I consider myself to be quite a big Bruce Springsteen fan and whilst I’m not going to say ‘everything he touches turns to gold’, let’s face it, he gets pretty close. Whether it’s his colossal live shows or his impressive bank of studio work, we don’t call him ‘The Boss’ for nothing. When I was first discovering Bruce, I used to watch him cover songs that had been requested by various audience members and it used to amaze me at the ease in which he and the band would launch into the request. Imagine my delight when I learnt, just a few months ago, that Bruce Springsteen was releasing a covers album, of soul music classics! I had to have a listen
This is a soul covers album, but it is distinctively a Bruce Springsteen album. Bruce’s live shows are full of soul, with the E Street horns, and soul music runs deep through Bruce’s veins. Kicking off with the title track, ‘Only the Strong Survive’, a slow starter, that teases you with tempo before slowing back down, like the prologue of a great play; it peaks your interest enough to make you want to keep listening, but it’s probably my least favourite track of the album.
‘Soul Days’ follows, and it’s the upbeat, you could call it, rocker of the album, featuring some exquisite harmonies from Sam Moore. I love the outro, with Bruce and Sam jamming vocals, ‘I wanna hear…’ – really good fun. I love Bruce’s take on Frank Wilson’s ‘Do I Love You (Indeed I Do). This is a song I can imagine Bruce and the E Street Band playing live when he tours next year. This has Bruce’s DNA running right the way through it. High energy, just brilliant.
‘Hey Western Union Man’ is another cracking song. A real toe tapper, the backing vocals, strings and horns all combine to deliver a real soulful sound. Bruce’s voice is really suited to this song to and offers a rendition that I think even beats the original!
I absolutely love The Temptations, so hearing Bruce’s version of ‘I Wish it Would Rain’ was a real treat! Possibly my favourite song on the album, this just made me smile from beginning to end. I absolutely love Bruce’s falsetto too, making a rare appearance. We’re thrust into the early 60’s with a take on ‘Don’t Play that Song’ next, taken from Ben E King’s back catalogue and is yet another toe tapping, feel good track!
The album continues but it is the final three songs that really, REALLY grab you. ‘7 Rooms of Gloom’ has all the energy and vitality of a Springsteen live show, and if you’ve ever been to see The Boss at work, you’ll know it’s akin to a religious experience. I really hope he brings this song out and plays it live next year. I love his delivery, part sang, part spoken; this song might just sit at the same table as the big Springsteen classics.
In the grand finale of this soul spectacular, Springsteen delivers two quintessential Motown staples, Jimmy Ruffin’s ‘What Becomes of the Broken-hearted’ and ‘Someday We’ll be Together’, originally a Diana Ross classic. Both of these songs are absolute class. Again, like many of the songs on this album, I found it impossible to listen to them and not smile.
Bruce Springsteen has done it again and has delivered a staggering album, he has crossed genre lines and brought the world of soul into the rock and roll world, on record! Something he’s been doing live for the last 50 years.
This album has been a pleasure to listen to, it’s so fresh and on every song, you can tell just how much fun Bruce is having. In fact, you might have just as much fun listening to it, if nothing else, it’ll certainly make you smile and that is the true power of music and Bruce Springsteen. He makes us feel good!!
Released By: Sony Music
Release Date: 11th November 2022
