"Incident on 57th Street", particularly, is notable among Springsteen's discography. All three are among Springsteen's longest, but also among his best. Side two is comprised of three songs that amount to 25 minutes of music. Side one is nothing in comparison to side two however, which might be the most perfect side of any Springsteen record (though both sides of Born to Run could make a compelling case). And although it's a song I almost never think of apart from this record, it's probably one of my favorite moments here. The song, along with "Sandy" is a welcome subdued moment amongst a record of big rockers and bombastic arrangements, and functions strikingly well as the side one closer. Springsteen's lyrics, about the magnificent but strange people you might find at a circus, float over a gorgeous acoustic guitar accompaniment, occasionally augmented by flourishes from Federici's accordion, Springsteen's own harmonica, or by bassist Garry Tallent with a marching tuba line. "Wild Billy's Circus Story" is probably the album's most forgotten cut, underrated simply by it's lack of importance in Springsteen's catalog and it's absence in most live sets. The song thrives on record, but this version still pales in comparison to the one from the famous Hammersmith Odeon London show from 1975 (which was released as a live album and DVD for the 30th anniversary of Born to Run), where the song runs for 17 minutes and gives each band member an extensive feature. It's a towering track that acts almost like this record's "Spirit in the Night". The jazzy "Kitty's Back" is as close as Bruce and co. Organ and accordion player Danny Federici, a longtime E-Street band member who passed away in April of 2008, gives what is probably his signature performance on the song, adding greatly to it's nighttime atmosphere. It sounds like a perfect summer night, spinning a tale of falling in love underneath the fireworks on the boardwalks of New Jersey. "The E-Street Shuffle" flows perfectly into the atmospheric "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)", which still stands as one of the most gorgeous love songs Springsteen has ever written, and one of my favorites on the record. This is the Boss writing huge, overblown and cinematic songs, often operatic in scope this is the Boss writing like he'd never write again. That the shortest track here would sit among the longer songs on Greetings or Born to Run is indicative of what kind of a record this will be: this isn't Springsteen writing typical pop or rock and roll songs. This song is the album's shortest, clocking in at just over four-and-a-half minutes. The lines flow one after the other, introducing us to the kind of characters who will occupy the songs that follow, until finally, the song dissolves into one big jam session, a showcase for the myriad of talented musicians at work here. The brassy opening gives way to a jangly guitar riff and what sounds like a synthesizer, before finally exploding into one of the most spontaneous songs Springsteen has ever written. The E-Street band is nearly at full force here: they've officially taken the name, and use it in the opening track to create a theme song for themselves, a mission statement of sorts. It's clear from the first jazzy notes of "The E-Street Shuffle" that this is going to be one hell of a summer party record. It's amazing how different this album is from Greetings, as it dropped just over 8 months after that album did. The result is that The Wild, The Innocent is probably the most singularly unique album in Springsteen's entire catalog. It's a record about escape, about freedom and liberation, and it stands as one of Springsteen's very best: a classic album full of massive, cinematic suite-like songs, a writing style he'd master here (and to a certain extent on Born to Run) and never revisit in his career after that, shifting towards more mainstream rock and pop music. This year, after I finally escaped from my RA job and from my sophomore year of college, I played The Wild, The Innocent on the drive home, and despite the fact that the weather pretty much sucked and that it didn't really look a bit like summer, this record made me feel like it was. We all know the type: the album you blast in your car on the first gorgeous spring day to herald the arrival of Earth's most glorious season. Someone once told me that The Wild, The Innocent & The E-Street Shuffle is pretty much the perfect inaugaral summer record. So use it Rosie, that's what it's there for!" Windows are for cheaters, chimneys for the poorĬlosets are for hangers, winners use the door Stay out all night, it's gonna feel alright "We're gonna play some pool, skip some school, act real cool
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