The Leader

[Click to enlarge]

Seriously, how could this one not be a downer? We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions is not only a follow-up to Devils and Dust - arguably the bleakest release of Bruce Springsteen's long career - but it's also a tribute to a storied politico who was both blacklisted by McCarthy in the '50s and subsequently celebrated in the '60s for his radical political views. It's no secret that Pete Seeger has had a profound influence on Springsteen; Springsteen has carried on Seeger's long history of activism, his pleas for peace and justice in an unjust world and both offered enthusiastic support for John Kerry in 2004.

Wait, how cool is John Kerry?

Well, consider me pleasantly; no, enthusiastically; no, euphorically surprised. Instead of creating an angry political diatribe, Springsteen instead opted for an album of traditional folk standards, choosing songs closely associated with, but not written by, the legendary folk iconoclast. This makes sense: Seeger's deep, illustrious catalog has already been pillaged by the likes of, oh, Bob Dylan and the Byrds. This pillaging even produced one bona fide pop hit, the Byrds'jangly cover of "Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)."

Rather than another retread (as tribute albums often are), Springsteen's approach is fresh and unique. Springsteen's 13-piece band employs accordion, banjo, harmonica and even washboard, creating a lush wall of sound steeped in tradition. We Shall Overcome has the energy and feel of a live record, with odes to parlor music, folk, and, in a major surprise, Southern gospel. Steeped in musical history, the Boss has never sounded so loose, so relaxed and so thoroughly in control of his musical surroundings, making these chestnuts - some which are over one hundred years old - sound fresh. Springsteen ditches both Devils and Dust's minimalism and the rock n' roll punch of his E Street Band in favor of stripped down, lived in Americana, and to great effect. And while Springsteen's music has always been distinctly American, the bouncy, New Orleans style horns and impromptu stabs at Irish waltz add a distinct new flavor. According to the liner notes, everything on here was cut in three one-day sessions (1997, 2005, and 2006) and it sounds like it: fresh, live and alive.

Like always, hardcore fans shuddered when Springsteen ditched the E Street Band, but it's hard to imagine them pulling off the lush gospel of "Jacob's Ladder" or the Irish-fueled stomp of "Pay Me My Money Down" with such effervescent glee. E Street or no E Street, We Shall Overcome shows the Boss in top form, setting a high-water mark for Bruce's fourth decade of music. We Shall Overcome might not go down as Bruce's all-time best or his most revered achievement, but it's by far his most fun.

5 of 5

Article Tools