One of the cool gifts I got for xmas was Bruce Springsteen's "The Rising." This is his first album with his old band (though the name on the CD is just Bruce Springsteen, no mention of the E-Streeters), and I would've normally run out and bought it. But I was apprehensive, I guess, because I thought it would be a bit of a downer, and too intense in the wake of 9/11 and his performance of "My City of Ruins" from the show that took place after 9/11.

I'm glad to report that this album is a perfect blend of songs, some that could be considered "downers" but none of them that could be considered bad. All of them intense, in their own way. I'm sorry I waited so long.

My favorite so far is "Worlds Apart," which has lots of cool things going on in it, not the least of which is this voice/speaking-in-toungues going on in the background, a rocking guitar solo, and harmonica. Great lyrics, too -- "Where the distant oceans sing, and rise to the plain / In this dry and troubled country, your beauty remains" -- that have great imagery, though the context of heartbreak and the "troubled country" that's "'Neath Allah's blessed rain" makes me think the song takes place somewhere in, say, Afghanistan. And the last stanza starts out "We'll let blood build a bridge, over mountains draped in stars," which could be taken a couple different ways. A powerful song. Bruce frickin' rocks.

I have to say, I've been a Bruce Springsteen fan since high school (how many bands and artists can YOU say that about? that's serious longevity). At one point I had almost all his albums on cassette, so now I'm trying to catch up with CDs. His old stuff has wonderful, heartbreaking blue-collar stories ("The River" especially) that really inspired me. I've been alternating between listening to the new CD and the Boss's Greatest Hits album. All of his stuff holds up amazingly well. And he's never sold out or dumbed down his lyrics or focus (although "Dancing in the Dark" comes awful close!).

Bruce also has his own web site, which is at www.brucespringsteen.net. I like that ".net" instead of ".com." Me and the Boss, we think alike, you see. ;) Later!