--- title: Wrecking Ball Review: Springsteen Heartland Rock, with Rap description: This post is in partnership with Consequence of Sound, an online music publication devoted to the ever growing and always thriving worldwide music scene. When... canonical: https://time.com/archive/7123136/on-wrecking-ball-springsteen-tries-something-new-ends-up-sounding-like-springsteen/ author: TIME Staff article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2012-03-06T11:43:38.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-25T05:07:15.618Z article:section: Entertainment og:title: On Wrecking Ball, Springsteen Tries Something New, Ends Up Sounding like Springsteen og:description: Bells and whistles aside, this is still a Bruce Springsteen record, full of heartland rock that details economic crises and spirituality with equal gusto. og:url: https://time.com/archive/7123136/on-wrecking-ball-springsteen-tries-something-new-ends-up-sounding-like-springsteen/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltdc0e770a6e31e4ed/698a9043457a522b11d7022a/bruce-sprinsteen-wrecking-ball.jpg?branch=production&width=600&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 600 og:image:height: 338 og:image:alt: Bruce Sprinsteen Wrecking Ball og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: On Wrecking Ball, Springsteen Tries Something New, Ends Up Sounding like Springsteen twitter:description: Bells and whistles aside, this is still a Bruce Springsteen record, full of heartland rock that details economic crises and spirituality with equal gusto. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltdc0e770a6e31e4ed/698a9043457a522b11d7022a/bruce-sprinsteen-wrecking-ball.jpg?branch=production&width=600&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) # On Wrecking Ball, Springsteen Tries Something New, Ends Up Sounding Like Springsteen > Sponsored content. 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Terms and conditions apply. * Savings buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Savings Account. * No ATM fees from Ally Bank at Allpoint and Moneypass ATMs plus we reimburse for fees charged by other ATM owners nationwide up to $10 per statement cycle. * Early direct deposit offers eligible direct deposits up to two days sooner. * Spending buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Spending Account. by [TIME Staff](https://time.com/author/time-staff/) Mar 6, 2012 11:43 AM UTC  by [TIME Staff](https://time.com/author/time-staff/) Mar 6, 2012 11:43 AM UTC In the topsy-turvy market of the past five years, these managers led their funds to some of the best performances in their respective areas. Here's what they're bullish on now. _This post is in partnership with_ [_Consequence of Sound_](http://consequenceofsound.net/)_, an online music publication devoted to the ever growing and always thriving worldwide music scene._ When Bruce Springsteen announced that his new album, _Wrecking Ball_, would contain somewhat out-of-character sonic touches such as loops, electronic percussion and — gasp! — hip-hop, fans and critics alike had good reason to be skeptical. The Boss’s musical experiments have never been as head-scratchingly risky or weird as, say, Neil Young’s, but they’ve often yielded equally mixed results. Whereas the haunting acoustics and bleak outlook of _Nebraska_ were a welcome change, the similarly minded _The Ghost of Tom Joad_ resulted in a pretty boring record, despite a handful of choice cuts. In later years, for every “Good Eye” there was a “Queen of the Supermarket,” for every “Mary’s Place” a “Worlds Apart,” with its awkwardly shoehorned Middle Eastern chanting and sitar. On _Wrecking Ball_, Springsteen incorporates more outside sounds, but with a restraint that (with the exception of one misstep) highlights the songs instead of overwhelming them. Think of a toned-down _Seeger Sessions_ with the best production elements of _Human Touch_. Bells and whistles aside, it’s still a Bruce Springsteen record, and that’s why it works; an album chock-full of heartland rock that details economic crises and spirituality with equal gusto. (**LIST:** [All-TIME 100 Songs](http://entertainment.time.com/2011/10/24/the-all-time-100-songs/?iid=ent-main-feature)) Opener and leadoff single “We Take Care of Our Own” questions America’s collective hospitality behind an engine-bowel chug that reflects the Boss’s newfound camaraderie with fellow Jerseyites the Gaslight Anthem. “Where’s the promise from sea to shining sea?” he asks in lyrics that turns a national phrase on its head in a similar fashion to lyrics in “Born in the U.S.A.” The Wall Street indictment “Easy Money” prances along with an Irish-flavored fiddle yet still rollicks with gruff yelps and extra stomp provided by, yes, those unnecessarily feared drum loops. “Shackled and Drawn” could have easily been a solo outing reminiscent of Woody Guthrie (it still would have been great) but is elevated to barn-burning elation thanks to a powerhouse backing choir, Charlie Giordano’s undulating accordion and street-preaching samples. While several of _Wrecking Ball_‘s detractors believe the record’s themes of financial claustrophobia would have been better represented by a bleak, stripped-down aesthetic (the album was originally conceived as having a similar sound to _Nebraska_), they fail to realize the songs’ inklings of hope. The working-class waltz “Jack of All Trades” sees a couple making do in days characterized by “blood and treasure” thanks to their own strength and resourcefulness. In another example of how Springsteen tempers the album’s outside elements, guest guitar virtuoso Tom Morello — who could have melted “Jack of All Trades’ ” working-class waltz into a soup of effects-pedal flamboyance — remains silent during the piano-driven melancholia of the verses before creeping in with a yearning, slow-burn solo at the climax. He outfits “This Depression” in spacy murk two tracks later, leaving plenty of room for Springsteen’s hollow strumming and pleas for a lover’s companionship during financial turmoil. The title track and “Land of Hope and Dreams,” the latter an E Street live staple, serve as the album’s full-band showcases. The former’s gritty imagery of poverty among the Jersey swamps (“where mosquitoes grow as big as airplanes”) transforms into a rallying cry for perseverance after a blast of mariachi horns kicks in, while the latter bursts with a final saxophone solo from Clarence Clemons that reminds listeners of how much they’ll miss getting floored by his windy growl. The live version of “Hopes and Dreams” from _The Essential Bruce Springsteen_ still packs a bigger punch, but the scaled-back instrumentation and added gospel vocals endow it with a more emotional resonance that’s nonetheless interesting. The only time Springsteen’s expanded sound falters is during “Rocky Ground,” which is anchored by a rap verse written by himself and recited by Michelle Moore. While it’s nice to see the Boss veering into new musical territory, hip-hop simply doesn’t suit his style. When rapped, the song’s depiction of hardship and prayer comes off as clunky and vague, reminiscent of some of the more awkward lyrics from _Working on a Dream_, an album that admittedly hasn’t aged well. But as a whole, _Wrecking Ball_ displays Springsteen’s refusal to coast. While many of his peers are content to rehash pleasant-sounding standards and play nothing but greatest hits as they settle into their 60s and beyond, the Boss continues to explore rock ‘n’ roll that sounds as good in a church as it does in a stadium. With its equal dose of powerful hooks and characters pushing through hard times, _Wrecking Ball_ suggests there might not even be a difference. **Essential Tracks:** “We Take Care of Our Own,” “Wrecking Ball,” “Land of Hopes and Dreams” **CONSEQUENCE OF SOUND:** [Bruce Springsteen — 40 Years, 40 Tracks](http://consequenceofsound.net/2012/03/40-years-40-songs-by-bruce-springsteen/) **TIME ARCHIVES:** [Bruce Springsteen, Rock’s New Sensation (Oct. 27, 1975)](http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19751027,00.html) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/archive/7123136/on-wrecking-ball-springsteen-tries-something-new-ends-up-sounding-like-springsteen/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/archive/7123136/on-wrecking-ball-springsteen-tries-something-new-ends-up-sounding-like-springsteen/"},"headline":"On Wrecking Ball, Springsteen Tries Something New, Ends Up Sounding Like Springsteen","datePublished":"2012-03-06T11:43:38.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-25T05:07:15.618Z","description":"This post is in partnership with Consequence of Sound, an online music publication devoted to the ever growing and always thriving worldwide music scene. 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