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Bruce Springsteen: Only the Strong Survive

 A l b u m   D e t a i l s


Label: Columbia Records
Released: 2022.11.22
Time:
 51:02
Category: Soul, R&B
Producer(s): Ron Aniello, Bruce Springsteen
Rating:
Media type: CD
Web address: brucespringsteen.net
Appears with:
Purchase date: 2023
Price in €: 2,00





 S o n g s ,   T r a c k s


[1] Only the Strong Survive (J.Butler/K.Gamble/L.Huff) - 2:59
[2] Soul Days [feat. Sam Moore] (J.Barnett) - 3:58
[3] Nightshift (W.Orange/D.Lambert/F.Golde) - 4:56
[4] Do I Love You [Indeed I Do] (F.Wilson) - 2:27
[5] The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore (B.Crewe/B.Gaudio) - 3:44
[6] Turn Back the Hands of Time (J.Daniels/B.Thompson) - 3:07
[7] When She Was My Girl (L.Gottlieb/M.Blatte) - 3:17
[8] Hey, Western Union Man (J.Butler/K.Gamble/L.Huff) - 3:53
[9] I Wish It Would Rain (N.Whitfield/B.Strong/R.Penzabene) - 3:24
10] Don't Play That Song (A.Ertegun/B.Nelson) - 3:34
[11] Any Other Way (W.Bell) - 2:54
[12] I Forgot to Be Your Lover [feat. Sam Moore (W.Bell/B.T.Jones) - 2:28
[13] 7 Rooms of Gloom (Holland-Dozier-Holland) - 2:39
[14] What Becomes of the Brokenhearted (W.Weatherspoon/P.Riser/J.Dean) - 3:31
[15] Someday We'll Be Together (J.Bristol/J.Beavers/H.Fuqua) - 3:33

 A r t i s t s ,   P e r s o n n e l


Bruce Springsteen - Vocals, Background Vocals, Keyboards on [5], Guitar on [6,10,11], Piano on [7], Producer

Ron Aniello - Bass, Drums, Guitar, Percussion on [1-10,14,15], Piano on [1-6,8-15], Organ on [1-4,6-8,10-15], Vibraphone on [1,4,6,8,9,13,14], Keyboards on [3,5,7,8,10-13,15], Glockenspiel on [4,7,12], Background Vocals on [5], Chimes, Timpani on [14], Producer

Ed Manion - Baritone Saxophone
Tom Timko - Baritone Saxophone
Bill Holloman - Tenor Saxophone
Clark Gayton - Trombone
Barry Danielian - Trumpet
Curt Ramm - Trumpet
Soozie Tyrell - Backing Vocals on [1,4,6]
Lisa Lowell - Backing Vocals on [1,4,6]
Sam Moore - Background Vocals on [2,12]
Curtis King Jr. - Background Vocals on [3,7-10,13-15]
Dennis Collins - Background Vocals on [3,7-10,13-15]
Fonzi Thornton - Background Vocals on [3,7-10,13-15]
Michelle Moore - Background Vocals on [4,6]
Rob Mathes - Conductor on [4-10,12,14,15]
Lisa Kim - Concertmaster, Violin on [4-10,12,14,15]
Clarice Jensen - Cello on [4-10,12,14,15]
Patrick Jee - Cello on [4-10,12,14,15]
Sophie Shao - Cello on [4-10,12,14,15]
Danielle Farina - Viola on [4-10,12,14,15]
Devin Moore - Viola on [4-10,12,14,15]
Rebecca Young - Viola on [4-10,12,14,15]
Annaliesa Place - Violin on [4-10,12,14,15]
Dasol Jeong - Violin on [4-10,12,14,15]
Joanna Maurer - Violin on [4-10,12,14,15]
Kristi Helberg - Violin on [4-10,12,14,15]
Kuan Cheng Lu - Violin on [4-10,12,14,15]
Sein Ryu - Violin on [4-10,12,14,15]
Sharon Yamada - Violin on [4-10,12,14,15]
Su Hyun Park - Violin on [4-10,12,14,15]
Suzanne Ornstein - Violin on [4-10,12,14,15]
Rob Lebret - Guitar on [8]
Technical

Ron Aniello - Production, Mixing, Engineering
Rob Lebret - Mixing, Engineering
Andres Bermudez - Engineering on [2,12]
Bob Ludwig - Mastering
Jon Landau - Executive Production

 C o m m e n t s ,   N o t e s


Recorded at the Thrill Hill Recording, New Jersey, US



Only the Strong Survive may be the first time Bruce Springsteen has recorded an album dedicated to soul and R&B, yet those styles have always been present in his music, welling up in the rhythms and outlook of the E Street Band at their most jubilant. This persistent, evident love of soul means his decision to cut a collection of covers of R&B chestnuts isn't surprising, nor is it a shock that the 15 songs chosen for this 2022 comp demonstrate deep knowledge and good taste; those traits have been a constant throughout Springsteen's career. The unexpected thing about Only the Strong Survive is how it's essentially a two-man show between Springsteen and co-producer Ron Aniello, who plays every instrument save brass, woodwinds, and strings. There are also occasional backing vocals, along with two guest spots by Sam Moore, but the basic tracks are all studio creations of Aniello, who expertly re-creates the sounds of Motown, Philadelphia International, Stax, and Chicago's uptown soul. His mastery in crafting the tracks inadvertently illustrates the distance between the originals and the covers; those oldies crackled with the magic created by a bunch of musicians in a small room but these digital wonders feel studied and airless, even if they do sound good. The lack of additional musicians does mean that all the attention is placed on Springsteen's performance and, thankfully, he sounds quite good. He knows how to play with his diminished range, knows how to get a good growl going, knows how to croon without getting saccharine -- skills that help keep the proceedings lively. It's enjoyable enough that it takes a minute to realize that Springsteen and Aniello aren't exactly re-interpreting these 15 songs: they're merely playing them for a lark. That's enough for a good time but once Only the Strong Survive fades out with the last notes of "Someday We'll Be Together," there's not much that lingers behind in the memory.

Stephen Thomas Erlewine - AllMusic



Bruce Springsteen does soul… it’s always been there; The Boss has always been a fantastic soul singer, but has always gravitated towards his own brand of anthemic heartland rock. But, truth be told, his soul roots have never really been fully explored, until now. Yes, there have been flirtations with other genres on 2006’s covers folk-Dixieland infused album ‘We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions’, but ‘Only The Strong Survive’, his 21st album, is a deep dive into the world of soul, Tamla and R&B.

Bruce’s new album is a carefully curated collection of his most loved soul and R&B covers which is diversity personified. This isn’t a straightforward ‘best of’ Motown/Stax compilation, it’s an astute sonic journey through a genre that has always resonated with The Boss.

This nostalgic recollection focuses on executing the songs from some of the great soul singers which includes Dobie Gray, Jerry Butler, David Ruffin, Roy Orbison, The Commodores and more.

What’s unequivocally clear is Springsteen’s passion for this genre is the care and enthusiasm he has for this collection. ‘Only The Strong Survive’ is a love letter to the genre of the American soul songbook that shaped him in his formative years.

It’s also an ideal opportunity for a new audience to discover glorious discoveries from a rock ‘n’ roll stalwart. The raspy tones of Springsteen are still there, but there’s unabashed emotion, vulnerability and unbridled passion.

The lyric from the opening track (a cover of Jerry Butler’s ‘Only The Strong Survive’) almost epitomises Bruce’s feelings towards this style of music “I remember my first love affair…” You can really feel the love and care he has for these songs. This isn’t just a covers album, it’s a heartfelt tribute. This deep sense of feeling can also be felt on tracks like Dobie Gray’s ‘Soul Days’, with beautiful lyrics like “But my first love was always the songs…” and the richness and phrasing of Bruce’s voice really elevates this track.

Bruce takes us on a vibrant and joyful free-wheeling exploration of studied soul covers, all of which were recorded at Springsteen’s home studio in Colts Neck in the USA. One particular standout is a soul classic David Ruffin’s ‘What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted’, which is possibly one of the more obvious songs that have been included on this album. This is exquisitely done and the soaring majestic arrangement coupled with Bruce’s impassioned vocals really sets the tone of the album and is a polished yet tender reimagining of the song.

Without a doubt, ‘Only The Strong Survive’ exemplifies Springsteen’s unfaltering commitment to top-notch musicianship and production.

8/10

Emma Harrison
CLASHMUSIC REVIEWS - 08·11·2022



Bruce Springsteen has said he wanted to do an album where he “just sang”, and to do justice to the great American songbook of the 60s and 70s. The book he’s reading eulogises the soul classicism of Stax, Motown and Gamble-Huff, so this love letter to his youth stands in contrast to his only previous covers album, 2006’s Pete Seeger tribute.

Within the big, serious-faced picture of Bruce’s significant career, it probably counts as a mere divertissement, a fun frolic. That said, it’s feasible its coffee-shop tastefulness could fluke humongous sales in the manner of, say, Rod Stewart’s karaoke sets.

Like most covers collections, it’s hit-and-miss. Obviously Springsteen’s having a great time, and loves the songs. Black music matters. And his musicians, including the E Street Horns and guest vocalist Sam Moore, cut it. But does he bring anything new to these remarkable standards? Only his committed voice, which rises to the undeniable urgency of The Four Tops’ 7 Rooms Of Gloom and Frank Wilson’s northern soul banger Do I Love You (Indeed I Do).

Yet sometimes his boom and gusto upset the delicate poise of a beauty like The Supremes’ Someday We’ll Be Together, which always transmitted its emotion with finely honed understatement and allowed Diana Ross’s quiet, quivering ad libs to hint, not holler, about the hurt. Tackling an Aretha Franklin hit also has risks, and on Don’t Play That Song he wisely avoids competing, but ends up treading water. What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted replicates Jimmy Ruffin’s original, conceding only a slight, respectful leeway for Bruce to decorate over its ending.

More Boss-like proprietorial presence can be found on The Temptations’ I Wish It Would Rain, but even so it shows less strutting flair than The Faces’ 1973 take. Similarly, his glide through The Commodores’ Nightshift is perfectly pleasant but doesn’t match the shuffling guile of Dexys’ deft delivery of the song, which inhabited more than imitated. And what can you do with The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore that the Walker Brothers didn’t already?

Again, Springsteen seems unsure whether to stick or twist, to copy with due reverence or to try different inflections because one’s expected to. He finds more traction with the Jerry Butler numbers, loosening his shackles on the title track. There are many less rewarding experiences than hearing Springsteen thirstily sing his favourite songs, but there’s a sense here that all concerned hope it would catch fire and amount to something more.

3/5

Chris Roberts
Classic Rock - November 11, 2022



The album’s title is, of course, mostly bluster. Despite its tough-guy posturing, Only the Strong Survive – Bruce Springsteen’s new record of old soul covers – deals in yearning and hurt, in summer nights remembered and love squandered. Its true theme is vulnerability. These, though, are tender moments delivered with the effusive, upbeat vigour of the soul revue segments of Springsteen’s live shows and the Boss’s lived-in, barrel-chested growl: a very feelgood record about feeling bad.

The title track, Only the Strong Survive, was originally recorded by former Impressions singer Jerry Butler in 1968; it finds a heartbroken Butler being consoled by his mother. She prescribes resilience and a brave face: you can’t just go to pieces. (It’s hard not to hear the veiled wisdom of the civil rights struggle here too.) Springsteen and his long-time producer Ron Aniello, who, in the absence of most of the E Street Band, plays the majority of the instruments, add oomph in the form of thrumming organ, a cadre of balmy backing vocalists and the E Street horns. You can hear Springsteen chuckling ruefully in the intro. His brawny vocal – that of an older man – contrasts with the protagonist’s youthful romantic despair.

Throughout his long and exuberant career, Springsteen has, naturally, paid tribute to a vast quantity of other people’s songs. Twist and Shout – the Top Notes via the Beatles – has long been a feature of his live sets. A glance at his gig statistics on Setlist.fm confirms his love for Jimmy Cliff as well as Patti Smith. Folk activist Pete Seeger has already been the subject of a previous Springsteen compendium, We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions (2006).

A striking feature of Only the Strong Survive, therefore, is that its 15 songs are not the cuts that Springsteen has been delivering with sweat-drenched abandon since the New Jersey club circuit. (There are live albums, bootlegs and YouTube for those.)

It’s a soul set without Soul Man, the Sam & Dave hit that Springsteen revisits regularly live, sometimes with Sam Moore himself guesting, although Moore features on two songs here, Soul Days and I Forgot to Be Your Lover, tracing a vivid songline back to the era. If this album’s November release date suggests it’s now open season on musical gift-giving, the mix of rarities (for Springsteen) with nailed-on tearjerkers (The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore, which follows the Walker Brothers’ version) feels generous. To add to the comfort and joy, everything here gleams with brass and bonhomie.

When Springsteen and Aniello first started this project in downtime, they codenamed themselves the Night Shift. It was a natural segue from there into a version of the Commodores’ Nightshift, one of many tracks here that were themselves written looking backwards. Nightshift, released in 1985, celebrates soul greats Marvin Gaye and Jackie Wilson, who both died the previous year. Vast swaths of Only the Strong Survive hymn old songs playing on the radio, wish they could have their time again with an ill-treated sweetheart. Springsteen is looking back on looking back; nostalgia, squared.


If there is a criticism to be made of this big-hearted wallow, it’s not only that the mood here is galvanising, rather than anything more subtle or bruised – witness the northern soul stomper Do I Love You (Indeed I Do), originally sung in 1965 by Frank Wilson – but that Springsteen is so lovingly loyal to his string-swept, sepia-tinted sources, rather than more artistically brave. There is no attempt to update, reinterpret or own any of this material as, say, the late Johnny Cash did on his series of records celebrating American music. You don’t want to say the k-word – karaoke. It would demean the skill and ardour of this persuasive set. But there could be a wider range of moods here.

For that, it helps to dig. On what is a big warm hug of a disc, two tracks stand out, not so much for Springsteen’s performances – rich, warm – but for their backstories. The final cut, Diana Ross & the Supremes’ Someday We’ll Be Together, looks forward to a time when two lovers might reunite. There’s a wry chuckle to be had here too. Although this song was credited to Ross and the Supremes, it was Ross’s first solo record and the track’s wistful longing for unity is rather ironic.

Motown lyricist Rodger Penzabene poured his heart out at his own partner’s infidelities into the words of I Wish It Would Rain, a Temptations track from 1967; he took his own life shortly after the song was released. I Wish It Would Rain is the shadow twin of the title track. On Only the Strong Survive, boys shouldn’t cry. On the Temptations cut, they do, and pray for showers to hide those tears. A little more rain could fall on this upbeat arrangement too.

Kitty Empire
the Guardian



Shortly after releasing his 20th album ‘Letter To You’ in 2020, Bruce Springsteen headed back into the studio. It was mid-COVID lockdown, and for the first time since ‘We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions’, his 2006 homage to Pete Seeger, The Boss was inspired to record songs he hadn’t written. Springsteen, producer Ron Aniello and engineer Rob Lebret – who christened themselves “The Night Shift” due to their unsociable working hours – got to work recording a compilation of cover songs, but they ultimately ended up tossing out the first draft. On their second try, however, Springsteen found a fertile theme that he wanted to explore.

“I’d spent my working life with my voice at the service of my songs, confined by my arrangements, by my melodies, by compositions, and by my constructions,” Springsteen said of the epiphany that led to ‘Only The Strong Survive’. “My voice always came second, third or fourth to those elements.”

Wanting to “challenge” himself and armed with the fresh, albeit somewhat knowing, revelation that “my voice is badass”, Springsteen and the rest of The Night Shift set about putting their own spin on a collection of American soul music classics, adding backing vocals, E Street Horns and full arrangements to “some of the most beautiful vocal music ever written and recorded”. The sessions resulted in a collection of 15 of the “most beautiful songs in the American pop sound book” written by singers and songwriters who, in Springsteen’s opinion, “are still underrated”.

On the title track Springsteen gives Jerry Butler’s original a raspier, Americana spin that still embraces the soulful vibrato and lump-in-throat delivery of the words: “Now there’s a whole lot of girls just looking for a good man like you / You ain’t never gonna meet ‘em if you give up now and say your whole life is through”.

On ‘Soul Days’, Springsteen taps up soul singer Sam Moore to lend his voice and harmonies to their cover of Jonnie Barnett’s story of falling in love with soul music. The track feels like a perfect fit on this album: as well as its overarching theme, its lyricism about daily American life, such as romanticising cruising down back roads and throwing on a pair of old blue jeans, seems like something The Boss could’ve written himself.

Springsteen’s version of the Commodores’ 1985 Motown hit ‘Nightshift’, which originally paid tribute to soul music greats Marvin Gaye and Jackie Wilson, sees each word still ringing true: “Gonna miss your sweet voice / That soulful noise on the nightshift / We all remember you, your song is coming through”. These lyrics almost serve as an explanation for why Springsteen decided to put together this compilation in the first place.

Springsteen’s vocal prowess certainly shines through on the heartbreaking ‘What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted’, but the original thread that made Jimmy Ruffin’s forlorn 1966 hit so affecting is still present. The album then ends on a high note with a take on Diana Ross and The Supremes’ optimistic ‘Someday We’ll Be Together’, keeping with the album’s overall theme and that timeless Motown magic of making heartbreak and yearning feel celebratory.

Creating a covers album can be a daunting prospect, as people tend to favour the original over the remake. But with ‘Only The Strong Survive’, Springsteen resurrects these classics as a means of celebration, pointing back to some of the strongest songwriters and vocalists of all time with 15 huge and heartfelt tributes, as opposed to just churning out shallow reimaginings. Not only does it shine a light on what inspires one of the greatest living American songwriters, it also works to preserve the greats of the past and ensures that the best music and stories continue to survive.

4/5

Erica Campbell
NME - 9th November 2022



There comes a point when many rock stars of a certain vintage, from Rod Stewart to Paul McCartney to Bob Dylan, drift into recording albums of standards. Their motivation sometimes seems less rooted in the music than in getting to wear a rakishly loosened necktie in publicity photos (looking at you, Rod). In fact, what’s often missing from these albums is any sense of connection to the songs themselves. By contrast, there’s Only the Strong Survive, Bruce Springsteen’s new collection of soul songs.

It’s easy to be skeptical: Here comes the rock ’n‘ roll avatar of the working class, wrapping himself in nostalgia for the music of his, er, glory days, blah blah blah. Yet the 15 songs on Only the Strong Survive are akin to getting a glimpse inside Springsteen’s process. In many cases, these sound like songs he studied, took apart and examined closely to see what made them work. There are echoes of many of them in his own music, which often contains a soul-like fervor that he has always delivered with the conviction of a true believer.

Maybe that’s why he totally owns the songs on Only the Strong Survive. This is no mawkish tribute album, nor some milquetoast paean to the past—Springsteen sings here with self-assured power. He comes at these songs with an easy familiarity that tells you he didn’t need to spend a lot of time learning them, because he had long since absorbed them into his very bones. Also, the guy can flat-out sing, which is something he doesn’t get enough credit for. Surely that’s because he injects so much of his own work with that wonderful stadium-rattling bombast, when he’s not murmuring stories of harrowing desperation. This time, freed of the weight of, well, being Bruce Springsteen, he can just let loose.

The one real knock against anything on Only the Strong Survive is that the definitive versions of most of these songs are so solid that even he can’t find much to improve upon. Not that he tinkers much: the musical arrangements aren’t far from the original versions. No matter: Springsteen sounds like he’s having a blast, even—or maybe especially—on the downhearted numbers, like “7 Rooms of Gloom,” which he turns into a rollicking celebration of heartache. The feeling of fun is contagious. He talk-sings the opening of the title track like he’s imparting his own mama’s wisdom, and Springsteen and Sam Moore (of the legendary soul duo Sam & Dave) lock in so tightly you’d think they’d been singing together for decades on “Soul Days” and “I Forgot to Be Your Lover.”

The ace band, which includes the E Street Horns and longtime collaborator Soozie Tyrell on backing vocals, stays right with Springsteen without crowding him, and the robust arrangement of strings, backing vocals and a nimble bassline on “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted” make it impossible to sit still. While most of the songs on Only the Strong Survive come from the ’60s and ’70s, “Nightshift” is an outlier from 1985. It’s an interesting choice: By then, Springsteen was a year out from Born in the U.S.A. and at his absolute height. Digging into the Commodores’ homage to Marvin Gaye and Jackie Wilson suggests that Springsteen never lost touch with the style of music that he had found so uplifting through the years. By giving new life to the songs on Only the Strong Survive, he’s returning the favor.


Eric R. Danton
Paste Magazine | November 14, 2022



There are Bruce Springsteen albums born of obsession and perfectionism, endless studio hours and piles of discarded could-have-been classics left in the vaults. There are others that arrive in sudden flashes of creativity, bolts of inspiration with the smoke still rising while you listen. And now there is Only the Strong Survive, a covers album he made in early lockdown during “off hours” at his home studio, where he recreated a selection of his favorite, largely obscure soul songs alongside producer Ron Aniello and engineer Rob Lebret.

Before you rush to judgment about another classic rocker taking the Rod Stewart route, it’s important to remember that covers have always meant something different for Springsteen. Whether he was turning a Jimmy Cliff reggae single into an arena-ready burst of tension and release, or digging through centuries of American folk music to craft his most playful and vibrant record of the 21st century, he has a way of not only telling us his favorite songs but also showing us how those songs make him feel. It’s a quality that’s allowed chestnuts like “Shout” to stand alongside, say, “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” and “Jersey Girl” as staples of his concert setlists for decades.

From the opening snare thwack of the title track, however, it’s clear that Only the Strong Survive is a less transformative endeavor. “Now I remember my first love—of course, the whole thing went wrong,” the 73-year-old announces in his warm crackle of a speaking voice, updating Jerry Butler’s original with only some slight variations in word choice and an actorly chuckle. From there, it’s almost note-for-note: the strings and backing vocalists, the walking bassline and mid-chorus fadeout. (A “Volume 1” on the cover indicates there’s more where these recordings came from, and it quickly becomes evident how he was able to be so prolific.)

The most surprising thing about Only the Strong Survive is the song selection itself, which ranges from classics like Jimmy and David Ruffin’s “Turn Back the Hands of Time” to relatively modern fare like Dobie Gray’s 2000 song “Soul Days” and later gems from groups like the Commodores (1985’s “Nightshift”) and the Four Tops (1981’s “When She Was My Girl”). For those with even a casual familiarity with Springsteen’s music, it will be obvious what draws him to this material. The arrangements share his penchant for grand catharsis and minor-to-major uplift, blues in the verse and gospel in the chorus. In the lyrics, there are Chevrolets, backroads, summer nights, and lost love. Even just glancing at titles like “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted” and “Someday We’ll Be Together,” the connections are so evident and obvious that he barely has to adjust them to put his own stamp on the music—and so he doesn’t.

In the place of his more characteristic touch is a confident, faithful, and occasionally synthetic-sounding accompaniment provided largely by Aniello as his one-man band. (Sam Moore of Sam & Dave makes two welcome appearances as a guest vocalist.) Since 2012’s Wrecking Ball and its grab-bag follow-up, High Hopes, Aniello has proven to be Springsteen’s most focused studio collaborator, seemingly pushing him to explore a specific element on each release. On 2019’s Western Stars, it was a wistful, melodic side of his solo songwriting, embellished with lush orchestral arrangements that felt like completely new territory. On 2020’s warm plate of comfort food Letter to You, it was the live-in-the-studio sound of the E Street Band: a familiar atmosphere that encouraged Springsteen to dig back into his catalog for abandoned songs he had yet to record with his bandmates.

On Only the Strong Survive, as Springsteen tells it, the focus is his voice. In an introductory video, he is practically shouting with excitement about the fruits of this exercise. (“I’m a good old man,” he says, cracking himself up.) You can hear what’s got him so hyped. From a gravelly whisper to a full-throated croon, a giddy roar to an anguished howl, the material allows him to explore the range of his late-career delivery, the same way his Broadway show could swerve between vulnerability and self-effacing humor without losing its narrative thread. There’s a jolt of comic desperation as he bellows “I live with emptiness” to kick off “7 Rooms of Gloom” and a sense of profound tenderness as he tells us it’s “gonna be all right” in “Nightshift.” He makes the nostalgia of “Soul Days” feel like a recollection of his formative years in Asbury Park, while it’s easy to imagine the regret of “I Forgot to Be Your Lover” situated between his own tortured chronicles of couples drifting in and out of each other’s lives.

On a record whose unrelenting brightness veers as close to Vegas as Springsteen has ever allowed himself—even 1992’s Human Touch, another largely upbeat collection with a similar set of influences, feels downright gritty by comparison—these moments of purpose help earn its place in his ongoing winning streak of studio work. It’s got character, and more than that, it’s got energy: Springsteen has never sounded quite so lighthearted, so unburdened, on record. It’s easy to think of a few ways he could have made this music feel more essential to his body of work—say, enlisting his E Street bandmates to help flesh some songs out—but at this stage in his career, he seems more driven by the act of creating itself: lighting a spark and watching as it grows, knowing someone, somewhere, could find a little hope in its light. After all, he reminds us, that’s what these songs provided for him.

Sam Sodomsky
Pitchfork | November 11, 2022



On paper, Bruce Springsteen recording an album of soul covers conjures visions of a tuxedoed Rod Stewart half-heartedly serenading suburban homemakers through in-ceiling speakers in their McMansions while preparing for their latest dinner party. That’s until you realize we’re talking about Bruce Springsteen here, and, love him or not, he never does anything half-hearted.

Like most musicians of his vintage, Springsteen grew up on AM pop radio when it was a tastemaker; when it exposed an entire generation to the Beatles, Stones, and Bob Dylan, but also the soul hits that came out of Motown, Stax, and Philadelphia International – the house built by Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff. All that music, in addition to Phil Spector’s wall-of-sound productions, informed Springsteen’s later work with the E Street Band. Now we have Only the Strong Survive, his payment of the debt to, and celebration of, the classic soul that filled the bedrooms and imaginations of so many of us.

To be clear, the track listing of Only the Strong Survive is not, as the press materials have suggested, strictly from the golden era of soul (the 1960s and 1970s). Springsteen looks to the early and mid-‘1980s for a latter-day hit from the Four Tops (“When She Was My Girl”) and the post-Lionel Richie Commodores’ homage to departed soul legends, “Nightshift”. The most recent cover is “Soul Days”, a blast of nostalgia written by songwriter Jonnie Barnett and recorded by Dobie Gray in 2000.

“Soul Days” exemplifies Springsteen’s approach to Only the Strong Survive. It presents this music as fun, celebratory, joyous, and close to religious testimony. In other words, not unlike a Springsteen concert. One could imagine many songs performed on the Boss’s upcoming tour with the E Street Band, as he’s peppered his sets with covers of some of rock and soul’s most durable classics since the beginning.

Only the Strong Survive could have easily gone the route of The Return of Bruno – Bruce Willis’ embarrassing vanity project from 1987 – with sterile, blue-eyed-soul takes of “Under the Boardwalk”, “Soul Man”, or any number of karaoke-bar staples we endure while downing pitchers of watered-down beer and jalapeño poppers. Instead, with a few exceptions, he steers clear of the overplayed and becomes the AM radio tastemaker of old, exposing a new generation – and some of his generation – to glorious discoveries such as Frank Wilson’s ebullient “Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)” and two from the legendary Stax songwriter/performer William Bell: the swaying confidence (and fantastic vocal performance) of “Any Other Way” and a powerful take on “I Forgot to Be Your Lover” with an assist by original soul man Sam Moore, of Sam & Dave fame (who also adds his inimitable joy to “Soul Days”).

Musically, this is the most joyous Springsteen has sounded on record without the E Streeters, with the possible exception of his other covers album, 2006’s We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions. Producer Ron Aniello handles most all keyboards, guitars, bass, and drums throughout with help from the E Street Horns; backing vocals from Soozie Tyrell, Lisa Lowell, Michelle Moore, Curtis King Jr., Dennis Collins, and Fonzi Thornton; and full string arrangements by Rob Mathes.

The musicians lovingly recreate the sounds embedded in the memories of everyone that’s grown up with this music: The dreamlike backing vocals that help recall the narrator’s father’s words in the Jerry “Iceman” Butler classic title track; the sweeping majestic arrangement that propels David Ruffin’s “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted”; the melodrama and tension that surround the Four Tops’ “7 Rooms of Gloom”; and the tentative, yet hopeful strings that summon a future of happiness in the Supremes’ “Someday We’ll Be Together”.

The familiar framework lays bare and adds pressure on, the centerpiece of all great soul music: the lead vocal. For this, the 73-year-old Springsteen mostly delivers. His best performances here illuminate the inspirations for the songs he penned for Gary “U.S.” Bonds on his pair of early 1980s comeback albums. You can also hear the aforementioned “Any Other Way” or, especially, his take on Ben E. King’s “Don’t Play That Song” as outtakes from The River sessions or, to a lesser extent, Born in the U.S.A. B-sides.

There are moments, however, where Springsteen struggles, sounding rushed, as the song overpowers him. Such is the case on parts of Tyrone Davis’ signature “Turn Back the Hands of Time” and, especially, “I Wish It Would Rain”. Artists over the decades from the Faces to hard rockers Little Caesar have delivered powerful, yet faithful versions of this Temptations classic. Here, however, Springsteen can’t seem to find his footing and tries desperately in places to catch up with the arrangement. The too-on-the-nose rain effect at the end mimics the original but does little to rescue the track.

That said, Springsteen’s signature robust rasp is perfect for, and confidently drives these 15 tracks. As he points out in the press for the album, his vocals have always taken a backseat to his writing and arranging over the course of his career. On Only the Strong Survive, Springsteen places his voice front and center, and his love for this timeless and joyous music is jubilant and infectious. Ultimately, it should inspire his fans to seek out the originals, especially the lesser-known ones, as everything here belongs in the continuously-updated and ever-growing American Songbook, worth hearing and celebrating for the works of art they are for generations to come.

8/10

Michael Elliott
PopMatters / 7 November 2022



Only the Strong Survive is the twenty-first studio album by Bruce Springsteen, released on November 11, 2022, through Columbia Records. The album is a cover album of R&B and soul songs, and his second cover album following We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions (2006). It was announced on September 29, 2022, along with the release of "Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)", a cover of the song by Frank Wilson. The singles "Nightshift", "Don't Play That Song" and "Turn Back the Hands of Time" followed throughout October and November 2022.

In mid-September 2022, Rolling Stone founder Jann Wenner revealed that Springsteen planned to release a new album before the end of the year. Springsteen formally announced the record on September 29, and expressed in a statement that he "wanted to make an album where [he] just sang" and tried to "do justice" to "the great American songbook of the '60s and '70s". He recorded the album at his Thrill Hill Recording studio in New Jersey following his sessions for Letter to You (2020). The album was produced by Ron Aniello, who played all the instruments except Springsteen's guitar and piano, and horns played by the E Street Horns. It also includes two duets with Sam Moore.

Springsteen began promoting the album by posting teaser videos on social media in September 2022, including audio snippets of the covers. A music video was released for the album's first single, "Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)", on September 29. A music video for the album's second single, "Nightshift", was released on October 14. A music video for the album's third single, "Don't Play That Song", was released on October 28. The album's fourth single, "Turn Back the Hands of Time" also received a music video on November 11, 2022. Springsteen promoted the album's release with four appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon from November 14 to 16, 2022, along with a special Thanksgiving episode on November 24, 2022.

On Metacritic, Only the Strong Survive received a score of 74 out of 100 based on seventeen critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception. Erica Campbell of NME felt that Springsteen "resurrects these classics as a means of celebration, pointing back to some of the strongest songwriters and vocalists of all time with 15 huge and heartfelt tributes, as opposed to just churning out shallow reimaginings". Jonathan Bernstein of Rolling Stone wrote that although it is a "shame" that aside from horn players and a "Sam Moore cameo, none of the soul-steeped musicians from Springsteen's past are to be found on his R&B love letter" and "even if the arrangements occasionally feel static in their mimicry, Springsteen's voice shines and sparkles".

Clash's Emma Harrison described Only the Strong Survive as "an astute sonic journey through a genre that has always resonated with The Boss", writing that it is "unequivocally clear" the "passion" Springsteen has for the genres of soul and R&B, as well as an "ideal opportunity for a new audience to discover glorious discoveries from a rock 'n' roll stalwart". Michael Elliott of PopMatters agreed that Springsteen's "love for this timeless, joyous soul music is jubilant and infectious", opining that while his lead vocal "mostly delivers" and his "robust rasp is perfect for" the album, there are moments where he "struggles, sounding rushed, as the song overpowers him".

Reviewing the album for musicOMH, John Murphy remarked that "the record works best when it dives into less familiar territory", calling the album "pretty much Bruce does karaoke, but when it's done this well and with so much obvious love for the source material, it's irresistible". Neil McCormick of The Telegraph found that the album "remind[s] us how much R'n'B filtered into the epic rock sound he ultimately developed" and compared it to "stumbling into the world's greatest bar band playing the world's greatest setlist at the wildest shindig ever thrown". Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic wrote that the tracks chosen for the album "demonstrate deep knowledge and good taste" and "enjoyable enough" that "Springsteen and Aniello aren't exactly re-interpreting these 15 songs: they're merely playing them for a lark".

Sam Sodomsky of Pitchfork wrote that the album has "character, and more than that, it's got energy: Springsteen has never sounded quite so lighthearted, so unburdened, on record", summarizing that Springsteen "seems more driven by the act of creating itself: lighting a spark" and knowing others could find the "hope" in the songs that they originally "provided for him".

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