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First some background...

I used to be a big Bruce Springsteen fan. However, after he released Tunnel Of Love in 1987 my interest waned. It didn't have the big sound of 1984's Born In The USA and didn't seem to have some of the qualities I like in his other earlier efforts. Somewhere along the way I picked up The Ghost Of Tom Joad and thought it was pretty good, but tended to ignore Springsteen, especially since he didn't appear to be doing much new music. I'd heard about 2002's The Rising, how it had been inspired by the events of September 11, 2001, and that it had won Springsteen a Grammy. It sure sounded good but, for whatever reason, I didn't go out and buy a copy.

In late 2002, I learned that Springsteen would be playing the Sydney Cricket Ground on 22 March 2003. I had seen him before, at the Sydney Entertainment Centre on 24 March 1985, and this show was imprinted in my memory as the best I had ever seen... and I had been to a lot of very good concerts. I'll attempt to review this concert at some stage - it was 20 years ago, but I remember parts of it vividly! Although tickets for the 2003 show were about $150 and Mel wasn't one of `the converted' we went along with some old friends. At over 50 years of age, Springsteen managed to put on another one of the best concerts I've ever seen, despite the PA system breaking down several times. All of the energy was still there and the E Street Band were still in a class of their own. At least two new things struck me about this show. The first was that Springsteen's wife Patti Scialfa had become an integral member of the E Street Band - she added a lot on both vocals and guitar. The second was that the new songs from The Rising provided highlights in a set list that was already full of classics - they were Springsteen's best work in many years.

So, I bought a copy of The Rising...

... and I am now, once again, a big Bruce Springsteen fan... and so is Mel.

It is difficult to deconstruct this album - everything fits together so well. Brendan O'Brien's production is big and manages to capture the sound and feel of Springsteen and the E Street Band nicely. The Born In The USA style drums that sounded good in 1985, but have sadly dated that album, are gone and Max Weinberg sounds great. The guitars seem much more prominent on this album, but the keyboards still fill out the sound beautifully. As usual, Clarence Clemons' saxophone provides powerful highlights. Soozie Tyrell's violin is a welcome addition to many of the songs, and is used as yet another lead instrument.

The song writing comes from a mature Bruce Springsteen. As expected, the subject matter makes this one of his darkest albums, possibly even darker than Nebraska. However, there is also a lot of optimism. In fact, one of the nice things about this album is that Springsteen spreads liberal amounts darkness and light around the album, does a certain amount of analysis, but leaves the listener to sort through it all.

The album contains 15 tracks, so I won't attempt to mention all of them. The 3rd track Waitin' On A Sunny Day comes across like an unheard 1950s classic. This sees an optimistic Springsteen singing over a nice, simple violin lick. Empty Sky captures loss as well as any song I've ever heard - this one was particularly moving when done live, with Scialfa's backing vocals featuring prominently... although they're not so prominent on the album version. Immediately following this track is World's Apart, a fusion of standard Springsteen rock music and Middle Eastern music, featuring Asif Ali Khan and group - musically very well done.

Mary's Place is one of Springsteen's best rockers in years. This one sits aside Rosalita, Born To Run and Ramrod - a classic that is full of optimism and hope for renewal. This is juxtaposed with the ballad You're Missing - one of the saddest songs I've ever heard. Then there's the upbeat spiritual The Rising, with huge backing vocals, immediately followed by Paradise, featuring an almost solo Springsteen seemingly trying to put himself inside the mind of a suicide bomber. The album closes with another, more mellow, but emotionally charged, spiritual My City Of Ruins.

The Rising takes the listener on an incredible journey, both through the music and the subject matter of much of the lyrics. There aren't many albums that manage to convey the depth of emotions found in The Rising. Bruce Springsteen has captured a moment in history and produced a wonderful album, which is one of my favourites.