Unfortunately, it's not a very satisfying album. It's not half bad, or rather, it's about half good. The big mistake, to me, was to bring in producer Brendan O'Brien. I don't know anything about his work, but the production is atrocious. Waiting on a Sunny Day is a nice pop song, but it's nearly ruined by the tiring, pound-you-over-the-head sound.

When I read in my local paper that the Boss had updated his classic sound, I knew we were in trouble. Uh, oh, I thought, a producer is going to engineer it to appeal to what is perceived to be the sound people want to hear, circa 2002.

When I bought the CD (the day it was released), my fears were confirmed. Where is the E-Street Band, the guts of that classic sound? Any band could have produced this. It sounds like your average product from your average group of studio musicians. Where is Roy Bittan's bittersweet piano? How about a "classic" organ solo, as in the middle of Fade Away? Could we have a little more harmonica? Shouldn't there be something here that touches us as does the understated beauty of Independence Day?

Yeah, the band is there, but they are lost in the mix. These songs would have been well-served by a more stripped down sound. A little more music, a little less large pop gesture. Some songs couldn't be saved. Lonesome Day, which reaches for some kind of Born to Run wall of sound, is formulaic in the extreme, especially with its uninspired "it's alright" refrain. Further On is a hard, hard rocker with a plodding badump-bump base and thudding drums. The Rising is just okay, but again, the rock sound here is much more earth-bound than intended.

You're Missing, at least, proves the exception to the rule, as far as letting the band really put out some good music, including a great organ solo! And Let's Be Friends is a near-classic pop song, even if it does flirt with a generic beach band/motown sound. With My City of Ruins, Bruce returns to his soul music roots, to stirring effect.

I didn't like Countin on a Miracle at first, and I think that has a lot to do with the production. It's a driving rock song with crunchy guitars, which can be a good thing, but the syrupy production smears it all into sonic sludge. Despite that, you can hear a good rock song trying to break out, and the lyrics really get to the personal tragedy of losing a loved one and the struggle to find the strength to continue.

We've got no fairytale ending
In God's hands our fate is complete
Your heaven's here in my heart
Our love's this dust beneath my feet
Just this dust beneath my feet
If I'm gonna live
I'll lift my life
Darlin' to you