Towards the end of 2016, Bruce Springsteen had just released his much-anticipated autobiography, Born to Run, and completed The River Tour, which celebrated the thirty-fifth anniversary of his hit 1980 album, The River. A well-earned break was presumably on the cards for the then sixty-seven year old. However, he instead began an eight-week residency at the Walter Kerr Theatre in N.Y.C. which then turned into a two-year stay, celebrating his life through his songs, his piano and guitar, and his stories. In addition, the recording features a special appearance by Patti Scialfa.

Interspersed throughout the collection of highlight reels are his tales of his motivation, his upbringing, his faith and his family. It is clear his loving mother and a difficult relationship with his father played a role in the creation of subject matter for his songs. When he went looking for characters to inhabit his stories he needed to look no further than those closest to him. He wears his father’s clothes and lives his father’s grind of a life in his songs. It is the ultimate testament to a man he could not relate to. As he has said: ‘Now, I’ve never held an honest job in my entire life. I’ve never done any hard labour. I’ve never worked 9.00 to 5.00. I’ve never worked 5 days. I’ve never seen the inside of a factory yet it’s all I’ve ever written about. Standing before you is a man who’s become wildly successful writing about something of which he has absolutely no personal experience. I made it all up. That’s how good I am.’

Yes, that is indeed how good he is. We have heard these songs before. Fans would say many times before, but my god, the power and emotion in his voice and the conviction in his stories is something magical.

Lou Fulco is from Readings Hawthorn.