Massimof

ILovemusic, perfect. However, there's something that doesn't add up in your reasoning: so why did you give a 4 to this review that is based 2/3 on personal considerations? I'm not criticizing your rating of the album at all.

The Punisher, just to be clear, I also agree that your review is "technically" well-written and lively.

What does "why do you say Massimof" mean? I invite you to read my posts about what Springsteen has done and written since Born In the Usa, including the one about the song 41 shots.

Very good, I join in.

ILOveMusic... "sitting on the laurels of Born In the USA"? You are another "just right" for this review.

For the song American Skin (41 Shots)... the unfortunate Black man by the police wanted to pull out his wallet as will later be established. That is, after with this move he was riddled with 41 shots without having done anything. I remind you that this is a true story. Here is a passage from the song:
Is it a gun, is it a knife
Is it a wallet, this is your life
It ain't no secret
It ain't no secret
No secret my friend
You can get killed just for living
In your American skin
41 shots
Lena gets her son ready for school
She says "on these streets, Charles
You've got to understand the rules
If an officer stops you
Promise you'll always be polite,
that you'll never ever run away
Promise Mama you'll keep your hands in sight"

This is truly impressive and full of talent! It amazed me because it had been a long time since I felt such raw emotions from music. Just one doubt: will he be able to compose more than 50 albums all of this caliber (his project, if I'm not mistaken, is precisely to compose one album for each state of the USA)?

To finish my version of the facts about Springsteen (whom I’ve followed for decades, having seen 6/7 concerts), it’s bare and simple: Springsteen has made money but still sings (with mixed results) about the things he believes in. Real and cruel things like the victims of a terrorist attack (The Rising) or the unfortunate Mexican people crossing the border dreaming of the American dream (The Ghost of Tom Joad) or people losing their jobs (many of his albums). Forget the stereotypes of stars and stripes! Always inform yourself before judging anything.

I don't feel like a "poor Italian" and I don't expect from him the "stereotypes" that we Europeans want to hear "from an American." I'm an Italian who works, and when it comes to the USA, I've been keeping up with essays, newspapers, and books for decades. These expectations come from those who haven't understood anything about Springsteen; in fact, worse, from a general perspective, it seems to me that you've only scratched the surface. You've denigrated so much just for the sake of denigration. What does it mean that everything is fake and that's good enough for us??? Now you must give me the name of a truly "real" singer for you. I mean this review seems to come from someone like Berlusconi (or D'Alema, Bertinotti, Fini, Casini), when from a stage and addressing an audience, rallying the assembly, they seek an easy applause by throwing just a lot of smoke in people's eyes and especially nonsense that the audience, weak, malleable, and unwilling to pick up any old newspaper to inform themselves, wants to hear. You've said many false things, either hearsay or worse, biased for a virtual applause from someone who, stopping at the "surface" of things, with some petty grievance inside like an average Italian, agrees with you.

Ehmmmm.. I’m clearing my throat (or rather, my pen)... because I’m not quite sure where to begin. So I’ll just go for it. Your review, to put it simply, I don’t like it at all, especially because it’s based on your personal assumptions, often completely made up for pure show. To start, I don’t understand how you can criticize his behavior and way of living in a review of his album. You don’t like the album, that’s fine! Write it, write about the songs… but when I read "serves two masters" about someone who violently opposed Ronald Reagan in the ’80s, the then big shot president, because he said that "Born in the USA" was a song for true patriots and he replied that he didn’t understand a damn thing in front of an audience of 80,000 people! When I read "novello arlecchino servitore di due padroni" about someone who wrote a song "American skin 41 shot" violently against the American police who fired 41 gunshots at a poor unfortunate Hispanic man who was taking out a cell phone, costing him the lawsuit and the disapproval (resulting in the withdrawal of his tour security!!!!) from the American police. Someone who went on a tour to get rid of that idiotic and dangerous Bush Junior. A tour done with other singers like Neil Young, putting himself on the line.