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Rating: The promotion of the previous "Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J." led Springsteen to perform in arenas he wasn't used to yet. Moreover, opening for the Chicago did not yield the hoped-for results, and the disappointment of the 24-year-old musician from New Jersey is quite understandable. The disastrous night of June 15, 1973, at Madison Square Garden was the last straw, forcing the earnest Bruce to vow not to set foot in an arena for a good while.
The return to the studio happened without any pressure from the record company, due to their diminished interest in what might have been the second album of the New Jersey artist. The writing of the tracks for "The Wild..." confirms a strong desire for redemption, resulting in seven tracks where there is a joyful combination of music and lyrics, serving as an unequivocal demonstration of artistic growth compared to the unfortunate debut.
The introduction to the album with "The E-Street Shuffle" and its Latin-tinged escapades presents an imagery perfectly connecting to "Greetings....", while the escape desire in "4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)", a ballad with a bitter flavor, immediately clarifies the aspiration for radical change that the more ambitious Bruce embodies. If "Wild Billy's Circus Story" seems unusual, the incisiveness of "Incident On 57th Street" demonstrates how a brilliantly interpreted narrative in a delicate and successful melodic context can contribute to creating those imaginary realms so dear to a certain auteur cinema. The apparent festivity of "Kitty's Back" reflects the driving rhythmic momentum that perfectly aligns with the multiple instrumental interventions, giving the jazz nuances much more than just a decorative consideration. Confirming that as you go on listening you can only enjoy the best are: "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)" and "New York City Serenade". The first is one of those songs that embodies even more than others the autobiographical spirit of a passionate Bruce, who, on a fast-paced and compelling rhythm, narrates his forbidden love with the protagonist... leaving you breathless! The second is a declaration of love for a city that is not his own and for the stories that flourish there. Through the flow of notes on David Sancious' piano, spontaneity and warmth reflect, able to portray a seductive spectacle even more emphasized by the spontaneous amalgam that arises between the instruments.
A work with a sincere emotional impact yet equally personal, allowing space for the versatility and value of the tracks through which Springsteen tries to break out from comfortable clichés, giving the entire album an endearing artistic depth, preventing it from remaining trapped in the obligatory genre classifications made in every era.
This album too, recorded at the 914 Sound Studios in Blauvelt (NY) in the presence of the usual Mike Appel and Jim Cretecos, reveals itself as reflective enough but still lacking that explosiveness, nonetheless balanced by an unparalleled feeling, typical of those who manage to translate into music the common sentiments of those whose main goal in life is to look ahead and always be the protagonist and never a background extra.
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