Badlands
A Tribute to Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska
Sub Pop
Thirteen tracks, thirteen artists. Bruce Springsteen has never sounded so good. Taking songs from the best of the Boss’s releases, Nebraska, this tribute shines. I’ve always liked Nebraska (and The River), but never like this… and I’ve met a few people who have decided to give Springsteen a try based on this CD. With artists like Crooked Fingers, Damien Jurado, and Johnny Cash… you know there’s something good to be covered. Starting out with Chrissie Hynde singing the title track, the mood is set for a series of personal takes on these American classics. There are many critics, but regardless, Springsteen created some brilliant musical photographs, and inspired many others. Hank III hits a more upbeat honky tonkin’ “Atlantic City,” while Crooked Fingers puts out an indie rocked Tom Waits-ish “Mansion on the Hill” that threatens to be the best song on the album. Not that the offerings from Los Lobos (“Johnny 99”), Son Volt (“Open All Night”), and Aimee Mann (“Reason To Believe”) aren’t good, it’s just that nothing hits me as hard as Eric Bachmann’s voice, until we get to the last song, and Damien Jurado sings “Wages Of Sin” like a heartbreak.
Sub Pop, P O Box 20645, Seattle, WA 98102, http://www.subpop.com
