ALBUM REVIEW
Springsteen and Only The Strong Survive
A fan’s review of Bruce Springsteen’s latest covers album with a few ‘buts’ to discuss
Only The Strong Survive is polished and professional and the songs are wonderful. Springsteen gives it his all vocally; he doesn’t know any other way.
You can feel a but coming. There are a few buts.
The professional critics and fan’s views
The music press gave Only The Strong Survive fairly favourable reviews but without the full-on enthusiasm they normally give his albums. His previous album, Letter To You, rightly got 5 stars in the UK’s Times and NME for example.
This covers album has good reviews but with some niggles about the somewhat static and thin arrangements, the over-production and a sometimes synthetic-sounding backing.
Fans on social media were more divided than the critics with many saying it was another classic but others echoed John Murphy’s comment in MusicOMH that the album is “Springsteen does karaoke.”
That may be overly harsh but there are certainly moments on the album when he strays dangerously close to a Vegas residence feel and a couple of times when he steps right over that line.
