Bruce Springsteen - We Shall Overcome - The Seeger Sessions

I know what you're thinking. What in the world is super-rocker Bruce Springsteen doing being reviewed on a country music site? Well, "The Boss" occasionally takes a trip back in time to consider rock's roots. This disc is a powerful collection of mostly traditional/public domain ballads, folk classics, and foot-stomping mountain roots tunes is a whole heck of a lot more country than anything Rascal Flatts has ever done. So kick off your shoes, get out on the porch, grab some iced tea, & enjoy.

It's always nice when an artist decides to give a solid nod to the roots of their own music, and few can do so better than Springsteen, who is as tremendous an artist as they come. Gathering together a few musicians, some great old songs, and just playing them as they happened- all the songs were recorded "live," in three sessions, without rehearsal, with arrangements happening as they played- Springsteen has put together an album so traditional, so folksy, so rootsy, you can't call it anything but country.

Drawing on songs mostly in the public domain that many artists other than Pete Seeger played and recorded, Springsteen delivers a surprisingly homespun picture for a Jersey boy. With old-timey tunes like "Old Dan Tucker" and "Froggie Went A'Courtin'," it's hard to imagine this is the same guy who rocks out in major stadium shows. Still, Bruce's honest voice carry these tunes remarkably well, especially such fair as "My Oklahoma Home" and "Pay Me My Money Down." His gravely growl is perfect for the Irish anti-war weeper, "Mrs. McGrath," and lays surprisingly well for the southern homage "Shenandoah."

There's plenty of fake cowboys singing songs they're calling country out there; very few of them are as authentic as Springsteen's magnificent collection of honest, heartfelt, folk. This is tradition. This is roots, and this is Americana. Listen and enjoy.