Letter to You
A Bruce Springsteen show is an energetic affair. Bruce and the band put everything into their live performances and then some. I was curious to hear Bruce’s latest offering, ‘Letter to You’ as it has been so wildly praised. Recorded live in just four days, this album is quite simply stunning. Bruce and the E Street Band have well and truly outdone themselves and yes, I agree with the critics, this is by far one of his best, up there with ‘Born in the USA’ and ‘Born to Run’.
The E Street band are an awe-inspiring set of musicians with great pedigree, all sharing backing vocals the band is Stevie Van Zandt on guitar, Roy Bittan on piano, Garry Tallent on bass duties, Max Weinberg behind the kit, Charlie Giordano on the organ, Nils Lofgren on second guitar, Patti Scialfa on vocals and Jake Clemons on saxophone.
The album opens with a finger picked acoustic ballad, ‘One Minute You’re Here’. A reflective song, that feels as if Springsteen is taking into account his own mortality. The song swells and builds towards the end, but vocally, Springsteen remains sombre and gruff throughout the track. A lot of his companions have gone, E Street’s Danny Federici and of course we can’t forget Clarence Clemons, not to mention many of Springsteen’s contemporaries, Tom Petty for instance. Is this Bruce coming to terms with the fact that we can’t go on for ever?
‘Letter To You’ is typical ‘E Street Band’, put it next to one of the greats, Glory Days, Dancing in the Dark’ and it can hold it’s own. The lyrics are typically stunning, reflective yet upbeat and the music is just wonderful. With all the energy you would expect from one of Bruce’s live shows.
‘Janey Needs a Shooter’, complete with organ lead line sounds like it’s come straight out of 1978. That is because this is one of three songs that was written over 50 years ago. A fine example of Bruce’s incredible songwriting, that a song that was written prior to the release of his first album can hold its own against songs that were written 50 years later. It just goes to show that Bruce Springsteen is and always has been a musical genius and one of the worlds greatest talents.
‘Last Man Standing’ is another future Springsteen classic. Bruce has always had a wonderful ability to make heavy, dark songs sound bright and happy. ‘Born in the USA’ is a great example. Bruce’s upbeat delivery makes the listener forget that in fact Bruce is lamenting about being one of the only ‘old guys’ left, a lot of his companions have gone, yet here I am, happily singing along. Bruce is looking back to those glory days of times gone by. There is a great sax solo in the song too, performed by Clarence Clemons’ nephew Jake and boy, did it make the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Absolutely brilliant!
My all time favourite track is ‘House of a Thousand Guitars’. A celebration of the instrument that has such power to unify and connect the most unlikely of people. From the church goer to the common criminal, to the stadium rocker to the covers band frontman, we are all unified by our mutual and collective love of music and that music has the power to save us all. What a beautiful sentiment.
Another album highlight is ‘If I Was The Priest’, another 50 year old song and the song that gave Bruce his big break. I love the way it builds and hits a huge crescendo, before pulling right back and then in typical E Street style, it finishes on a high with a flourish. The album closer, ‘I’ll See You In My Dreams’ is almost spiritual, offering a hopeful look at the great beyond, musing that “death is not the end”. We will all be reunited in the end. Bruce and The E Street Band could have gone out in a blaze of glory on this final track, but it was quite restrained, offering a companion to the first track I think. Yet another beautiful moment.
The whole album with it’s musings of death and the great beyond and the inclusion of the three songs Bruce wrote back in the seventies makes me wonder whether this is Bruce saying a big farewell. This is by far one of Bruce’s best and I really hope I’m wrong, but there is definitely a nostalgic feeling about this album, with Bruce celebrating the good old days and remembering the greats. This is not just an album for Bruce Springsteen fans, this is an album that music fans have to hear. The musicianship is incredible, the songwriting is masterful and it is an album that personally, I don’t think I could tire of listening to.
Released By: Columbia Records
Release Date: 23rd October 2020
