Bruce Springsteen - We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions
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Music Reviews of We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions
Music Review: How Dare Bruce Make Music I Don't Want To Hear!
Rating: 5 Stars
I hate it when Bruce does this. All I want to do is hear him re-record "Born to Run" a million times over. I don't want him top branch out. I don't want him to pay tribute to a vital American tradition. I just want to buy "Born to Run" over and over and over. Why can't he just give me what I want? Isn't it all about me? How dare he not consult me before he goes into the recording studio!
That seems to be the consensus of all the whinny one star reviews posted here. Look folks, the 70's are over. Bruce has already recorded "Born to Run." Why does he need to keep repeating himself? The 80's are over too. Bruce has already recorded "Born in the USA." Why does he need to do that again?
Instead of whining why not open your mind just a little and discover the American folk tradition. You already know the singer, why not let him introduce you to something different?
Other one star reviews whine about the dual disc format. Just so you know, this disc plays fine in my CD player, on my computer, in my car, and on my iTunes.
This is a strong candidate for Album of the Year. These old folk songs are updated, yet Springsteen treats them with the utmost respect. Too bad that so many people who consider themeless fans just want him to give them the same thing over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over.......
Music Review: Now, THIS is Springsteen music!
Rating: 5 Stars
Some of you who may be mere casual Springsteen fans may look at the title of my review may think, "Oh, great. Another enamored Boss-fan." Well, you are incorrect!
I realize that, save for two or three folk/country-ish albums, Springsteen's main musical outlet has been rock and roll. In my opinion, however, it was not the genre Bruce played that made him great, but it was his passion for music; rock just happened to be his main outlet.
Listening to this tribute to Pete Seeger reminds me of Bruce's first two albums ("Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ" and "The Wild, the Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle" respectively). Bruce and the band were loose and freewheeling, but never so much that it turned into a bad case of musical self-indulgence. They may play a little bit of folk, a little bit of R&B, throw in some beer-joint-swingin' jazz, and finally (of course), some good, ol'-fashioned, racous rock and roll.
I truly believe Springsteen brings these elements to life in this tribute to Pete Seeger. Granted, the "racous rock" aspect is toned down (this is a tribute to a folk-singer, after all), but it is still gets ya' groovin' and your head nodding to the beat like there's no tomorrow.
All of that to say, if you like Springsteen (or if you like music with passion for that matter), get this record.
- Marc Alan Hosch
P.S. In regards to Pete Seeger, if you like music that is raw-honest about the times we live in and emotionally stirring, check him out. Whether you agree with his leftist political views or not (personally, I don't), the fact cannot be denied that he sings and plays with sincerity and honesty that can rarely be found in music today.
Music Review: A Public Service
Rating: 5 Stars
Many of these I learned from Mrs. Watson, who was in her 50th year as a music teacher when I started school. When she retired, their voices faded from ears of those who followed me. (No knock on what came after - I remember music class with fondness afterward.) These songs resonated with me more than downloads of long-lost, half forgotten hits from childhood years. They make me feel like I'm home.
Odd, in a way, that as much as I love the Boss's music, that this collection is monopolizing my car stereo. (How better to enjoy them than on a country road with the windows down on a spring afternoon?) Perhaps it's that some of the songs are ones my mother and father liked ("Shenandoah" I remember distinctly from Lawrence Welk's show), perhaps it's that they are part of America's fabric, in a way that music that is identified only with the generation that produced it can never be. Music for a season bows to music for all seasons.
Of the actual performances, the spontaneous harmony of each song is a wonder, given the un-rehearsed, un-edited nature of the recordings. As a previous reviewer noted, "Shenandoah" could've used clearer vocals from Bruce at a few points, and I'm not a fan of Jesse James as a subject for song, but I cannot fault the performance. The others fange from very good to deeply moving ("We Shall Overcome" and "O Mary Don't You Weep"). All of the performances are of good-enough quality to make skipping any a musical sacrilige.
Let's hope that this is the first of a long line of resurrections of traditional American music - in itself, an act of spiritual and cultural patriotism that transends the superficiality of most of what mass media feeds the masses daily.
Music Review: Have some fun...
Rating: 5 Stars
There is no way you can put this album on without it making you dance around (as stupid as you look). I'll admit I wouldn't have bought this album if Springsteen's name wasn't on it, but even though I'm a rock n roll fan doesn't mean you can't find enjoyment in these songs...
Old Dan Tucker - A fun opener gets you movin right away.
Jesse James - a good song. Like the way he angrily sings it
Mrs. McGrath - a great irish feeling tune.
O Mary - this one has been growing on me the last couple of days
John Henry - first song I heard. Yet again love the vocal "Lord, Lord" "God, God"
Erie Canal - Starts out with some haunting strings and the tired vocals from springsteen portray the narrator in the song perfectly
Jacob's Ladder - the worst for me on the album. Just too much Gospel in it for me I guess.
My Oklahoma Home - alright tune.
Eyes on the Prize - a very good dark Gospel song. "Ain't been to Heaven, but I've been told up there the streets are paved with gold.
Shenandoah - simply beautiful
Pay Me Money Down - this one will get stuck in your head
We Shall Overcome - Springsteen says this is the most important protest song...and its Universal meaning can definitely be felt...a beautiful song of hope, faith, and courage.
Froggie - many people were criticizing this song before they even heard it, but I actually love it. Very fun tune "Uh huh"
In the long run, I don't know how much I will listen to this CD. But the integrity of Springsteen to do what pleases him and not be caught up in the commercial world has to be respected. Anyway for what it's worth a fun album (probably one of the best cover albums ever).
Music Review: A Rare Treat
Rating: 5 Stars
This CD is a rarity - an recording that will appeal to folk enthusiasts such as myself, who have no particular interest in Bruce Springsteen, and long-time Springsteen fans who will find a new dimension to their hero's music.
First a little about Pete Seeger. Born in 1919, Seeger was part of the most famous (and commercially successful) folk group ever, the Weavers. Splitting off on his own, Seeger remained an engaging singer and storyteller throughout the years that he was being blacklisted for his one-time Communist Party membership (he left the CPUSA in 1950). His half-siblings Mike Seeger and Peggy Seeger have been among the leading folk performers and musicologists of the 20th century.
This album consists of songs closely associated with Pete Seeger, some written by him and others arranged/collected/ compiled by Seeger from the folk tradition. Songs such as "Old Dan Tucker", "Jesse James", "John Henry" and "Shenandoah" should be familiar to all. "We Shall Overcome" was the anthem of the civil rights struggles of the 1960s. Interestingly enough, Bruce does NOT cover any of Seeger's three most famous compositions ("Where Have All the Flowers Gone", "If I Had a Hammer", and "Turn, Turn, Turn").
This music has a very organic feel to it. Recorded over a period of years, it sounds spontaneous and unrehearsed, although the material was obviously familiar to all of the musicians. The Boss sings with great enthusiasm, and spirit of the fun felt by the musicians is infectious. You will find yourself singing along with these songs, and the funny thing is, you'll fit right in.
Everyone should own a copy of this disc