Bruce Springsteen's "Wrecking Ball"

It's been a long time since Bruce Springsteen has released a true classic. Some would say the last was 1992's Lucky Town, while others would move the calendar back to 1987's Tunnel of Love or even 1984's monster hit Born in the USA. Springsteen's bar is obviously very high, given that he's released some of the best records in the history of rock n' roll. Born To Run, Darkness on the Edge of Town and Nebraska (not to mention The River and The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle) could all fall within a reputable top ten all-time list (well, mine at least).

Since reforming the E Street Band, it's been a bit of a mixed bag. The Rising and Devils & Dust were both solid, while his last two, 2007's Magic and 2009's Working on a Dream, had a handful of very good songs, but didn't live up to Springsteen's bar. These recent fumbles, plus the loss of E Street legends Danny Federici and Clarence Clemons, made some of even the most committed fans wonder if the moments of recorded greatness may have passed. And then quietly came word of a  new record in the works. I will be the first admit that expectation weren't as high as years past.

The first taste of Wrecking Ball came with the single "We Take Care of Our Own." A rowdy full-force rocker, it was easy to mistake the track as a flag-waving anthem to American exceptionalism. "We take care of our own / wherever this flag's flown / we take care of our own." One could easily hear such lines in a Toby Keith or Garth Brooks song. It certainly raised an eyebrow. But just like Ronald Reagan's embarrassing misread of "Born in the USA" in 1984, once again, Springsteen proved that first reads rarely work with him. Although I nearly dismissed the track, I found myself listening over and over. Some compared it to "Badlands" which I scoffed at. But I kept going back. "Where's the love that has not forsaken me / where's the work that'll set my hands, my soul free / where's the spirit that'll reign over me / where's the promise from sea to shining sea?" This wasn't American muscle-flexing, but rather an angry and desperate call for an American dream lost. Just like "Born in the USA," it was actually the opposite of the rah-rah's we hear from the likes of Keith. Although it didn't carry much lyrical depth, it was Springsteen.

When I finally got my hands on the entire record, I heard the same calls throughout. And unlike his previous two full-length misses, it sounded like he actually meant it. I can only imagine that finally changing producers helped in bringing this out of Springsteen. Although the lyrics throughout the record aren't as piercing and strong as works around the same themes in years past, Ron Aniello's production is outstanding, and the final product is perhaps the best produced Springsteen record ever. "Shackled and Drawn" is "The Rising" without some of the corniness. "Death To My Hometown" is as angry as I've heard Springsteen in decades and it works to perfection. "Rocky Ground" is bathed in gospel chorus' and even nails a few rap lyrics (thankfully, not delivered by Bruce). Longtime set closer "Land of Hope and Dreams" finally gets proper album treatment and is better than I could have imagined, even with the drum beat intro. It's explosive and still elicits chills on every single listen. If Woody Guthrie is Bruce's hero, well, this song is Woody through-and-through. "Tomorrow there will be sunshine / and all this darkness passed / big wheels roll through fields where sunlight streams / meet me in a land of hope and dreams." This is one of Bruce's best songs in decades. The album closes with "We Are Alive," a gorgeous countrified tribute to those who fought for the freedom to be part of that land of hope and dreams.

As I've mentioned in posts past, I have a really tough time reviewing new records. Unlike books and movies, albums usually take a long time to really take hold. There are so many intricacies and outside influences. But with Wrecking Ball, I think of Josh Ritter's 2007 The Historical Consequences of Josh Ritter, another album that grabbed me almost immediately, and still five years later, hasn't let go. I'm not sure WB is as good, but top-to-bottom, it's the best record I've heard in some time, and quite possibly, Springsteen's best in almost 30 years.