Bruce Springsteen
The Wild, The Innocent & The E-Street Shuffle

THE REVIEW

In 1973, a certain Bruce Springsteen emerged in the music world thanks to the album "Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J.", already standing out for his style, even though the young man was still green. But he didn't stop writing, and a few months after the release of his debut, his second album "The Wild, The Innocent And The E-Street Shuffle" saw the light, showing that he had identified a very clear path to follow with his compositions and that he intended to write at least a page in music history.

The album opens with "The E-Street Shuffle." This is already a catchy and quality song at the same time, which, thanks to its joyous rock-blues rhythm, is capable of enticing the listener to continue listening to the LP. The rhythm becomes more relaxed in the following track "4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)." In this ballad, one can clearly hear the musical roots that can easily be traced back to Bob Dylan, both in the composition and in the way the rocker sings in certain parts of this song.
The third track opens with a very sensual electric guitar riff, immediately captivating the listener, only to pause and make way for Springsteen's keyboards and voice. The rhythm changes instantly through the percussion, allowing this "Kitty's Back" to transform into another festive song and, thanks to its tempo changes throughout its duration, positions itself as one of the most beautiful pieces on the album.

"Wild Billy's Circus Story" is an acoustic composition that fits well with the rest of the songs. "Incident On 57th Street" is also a noteworthy composition in the Boss's discography and can be considered a typical song of his most famous releases. "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)" is the piece that best blends all the instruments used by the group of musicians who play with the New Jersey singer.
However, Bruce Springsteen saves the best for last on this CD. "New York City Serenade" is a piece that shines with its own light, a slow track enhanced by the sweet flow of notes from a piano, with percussion and bass painting evocative landscapes, culminating in an orgy of strings that further elevates the quality of this composition, almost ten minutes long.

"The Wild, The Innocent & The E-Street Shuffle," an underrated yet very important album for those who want to get to know the Boss's music better, is a fundamental step in his artistic formation, which would be completed two years later with the release of "Born To Run," with which he would achieve success and establish himself as one of the best rock-blues composers in history.