Bruce Springsteen

There isn't anything like starting at the beginning, and for Bruce Springsteen, these two albums are it. If you are already a longtime and loyal fan of the Jersey Devil, read no further -- this package will be of little interest to you. If you are a novice, however, or have been intimidated by the size of the catalog, hopefully this will be of some help. Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. was an auspicious but not entirely well-reviewed debut by Bruce, and the E Street Band weren't quite a going concern in their final form yet. That said, these beautifully wordy songs packed with dense and sometimes absurd images carried interesting (even compelling), joyously and sometimes dark images of life on the Jersey shore during a particularly magical time. Springsteen never resembled Bob Dylan's 1966 phase as much as he did here, though he was always drenched in more neo-R&B than Sir Bob. The album also benefited from two of its tunes -- "Spirit in the Night" and "Blinded by the Light" -- becoming hits for Great Britain's Manfred Mann's Earth Band at the height of their American popularity, ensuring the Boss some income. The second disc in this batch, The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle, was even more misunderstood by the media than its predecessor, but the band's live show had begun to make a rep across the United States as the greatest four-hour party on wheels. Some of the songs from this album, particularly "Rosalita," are still part of the E Street Band's set over three decades later. The music here is beautifully played, even if the delivery in places is a bit rough, but the rough spots are made up for in pure ambition and spirit. You can snag this with confidence that you will more than likely not be disappointed. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide