Chimes of Freedom

Tracks (4CD) Next time you find yourself debating the worth of Bruce Springsteen, pull out this brilliant four-disc outtake set. With a flick of his grease-monkey wrist, Springsteen proves--simply by issuing long-unreleased material--why he's the most consistent (read: important) composer in ...	Magic Thirty-five years as a justifiable rock musician allows Bruce Springsteen an opinion on the state of over-the-air radio, and he takes it--and takes the medium to the woodshed on the ruthless "Radio Nowhere." The opening smash sets the tone, with the ageless Boss wondering, "Is th...	Live: 1975-85 (3CD) To say that Springsteen's live shows with the E Street Band were legendary is the height of understatement. On a good night, the set might extend to three and four hours of exhilarating, pulse-pounding rock & roll. How best to capture that on CD? Or was it possible at all? As it ...	My Hometown	Hammersmith Odeon, London '75 (2CD)
Live In New York City (2CD) If Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band were a playground basketball team they'd be the one made up of local legends that don't have as much spring in their legs as the young bucks, but get by on guts and guile. Culled from the two Madison Square Garden shows that closed out the...	Lucky Town	MTV Unplugged: In Concert Boss boosters who paid an import premium five years back to own this supposedly never-to-be-released-in-America live set won't be thrilled to see its mid-price release. The large, post E-Street band is solid but predictable, though all this set does is remind listeners of the bi...	Human Touch	The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle If Springsteen's debut, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. revealed just how ambitious a talent he was, it also fell just short of realizing those ambitions. No such problem with this, his second album. The Dylanesque wordplay is there, but with more narrative detail, as on "4th of...

Cool moments aside, this is only for the "die-hard" fans
Though its original release was meant to be a promotional EP for the "Human Rights Now!" Tour, of which Bruce and the E Streeters were a part of, we in 2006 can simply look upon it as Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band on tour circa late-80s. In my opinion, the music is so-so and could've relied a little less on the synthesizer effects. The "average" feel is nowhere to be seen, though, when Bruce performs "Born to Run" with nothing more than an acoustic guitar and harmonica. With the rock-n-roll version gone, we truly hear the lyrics in a completely different fashion, which, I think, serves as proof of Bruce's musical and lyrical talent. So, is it worth buying to hear an acoustic version of "Born to Run" (and a very moving version, at that)? Some would say "Definetely", others would say "No." I myself purchased the EP from a local music-store. Do I regret buying it, even if I only liked "BTR"? No? If I'd known I could download this version of "BTR" from the Internet, would I? Yes.

Ridiculously good
Just got hold of this again. This version of Born To Run is simply awesome. There is the original and then there is this version. Both reduce me to tears. Do as you will.

tolling for the aching ones
Bruce brings feeling like he means it to "Chimes of Freedom." Feeling behind those words produces great power. The rest of the disc is waste.

Better than Dylan
This entire CD is terrific, but the version of Chimes of Freedom transforms the Byrds pop tune into a classic. Most artists covering Dylan tunes wreck them. The Boss makes a good song great -- the height of his power.

A fine addition to the Springsteen catalogue
"Chimes" is a really fine little record. It was originally released for the benefit of Mr Kite - no, wait, Amnesty International - and it opens with a powerful, slow rendition of "Tougher Than The Rest", rolling along like a monolith, all thunderous drums and vibrating bass notes from the keyboards of Roy Bittan and Danny Federici.Then follows the first release of the excellent rocker "Be True" (which showed up on "Tracks" ten years later), and a six-minute cover of Bob Dylan's "Chimes Of Freedom" (a few verses are cut, otherwise it would have been a ten minute version).Bruce Springsteen, it has been said, grew up wanting to be either Roy Orbison or Bob Dylan, and his muscular rendition of "Chimes" is nothing less than majestic. His powerful baritone voice is at the very forefront of the mix, and he sings the first two verses accompained only by piano and synthesizer, before drummer Max Weinberg comes in at the beginning of verse three.It's still Springsteen driving the song along, though. The drums seem to be trying to keep up with him all through the next four verses, and they finally give up and fall silent for verses seven and eight, only to reappear as the song winds down.Finally we are treated to an acoustic, Dylan-esque version "Born To Run", harp and everything. And like Dylan, Springsteen significantly alters the melody, making the song moodier, darker, more pessimistic. This is a fine concert souvenir. Not an absolutely essential purchase, perhaps, but an enjoyable one nonetheless, and impressive for as long as it lasts.