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I first heard tracks from this album on BBC Radio 3 (Late Junction show presented by Verity Sharp) and was knocked out. This is the only Bruce Springsteen CD I have bought; I can wholeheartedly say it is excellent value for money. Not only does it come backed with a DVD of the making of the album, also a booklet with complete lyrics and credits, and with lovely captions describing the historical contexts of each anthem. Basically divided in two parts: the crowd arousing sing-a-long songs on the one hand, and the slower more introspective and cerebral re-workings on the other. The playing is virtuoso from start to finish, reminding our musical memories that these songs are interlaced in this country's historical musical fabric. If you take an interest in the history of North America, based on that reason alone this album is worth investing in. Certainly these songs have their roots in history and thanks to the astonishingly good musicianship of Bruce and his band, these songs are reborn and live again, as they now take root in the gardens of our souls.Read full review
I had the original release of this album and loved the music. I purchased this as a gift and I was very surprised to only receive one disk in the album as the original album had two disks. I would have preferred the two disk as I am not a fan of dvd on one side and cd on the other side. Too easy to scratch one side or the other.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
I loved the fact tha Bruce Springsteen can take another mans songs and turn them in tohis owne. His singing was on top, his ability to turn a old gridy song into something special is great.I decided to by this becuse my wife who is a distant cousin to Bruce springsteen , buy marriages long ago, she does genealogy on her family andthe sprinsteens tye in, and she is a huge Bruce Springsteen fan, I made her happy by buying this for her she listens to alot.My only disapointment was not seeing any of the E-Street band, otherwise this disk was incredible.
To the uninitiated, some song titles may seem irrelevant. We sang them as kids, unmindful of their history. This collection changes all that. In Springsteen's evolutionary hands this tribute to Pete Seeger's work springs from deep wells of the long struggles of American life, the noble heritage of the common working man and woman. From the stevedores on the docks to the men who walked hundreds of miles pulling barges downriver, to the sailor maimed at sea to the civil rights marchers, Springsteen and his well chosen, excellent band have taken these humble songs about simple people and made their stories our own in a way that few, if any, could have achieved. And these folks had a blast doing it, too. The collection has heart, it has soul, it uplifts, illumines, weeps, rejoices. And it astonishingly ROCKS! It is impossible to sit still during "O, Mary, Don't You Weep" or "Pay Me My Money Down". Infused with Springsteen's meticulous craftsmanship with arrangements, a complete resurrection of this nearly lost music is beautifully accomplished. Recorded nearly spontaneously devoid of electronic distortions, in his family farmhouse, the band of close knit friends brought the music back to its pure essence of mobility and immediacy. It is not merely a novel idea. Although it may seem a radical departure from previous big budget rock productions, thrift certainly wasn't the aim here, rather a genuine intimacy of creating undiluted music, playing these songs the way they were meant to be played. Springsteen's recurrent themes of disillusionments and redemptions, his role as political activist and historian are well served with these selections. Delivered with trademark passion and tenderness, it is infused with energy and reverence for those who came before. Exposing this music to newer and larger audiences, the video was premiered on the Country Music Channel, but it would be hard to classify it as "country music" or "folk" or "spiritual". It is hard to classify it at all and that may be the point. I've seen people who hadn't liked Springsteen prior to this CD become so enamored of it, guys in their twenties rockin' to it and honest-to-God even nursing home residents wanting it played over and over! Personally, I believe that this work is one of his very best. It is not merely another CD to add to the pile, but an important contribution to the history of American music. It reawakens a spirit, a strength, that we desperately need. A revisiting of who we are and where we come from. As individuals and as a nation it seems imperative in these murky days.Read full review
I saw a program on PBS that featured Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band playing what they billed as The Seeger Sessions. I was carried away by the excellent job they did with the old folk songs that were a apart of the Pete Seeger collection. What really impressed me was the total jump from the typical music of Bruce Springsteen. His voice is perfect for these great old songs! I looked right away on Ebay for a CD that would match up with the PBS special and found the "We Shall Overcome" Seeger Sessions dual disc CD. Love it, love it, love it! The flip side of the CD is a DVD with video of the recording sessions to put this CD together. What fun! If you are interested in seeing Bruce Springsteen in a private personal setting in action working out and recording, you must get this CD. It's a grass roots look at a grass roots work. You will love it too! The music is phenomenal!Read full review
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