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

THE REVIEW

The album I am about to review I believe to be the most underrated work of the Boss, who debuted with 'Greetings From Asbury Park' receiving good reviews from critics but not from an audience that still saw in him the figure of a new Dylan.

With this album, Bruce not only surpasses a production of tangible Dylan-esque style but also the muddled symbolism of 'Greetings', yet without fully freeing himself from an excessive verbosity that remains the basis for narrating romantic and adolescent stories within a familiar environment where the characters begin to acquire a greater personal dimension, which will later culminate in the epic surges of 'Born To Run' (anticipated in closing by a \"New York City Serenade\" that will become iconic). The production is still unripe but more defined compared to that of the debut album and becomes fundamental in highlighting the "crazy" and unpredictable character, characterized by engaging rhythm changes and a perfect blend of various styles like folk, funky-jazz, and the purest rock'n'roll.

The epic tone of \"E-Street Shuffle\", the vaudeville rhythm of \"Wild Bill's Circus Story\", the infectious rock'n'roll of \"Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)\" which will become a live staple, the guitar and organ solo that make \"Kitty's Back\" an authentic gem, and the ballads \"Sandy\" and \"Incident On 57th Street\" in addition to the aforementioned \"New York City Serenade\": this is the universe of a masterpiece that over thirty years after its release retains its original vibrancy and demonstrates once again how Bruce Springsteen has been the true guardian of classic rock'n'roll and American musical tradition over the past thirty years.