The Essential Bruce Springsteen

iTunes Review

While it's virtually impossible to distill the essence of a musical artist with a vision so sweeping and grand into a 30-song collection (with a bonus 12 obscurities added to the deluxe edition), The Essential Bruce Springsteen is not a bad place to get acquainted. Springsteen's obvious hits are here: "Born to Run," "Hungry Heart," "Dancing In the Dark," and "Born In the U.S.A.," along with the songs that made his live performance legacy: "Rosalita," "Thunder Road," "Jungleland." There's the addition of the non-LP tracks "Philadelphia," "American Skin (41 Shots)," and the bonus group includes "From Small Things (Big Things One Day Come)" that became a hit for Dave Edmunds, the Nebraska-era B-side "The Big Payback," live versions of "Trapped," "Held Up Without a Gun" and "Code of Silence," an acoustic version of "Countin' On a Miracle" and a playful cover of "Viva Las Vegas." The best tracks from lesser known albums are spotlighted ("Lucky Town," "The Ghost of Tom Joad") and every aspect of the man's legacy is acknowledged from the dramatic storytelling of "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)" and "The River" to the rock anthems "The Promised Land" and "Lonesome Day." It's all Bruce.