The River

( 5 )

Editorial Reviews

All Music Guide - William Ruhlmann
Imbedded within the double-disc running time of The River is a single-disc album that follows up on the themes and sound of Darkness on the Edge of Town -- wide-screen, midtempo rock and stories of the disillusionment of working-class life and the conflicts within families. In these songs, which include the title track, "Independence Day," and "Point Blank," Bruce Springsteen's world-view is just as dire as it had become on Darkness, but less judgmental. "Independence Day," for example, is a father-and-son ballad that has little of the anger of its hard rock counterpart on Darkness, "Adam Raised a Cain." Springsteen's heroes again seek to overcome their crushing ...
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More About This Product

Editorial Reviews

All Music Guide - William Ruhlmann
Imbedded within the double-disc running time of The River is a single-disc album that follows up on the themes and sound of Darkness on the Edge of Town -- wide-screen, midtempo rock and stories of the disillusionment of working-class life and the conflicts within families. In these songs, which include the title track, "Independence Day," and "Point Blank," Bruce Springsteen's world-view is just as dire as it had become on Darkness, but less judgmental. "Independence Day," for example, is a father-and-son ballad that has little of the anger of its hard rock counterpart on Darkness, "Adam Raised a Cain." Springsteen's heroes again seek to overcome their crushing troubles through defiance and by driving around, and though "The River" repeats the soured love theme of "Racing in the Street," he also posits romance as a possible escape, sometimes combining it with one of the other solutions, as on the eight-plus-minute "Drive All Night." But there is also another album lurking within The River, and it is a more lighthearted pop/rock collection of short, sometimes humorous songs like "Sherry Darling" and "I'm a Rocker." At times Springsteen combines elements of the two, as on "Out in the Street," perhaps the album's quintessential song, a catchy, uptempo number that sounds like something from the early '60s and echoes the theme of the Vogues' 1966 hit "Five O'Clock World." "Hungry Heart," which became Springsteen's first Top Ten hit, combines a rollicking musical track with a more sober lyrical theme that emphasizes longing over disappointment. But a better guide to Springsteen's development are the songs "Stolen Car" and the album-closing "Wreck on the Highway," gentle, moody ballads imbued with a sense of hopelessness that anticipate his next record, Nebraska.
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Product Details

  • Release Date: 10/25/1990
  • Label: Sony
  • UPC: 074643685429
  • Catalog Number: 36854
  • Sales rank: 3,260

Tracks

Disc 1
  1. 1 The Ties That Bind (3:34)
  2. 2 Sherry Darling (4:03)
  3. 3 Jackson Cage (3:04)
  4. 4 Two Hearts (2:46)
  5. 5 Independence Day (4:50)
  6. 6 Hungry Heart (3:19)
  7. 7 Out in the Street (4:17)
  8. 8 Crush on You (3:11)
  9. 9 You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch) (2:37)
  10. 10 I Wanna Marry You (3:30)
  11. 11 The River (5:01)
Disc 2
  1. 1 Point Blank (6:06)
  2. 2 Cadillac Ranch (3:03)
  3. 3 I'm a Rocker (3:36)
  4. 4 Fade Away (4:46)
  5. 5 Stolen Car (3:54)
  6. 6 Ramrod (4:05)
  7. 7 The Price You Pay (5:29)
  8. 8 Drive All Night (8:33)
  9. 9 Wreck on the Highway (3:53)
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Album Credits

Performance Credits
Bruce Springsteen Primary Artist, Primary Artist, Primary Artist, Primary Artist, Bass, Guitar, Harmonica, Piano, Vocals, Guitar (12 String Electric)
Clarence Clemons Percussion, Saxophone, Vocals, Background Vocals
Roy Bittan Organ, Piano, Keyboards, Background Vocals
Danny Federici Organ, Vocals
Howard Kaylan Vocals, Background Vocals
Garry Tallent Bass, Horn
Steven Van Zandt Guitar, Vocals
Mark Volman Vocals, Background Vocals
Max Weinberg Drums
The E Street Band Group
Steve VanZandt Guitar
Technical Credits
John Wesley Harding Composer
Bruce Springsteen Composer, Producer
Ken Perry Mastering
Bob Clearmountain Engineer
Neil Dorfsman Engineer
Jimmy Iovine Engineer
Jon Landau Producer
Steven Van Zandt Producer
Jimmy Wachtel Art Direction
Frank Stefanko Cover Photo
Steve VanZandt Producer
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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 5
( 5 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(4)

4 Star

(1)

3 Star

(0)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)

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Sort by: Showing all of 5 Customer Reviews

  • Posted July 5, 2012

    more from this reviewer

    The River was the first Springsteen album I really liked. It was

    The River was the first Springsteen album I really liked. It was a transition between his earlier kids and cars songs and the mature poet of the middle class he became. The jazz influence was waning when he recorded this album. Many of the rockers now seem a bit slight and the story songs are the ones that hold up. If I was making a personal Bruce best-of, The River, Point Blank, and Wreck On The Highway, Independence Day, and The Ties That Bind would be on it. Many of these songs appear in superior versions on his live recordings.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    BEST CLASSIC ALBUM EVER!!!!

    I LOVE SPRINGSTEEN! I'VE BEEN A FAN FOR 27 YEARS, AND WILL ALWAYS BE! "THE RIVER," IS AN ALBUM THAT ROCKS!!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    One of the best rock'n'roll records ever!

    This record is brilliant. One smash hit after another. If you like Springsteen, you would love this one. It is a must-have for his fans.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 25, 2008

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted February 14, 2011

    No text was provided for this review.

Sort by: Showing all of 5 Customer Reviews