Bruce Springsteen with the Sessions Band - Live In Dublin

I'm still of the impression that the Boss's We Shall Overcome is one of the best albums of last year. His reinterpretations of old traditional and folk songs were phenomenal and made for some of the most vital music Springsteen (or anyone else, for that matter) has put out in quite awhile.

The live souvenir album from the subsequent tour is a rather different beast than the loose, shambolic studio record. For one, the band has really tightened up and gotten used to playing with one another. There's a connectedness between the musicians that's quite remarkable, especially when you think that they've only been playing together for a year or so and there are about 17 or 18 of them. That interplay is the real draw of Live in Dublin. By the time of the Dublin shows at the end of the tour, the Sessions Band was comfortable enough to really cut loose and dig into not only the We Shall Overcome material, but some of Bruce's own songs. These reinterpretations are both surprising and very, very welcome. "Atlantic City" takes on a sinister road song from down South of the Border feel. "Further On (Up the Road)" sounds more wistful and hopeful as an Irish ballad than it did as a straight-ahead rocker, which is much more in fitting with the lyrics of the song. "If I Should Fall Behind" is more affecting here than it ever was on Lucky Town (where it suffered greatly because of the production values of the late '80s/early '90s. Damn you, polished and glossy sheen of late '80s/early '90s rock!). "Highway Patrolman" is touching and achingly beautiful here. And damn if the jumpin' rave-up of "Open All Night," done in the most hopped-up swing ever committed to record, isn't a church-tent revival sort of revelation. "Blinded by the Light" is surprisingly effective in its gussied-up tango, too.

There are really only two complaints about the record: first, it's missing some of my favorite tracks from the Springsteen show I saw on this tour (namely, "Ramrod" and "Cadillac Ranch." Honestly, I could've done without "Long Time Comin'" or "Further On (Up the Road)"); second, Bruce really needs to relax. This is part of a trend in Springsteen's vocal histrionics I've noticed for awhile; while I dig the man's voice, he really does try too hard. He's straining when he sings. You can see it in his neck and forehead, and you just want to take him aside and tell him to calm down and take it easy.

But really, those are minor complaints to have. The album as a whole is fantastic, and it really took me back to that night at the Nissan Pavilion last summer when I had the chance to see the band for myself. This whole collection (and We Shall Overcome, coincidentally) have the feel and flavor of an old-time tent revival; there's joy, vitality, and energy in this music that's so often subsumed in the flavor of the week, style over substance crap we usually get from the music industry. It's nice to hear people who are out there playing and having a damn good time with what they're doing. Everyone needs to hear this.

~chuck

Song of the Moment: Bruce Springsteen with the Sessions Band, "Highway Patrolman (Live)"