July 2005
It is the human details in Springsteens songs that make them ring true. In "Reno" a man visits a prostitute but cant shake the memory of a former lover, while in "Long Time Comin" another man lies next to his pregnant wife and sees hope in his future. Springsteen, a lapsed Catholic, still believes in hope and grace. It follows that "Jesus Was An Only Son" says more about its subject than does a lot of contemporary Christian music. Devils &Dust is a spare recording compared to those Springsteen has done with his E-Street Band, but its not as bare bones as Nebraska or The Ghost of Tom Joad. Brendan OBrien (who co-produced) and other musicians bring some valuable touches to the songs. The CD sound is sharply etched, but the PCM stereo on the DVD side is spacious and has a much deeper soundstage. Springsteen comments on the songs on the video portion of the DVD and performs them on acoustic guitar. Even for an artist as consistently brilliant as Bruce Springsteen, Devils & Dust is a singularly moving, resonant disc. GO BACK TO: |