Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band - Live In New York City (2001)

Bruce Springsteen has sold a lot of records during his career, but it has always been his live performances that have drawn the lion's share of the acclaim. I've personally seen Springsteen perform eight or nine times during the past 25 years and can honestly say that out of the 300+ shows that I've seen during my critical career, his shows dominate my top ten. Whether with the full E Street Band or solo with just a guitar and a harmonica, Springsteen is a dynamic and charismatic performer, a fact that has made him second only to Led Zeppelin as one of the most bootlegged rock artists of all time.

All of which makes the 2-CD Live In New York City a mixed blessing. Culled from the last two nights of a remarkable year-long "reunion" tour with the E Street Band, the set offers some wonderful performances from what, by all accounts, was a powerful pair of shows. Springsteen and crew revisit some old classics, reinvent some obscurities and even introduce a couple of new songs. Much as with the previous Springsteen live box set, however, all of the rough edges have been removed from Live In New York City.

The production team of Springsteen and Chuck Plotkin (with input, no doubt, from manager Jon Landau) has sonically sanitized the performances, leaving the listener with only part of the strength of the original performances. Bootlegs of these NYC shows – and, truth be told, of most of the tour – present the band warts and all, as one of the tightest and toughest rock & roll outfits to ever grace a stage. Although the sound quality of many of the bootlegs may not be as pristine as this legitimate release, the honest depiction of the performances is more compelling.

That minor cavil aside, Live In New York City is still a fine collection of performances. The album opening "My Love Will Not Let You Down" is a soaring, transcendent rendering of an otherwise overlooked entry from the Springsteen songbook. "Atlantic City" is offered with full band backing that, while removing the stark quality of the original studio version nevertheless shows a hidden power to the lyrics and the story told. The arrangement of "The River" is completely changed; transforming an already potent and dark-hued tale of lost dreams and desperation into a masterful modern blues song. Clarence Clemons' mournful sax opens "The River," leading into an acoustic passage and, eventually, Springsteen's sadness-tinged vocals. The song's sparse arrangement and incredibly delicate performance is superior to the studio version and breathes new life into one of Springsteen's more memorable pieces.

Afforded a full band performance, "Youngstown" rises above its acoustic roots to become a stormy maelstrom of rock & rage. One of the most powerful protest songs ever written, "Youngstown" is a fine example of blue collar blues, a chilling documentation of the decline of America's industrial heartland that ends with a wicked six-string battle courtesy of Springsteen, "Little" Steven Van Zandt and Nils Lofgren. Springsteen's lively introduction of the band members during "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" echoes the "Boss" of old, crowning the E Streeters with various titles and honors to the delight of the audience. "Land Of Hope And Dreams," one of two new songs showcased on Live In New York City, is a throwback to The River era, a beautiful affirmation of faith in the face of adversity.

The other new song is the controversial "American Skin (41 Shots)." Inspired by the murder of an immigrant by overzealous NYPD officers, it is another powerful musical statement. Featuring a quiet instrumental undercurrent, the focus is on Springsteen's vocals, his questioning lyrics and the phrase "41 shots," repeated over and over by the band. A lengthy and appropriate silence follows the song, leading into the six bonus tracks tacked on at the last minute to make this a 2-CD set. The seldom-played "Lost In The Flood" sounds good in a live setting, guitars clashing and wailing behind the vocals. "Born In The U.S.A." is reinvented as a bluesy dirge while the album-closing "If I Should Fall Behind," another overlooked Springsteen gem, is offered as a quiet prayer. With vocals from Bruce, Patti Scialfa, Nils Lofgren, Little Steven and Clarence Clemons, the song is transformed from a folksy tale of love and loyalty into a spiritual wonder.

In our society's rush to unquestioningly embrace youth culture, it's become trendy, even required, to dismiss anything older than last week to the dustbin of history. In an era where even the Clash aren't considered "punk" enough by today's cultural standards, Springsteen – whose greatest commercial successes were a decade and a half ago – is considered a rock & roll dinosaur. As a year long, sold-out tour and this 2-CD live set prove, however, there's still plenty of life left in Springsteen and crew. The E Street Band plays with a joy and fury that musicians half their age will never equal, Springsteen's new songs show a skill, concern and relevancy lost to modern rock bands. Spoon-fed corporate pabulum by the music biz, today's youth don't realize that true musical giants still walk this planet. To paraphrase an old blues song, what the kids don't know we old geezers understand. (Columbia Records)

(Click on the CD cover to buy Live In New York City from Amazon.com)