Rising, The - Bruce Springsteen

Shall we say something of a different review from me this time round. Modern rock aside, grunge gods given a break and onto one of the most respected musicians of my era. Bruce ‘The Boss’ Springsteen is a man that has always known how to connect with his audience, whether it be through a 10 million selling album, a appearance on any one of the numerous American late night talk shows or even a John Kerry political rally, he’s a man with a great influence ...
...point and is direct, generally incorporating beautiful harmonies as heard on ‘Born In The USA’ and ‘Streets Of Philadelphia’. Despite not being what you would consider a fan, I find it very easy to sit back and listen to his music and feel genuinely emotive. He’s a man that, if you don’t respect as a person, then should definitely respect as an artist.

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‘The Rising’, released in ... more

Shall we say something of a different review from me this time round. Modern rock aside, grunge gods given a break and onto one of the most respected musicians of my era. Bruce ‘The Boss’ Springsteen is a man that has always known how to connect with his audience, whether it be through a 10 million selling album, a appearance on any one of the numerous American late night talk shows or even a John Kerry political rally, he’s a man with a great influence on the public. The music he makes gets to the point and is direct, generally incorporating beautiful harmonies as heard on ‘Born In The USA’ and ‘Streets Of Philadelphia’. Despite not being what you would consider a fan, I find it very easy to sit back and listen to his music and feel genuinely emotive. He’s a man that, if you don’t respect as a person, then should definitely respect as an artist.

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‘The Rising’, released in 2002, is Springsteen’s answer to 9/11. Being a man that is as true an American as you could ever wish to meet, the tragic events of that day touched a chord with him, inspiring this masterpiece of a musical response. Being someone who has heard the majority of his work, yet isn’t able to recall titles and such, this is the first of his releases I found myself listening to and simply thinking ….wow. The passion for his homeland is there in every one of the 15 tracks, with titles such as ‘My City Of Ruins’ and ‘You’re Missing’, this is extremely personal to The Boss and he knows how to convey his message. Don’t expect rock god perfection with screeching guitar solos, because that’s not how Springsteen does things, and secondly, this is not the time nor the place for such., this is about getting out the anger and hate for what happened that day in New York. Hailing from New Jersey himself, makes this even more of a personal matter to him, and as an answer, this is simply wonderful.

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‘Lonesome Day’, the album opener, is all that could be expected of a track covering such a subject as it does. It talks of walking alone, left to yourself and is presumably relating to the aftermath of the attack when I’m sure the majority of Americans simply didn’t know what had just happened. Obviously I can’t speak for them, but I’m sure I know of how much pain and hate they felt, and Springsteen obviously leads that. ‘Waitin On A Sunny Day’ is a more upbeat song, yet the lyrics still tell you that this is no pop led ballad, this is a Springsteen style rocker along the lines of ‘Dancing In The Dark’, a track that bought him great success. ‘Nothing Man’ keeps up the pace and the quality before we get to the undoubted favourite of the album ‘Countin On A Miracle’, a feeling I’m sure was top of the thoughts at the time. Obviously it conveys the thoughts of the nation and the utter disbelief at what had happened and that a miracle was the only thing that could make things better.

“I’m countin’ on a miracle
Baby I’m countin’ on a miracle
Darlin’ I’m countin’ on a miracle
To come through……”

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‘Empty Sky’, the obvious picture of that gaping whole where the twin towers stood only the previous day, waking up and seeing what you had been used to, gone, destroyed. As a New Jersey native, Springsteen had a locals perspective on events of that day, and being used to seeing that fine sight every day, for it to have suddenly gone was hard to stomach I’m sure. The good thing is that the world, let alone the US, has someone like Bruce to speak out and get his opinions across. The intention of ‘The Rising’ was never to sell millions or rake in the dollar, it was to simply get one nations thoughts out through one man, a man that I’m sure a lot of people respect and agree with. Another of the finer tracks is ‘Worlds Apart’, despite starting with a rather differing beat, it soon picks up to follow the pattern of the album and the backing vocals give the song the feeling that the backing singers are actually the US population singing with him, standing for what he stands for and believing in what he believes in….a united feel if you will.

“We’ll let blood build a bridge, over mountains draped in stars
I’ll meet you on the ridge, between these worlds apart
We’ve got this moment now to live, then it’s all just
Dust and dark
Let love give what it gives
Let’s let love give what it gives…..”

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Both ‘Let’s Be Friends’ and ‘Further On (Up The Road)’ touch again on the subject of loneliness, whether again they relate to the loneliness that must have been felt after 9/11 is a question the man himself would have to answer, but they are a couple of great songs. Lead single and one of the best songs ‘The Rising’ is the lead point of the album. It talks of rising up from the rubble, being strong and standing tall against all the odds. It’s a song that could be beneficial to people in various situations but in this instance it’s another ode to 9/11. Springsteen is a man that isn’t afraid to show his emotions. 30 years in the game and he’s been doing all his career, yet this is still his most personal and emotive record.

“Sky of blackness and sorrow (a dream of life)
Sky of love, sky of tears (a dream of life)
Sky of glory and sadness (a dream of life)
Sky of mercy, sky of fear (a dream of life)
Sky of memory and shadow (a dream of life)
Your burnin' wind fills my arms tonight
Sky of longing and emptiness (a dream of life)
Sky of fullness, sky of blessed life

Come on up for the rising
Come on up, lay your hands in mine
Come on up for the rising
Come on up for the rising tonight

Li,li, li,li,li,li, li,li,li…..”

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Album closer ‘My City Of Ruins’ talks of the calm after the storm of 9/11, of how although the outer anguish, inside it was peaceful and calm, as if to wonder what had just happened. Springsteen asks you to “rise up” and is the emotional lifter at the conclusion of a great mix of tracks that more than enhance his status as one of the most important people in rock. Even if you’re not a fan, you must respect a man for coming out and doing what he’s done, because I know I do ……

“Now the sweet bells of mercy
Drift through the evening trees
Young men on the corner
Like scattered leaves,
The boarded up windows,
The empty streets
While my brother's down on his knees
My city of ruins
My city of ruins…..”

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Track Listing

1 - Lonesome Day
2 - Into The Fire
3 - Waitin’ On A Sunny Day
4 - Nothing Man
5 - Countin’ On A Miracle
6 - Empty Sky
7 - World’s Apart
8 - Let’s Be Friends
9 - Further On (Up The Road)
10 - The Fuse
11 - Mary’s Place
12 - You’re Missing
13 - The Rising
14 - Paradise
15 - My City Of Ruins

www.brucespringsteen.net 

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