I haven't heard the new Bruce yet but my expectations are very low and I'll probably wait to borrow someone else's copy to burn. I was a Springsteen fanatic back in the the Born to Run days and saw him many times. They were some of the best shows I ever expect to see.

But beginning with Born In the USA it's all been one big slide (well, except for Nebraska). Maybe Bruce's songwriting skills lost their edge or maybe it's just that a new generation of more interesting songwriters came along.

I've tried, believe me. I bought Devils and Dust and gave it away after one listen. I saw The Rising tour and the show and the music sounded tired and dated. Clarence Clemon's sound belongs to the seventies. Nils Lofgren is superfluous in a band that features Steven Van Zandt, Patti Scialfa seems to have gotten her job through a prenuptial agreement, and adding an electric violin player to an already bloated lineup just takes the band farther away from its rock and roll roots.

I suspect Bruce is a great guy and no one can argue that he hasn't always operated from a sense of integrity and thoughtfulness. I just don't expect much from him anymore.