Album Review: “The Wild, The Innocent & the E Street Shuffle” By Bruce Springsteen

Album Review: “The Wild, The Innocent & the E Street Shuffle” By Bruce Springsteen | I Love Classic Rock Videos

The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle - Bruce Springsteen / Youtube

Bruce Springsteen wasn’t gonna buckle to the pressure of other big names in the rock industry by the early ’70s. While his debut didn’t perform as successfully as his contemporaries, it still showed Springsteen’s ability to imbue his personal thoughts into words and music that would be instrumental in bringing change in rock’s thematic landscape. He released The Wild, The Innocent & the E Street Shuffle in 1973 to further expand his horizons and bring forth some of the most iconic material in his career.

The album opens with “The E Street Shuffle”, which uses horns to welcome the listener to a jazzy blend of instruments while a noticeable Wah effect is used to add texture to the driving bass of the song. It also showcases Springsteen’s decent guitar skills as soon as the vocals end in the song. Following it is “4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)”, talks about an undying love to a person he lost with summer boardwalk themes, with accordion accents coming in at the right times to hint at Springsteen’s musical legacy. Next is “Kitty’s Back” is a great guitar-driven rocker that has him stapled at the instrument, while “Wild Billy’s Circus Story” provides a contrast with its slight decrease in energy, although it is still a great listen overall.

“Incident on 57th Street” is one of the prime cuts of this record, driven by an amazing combination of piano, organ, and guitar progressions, not to mention the evocative lyrics and delivery that none could match. Next is “Rosalita”, another great song that exemplifies Springsteen’s energy and carries a driving rhythm with unique saxophone accents embedded into it. Lastly, the album closer “New York City Serenade” is a lengthy jam that tells the story of a city girl’s exhilarating life, complete with top-notch instrumentation and vocal delivery to boot.

The Wild, The Innocent & the E Street Shuffle offers a glimpse into Bruce Springsteen’s quick transition from a neophyte into an accomplished singer-songwriter, sharing the events from where he took inspiration and projecting it from his lens.