What I Am Listening To

You would have to look hard to find a more loyal fan of Bruce Springsteen. I have been listening to him since before I was ten, Born To Run the first album I bought on my own after getting a Sears record player for my seventh birthday. I have seen him in concert about a dozen times, raised my kids on his music, and I own every album he has made plus several bootlegs.

Springsteen on Broadway is the album soundtrack to the live show he performed on Broadway in 2017-18, and mirrors the Netflix film. I wish I had listened to the album without watching the Netflix special, as the album is rich with the storytelling and straightforward music that makes Springsteen such a forceful storyteller. That impact is weakened by the video, as the way he is filmed and edited only reminds you of his age and the unnatural arena in which he is playing. The album, though, is where the magic happens. You hear the emotion, the depression, and the struggle of the characters and the artist in both his narrative introductions and the songs. This is what makes Springsteen a legend, and what has kept me listening for over 40 years.