Live in New York City - Springsteen, Bruce (CD 2001)

Most fans of live rock and roll will tell you that one of the best experiences you can have is a live concert from Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band. Bruce Springsteen can be a great performer on his own but there is something special when he joins together with the E Street Band. Their marathon shows have become the stuff of legends.

One drawback with Bruce Springsteen is that unlike bands such as Phish, Pearl Jam or the Grateful Dead who make live shows readily available, Springsteen live releases are few and far between. There are only four live Springsteen releases and one of them is Bruce without the E Street Band. But this scarcity of availability only serves to make those two releases extra special. The first release Live 1975-85 was originally put out as a five record set. It has since been redone as a three disc box set.

The second live release is the double disc set Live In New York City. This was recorded in the summer of 2000 at Madison Square Garden. The first 13 songs on this set were featured in an HBO special. There are six additional songs added to the CD release. And there's an unlisted track with a rendition of Born to Run. It features a good variety of old classics as well as new songs. And it captures the excitement generated by live music.

The first disc starts off with My Love Will Not Let You Down. This is a lesser known Bruce song and shows his willingness to cater to the hardcore fans as opposed to playing for the casual fans. Bruce has never relied on just running through a 'greatest hits lounge act kind of show'. Like the Dead, each show will be different. For fanatics who attend multiple shows this is a real treat. My Love is followed with the classic Prove It All Night. This is one of his earlier classics and one that I've always loved. It's just good old fashioned rock-n-roll.

Of course, with Springsteen, it's relative what is or isn't a classic. Many lesser known songs are revered by diehard fans. What is really important is the interaction between the members of the band. The band for this performance features two keyboard players; Roy Bittan and Danny Federici; four guitarists; Stevie Van Zandt, Nils Lofgren, Patti Scialfa and Bruce himself. The band is rounded out by Gary Tallent on bass, Max Weinberg on drums and Clarence Clemons on saxophone. This is all the members of the band in their glorious three decade history.

Because these are musicians that have been together so long, there is a kind of chemistry and interactive that elevates the music to a higher level. It is often hard to tell who is soloing because of having so many guitarists and two keyboard players. But in the end, it doesn't really matter. It's the energy and interplay that creates the magic. One of my favorites from the first disc is the version of Atlantic City. This is a poignant song that was first featured on the solo acoustic album Nebraska. It is transformed into driving rock and roll here. One must always be prepared for different arrangements when encountering live Springsteen.

The version of The River is transformed into a well played out jam that extends over 11 minutes long. It begins with some soft sax from The Big Man and eventually the whole band joins in. Other highlights from the first disc include the eerie rocker Murder Incorporated and Badlands. After Out In the Street, you have to leave the disc in for a couple minutes to get to the bonus version of Born To Run. The version of Born To Run here is well played although not jammed out to any length. It's always been one of my favorite rock songs of all time. Bruce sings it with as much passion and conviction as ever.

The second disc opens up with a long jam on the classic Tenth Avenue Freeze-out. The version here extends for over 16 minutes. In it, Bruce takes the time to introduce the audience to all the members of the band. The whole band is really cooking here. This is what a jam is supposed to sound like. In the song Bruce does portions of the Al Green classic Take Me To The River and Curtis Mayfield's It's All Right. It's one of the best tracks on the entire set.

Then there were two songs previously unreleased to close the HBO special segment of the set. Land of Hope and Dreams is vintage Bruce. He intones hope in the face of all of life's problems. There is poignancy but also optimism. The dark American Skin (41 Shots) ends the special. American Skin was a controversial song at that time because it dealt with an instance of police brutality where a unarmed Haitian immigrant was shot 41 times by police in a case of mistaken identity. Bruce, who traditionally is very supportive police, takes a very indignant stance on this particular incident.

For the bonus songs, Bruce reaches all the way back to his very first album Greetings From Asbury Park and pulls out the gem Lost In The Flood. An acoustic rendition of Born In The USA follows. This slowed down version sounds like a different song from the single released from the 1984 album. This is part of the magic of a Bruce Springsteen & E Street Band show.

The version of Jungleland is another one of the show highlights. This is a nearly 11 minute reading of the song. This is one of those great story songs Bruce has that strikes a chord with people. Bruce is a true poet in many songs. I've always loved this song and was grateful for its inclusion in this set.

This is absolutely essential for any true Bruce Springsteen fan. It's also a good primer for people curious about why people go to such lengths to see Bruce play live. On any given night, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band can be the greatest rock-n-roll band on the planet. This gives one a good sampling of that power.

The track listing is:

Disc 1

1. My Love Will Not Let You Down
2. Prove It All Night
3. Two Hearts
4. Atlantic City
5. Mansion On The Hill
6. The River
7. Youngstown
8. Murder Incorporated
9. Badlands
10. Out In The Streets
11. Born To Run

Disc 2

1. Tenth Avenue Freeze-out
2. Land of Hope and Dreams
3. American Skin (41 Shots)
4. Lost In The Flood
5. Born In The USA
6. Don't Look Back
7. Jungleland
8. Ramrod
9. If I Should Fall Behind