The many voices that come out of the ether on Bruce Springsteen โs The Rising all seem to have two things in common: the first is that they are writing from the other side, from the day after September 11, 2001, the day when life began anew, more uncertain than ever before. The other commonality that these voices share is the determination that life, however fraught with tragedy and confusion, is precious and should be lived as such. On this reunion with the E Street Band , Bruce Springsteen offers 15 meditationsโโโin grand rock & roll styleโโโon his own way of making sense of the senseless. The band is in fine form, though with Brendan O'Brienโs uncanny production, they play with an urgency and rawness theyโve seldom shown. This may not have been the ideal occasion for a reunion after 15 years, but itโs one they got, and they go for broke. The individual tracks offer various glimpses of loss, confusion, hope, faith, resolve, and a good will that can only be shown by those who have been tested by fire. The music and production is messy, greasy; a lot of the mixes bleed tracks onto one another, giving it a more homemade feel than any previous E Street Band outing. And yes, thatโs a very good thing. The set opens with โLonesome Day,โ a midtempo rocker with country-ish roots. Springsteen โs protagonist admits to his or her shortcomings in caring for the now-absent beloved. But despite the grief and emptiness, there is a wisdom that emerges in questioning what remains: โBetter ask questions before you shoot/Deceit and betrayalโs bitter fruit/Itโs hard to swallow come time to pay/That taste on your tongue donโt easily slip away/Let kingdom come/Iโm gonna find my way/ Through this lonesome day.โ Brendan O'Brienโs hurdy-gurdy cuts through the mix like a ghost, offering a view of an innocent past that has been forever canceled because it never was anyway; the instrument, like the glockenspiels that trim Bruce Springsteen โs songs, offers not only texture, but a kind of formalist hint that possibilities donโt always lie in the future. Lest anyone mistakenly perceive this recording as a somber evocation of loss and despair, it should also be stated that this is very much an E Street Band recording. Clarence Clemons is everywhere, and the R&B swing and slip of the days of yore is in the houseโโโespecially onโWaitinโ for a Sunny Day,โ โCountinโ on a Miracle,โ โMaryโs Placeโ (with a full horn section), and the souled-out โLetโs Be Friends (Skin to Skin).โ These tracks echo the past with their loose good-time feel, but โechoโ is the key word. Brendan O'Brienโs guitar-accented production offers us an E Street Bandcoming out of the ether and stepping in to fill a void. The songs themselves are, without exception, rooted in loss, but flower with the possibility of moving into what comes next, with a hard-won swagger and busted-up grace. They offer balance and a shifting perspective, as well as a depth that is often deceptive. The title track is one of Springsteenโs greatest songs. It is an anthem, but not in the sense you usually reference in regard to his work. This anthem is an invitation to share everything, to accept everything, to move through everything individually and together. Power-chorded guitars and pianos entwine in the choruses with a choir, and Clemons wails on a part with a stinging solo. With The Rising, Springsteen has found a way to be inclusive and instructive without giving up his particular vision as a songwriter, nor his considerable strength as a rock & roll artist. In fact, if anything, The Rising is one of the very best examples in recent history of how popular art can evoke a time period and all of its confusing and often contradictory notions, feelings, and impulses. There are tales of great suffering in The Rising to be sure, but there is joy, hope, and possibility, too. Above all, there is a celebration and reverence for everyday life. And if we need anything from rock & roll, itโs that. It would be unfair to lay on Bruce Springsteen the responsibility of guiding people through the aftermath of a tragedy and getting on with the business of living, but rock & roll as impure, messy, and edifying as this helps. ~ Thom Jurek
Thank YOU for sharing, @MOHLovesAlaska! Thanks for being a key contributor to our community! People like you make this a great place to visit. 
@ktorster Thanks so much for sharing that! 9/11 impacted so many, it was heartbreaking. ๐
It's nice to hear that music helped with healing, sending you positive vibes as you continue on your journey. Let's keep the celebration going.
@MOHLovesAlaska also posted a tribute to his great friend who was there on 9/11. If you're interested, you can view his post here.
Happy to have you as a member of the Pandora Community. ๐ถ
Happy belated birthday to Bruce Springsteen, as well! ๐ฅณ
Regarding Bruce Springsteen, Obama once said, "Iโm the President, but heโs The Boss." For decades, Springsteen has been writing and recording anthems for the working class American. His music has always stayed true to his muse, often times heading toward unpredictable genres, but still sounding unmistakably like The Boss.
Check out his A-Z playlist here: Bruce Springsteen: AโZ
