Magic is a major work in Springsteen's spectacular discography and stands tall with the best albums of his career.
Bonus Tracks:
Josh Hathaway:
Mark, I hear the flashbacks of Darkness. I also hear the grand productions of Born to Run, and the gusto of Born in the USA. "Gypsy Biker" would never fit on Nebraska, but that mournful harmonica sure as hell would have. Come to think of it, it's not too different from the harmonica on "The Promised Land" (which is God's favorite song). Sonically and lyrically, this is about as good as it gets.
Lisa, you really have the pulse on the lyrical themes. This does not sound like the Bruce who believes in "The Promised Land" (which is still God's favorite song). The Rising was a lamentation of the losses of September 11th. Magic is the bitter disappointment and shock at the events that followed, events that go much deeper than George Bush and Iraq (although he's not happy about that, either). This is about who we've become, what we care about, and who we care about. It's about the presence of fear and the absence of trust. It's about the absence of anyone worthy of our trust. These themes are timely and timeless, and Bruce has written an album that is the same.
Mark Saleski:
You're both right (and when have I ever said that before?!). Bruce's themes have taken a different turn, and there are corresponding musical shifts as well. Lisa mentions the opening to "Your Own Worst Enemy," which brings up a musical point that I've neglected to mention: the usage of descending melody lines during the opening passages. They're also used in "I'll Work For Your Love" and "You'll Be Comin' Down." To my ears, this adds a mist of somber to an already pensive collection.
Still, we can't conclude that Bruce's mood has gone rigidly serious. While Josh makes a great point that the lyrics don't directly connect themselves to particular events, Bruce did in fact list many concrete problems in his quick "Livin' In The Future" introduction — yet, just before the last clanging chord of "American Land," he shouted out "Long Live Happiness!!" I couldn't agree more.
Lisa McKay:
We're obviously all on the same page with this one (much more than we were over The Seeger Sessions), so can we agree to agree?
Article comments
1 - El Bicho
Good job all around, gang. I am curious to check out this album even though I didn't like the bland, boring "Radio Nowhere" at all.
The main thing I took away from this article is that Lisa doesn't write enough.
"but that's another day on Donahue."
How does the youngest member come off sounding like the oldest?
2 - Lisa McKay
Thank you, El B.
We like to think of Josh as being wise beyond his years :)
3 - JC Mosquito
Thoughtful and accurate - and I still wish we could combine all the Magic comments in one place.
4 - Josh
Agreed, El B. The dark cloud in the silver lining of our site's success has been the absence of Lisa and Eric Olsen as writers.
5 - Glen Boyd
I think that I've finally figured out the word that best describes this record:
It's bittersweet.
Its kind of like that same feeling you experience at something like a high school reunion, where you reconnect with long lost friends, only to realize that so much has happened that you can never really go home again.
Yes, I know I babble somewhat. I'm just home from a work related trip to Oregon, and in all likelihood I'm gonna have to go back next week.
But FUCK! I love this album!
I played in nonstop during my just completed (1:40 Am) trip.
So tell me, whats the initiation fee to join the roundtable (other than getting Josh to kinda like me like I think the rest of ya do?)
-Glen
6 - JC Mosquito
Bingo! Dead on, Glen. If there's a prize for shortest and most accurate review, it's yours fer shure.
Sk.
7 - mahesh
Ever felt you were dying of thirst and couldn't find a drop anywhere? I stopped listening to music when I stopped listening to Springsteen.That would be sometime after The Ghost of Tom Joad came out.I dont know what Magic means to Springsteen but to me it is that oasis that has quenched my thirst, atleast until the next great Sringsteen album.
8 - Ananda
Mahesh,
Do stop by at Devil's and Dust and We Shall Overcome.
You'll be more than pleasantly surprised.
Take care.
9 - Josh
I just re-read this and it brought a big smile to my face. This is such a great record and writing about Bruce with you two is about as much fun as writing can be.