Search - Bruce Springsteen :: Greatest Hits

Who Is the Audience for This?

Eric Meyer | New York, NY | 11/10/1999

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I've been a huge Bruce fan for years, but I find listening to this CD frustrating. It's obviously not meant for existing fans -- we already have most of the tracks on the original albums, and the four new ones are hardly essential (although "Murder Incorporated" captures a small taste of the old magic, probably because it's a leftover from the days of "Born in the USA"). But is this really the album to make new converts? Hardly. The selections are skimpy and obvious, and some of the omissions really hurt -- how can a collection of Bruce's "greatest" singles not include "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out," "I'm On Fire" or "Tunnel of Love"? Beyond that, any real Bruce fan knows that many of his best songs were never released as singles, such as "Jungleland," "Racing in the Street," "Reason to Believe" and "Downbound Train." It's a measure of Springsteen's greatness as an artist that a collection containing this many songs still feels as if you're only getting the thinnest layer. My advice to old fans: Don't bother. My advice to new ones: Try almost any original Bruce album instead. This one is a good addition to a bar jukebox, but not for anyone's personal collection."

Worthwhile for New AND Old Fans

Baycity | Tarzana, CA USA | 08/17/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"'Best of' collections are always a bit dicey for old fans of an artist. After all, we already own all the albums these hits are culled from. And in the case of Springsteen, many of his best songs never had any radio play to speak of (e.g., 'Jungleland'). What's more, by starting off with Born to Run this album misses some great songs from his first albums (e.g., 'Growing Up')Yet I have to disagree with Madam Marie (review written 11/10/99) who questions why an existing fan would buy this CD. The reason is simple: sometimes it's fun to hear songs from throughout Springsteen's career in one sitting. It's a reminder of how his music has changed over time, of how his themes have evolved and of why he's in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And, as all these songs are familiar, it's a great CD for listening to during an hour's drive or working in the office on a Saturday or while working out. True, it lacks the depth and cohesiveness of one of his albums. And while these aren't ALL his greatest hits, they are some of them. So, for those new to Springsteen it's a fine introduction. For those already fans, it's a nice, easy-to-take package worth having."

Incomplete Collection For The Boss, But It's Great Music

Anthony Nasti | Staten Island, New York United States | 05/28/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Bruce Springsteen is one of the hardest artists to anthologize, since his music went through so many changes over the years. He started out as a Dylan - esque folk singer, then reemerged as a pop superstar, and finally a soft rock staple (thanks to the hit "Streets Of Philadelphia" from the move "Philadelphia"). "Bruce Springsteen - Greatest Hits" is an 18 track collection of his career up to 1995, and tries to give a brief overview of each stage of his career. It succeeds to a point, since it does leave a lot out, and makes a good starting point for beggining Springsteen fans.



Unfortunately, his early years (1975-80) are represented by only three tracks. "Born To Run" is an obvious opening track, and it still remains one of the greatest rock songs ever written. I can honestly admit that I never really enjoyed "Thunder Road" but I do think "Badlands" is an excellent song. However, I was extremely disappointed that thye did not include my favorite song from this era, "Rosalita". This omission is almost unforgivable and I almost deducted an entire star for this omission.



His pop years get the most representation. This is probably my favorite Springsteen era, since it includes all of my favorites: "Hungry Heart", "Dancing In The Dark" (the song with the video with Courtney Cox) and "Glory Days" rank as my all time favorite Springsteen songs. I also really like "Brilliant Disguise". There are some other big hits that should be here (namely the top ten hits from "Born In U.S.A." left off as well as "Tunnel Of Love"), but I'll get to those later.



His later years are covered well. "Streets Of Philadelphia" is a great song, and I like "Human Touch" as well. The three new songs with the E Street Band, however, I didn't really get into, with the exception of "Secret Garden", which became a top twenty hit two years after this album came out.



As I said, this collection is far from perfect. There are many hits left off, including "Rosalita", "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out", "Fade Away", "Cover Me", "I'm In Fire", "I'm Goin' Down", "War", "Tunnel Of Love", and "One Step Up". Here's my idea for "The Best Of Bruce Springsteen":



1.Born To Run

2.Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)

3.Badlands

4.The River

5.Hungry Heart

6.Atlantic City

7.Fade Away

8.Dancing In The Dark

9.Cover Me

10.Born In The U.S.A.

11.I'm On Fire

12.Glory Days

13.I'm Goin' Down

14.My Hometwon

15.War

16.Brilliant Disguise

17.Tunnel Of Love

18.One Step Up

19.Human Touch

20.Better Days

21.Streets Of Philadelphia

22.Secret Garden



I do understand that some of these tracks will have to be edited to fit onto one cd, but that's fine with me, since it will be the definitve Springsteen collection. Until then, however, this collection will do just fine.

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