Bruce Springsteen -- The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle

8/10

Springsteen's sophmore effort is thicker and a bit darker than its predecessor. Though two songs shorter, it's ten minutes longer.  He doesn't abandon any of the sounds from his debut, but adds a little more guitar effect on some songs and really more of everything considering all but three of the tracks are more than seven minutes long.  While this gives Bruce a bigger canvas to paint his stories, some of these songs undoubtedbly do go on a bit too long.  Though the energy rarely flags, it's clear that this album would have made a better forty minute listen than forty-eight. TWTIATESS (why is it so fun to do that?) does pay off almost every flagging moment, though, and rounds out solidly. 


1973 Columbia
1. The E Street Shuffle 4:31
2. 4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy) 5:36
3. Kitty's Back 7:09
4. Wild Billy's Circus Story 4:47
5. Incident on 57th Street 7:45
6. Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) 7:04
7. New York City Serenade 9:55