I've listened to Bruce Springsteens' recent disc We Shall Overcome: The Pete Seeger sessions and I keep coming back to the same conclusions. Love the performer, love the performance, can't take the genre. Interestingly, the disc ushers in a sort of creative rebirth for the Boss. As far back as the early 90's, Springsteen has expressed a wish to change his sound and come up with something new. Unable to make a complete change, Springsteen settled into writing a series of songs about Mexican Cowboys and CNN headlines. On We Shall Overcome, all of that changes.
It's the type of album that usually heralds a commercial and creative triumph. Usually, the media loves it when a classic rocker jumps into a different style of music for inspiration (Paul Simon's Graceland or even Rod Stewarts recent American Songbook discs are fine examples). On We Shall Overcome, Springsteen picks out a set of folk songs from the 19th and early 20th century. Sadly, it seems Springsteen's lefty politics have taken him out of the media just when it seems CMT would welcome him as a rocker going country. Springsteen uses a set of talented musicians to back him on Overcome, giving authenticity to ancient songs like "Old Dan Tucker", "John Henry" and "Shenendoah". Fiddles and horns swing about like crazy and just about every other analog musical instrument makes an appearance as well.
Springsteen delivers his most happy, impassioned vocal performance since 1985 throughout the disc. He sounds fired up as he growls through his verses and shouts in the choruses just as he did in his classic period (1975 to 1985). For the past twenty years, Springsteen's vocals were limited to a hushed whisper or a heavy toned stateliness that always sounded serious to the point of repetition.
Despite these positive attributes plus some songs I genuinely like ("O Mary Don't You Weep" has a happy gospel tone, "Pay Me My Money Down" sounds like a seaside chant) I ultimately cannot bring myself to fully like this album. Old folk and dixieland jazz sounding tunes just aren't my thing, no matter how well it's performed. I respect Springsteen's artistry and am happy he found inspiration in something for a change. But ultimately, I can't follow him on this one. 6 out of 10.
Of course, instead of following his muse and showing creativity Springsteen could have sold out like Number 73:
Heart - Heart (1985)
When Heart released their eponymous album in 1985, I had already been a fan for a few years. Even before I bought records, I always had a good time listening to "Crazy On You", "Barracuda" and "Straight On" whenever they came on the radio. One of the first records I bought was Heart's Passionworks album (1983), which had one great song ("How Can I Refuse") and a remainder of crap. Passionworks was and is one of the dullest records I've ever sat through. So, it was no accident when Heart found themselves under the hand of a commercial producer (Ron Nevison) and outside songwriters the next time out.
In '85, I loved the arena rock bands like Journey, Heart, Survivor and so on. When Heart released their first video, "What About Love", I was hooked. I really liked the overdone Victorian rock duds and "Love" was a powerballad of the highest order. Ann Wilson was given room to wail like Steve Perry on estrogen while the video featured a writhing Nancy Wilson on guitar.
Other hits followed. "Never" with its midtempo beat and shiny guitars also caught on thanks to a video that had Nancy Wilson jump around like a phone sex advertisement. She bounces, shimmies and shakes throught the clip. She had more screen time than Ann Wilson, who actually sings the song! Nancy Wilson took lead vocals on "These Dreams", a ballad Stevie Nicks turned down and Heart's first Number 1 hit. "Nothin' At All" benefited from a twin guitar solo and breezy chorus.
Away from the hits, Heart successfully try to rock things up with the opening song "If Looks Could Kill" and the closer "Shell Shock". Even better was a B-side only song I had on the "What About Love" 45 record, a dark rocker called "Heart Of Darkness". Their hard rock edge really showed live, when I saw them in 1985 their Zeppelineque cut "The Wolf" came alive in a way that didn't come across on vinyl. Elsewhere, the band plays the ballad "Nobody Home" with a great guitar solo featuring Frankie Sullivan of Survivor.
Racking up multiple top 10 hits brought Heart back from being a forgotten band to one of the most respected rock bands in the business. Heart sold their soul to get hit singles, but the ploy worked. Their polished, manufactured sound is stiff and poppy, but Ann Wilson's powerful voice cuts through all the gloss. Heart may look at this period as an embarassment, but it's my favorite Heart album of all time.
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