Yes, one week. While I patiently await my official copy, I couldn't resist an early listen when a friend offered
listening to it now. i have to be honest, i dont think ill make it all the way through. the first song is awful.
I thought the first song was a lovely way to start the album. Nice and short, beautiful singing by Bruce. I'm up to Ghosts now. I'm impressed with what I've heard. Bruce perhaps 'over-sings' on too many songs but he sounds great overall.
I'll give "Letter To You" some props in its sound. Definitely a classic E Street vibe. But the lyrics? I can't figure out if he's addressing the recipient of his letter before or after the letter has been read. If it's before, well, it would seem he should be adding a SPOILER tag! If it's after, then it gets REALLY tedious. The letter can't speak for itself? Either way, the conception of the song – that you'd need to explain the contents of a letter in such a bombastic way so as to communicate something that the letter itself didn't make the effort to communicate – isn't something the Bruce of old (in my mind, at least) would have let past his once-formidable self-editing process.
Nothing so far sounds like classic EStreet. So far Rainmaker is the best song and House of a Thousand Guitars, hands down the worse.
Good call there! It's interesting the new arrangements of, well this and If Jesus Was The Sheriff (which reminded me of Warren Zevon's kind of style, now on my second listen, going through it more randomly)
Have to disagree with you, this is way better than I was expecting. I'm going to go ahead and give this a solid A. I will say the weakest part of the record is Last Man Standing/Power of Prayer/House of 1000 Guitars, but none of them are clunkers. I can live with Charlie but I wish Jake wasn't there. He's lightweight and sax should've been retired after Clarence passes. Nils should play his solos.
Ah I would never judge a stranger, that is, claim to know what drives them. I myself am very sad often but I like most of this album; there's 4 songs I didn't like on my first listen. But to say that Last Man Standing is a Glory Days re-write and has no tune?!? Wrong on both counts, I'm not even gonna reply to that one.
I suppose Song for Orphans is the best thing on the album since it does sound like Dylan. Or better, Elliot Murphy from that first Dylan sounding album of his.
On my first listen I liked all but the opening track and then the three that followed Last Man Standing (which I agree with the person who said it should be the third single if there is another one). Listening to Burnin' Train now, this is a great song!
