Album reviews: We Shall Overcome, The Seeger Sessions, by Bruce Springsteen
by Bruno Somerset
Bruce Springsteen has never been the type of artist to rest on his laurels. After the success of his 9/11-inspired album "The Rising" in 2002, Bruce Springsteen once again turned to a folk sound with "Devils and Dust" in 2005. Traditional wisdom would dictate that the next release would be another album with the E Street Band, but this time Springsteen took what may have been the biggest risk of his career instead. In 2006, he released "We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions," a collection of traditional songs either written by Pete Seeger or recorded by him early in his career.
Springsteen has never been afraid of taking risks when it comes to his music. Following the success of his double-album "The River" in 1980, he abruptly changed direction and released "Nebraska," a spare, solo effort that hinted at forays he would make into folk music in the years to come. He then returned to all-out rock, releasing the mega-hit "Born in the USA" in 1984. Given his past unpredictability, the release of "The Segger Sessions" isn't a complete surprise to longtime fans.
At first glance, releasing a CD of traditional folk songs and spirituals at a time when the Pussycat Dolls and Beyonce rule the airwaves seems doomed to fail, but the combination of Springsteen, an outstanding group of supporting musicians, and a new take on songs many of us remember from elementary school music classes has been a huge hit. Earlier this month, it won a Grammy for Best Traditional Folk Album, and continues to sell well almost a year after its release.
"The Seeger Sessions" is, without a doubt, an outstanding album. Recorded live at Springsteen's farm in New Jersey during three separate sessions, the band plays as if they have been together for years. There is no filler in this collection; especially notable are the rollicking "Pay Me My Money Down", and the upbeat spiritual "O Mary Don't You Weep." And given Springsteen's now well-known views on the Iraq War and the Bush Administration, his version of the classic "We Shall Overcome" takes on a new urgency.
For me personally, the true test of this album came during a five-hour drive to the coast last summer. My two young children were in the car, and I put "The Seeger Sessions" in the CD player, hoping to hear at least a few songs before the calls for Hillary Duff began. To my surprise, they listened to the entire CD, and then asked that I play it through again. We listened to it for the entire drive, as well as the drive home. My hope is that "The Seeger Sessions" has served as the bridge to make an appreciation of Bruce a family tradition. We'll find out this spring break when I introduce them to "Greetings from Asbury Park, New Jersey."
