At the risk of sounding heartless, it has to be said that September 11 has already inspired some truly awful tribute songs (stand up Messrs. McCartney, Michael and Young). When the authentic voice of blue collar America devotes an entire album to the subject, however, the music world sits up and listens. And, as you might expect, Bruce Springsteen's first record of original material for seven years is a serious, dignified piece of work that commands both your attention and respect. Wisely, he makes no attempt to deal with the politics of the situation, writing instead from the perspective of ordinary working people and cataloguing the loss of those whose lives intersected with the hijacked planes on that day of infamy. The Rising also marks the return of the Boss's original E Street Band, making it Springsteen's hardest rocking album since his mid-80s heyday. Unfortunately it has one major fault: at an exhausting 73 minutes The Rising is way too long, and frequently sounds as if a truly great record is struggling to escape from the musical flab that surrounds it. Less than a full-blooded triumph, then. But worth hearing? Definitely.
