From joy to despair:
new releases and reissues by Bruce Springsteen, Magic Sam, Otis Rush, Steve Bassett
and Tim Buckley

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Live In New York City, Columbia Records

After many years apart, Bruce Springsteen reformed his E Street Band in 2000 for a massive tour that netted millions and appears to have re-energized the Jersey-based rock icon’s career after a couple of low key, low-selling acoustic efforts. Rumors flew that Springsteen agreed to the tour to put badly needed funds into the pockets of some of his former bandmates. After taking in this double disc and watching the recently aired HBO concert of the same name, I suspect there’s some truth to that rumor. Springsteen appears to be going through the moves and motions without much enthusiasm at times, particularly on older tunes, like “Badlands,” and “Prove It All Night.” The E Street band sounds as tight as always, belying their years apart. Despite Springsteen’s dearth of enthusiasm, this is a well-rounded set that includes classics like “Out In The Streets,” “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out,” “Born In The USA” and the epic “Jungleland,” mixed with newer songs like “If I Should Fall Behind” and “Mansion On The Hill,” plus two new ones, the controversial “American Skin” and “Land Of Hope And Dreams.” Both songs feature a gloomy, unsettled vibe that permeates a significant portion of these two compact discs. Springsteen’s marathon live shows were always joyful celebrations of rock ’n roll and the trials of everyday life. There was always hope, even in the darkest hour. After listening to Live In New York City, with its tightly choreographed set list, absence of spontaneity and preponderance of melancholy, I have to wonder where the real excitement went.

Magic Sam, The Essential Magic Sam, The Cobra and Chief Recordings, Fuel 2000 Records

Magic Sam Maghett has attained legendary status over the years since his premature death in 1969 at the age of 32. One of the most fiery young hotshots of the West Side Chicago school of blues guitar, Sam incorporated sound effects like tremolo and echo and frequently exhibited a strong sense of R&B in his playing. This reissue covers his earliest sides for the small Cobra and Chief labels, prior to his groundbreaking pair of albums for Delmark Records, both now considered blues classics. What’s most remarkable is Sam’s already well developed sense of drama, mixed with raw emotion, as he takes on several styles of music, including blues, R&B, rockabilly and even country & western. Blues fans, if you’ve never experienced Magic Sam, check this one out, and get a copy of West Side Soul on Delmark as well. Fuel 2000 Records, 6607 Sunset Blvd., 2nd floor, Los Angeles, CA 90028

Otis Rush, The Classic Cobra Recordings, 1956-58, Fuel 2000 Records

Otis Rush is another West Side Chicago blues guitar legend, whose early sides for Cobra are now also available on Fuel 2000. Rush has never attained the stature of John Lee Hooker, B.B. King or Buddy Guy, but his lack of luck and widespread success does nothing to diminish the power and depth of soul highly apparent on these, his earliest recordings. Rush, who is still active today, has come close, but has never really equaled these Cobra releases, despite several very good attempts over the years. Any blues fan would be wise to check this disc out. Many of the tunes were written by bassist/composer Willie Dixon, and yes, the disc contains a clunker or two. All in all though, this is truly the best of Otis Rush.

Steve Bassett & The Mystic Soul Bubbas, Party In A Box, Sunzup Recordings

Steve Bassett, one of the blackest white R&B singers you will ever experience, has released a long overdue disc on the North Carolina-based Sunzup Records that is already a bona fide hit with the Beach Music/Shag crowd of North and South Carolina and Virginia. With his eyes now set on recognition within the blues and R&B world, Bassett, who makes the lion’s share of his living doing jingle work for some of the largest corporate clients in the world (Anheuser-Busch, McDonald’s, American Airlines, etc) is readying a new band to tour in support of Party In A Box. It’s an upbeat, fun collection of classic style R&B and funk, with Bassett on lead vocals and Hammond B-3 organ, plus guest stars like Delbert McClinton on blues harp, Nashville session guitarist and former member of Steppenwolf, Larry Byrom, saxman Jim Horn and many others. Bassett sounds energized, the band cooks, and the songs are catchy and danceable. If you need a musical boost, Steve Bassett’s Party In A Box is the way to go. Contact stevebassett@mindspring.com for more information.

Tim Buckley, Morning Glory-The Tim Buckley Anthology, Rhino Records

I was a teenager when WOR-FM, the first FM rock music station broadcasting in the metropolitan New York area, began in 1967, and I spent a lot of time lying on the floor in my parent’s living room, listening to the gigantic piece of furniture that was their stereo record player and radio. WOR was a free-form format without restrictions. My favorite DJ was Rosko, a hip black man who played everything from Circus Maximus, to The Blues Project, to The Chambers Brothers, to Tim Buckley, whose galvanizing epic “Goodbye And Hello” perfectly fit the eclectic nature of FM rock radio at that time. Although I liked that track, I never explored Buckley’s music much further. Morning Glory-The Tim Buckley Anthology makes me regret all the incredibly deep, thoughtful music I missed years ago. Buckley was a true musical iconoclast, who never limited himself to any particular style. Although he tried hard to make commercially accessible music for the masses, he was largely unsuccessful, and despite 10 critically acclaimed records, sank into depression and foolishly messed around with heroin, an overdose of which finally caused his demise in June, 1975. This two record set highlights Buckley’s sometimes angelic, sometime menacing voice with adventurous music, and sets the record straight on this extremely talented but tragic musician, whose work encompassed folk, blues, soul, rock, Celtic, classical and atonal orchestral music. Buckley’s gone, but the music thankfully lives on with this Rhino reissue. Indispensable. Rhino Records, 10635, Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025-4900.

Next time: new releases by John Hammond, Shaver and Maria Muldaur.