The Rising Music

Average Rating:

I give this a four-star rating for its lyrical brilliance and overall enjoyment. The only minor criticisms that prevent this from a full five-star rating are a few minor instances of lyrical repetitiveness and the "unseemly" (by Bruce Springsteen standards) use of a canned R&B backbeat on a couple of tracks.

Few, if any, artists could create a piece of work inspired by such horrendous events with such honest sincerity without a hint of exploitation. Bruce Springsteen, however, has done it. At first glance, the subject matter might suggest a dark record wallowed in sadness and loss. While those elements are here, there is an affirmative sense of love and faith's transcendence. Having used religious imagery often in past, Springsteen uses it even more and to great effect here. He yearns for guidance in My City of Ruins when he says, "I pray for the strength, Lord." In essence, these songs are prayers.

The themes and sentiments alone do not make this a great album. Couple them with the music and arrangements, and The Rising is a special treat. With new producer Brendan O'Brien on board, the record has a fresh sound. Soozie Tyrell's violin is featured on many songs. And strings are used well on a number of songs, especially the resounding opener Lonesome Day. The return of the E Street Band is also part of why this record is so special. They seem to get better with age. Although a couple more Clarence Clemons' sax solos would have been welcome (see Nothing Man and Further On (Up the Road), the band sounds great. Max Weinberg and Garry Tallent remain rock's most unassuming yet powerful rhythm section.

At 52, Springsteen has made a record that is distinctly his but also fresh with new musical ideas. Besides the strings, he has guest Indian singers on Worlds Apart, a horn section on Mary's Place, and backing vocalists on Let's Be Friends (Skin to Skin). The later, despite its tepid lyrics, is a wonderful soul song that some longtime fans might scratch their heads over. But the RnB beats and Clemons' slinky sax make this not only one of his most unique songs, but extremely radio-friendly. Mary's Place will please longtime fans who have yearned for a River-esque rave up. Somehow, inserted into the album's mix of sorrowful images, Waitin' on a Sunny Day appears and makes things seem whole and happy again. This is about as infectious as a song can get. It smiles with hope and has a wonderful arrangement. The ballads work as well, especially You're Missing. They are somehow both hushed and powerful. Further On (Up the Road) and The Fuse are powerful rockers, but don't initially grab you like, say, the recent Land of Hope and Dreams, which, with a new studio version, would have been a welcomed addition.

And while the lead single and title track - a tale of rescuers going up the twin towers - is the heart of the record, Into the Fire is its soul. The chorus somehow makes the grim images of the verses fade away - not into resignation but into reconciliation. "May your strength give us strength/Make you hope give us hope/May your faith give us faith/May your love give us love." Again, the words are coupled with a haunting melody and a gospel like refrain - a lot like the record's closing My City of Ruins, which ends with the words "Rise up."

Although he's fabulously wealthy, Springsteen remains an everyman. He's a dad and a husband; he's like us in many ways. He was touched, unnerved, saddened, and frightened by the events of last September just like the rest of us. He, however, has the rare ability to channel those emotions into art. Many of the tracks on The Rising hold up against the finer songs in the Springsteen canon. That's a bold statement. It's a focused effort with a rich sound, a wall of instrumentation that still lets trademark E Street flourishes like organ and piano seep through.

Metaphorically, The Rising's name may reference Christ's resurrection. And this may not be a stretch from an artist who grew up going to church and once released an album, Tunnel of Love, author and priest Andrew Greeley once called one of the most important Catholic events of 1987. The lives lost on 9/11 were not for naught. Their spirit remains, and in that spirit, Springsteen has crafted a topical but ultimately timeless record. Still, the record is more than homage; it is a musical experience, a rich, melodic, and powerful collection.

Indeed, Springsteen is on the rise again.

I Love Bruce Springsteen, and I have for a long time. I love his songwriting style, his "grit", and his passion. But I think that whatever he was striving for on this album was lost in the translation. September 11th is hard to capture in the confines of a rock album, and while Springsteen makes a good effort, "The Rising" doesn't elevate. Whatever soul he was trying to raise in 'The Rising', falls into a mixture of synth-keyboards and what often sounds like drum machines....Max? are you there?

Bruce has always been an extremely powerful storyteller. He has been called the voice of the "common-day man", and truthfully, in many ways he has been. But on this album he fails in telling the stories of those who were most effected by the horrible tragedy of that day. Then again, stories like those are difficult to translate into compact rock songs. But the telling of horrible events in human history through music has been done successfully before. Artists like Bob Dylan, and even a former Bruce Springsteen, have masterfully compressed slices of real life into lyric, yet still maintaining passion without sounding contrived or forced.

Springsteen has told stories of struggle, love and the hopes and dreams that we all have, often painting very real american landscapes in the process. He's told fictious stories that would feel very real to the listener.....a DEFINITE strength of his. On this album however, Springsteen sings of VERY real stories, yet many songs come across with little power....

Still, I give this album 3 stars......because Springsteen would REALLY have to concentrate to make a poor album, but I don't think this album lives up to the critical praise it has received.
There are a few standouts - "Nothing Man", "The Rising", "My City Of Ruins". I think those tracks will help keep this album out of the bargain bins.

GOD BLESS THE BOSS AND GOD BLESS THE USA!!! But....I think when I want to listen to Springsteen, I'll still reach for "Nebraska" et al.