The Boss: Seeger Sessions...AWESOME!

[BklynBlue]

As a dedicated fan since 1978 (with the release of Darkness On the Edge of Town) I will admit I was fully prepared to listen to the new disc once, file it, and patiently wait for the next release - (the folk music of Pete Seeger and those who play in that style bores me to tears)
what a fantastic surprise! This is the most amazingly "alive", joyous music that he has released on record in a long, long time.
It is impossible to listen to this album and not feel good. The music just flows so naturally. Compare numbers such as "O Mary Don't You Weep" or "Jacob's Ladder" with "Mary's Place" on "The Rising" - the latter feels forced, the type of concert set-piece that he can seemingly knock out in a few hours. The new numbers truly capture the joy of their creation.
"Pay Me My Money Down" is another highlight.
I have long felt that Springsteen was way too cautious in what he releases - I found myself wanting him to stop over thinking everything - with this release, recorded in a few days with little rehearsal, I believe he did just that and the strange alchemy that occurs when people get together to make music, just for the sake of making music, shines through in a way I have not heard since "The Basement Tapes"