We Take Care of Our Own by Bruce Springsteen

Christmas has come and gone. It is cold outside and in this drafty house none too warm inside. It feels like it will never be warm again. It is hard to be positive and look to better, warmer days.

Fortunately we now have a precursor of good things to come. Today we hear the first single from the soon to be released, on March 6th, Bruce Springsteen album. My wife and I have already been discussing if we think he will get close enough for us to see him and what venue he might play. We saw him three years ago at The Comcast Center in Foxboro and although our seats were not as close as we might have wished one can never really complain about a Springsteen show.

On this first single Springsteen sounds like, well Springsteen. For all the talk of his working with a new producer, a Pearl Jam drummer and other new influences this song does not stray too far from what one expects. I listened to it twice on first lesson and the song has a strong intro and Bruce is serious, almost drawing a line in the sand, stating that We Take Care of Our Own.

Of course his argument could be the contrast between the songs title and what is happening in many places in the country. If this is another socially concious album then this first single does nothing to dissipate that rumor.

New Bruce can never live up to old Bruce. It is just impossible for him to get to the level of intensity he had years ago and his core fans will never like new music like the songs that are in their DNA from the last 30 to 40 years. Still it is a holiday when Bruce gives us anything new and this song, this album, and this tour gives us lots to look forward to on a cold winter's night.