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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
His career currently on a roll, Magic reunites the Boss with employees, the E Street Band and it is terrific--a highlight in a long and illustrious catalogue. Brash and noisy and a lot of fun, Magic is packed with great, thoughtful songs. The stately "Your Own Worst Enemy" sounds full yet eschews histrionics, the atmospheric "Gypsy Biker’ has a strong melody to match, first single "Radio Nowhere" is an unlikely country-rock thrash and "Livin’ in the Future" has all the swing of "Cover Me", but without the drawback of dated production. In fact much of Magic nails that old Phil Spector trick of cramming a lot of blokes (and birds) into a small room, and getting them to play simultaneously. Given that the E Street Band are big blokes these days, the effect is magnified. Not only does Springsteen successfully recapture a sound that once seemed exotic, the same can be said of lyrics such as "Girls in Their Summer Clothes" and "Long Walk Home", rueful and distant and all the more believable than the evocative yet lifeless mini-film scenarios he once specialised in. The Sopranos has redefined the image of New Jersey over the last decade (Bruce and band even pose like a mob in their clubhouse, especially Steve Van Zandt), but Springsteen has reclaimed local pre-eminence with this excellent collection. Pulling off the rare combination of excitement and maturity, the grown-ups are really having a good time. --Steve Jelbert
Product Description
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN Magic (2007 UK 11-track CD album - Produced and mixed by Brendan OBrien Magic is the first new studio album by Bruce and the E Street Band since 2002s Grammy Award-winning multi-platinum album The Rising [which was alsoproduced by OBrien]; includes the download single Radio Nowhere presented in sealed & stickered gatefold card sleeve)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
45 of 48 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I can only echo all the postive reviews elsewhere on Amazon - I've just listened to this for the third time since downloading it today and it's clear that this is a truly wonderful return to form for Springsteen. I'm a lifelong fan, but I have to admit I didn't care much for his folky Seeger sessions stuff. This goes back to what he does best, upbeat, melodic rock with great lyrics and that unmistakable "Boss" sound. It's more immediate than The Rising (which I rated his best since Darkness), and a highlight for me is the way they've let the Big Man (Clarence Clemons)loose with his sax on a few songs, especially "You'll be coming down" , "Living in the Future" and "Long Walk Home". Just a joy to hear that sax belting out, but I wish they'd really give him a long solo again like on Junglelands. My favourite tracks hasgot be Girls In Summer Clothes - I deny anyone not to be captivated by the opening 30 seconds - pure wall of sound with the 12 string guitars and one of Springsteens best melodies ever. I'll Work For Your Love and Your Own Worst Enemy are close seconds in the favourite stakes.
Not a duff track on this set at all, The Boss shows all the rest how to produce a well-crafted rock album. Don't listen to anyone who says its tired or boring - they ain't got a clue.
Buy it, crank up the volume, and fall in love with Springsteen all over again.
Not a duff track on this set at all, The Boss shows all the rest how to produce a well-crafted rock album. Don't listen to anyone who says its tired or boring - they ain't got a clue.
Buy it, crank up the volume, and fall in love with Springsteen all over again.
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I am a Springsteen fan, a completist and I think that this album stands alongside any of his not inconsiderable back catalogue. A genuine all killer no filler album. Some less charitable magazine reviews bemoan the mix of the folky troubadour Bruce and the E Street band backed "Cool Rockin' Daddy" Bruce. I prefer to consider this as welcome variety. This album has loads of variety, perhaps the best and most varied musically since the River.
Some tracks are instantly recogniseable as the Boss in harness with the E Street band, but make no mistake this never descends as it so easily could into pastiche. The subject matter is as varied as the music.
The well played (on Radio 2 anyway) Radio Nowhere opens the set with a punch, a good if unspectacular rocker, the lyrics do however measure up. This is followed by a number of songs which are among his finest. My favourites being Gypsy Biker and the beautiful Girls in Their Summer Clothes, traditional pre politicised songs which nod to their creators past and his influences. The political Bruce stand out is Last to Die, a great song with as pithy a lyric as anything on Devils and Dust.
Whilst there is much to enjoy in this album there is the niggling matter of Brendan O'Brien's production, it is not as engaging as The Rising. I don't really know why it just seems very " compressed" with no space between the instruments at all. Is it worth docking a star from the album of the year so far? I guess not. Perhaps this is part of my bigger bugbear with the Springsteen back catalogue which is for the most part the poorest presented of any major artist (except perhaps the Beatles which remains stymied by Apples arrogance and greed).
The Springsteen catalogue has never undergone the major remastering it is long overdue. Considering howmeticulous Bruce is about the finished product this remains a criminal oversight. Sony/CBS sort it out.
Some tracks are instantly recogniseable as the Boss in harness with the E Street band, but make no mistake this never descends as it so easily could into pastiche. The subject matter is as varied as the music.
The well played (on Radio 2 anyway) Radio Nowhere opens the set with a punch, a good if unspectacular rocker, the lyrics do however measure up. This is followed by a number of songs which are among his finest. My favourites being Gypsy Biker and the beautiful Girls in Their Summer Clothes, traditional pre politicised songs which nod to their creators past and his influences. The political Bruce stand out is Last to Die, a great song with as pithy a lyric as anything on Devils and Dust.
Whilst there is much to enjoy in this album there is the niggling matter of Brendan O'Brien's production, it is not as engaging as The Rising. I don't really know why it just seems very " compressed" with no space between the instruments at all. Is it worth docking a star from the album of the year so far? I guess not. Perhaps this is part of my bigger bugbear with the Springsteen back catalogue which is for the most part the poorest presented of any major artist (except perhaps the Beatles which remains stymied by Apples arrogance and greed).
The Springsteen catalogue has never undergone the major remastering it is long overdue. Considering howmeticulous Bruce is about the finished product this remains a criminal oversight. Sony/CBS sort it out.
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This is simply the best thing Bruce Springsteen has done in years. Think of all the best bits from The Rising coupled with echoes of Lucky Town, Born To Run, Devils And Dust and Tunnel Of Love, and you just about have it. Upbeat, stirring, melodic, wistful, elegiac - there's no filler here, just a stonking great album of classic Springsteen material. Best of all is 'Long Walk Home' which is worth the price of the album alone. If you have ever had the slightest passing interest in the great man, or you are a committed lifetime fan, just buy this album. You will not be disappointed.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Production ruined
This album has some great songs on it. Just hear Bruce and the ESB performing them live and you can hear that.
Unfortunately, the production here doesn't let you know that. Read more
Unfortunately, the production here doesn't let you know that. Read more
Published 4 months ago by J. Myles
Not quite magic.
First off - I love The Boss: I have only recently come to the religion that is Bruce Almighty but am steadily working my way through his various epistles. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Booklover
Music For A Summer Evening!
I've loved this album from the moment I heard it but strangely associated it with Winter as that's when I got it originally. Read more
Published 11 months ago by John Woodcock
Awesome
I won't waste words. If you like Springsteen, if you like good rock music, then listen to this album. A brilliant return to form. Not a bad track on it.
Published 13 months ago by Bill Morrison
pleasantly suprised
Made a couple of mistakes regarding this Cd firstly I didnt buy this when it was released, secondly I listened to other peoples opinions about the CD, they didnt think it was as... Read more
Published on 7 Mar 2010 by Mr. E. P. Mallon
The Boss can still do it..
This album's great! Took me a year of collecting dust before I realised it. Stick it on your living room stereo loud. Read more
Published on 31 Dec 2009 by A. Cottrell
Great songs, poor sound and production
I love the songs on this album. Radio Nowhere, Girls In Their Summer Clothes, I'll Work For Your Love and The Long Walk Home are potentially classic E St Band songs. Read more
Published on 24 Nov 2009 by vbhgft
Magic
`Magic' is a Sprinsgteen album with great song writing but diabolical production. Never has a Boss album sounded so flat and uninspired and you can tell this has been produced for... Read more
Published on 6 July 2009 by Spider Monkey
let down
bruces 2007 album is a bit of a let down,it sounds like a man that has lost some of his passion,the follow up is alot better thankfully,but this is a review of 'magic' and its a... Read more
Published on 10 Jun 2009 by sean paul mccann
Good but not classic Boss
A good new album, but not up to some of his previous stuff. I'd definitely recommend downloading the 'Radio Nowhere' MP3 though.
Published on 4 April 2009 by J. Reeves
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