“One… two… three… four. Is anybody aliiive out there?”
Recorded at the final two shows of his record breaking ten-night stand at Madison Square Gardens last summer, this is The Boss’ most anticipated release in years. The reunion tour which saw him back with the E-Streeters for the first time since 1988’s Tunnel Of Love Tour exceeded all expectations and even saw some new songs make an appearance in the set – two of which are included here.
But was it worth the wait? Well, yes and no. The main problem is that this is not so much a live album as the soundtrack to the much-heralded TV concert special, filmed by Jonathan Demme in high definition video and shown in the States last week on the cable channel HBO. Without the visuals showcasing the undeniably powerful onstage chemistry between Bruce and the band, it falls slightly short of being the classic live album that Springsteen fans have consistently demanded.
Like virtually all of the reunion tour shows (including Dublin) it kicks off with ‘My Love Will Not Let You Down’, a Born In The USA out-take which was plucked from oblivion for the Tracks boxed set and which has since grown in stature as a worthy rocker. This segues into the classic ‘Prove It All Night’ from Darkness On The Edge Of Town, which in turn runs into ‘Two Hearts’ originally on The River and featuring a terrific duet between Bruce and Miami Steve Van Zandt (better known these days as gangster Silvio Dante in The Sopranos!). ‘Atlantic City’ from the all-acoustic Nebraska album sounds even better (and angrier) in a full band arrangement here, as does ‘Mansion On The Hill’, one of the highlights of the Dublin show, if memory serves.
Fairweather fans who jumped on the Brucewagon around the time of the big hits e.g. ‘Dancing In The Dark’, ‘My Hometown’ and ‘I’m On Fire’ will be dissapointed as there’s nothing here from his Born In The USA mega-stardom period, save for a re-worked delta blues acoustic version of the title track. Less forgiving is the fact he appears to have disowned 1987’s Tunnel Of Love, consistently voted by fans as his third best album (After Born To Run and Darkness).
On the plus side, the sixteen-minute ‘Tenth Avenue Freeze Out’, complete with band introductions and mock evangelical sermonising – “rock and roll exorcism” as Bruce calls it, is hilarious, though whether it’ll stand up to repeated listening is another question. The epic ‘Jungleland’ also makes its first ever live appearance, miraculously sounding as vital, if not much different to the studio version of 26 years ago.
Of the two new songs, ‘American Skin (41 Shots)’ is the most noteworthy having already stirred controversy and brought the ire of the NYPD down on Springsteen. Inspired by the shooting of unarmed African immigrant, Amadou Diallo, by New York’s finest, it’s a passionate and bitter indictment of race relations in the US, and a superb song in its own right. ‘Land Of Hope And Dreams’ a mid-tempo rocker recalling ‘Downbound Train’ is a more hopeful state-of-the nation address by an increasingly political Springsteen.
Omissions are the only other major quibbles here. Nothing new is brought to ‘Born To Run’ and ‘Badlands’, while the poignant ballad ‘Point Blank’ and (arguably) his best song ‘Thunder Road’ which were brilliantly performed throughout the tour are noticeably absent. (The expected DVD release of this double CD promises a longer track listing.)
There are undoubtedly better Springsteen live recordings in the vaults, including the legendary Passaic shows from 1978, which were broadcast and bootlegged.
Still, Live In New York City is Bruce and the E-Street Band, rocking into the 21st Century. Who’d have believed it all those years ago?