Anmeldelse: Bruce Springsteen – “Only the strong survive”

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Bruce Springsteen (73) loves to sing covers at his concerts, but “Only The Strong Survive” is only his second cover album – and the first since “We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions” (2006). There he performed traditional folk songs popularized by American singer Pete Seeger, but at larger events.

Third in three years

Bruce has surprised before, both with smaller discs and larger projects. On the orchestrated “Western Stars” (2019), his first album in five years, showed a soft side and pulled out the crooner in him while “Letter to you” (2020) was more traditional Bruce-med album The E Street Band.

With “Only The Strong Survive”, it’s back in large format. Some songs are certainly more recent, such as the great success of the Commodores and the tribute to the greats of R&B Marvin Gaye and Jackie Wilson, “Night shift” since 1985, but Bruce wanted here, focusing on vocals / vocals, “trying to do justice to the great American songbook of the 60s and 70s”.

You’ve never felt Bruce like this before

Motown and Stax

He can do it! Together with co-producer Ron Aniello, he began recording studio album number 21 fairly quickly after “Letter to You” with tracks from the catalogs of, among others, Tamla Motown (Detroit), Stax (Memphis), with a taste of so-called Phillysound – the soft soul of Philadelphia.

Bruce plays the guitar and brings out the best voice he can muster. Aniello added frets, bass, drums and guitar, while the brass in The E Street Horns and six backing vocals are the important and almost sumptuous “cake decoration” of the album.

Found the voice

Bruce said that during the pandemic they recorded an album that was discarded but had an “epiphany” and found a suitable theme. He also says he rediscovered the strength in his voice. So the question is: how interesting is it to listen to these 15 soul songs performed by Bruce, especially when many of them are close enough to the original? The downside: who might not like this?

duet

“I want to hear a little of Wilson Pickett, a little of Joe Tex, I want to hear a little of Sam & Dave, hey, Sam, I want to hear a little of Aretha, I want to hear a little of Ray Charles and a little ‘by Sam Cooke full of soul now, what do you say, I want to hear a little Arthur Conley, but what about a certain Edwin Starr? “Bruce and guest singer Sam Moore (of Sam & Dave) continue to ramble “Days of the soul”and thus illustrates the motivation for recording this collection of “carefully chosen” pieces from the “songbook”.

These are songs that Bruce grew up with, songs that meant something to him and that also shaped his musical work. Maybe he will push even younger listeners to look for the old versions?

full package

In the first single, that of Frank Wilson “I love you (in fact I love you)”, we have the “complete package”: a Bruce singing intensely and enthusiastically “all in”, strings, brass, Aniello on various instruments and the choir that threatens to raise the roof. It’s a secular song, but it evokes an almost ecstatic gospel feeling. All that’s missing is a hallelujah!

We get the same boost in the 60s “Don’t play that song”, “Any other way” and the highlight of the album “7 rooms of darkness”, first recorded 55 years ago with The Four Tops. Bruce sings with a very special intensity reminiscent of Edwin Starr in the protest song “War” (which Bruce released as a single in the 1980s).

“Bruce tough”

Soulsvisker

These songs are atypical for the rest of the album, which largely consists of what we can call “soul whispers”, which “The sun won’t shine anymore” (in an absolutely gorgeous version), “Turn back the hands of time” And “What becomes of broken hearts” – made famous by The Walker Brothers, Jimmy Ruffin and Tyrone Davis respectively over 50 years ago.

Updated sound image

Bruce & Co. doesn’t challenge much other than the fact that most new recordings have a larger, more updated sonic image. The album may therefore initially appear a bit predictable and lean, at the same time it becomes increasingly clear after a few plays that Bruce sings with an unusual and youthful conviction and enthusiasm that makes one forget that next year he could celebrate his 50th. anniversary as a recording artist.

At least it sounds good, so we’ll see how many songs he and The E Street Band bring from this album when they come to Oslo for two concerts at Voldsløkka on June 30th and July 2nd.