Then came "Nebraska." Stark, down tempo, downright scary in places. I knew it was great, but I was a 19-year-old college sophomore. Me and my fellow rockers wanted, naturally, to rock. We listened. We went down in the well with Springsteen, but we needed more air, our limbs were loose and the night was calling.

By the time Bruce was ready to rock again, we'd moved on to The Talking Heads, Richard Thompson, Warren Zevon, Lou Reed, the Psychedellic Furs, The Blasters, John Prine, Marshall Crenshaw, REM, Bob Marley, plus standbys like Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Neil Young, the Stones, the Who, and Elvis Costello. And Bruce's 1984 release, "Born in the USA," just didn't measure up. It was watered down and amped up, it was large and anthemic at the price of depth and musical interest. Whereas "The River" sounded like a great band tearing it up and caught live in the studio (and mixed to perfection), "Born in the USA" sounded manufactured. Noel called it "Boring the USA."

Yet the CD was popular. Everyone was embracing our Bruce. But he wasn't our Bruce anymore. This was the world turned upside down. Bruce was supposed to be one of us. We were going to take on the world with Bruce leading the way, brandishing his guitar like the ultimate weapon to cut away the dross. Baby this town rips the bones from your back, but we were gonna get out, together. We were gonna tear down that sign on the edge of town that counts how many have fallen away to the price you pay.

Now, he'd left us. Dancing in the Dark? We hated it (synthesizers!?!) Born in the USA? Dull. Glory Days? Weak. What happened, Bruce? we asked. This may sound funny, but it hurt.

The Rising

With "The Rising," Bruce is back with his first studio album with the E-Street Band since that dark time. I'm married with two girls. I'm older than Bruce was when "Born in the USA" was released. Bruce isn't my idol anymore. He fell and crashed into a million pieces, and I did too. I've put myself back together, and I'm groping my way toward a more personal definition of adulthood. I see heroes everywhere now. The independent journalist, doctors, rescue and relief workers, my Mom and Dad, people doing the best they can with what they have.

Oddly enough, I think Bruce is in the same place. His new album is full of admiration for everyday courage, and it's amplified by casting that against the tragedy of Sept. 11. The album is filled with allusions to the event, images of blood, ruin, loss, empty bed, empty sky. Over and over, Sept. 11 is seen through the eyes of someone who has lost a loved one. And that person is praying that they, and by extension the country, can rise up and face evil down, not militarily, but personally, in their hearts.