I have to put my hands up to being no aficionado when it comes to Springsteen. My experience with the Boss before giving this collection a spin was limited to the better-known singles, so there was quite clearly a sizeable hole to fill in my knowledge of a career spanning nearly 40 years and sixteen highly-regarded studio albums. Fortunately, this record seems to be custom built for providing such an education.
Starting quite symbolically with the first track from Springsteen and his band’s first studio offering – ‘Blinded by the Light’ from Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. – this best of spans a hugely acclaimed career chronologically, all the way to 2007’s Magic. What’s illustrated through these 16 tracks is a career of consistent quality – where many greatest hits albums tail off when they turn to the dodgy newer material, the later songs here actually show a raised game – see the brilliantly moody ‘Radio Nowhere’ an up-tempo rocker delivered with a conviction and aggression that belies Springsteen’s age. Where many songwriters might have hung up the telecaster, the Boss seems to have strummed his harder than ever.
Of course, all the classics are present; ‘Born in the USA’, ‘Born to Run’ and ‘Dancing in the Dark’ are as big and as rocking as I remember them and require no further analysis. My personal favourite though, is the slower ‘The River’ which exhibits Springsteen’s heartlands poetry at its best, and the songwriter’s ability to extract goosebumps from the thickest skin via his moving, pathos-wringing melody. Throughout the collection in fact, Springsteen’s affecting, thoughtful lyricism is as essential as the infectious rock n roll of the band.
All in all, this is a convincing portrait of a living icon; a reminder of how Springsteen got to where he is today and a vital introduction to anyone who, like myself, has been missing out for so long. For more information you can visit: http://www.brucespringsteen.net
