Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball

When Bruce Springsteen gets angry on 'Wrecking Ball' he sounds like a tightly coiled force of nature.
There's no lashing out in blind rage at the perceived injustices that have been visited upon the people of the US - and the rest of the world - from the businesses, bankers and political parties, just an incisive passionate and laser sharp denouncement of them.
However 'Wrecking Ball' isn't actually all about rage as some broadsheets have claimed.
Instead, writ large throughout, is an appeal for people to think and insist that we take a more humane direction when we reach the looming fork in the road.
It's not even a message that's being pushed down throats, although it is impassioned from start to finish, but instead a finger being pointed at the writing on the wall, and a request to just think about it........and then speak out, but mainly to think about the world around us and how we got to this stage of economic failure, and how the light of hope is being extinguished for so many.
It's a plea for us all to pull back from the brink.
When he sings on the opening track 'we take care of our own' it sounds completely heartfelt and without any sort of artifice.
It sucks you straight in and holds you close to its breast.
There's blood pumping through its veins and you can feel the truth in his words.
You can hear it roaring in your ears.
Not just hear the truth. But feel it.
This is the magic that Springsteen weaves and it's all on display on the very first strong.
His cards are on the table
Straight out of the gate and he has you.
He's the worlds blue collar every-man making a solid connection.
A chronicler of a wide and inclusive journey through life.
Equally at home singing about the bitter-sweet loss of a first love as he his tipping at the windmills and issuing a challenge to corporations to accept responsibility for the welfare of those they employ.
Now in 2012, and who would have thought it, but here he is with 'Wrecking Ball' an album that doesn't stumble once.
This is his album where he delivers everything that his fans have ever wished for.
There's elements of Darkness on the Edge of Town mixed with his Seeger Sessions. Some Born to Run and Nebraska. Even hints of Born in the USA paired with Working on a Dream.
Regardless of what era of 'The Boss' punches your buttons you will find it represented here, and none of it sounds as if it has been shoehorned in to entertain the masses.
It's simply just a hugely sprawling, and organic sounding, work of genius.
The point in his career when the cumulative experiences of a lifetime entertaining people around the world has allowed him to create an album that will strike a chord with people from all walks of life.
Just as others, who some would consider Springsteen's peers, are running out of ideas and falling short of being relevant to modern audiences he has taken it all to yet another level.
Vive le Boss.