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Live In New York
04/03/2001 7:00 PM, Yahoo! Music
Chris Morris
Unlike Springsteen's multi-disc 1986 concert anthology, which covered a decade of road work, this two-CD set commemorates a specific set of dates: the Boss's series of 2000 shows with the reunited E Street Band at Madison Square Garden. As such, the album delivers a considerable emotional punch the earlier box lacked. Back in front of a large crowd for the first time in years in one of its fan strongholds, the group plays and sings over their heads here; virtually every number carries a spine-tingling charge. The repertoire is a carefully selected mix of regrooved warhorses (like Springsteen's bluesy take on "Born In The U.S.A."), half-forgotten but wonderful marginalia ("Lost In The Flood," anyone?), and newly-penned epics (the affecting "Land Of Hope and Dreams" and the furious "American Skin" are both rousing highlights). Appropriately bracketed by "My Love Will Not Let You Down" and "If I Should Fall Behind," this powerful set restates Springsteen's great showmanship and generosity of spirit, and the sheer force of his magnificent band. Simply one of the best live albums imaginable.
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