Weitere, meiner Meinung nach äußerst vielversprechende Neuigkeiten! Glücklicherweise gab es gestern für das neue Album auch schon (wie er es seit der "The Rising" ja immer gemacht hat) die ersten öffentlichen Hörproben für erlesene Gäste... hier der Bericht von "Backstreets" mit dazugehörigem Foto von der "Listening Party":
THE SEEGER SESSIONS: A FIRST LISTEN & LOOK
Bruce on hand for March 7 preview at BB King's
It's a party, folks. Played with traditional instruments like banjo and fiddle, the sounds on Bruce Springsteen's upcoming Columbia Records release, We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions, conjur images of an old-fashion hootenanny. Sound wise, think more along the lines of The Band and the collaboration between Wilco and Billy Bragg for the two volumes of Woody Guthrie compositions rather than Springsteen's contribution for the covers of Seeger songs in 1998. At a March 7 advance listening party for the album, Springsteen said the songs are equal parts "street corner, parlor, church, and gutter."
Along with Patti Scialfa, Jon Landau and Sony chief Don Ienner, Springsteen was on hand in New York City to preview the record on Tuesday night. Following five songs from the album and several from the DualDisc, Springsteen remarked that folk music was a way for people to "look forward." At the same time, he said the raucous sessions -- recorded live in his New Jersey farmhouse -- reminded him of the eclectic sounds of his early career. Springsteen said he initially met members of the ensemble when he hired them to play at a party at his home; the DualDisc footage, directed by Thom Zimny, suggests that the sessions carried that vibe nicely.
The songs played on Tuesday night, including "Jacob's Ladder," "Pay Me My Money Down," "Old Dan Tucker," and "Mary Don't You Weep," sounded upbeat and energetic; even "We Shall Overcome" seemed to have a little more kick to it than his downcast version included on 1998's Where Have All the Flowers Gone?
The kickoff for the April 25 release, held at Lucille's Grille inside B.B. King's in midtown Manhattan, had an equally loose feel. When the audio failed during the first song, Springsteen moved through the crowd to the stage, then joked that it was worth the trip from New Jersey to see Don Ienner trying to fix the audio -- "Do I record for one of the biggest record companies in the world or what?" -- and invited his guests to make themselves at home at the bar.
The audio for the second half was much better, and in stereo, and gave a glimpse of what his upcoming tour might look and sound like. Some may be expecting a sparse records of four-minute songs, but the mood conveyed by the DualDisc is that of a regular house party, with Bruce really letting the band stretch out and play. One attendee asked Springsteen afterward, "I would never bring my 2 year old to a D&D show. Can I bring her to this?" Bruce replied, "Oh yeah, bring the whole family for this. It's going to be a good time!"
[Blockierte Grafik: http://www.backstreets.com/Assets/Images/newsBBKbruce.jpg]