In Concert/MTV Plugged - Springsteen, Bruce (CD 1997)

This album, which is part of MTV's unplugged series, is far from that. In fact, only two songs by Bruce, Red-Headed Woman and Thunder Road, are done acoustically. The other eleven songs are Bruce with his new band. Obviously these new guys could never be as good as the original E Street Band, but they try, and they really are not too bad. Bruce offers a wide variety of music, drawing songs from Born to Run through his newest albums.

If you are not really a fan of his newer stuff, then you might not want to bother with this album, since half of the songs are new. However, if you are a die-hard fan like myself, then this album is well-worth buying. I am not a huge fan of his new stuff, but it sounds good on this album. Plus it is live, and if you are looking to an alternative to the live 3 CD set, then this is the only way to go.

The older songs that Bruce plays on this CD are really good too. I enjoy the funkier version of Atlantic City found on this CD than the album version. Darkness on the Edge of Town is also done very well. The background vocals are a change in Bruce's music.

My two favorite songs on this album though are Thunder Road and Light of Day. I have never heard Bruce sound more like Dylan than on this version of Thunder Road. I wonder if he was actually going for that Dylan sound. But anyway, it is a great version, with Bruce on the harmonica and acoustic guitar. Light of Day is just one of the greatest rockers that Bruce has ever written, and this version does not disappoint.

Ont the whole, this album is pretty good. Plus, as of right now, it is the only other live release by Bruce besides the 3 CD set. If you are a Bruce fan, you should go out and buy this CD.