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MojoNov 15, 2022Springsteen's choice of songs, especially in the deep tracks and left turns, also i=underscores a deeper retrospect and aspiration. [Jan 2023, p.82]
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Nov 9, 2022Not only does it shine a light on what inspires one of the greatest living American songwriters, it also works to preserve the greats of the past and ensures that the best music and stories continue to survive.
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Nov 8, 2022Without a doubt, ‘Only The Strong Survive’ exemplifies Springsteen’s unfaltering commitment to top-notch musicianship and production.
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Nov 8, 2022Admittedly, this is pretty much Bruce does karaoke, but when it’s done this well and with so much obvious love for the source material, it’s irresistible. Volume 2 can’t come quickly enough.
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Nov 7, 2022On Only the Strong Survive, Springsteen places his voice front and center, and his love for this timeless and joyous music is jubilant and infectious.
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Nov 4, 2022Even if the arrangements occasionally feel static in their mimicry, Springsteen’s voice shines and sparkles.
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Nov 4, 2022Springsteen has charisma and conviction to match anyone who has ever picked up a microphone, allied to a dynamic grasp of exactly when to ramp up and when to hold back, and he delivers these songs like they mean the world to him. In other words, he’s got soul.
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Nov 14, 2022He comes at these songs with an easy familiarity that tells you he didn’t need to spend a lot of time learning them, because he had long since absorbed them into his very bones. Also, the guy can flat-out sing, which is something he doesn’t get enough credit for. ... The one real knock against anything on Only the Strong Survive is that the definitive versions of most of these songs are so solid that even he can’t find much to improve upon.
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Nov 15, 2022There are times when, while applauding Springsteen's attempts to stay faithful to the originals, you wish he'd taken more chance. ... But that was not his intention, and it becomes hard to carp when he brings off something as triumphantly as his note-perfect version of Frank Wilson's "Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)". [Jan 2023, p.10]
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Nov 12, 2022It may be neither a classic Springsteen or soul album, and it may just be impossible to make a truly great album with such a familiar concept, but at the very least it stands as a passionate love letter to the sweet soul songs that helped shape both modern music and Springsteen himself.
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Nov 11, 2022It’s got character, and more than that, it’s got energy: Springsteen has never sounded quite so lighthearted, so unburdened, on record.
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Dec 8, 2022Ultimately, Springsteen’s new soul covers album goes at least a little way toward being a handsome declaration of a life’s inspiration and intention. But it should have been so much more than merely “covering” — and beyond mere survival.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 6 out of 8
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Mixed: 0 out of 8
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Negative: 2 out of 8
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Nov 16, 2022
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Nov 13, 2022superb album, as always, bruce is a true legend, i’ve love every part of it
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Nov 12, 2022