What a month it’s been for music! I’m still riding the high from listening to the jam-packed Prince Sign ‘O’ The Times box set, and now I have just finished listening to Bruce Springsteen’s new album Letter To You. I’m going to keep this brief because I don’t want to spoil anything by analyzing the lyrics or telling you my thoughts about each song. What I will tell you is this: Do you know how sometimes when a movie, television show or album is hyped up so much that when you finally get ready to experience it, you go in with lowered expectations so that won’t come away disappointed? You won’t need to do that with this album. In fact, I’m here to tell you that this album is so fantastic that I encourage you to envision your wildest dreams of what a 2020 album from Bruce and the E Street Band could sound like. I dare you to approach Letter To You with those high expectations. Now, get ready, because I’m thrilled to inform you that even going in with those top-shelf expectations, I truly believe that you will be blown away by what you hear on this album.
The songs, performances, mixes, and sound quality are all superb. Even if you saw the track list ahead of time and noticed that Bruce resurrected the old songs “Janey Needs A Shooter,” “If I Was The Priest,” and “Song For Orphans,” and thought to yourself, “I’ve already heard those songs,” no, you truly haven’t. Not like this. I don’t care what versions you heard. These are now the definitive takes of those three songs, captured on record with the full band in their greatest arrangements and firing on all cylinders.
What I love most about this album is that the recording, more than any other studio album in recent memory, genuinely captures the energy and feel of the E Street Band performing together live.
You might have seen some of the glowing reviews for this album, but no written words can accurately convey what a thrill it is. I’ll be playing this one over and over again. I highly recommend that you don’t skip tracks. Listen to it in its entirety from front to back and enjoy the ride.
The Great Song Traveler: Chasing Songs From Town To Town 