This looks like the best news from Bruce Springsteen in years. I’m not a Pete Seeger fan, but I like bluegrass, and I’ve always loved Springsteen’s treatment of old-time material such as the classic Woody Guthrie songs he performed on “Folkways: A Vision Shared.”
So “We Shall Overcome” strikes me as a good bet to be his best album in ages — including the tolerable-but-overrated “Devils & Dust” and his hideous 9/11 album, “The Rising.” It’s about time.
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Dan, I thought “Devils & Dust” was hideous, overwrought and not even close to the two he’d recorded in a similar vein (“Nebraska” and “The Ghost of Tom Joad”). The Rising seemed to me to be heartfelt, with a couple of his best songs in years (“Nothing Man” and “You’re Missing”). The thing that has been tough to watch with Bruce lately is how much his rock singing voice has slipped. He just can’t belt it out like he used to. I saw him sing the title song for “The Rising” when it came out and it was close to embarassing. That’s why, like you, I think this new CD will be refreshing.