10 Greatest Live Rock Albums Since 2010
6. Bruce Springsteen - Springsteen On Broadway
For all his fist pumping bluster, Bruce Springsteen has always been better when he calms things down. His acoustic record Nebraska remains at the top of the heap, and here, with just himself and a few instruments (and a couple of charming guest spots from wife Patty Scialaa) he puts on one of the best shows of his career.
Springsteen’s Broadway residency was the hottest ticket in town circa 2018, and this recording shows exactly why. The Boss is a masterful storyteller. Each track comes with an introduction, and he really performs, giving a powerful origin story to the E Street band before “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out”, weaving in his family on “My Hometown”.
Bruce does justice to the likes of “Born In The USA”, bringing the oft-misinterpreted stadium track closer to its original, gloomy, anti-war intention - with atmospheric slide guitar intro, it might be the best version on record. If he reinvents the odd track a little more than he needs to, with a Dylan-esque disregard for meter, when he finally ends up on a swaying, booming “Born To Run”, it’s clear this risk has paid off.