Brilliance from the Boss. The E Street is back and as great as ever. Still letting this sink in a bit (and like Prince Springsteen's music ALWAYS grows on me as time goes on) but Magic is instantly enjoyable. If you are a fan of The River-era Bruce, then pick this up. Almost guarantee you will like it.

Wonderwall said:

It's his best since the 80s heyday. Though, I'm totally baffled that more than a few people I've talked to don't like it.

MendesCity said:

That is surprising. I was told by a few people today to make sure I picked up. Everyone I talked to LOVE it. This is classic Boss. I was a fan of The Rising, but it didn't really sound like an E Street album...THIS is what I have been waiting for!

Despite being released after the Grammy closing period you will see at least the song nominated everywhere it can be, but this album is his best in a long time, and close to being my top cd of the year

listening to it now and lovin' it!.

It's gonna have to grow on me. I've listened to it once. Standing alone, each song is pretty good. But they're all the same song. There's almost no musical differentiation between them. The full band plays on every song.

Not much in the way of guitar solos and hooks. The song structures reminded me a lot of the forgettable "Human Touch/Lucky Town" era.

That said, they are pretty good songs and I get the feeling they'll sound a lot better live. Of course, that means Mr. Springsteen has gotta come to Houston, so Boss - get down here!

The hidden track on "Magic" is a moving tribute to Terry McGovern. Including it as a hidden track just seems so right.

I'm a huge Springsteen fan - and have been for over twenty years - but I have to say "Magic" lacks just that. A dreary, tired groan of an album. There's not one truly memorable or halfway interesting song on the whole thing. Even Human Touch had I Wish I Were Blind on it. Granted, nothing sucks as badly as the worst songs on Human Touch, but it's simply the most boring album Springsteen's ever made.

Shapeshifter said:

You're not even excited by the new directions he takes on the title track, Your Own Worst Enemy and Girls in Their Summer Clothes? I think you could make an argument that some of lyrics gets a little lazy, but the the music is definitely his most adventurous in a long time.

MendesCity said:

[quote:8915fa695a]

Shapeshifter said:

[quote:8915fa695a]I'm a huge Springsteen fan - and have been for over twenty years - but I have to say "Magic" lacks just that. A dreary, tired groan of an album. There's not one truly memorable or halfway interesting song on the whole thing. Even Human Touch had I Wish I Were Blind on it. Granted, nothing sucks as badly as the worst songs on Human Touch, but it's simply the most boring album Springsteen's ever made.[/quote:8915fa695a]

You're not even excited by the new directions he takes on the title track, Your Own Worst Enemy and Girls in Their Summer Clothes? I think you could make an argument that some of lyrics gets a little lazy, but the the music is definitely his most adventurous in a long time.[/quote:8915fa695a]

What new direction in the title track? It's a Devils & Dust outtake. It's actually one of the better songs on Magic. And it reminds me of Lift Me Up. But not as good.

What's adventurous about Your Own Worst Enemy? The string section? He used one on Secret Garden. Girls In Their Summer Clothes reuses the same string backing The Rising did. Go listen to both.

Living in the Future's a 10th Avenue Freeze-out rewrite (only nowhere as good), Radio Nowhere is a rip off of a knack-a-like one hit wonder from 1981, and the rest sounds like reheated offcuts that wouldn't even make it onto Tracks 5.

If you want adventurous Springsteen music try out Nebraska, The Ghost of Tom Joad and The Seeger Sessions - all three of those define adventurousness, even if the music is folk.

Magic is basically an album written to be played live. There's really nothing new or adventurous here at all.

You know Bruce cut an unreleased album with hip hop beats in 1994, don't you? I'd love to hear that.
[Edited 10/3/07 9:56am]

Shapeshifter said:

Whoops. First off meant to say Radio Nowhere was adventurous rather than the title track. And, yes, I can hear the Tommy Tutone riff, but it's the song has an entirely different vibe. I haven't head Bruce ever rock with this sort of sawtooth urgency before.

Second, those other two I mentioned are orchestral pop, with really sweet melodies that could on Beach Boys (or Magnetic Fields) albums. And his singing style sounds completely new to me.

I feel like the album should've been called Radio Nowhere (as evidenced by my goof)...he's playing with pop radio styles, but complicated them in his usual way. For an artist who's made his trade (sometimes unintentionally) on perceived notions of sincerity, this comes off as a really refreshing new direction. To me, at least. But, yeah, would love to hear the hip hop thing too

Been a hardcore Bruce fan since 1980 and gotta say I'm not crazy about Magic (with the exception of "Long Walk Home"). Going to see him here in 12 days, though!

Surprised Bruce fans here aren't diggin this. You'll Be Comin Down, Your Own Worst Enemy, Gypsy Biker, Girls in Their Summer Clothes, Magic, Devil's Arcade, and Terry's Song(how anyone can't love this song is beyond me) are my faves at the moment. I've been listening to this non stop since yesterday and its only getting better everytime I listen. Great CD.

i had a 23 year hatred of Bruce's music (long story)
but i LOVE this new album and i think its the best album i've heard all
year and it sucks that it's too late to get a grammy nomination this year

this is the closest Bruce has gotten to his mid 80's sound in years

it would be like if Prince made a new cd with that Purple Rain era type sound
this place would be going NUTS

VikFoxx said:

Glad this has brought you back to Bruce, but I'd hardly call Magic a BITUSA soundalike. That album had that big bomnbastic echoey eighties sound, and is the most dated of all his releases. I'm no fan of Magic, but at least it doesn't sound like BITUSA.

Ace said:

I concur, Ace. Going to see him in London on December 19th. Mixed feelings about the gig. I hope the new stuff sounds better live.

Mendescity said: Whoops. First off meant to say Radio Nowhere was adventurous rather than the title track. And, yes, I can hear the Tommy Tutone riff, but it's the song has an entirely different vibe. I haven't head Bruce ever rock with this sort of sawtooth urgency before.

Second, those other two I mentioned are orchestral pop, with really sweet melodies that could on Beach Boys (or Magnetic Fields) albums. And his singing style sounds completely new to me.

I feel like the album should've been called Radio Nowhere (as evidenced by my goof)...he's playing with pop radio styles, but complicated them in his usual way. For an artist who's made his trade (sometimes unintentionally) on perceived notions of sincerity, this comes off as a really refreshing new direction. To me, at least. But, yeah, would love to hear the hip hop thing too


Now, I get where you're coming from. You know, thanks to your insightful and thoughtful defence, I went back and listened to it again. I like two more songs on it than I did before: You'll Be Coming Down's got the most spiteful (personal?) lyrics Bruce has ever written, and I like Devil's Arcade - the line about digging up the gun.

Radio Nowhere's catchy, I'll give you that, but if you're talking Bruce "rocking with sawtooth urgency" (like the blue collar metaphor, Mendes), I don't think it beats Lonesome Day as an opener, do you?

I thought The Rising was a masterpiece when I first heard it. It was, of course, an album very much of its time (I caught the Madison Square Harden show on the first leg of The Rising tour - "New York. You've been on my mind", he said as soon as he came on stage). Some of it still stands up, much of it is mediocre.

I don't think much of Magic really stands up at all. I think he wrote and recorded it in a bloody big hurry. It's his equivalent of a modern Rolling Stones album - a tour cash-in - half of it designed to be played in stage.

Looking forward to his next album already .....

Shapeshifter said:

I do admire his willingness to continue to talk about Iraq and take the Bush administration to task. "Last to Die" is a strong lyrical idea, but the execution falls flat for me (especially the music).

Ace said:

And I greatly admired the stand he took before it became "hip" to be anti-war - you know, when it no longer had a bad effect on sales.

I think with Bruce as with Prince,Elton or anyone that has been around for a long time and shaped and defined a point in music, he or she will always "fall" in the eyes of many. I remember talking to a religious U2 fan about 7 years ago when "All that you cant leave behind" and they were saying they couldnt even listen to it, where as i was calling it one of the greatest records made of their career, they keep bringing up things like "BOY" and "WAR" which is fine but that was a U2 when they were in their 20's and this was a 40+ year old band. Your mind just changes from experiences of life, i mean i love the new Joni Mitchell cd but realize its not "BLUE" nor do i want it to be. With Bruce i feel its a solid album for him, Bruce really just seems to be in a space now where he is just doing different stuff, whether its Folk/blues covers or just him and a guitar or its the full band record, i think they are all 3 different Bruce's at this point. So i do agree that some artists tend to coast at times or just get in this groove of "whatever" Elton did this with a couple of records in the late 80's one being "Leather Jackets" one of the worst records in history, the Rolling Stones did it for awhile, Paul McCartney did it for a time, i dont think Bruce is in a coasting time however.

Finally got my copy today, and have had a couple of listens and overall think it's pretty damn good.

Top songs

Radio Nowhere

Livin In The Future

Your Own Worst Enemy

Girls In Their Summer Clothes

I'll Work For Your Love

Terry's Song.

Still hope he releases another Tracks volume soon. I've been trying to find some of the lost master releases but can't find them anywhere. There's still alot of Prime era Bruce I haven't heard.

Shapeshifter said:

I didn't like BITUSA at the time, but now even though I like Bruce and appreciate the songs, I still don't like the sound.

You're right, it's dated, much more than The River or Born to Run, at least to these ears.

NDRU said:

The River and Born to Run are timeless.

Bruce has let his hair grow out and from a distance, he looks like Keith Richards.

But dang, the dude is in fantastic shape.

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