Despite the acclaim accorded Born to Run and Darkness on the Edge of Town, this is the album that broke Springsteen into the big leagues, thanks to “Hungry Heart”, then his most pointedly commercial song; it had new fans swooning but some old ones grumbling for the “poetic” Springsteen of days gone by. Not to worry–though more economical lyrically, The River had something to offer nearly everyone: There’s old-time bar-room rock (“Sherry Darling”), empathetic character studies (“The River”, “Stolen Car”, “Independence Day”), passionate rockers (“Out in the Street”), dramatic ballads (“Point Blank”), and even a couple of good-natured goofs (“Cadillac Ranch”, “Crush on You”, “Ramrod”). A sprawling double-disc set, The River offers proof that Springsteen could do it all and could do it better than virtually anyone else. –Daniel Durchholz
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HAVE PLAYED THIS FOR 33 YEARS AND STILL LOVE IT…!!! So, where do you start? How about a youth club disco in the Summer of 1980 where someone bought this double album in and, at the end he played Point Blank probably five times to a small crowd left behind. Like others have written I’ve gone from double album (gatefold sleeve – still have it upstairs) to cassette in my Golf GTI to CD now and an I-Tunes version.Listen to it properly – in the order Bruce and Little Steve laid them down, savour the melodies, the haunting lyrics of midtown America in the 80’s; redundancy, teenage pregnancies, borrowing cars, stealing cars and reflecting on loves lost. It’s difficult to select a favourite track – obviously The River and Point Blank stand out as sombre, coming of age stories. Sherry Darling is a hoot and Cadillac Ranch immediately produces a vision of Burt Reynolds in his Black Trans Am from Cannonball Run (I think).33 years on its still as relevant as it was when I was 18, and I can confidently say I’ll be listening to it for the remainder of my years – until I end up in the Cadillac Ranch…
MAJESTIC ROCK These songs are no less than majestic, lyrically and melodically. The singing and playing are equally impressive and convey the various moods of the album so well. The ecstasy, the joy and the sadness of life are captured here with an honesty very rarely matched in the annals of rock. The Ties That Bind, Sherry Darling and Hungry Heart are passionate rockers, while Independence Day is a mournful ballad full of reminiscences and regret. Point Black is a slow ballad, whilst Cadillac Ranch and I’m A Rocker are blistering slabs of energetic rock. Fade Away is a slow and anguished rock ballad with beautiful piano work and a stirring arrangement, while the sad and fragile Stolen Car almost sounds like something from Nebraska. Traditional rock ‘n roll rears its pulsating head on Ramrod, while the next three songs all have cars and driving as their theme: The Price You Pay is sombre and melancholic, Drive All Night is sad and soulful, and this masterpiece of an album concludes with the sorrowful Wreck On The Highway, one of Springsteen’s most moving songs. In its dignified resignation, acceptance and the renewed appreciation for loved ones that it inspires, it reminds me of Lou Reed’s The Bed or Song For My Father by The Angels Of Light. This album is so great, it’s almost too much to digest in one uninterrupted session.