first show. As it will probably turn out, the tour opener in Cape Town, South Africa, was more like a continuation of where the Wrecking Ball Tour left off in September than what is in store for us in the coming time. If you had come to the show expecting to hear the never-before-played songs from High Hopes, you would have had to settle for.... Read more

   

For an album that is, allegedly, mostly meant to tie up some loose ends and fulfill Bruce’s desire to release more music, the new High Hopes album, released last week, has been the subject of an unexpected controversy. Bruce shouldn’t include cover songs, he should write new songs instead of releasing leftovers, Tom Morello has no place on a Springsteen record, the music sucks … Those have been just some of the complaints from fans who have seemed personally insulted by.... Read more