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After the Century Albums “Born To Run” (1975) and “Darkness On The Edge Of Town” (1978) it couldn’t get any better. Springsteen might have guessed that himself: On the cover of “Darkness” he had already looked hopelessly out of the laundry. But the photo “The River” adorned, shows a man who looks as sad as a puppy in a Romanian animal shelter.
>>> Order: Exclusive 7 inch single from Springsteen – only in ROLLING STONE 01/23
Maybe just a failed attempt to be seductive. In fact, Springsteen rarely sounded so boisterous. “The River” is a party to which he invited all the brokenhearted and lovers, all the outlaws and lost souls of his dreams. Over canned beer and rock’n’roll, they tell their stories, reveal their longings and disappointments. The nuances and prosaic turns of phrase, the glimmers of hope and the unconditional determination not to be defeated are – as is so often the case with Springsteen – the elements that turn the threatening cliché into a great American epic. Unlike last on the strangely lifeless nostalgia ride “Western Stars” the songwriter seemed to see into the darkest corners of his anti-heroes – and to understand them.
Musically stays “The River” still a general store after almost 40 years with all kinds of sweets whose sell-by date has long passed. “Sherry Darling,” “Crush On You,” “Cadillac Ranch,” “I’m A Rocker,” and “Ramrod” are all considered whimsical exercises in style and rockabilly pastiches, even by Brucians. Stand out are the elegiac master ballads “Independence Day” and “The River”, the soul-rock serenades “Out In The Street” and “Hungry Heart”, the fatalistic road movie “Point Blank” and the desperate romance of “Drive All Night”. . The river that washes away sin has dried up.
>>> Order: Exclusive 7 inch single from Springsteen – only in ROLLING STONE 01/23
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