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List Price: $15.93 | | Label: Sony
Salesrank: 825
Released: October 25, 1990 |
| Our Price: $13.74 |
| Used Price: $11.51 |
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| Media: Audio CD |
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Editorial Review:
Despite the acclaim accorded Born to Run and Darkness on the Edge of Town, this is the album that broke Springsteen into the big leagues, thanks to "Hungry Heart," then his most pointedly commercial song; it had new fans swooning but some old ones grumbling for the "poetic" Springsteen of days gone by. Not to worry--though more economical lyrically, The River had something to offer nearly everyone: There's old-time frat rock ("Sherry Darling"), empathetic character studies ("The River," "Stolen Car," "Independence Day"), passionate rockers ("Out in the Street"), dramatic ballads ("Point Blank"), and even a couple of good-natured goofs ("Cadillac Ranch," "Crush on You," "Ramrod"). A sprawling double-disc set, The River offers proof that Springsteen could do it all and could do it better than virtually anyone else. --Daniel Durchholz
The River Reviews:
The ENCYCLOPEDIA of Rock & Roll 
2009-11-28 - This is the album where the legendary E Street Band hits its stride. After a year+ of finding their trademark sound and chemistry on the "Darkness" tour, the band headed back to the studio to record what is my favorite Springsteen album off all time, The River. What makes this album great is Bruce, Steve & Landau's attempt to capture the raw, visceral impact of the band's live show in the studio. Thus, most of the music was recorded live in the studio, with minimal overdubs. It's a messy, compressed mix--like it was made for A.M. radio (where 'Hungry Heart' became a hit)--but it had an immediacy that no other Bruce album had before or since.
From the unabashed exuberance of 'I'm a Rocker' to the resigned desperation of 'Stolen Car' the album covers the emotional landscape of the human condition. Stylistically, the album draws from Bruce's & (especially Steve's) encyclopedic knowledge and rock & roll and R&B but gives a nod to contemporary influences as well, with the bashed-out punk rock spirit of 'Crush on You'. The country influences (i.e. Hank Williams, Roy Acuff) which play an even greater role on Bruce's follow-up, Nebraska, begin to find their place on tracks like 'Cadillac Ranch' and 'Wreck on the Highway,' the latter borrowing lyrical imagery from Acuff's classic song of the same title.
The emotional high point of the album for me occurs at the end of 'Independence Day' when the protagonist (Bruce?) says to his father in a farewell, "Papa, now I know the things you wanted that you could not say...I swear I never meant to take those things away."
20 songs in all, The River contains many of Bruce's finest movements and points the way to the blockbuster album that he would release 4 years later. Born in the USA may be the better album, but The River will always be my favorite.
let the river run wild
2009-10-28 - Maybe I'm all alone here, but the reason the River is such a good album is the way the vocal melodies seem to have REALLY improved for this one. Bruce Springsteen was never one to write catchy vocal melodies because his attention mainly focused on lyric writing, his emotional voice, and the millions of fans who can relate to said lyrics.
On the River however, we're treated to all the things that made Bruce Springsteen great on albums such as The Wild, the Innocent and the E. Street Shuffle, PLUS the addition of immediately enjoyable vocal melodies.
Perhaps this was due to the fact that the rock scene in the early 80's changed for many musicians and forced them to write simpler and catchier vocal melodies in order to make it big and make a splash on the commercial radio scene, or perhaps Bruce just felt like changing his songwriting around a little bit to diversify his talents. Who knows.
The River remains a classic album for those who appreciate great vocal melodies combined with the important lyrics of Bruce Springsteen from the past. This is one album Springsteen fans MUST own.
The pinnacle
2009-10-21 - I'm gonna get hung upside down for this, I know, but, for me personally, this was and remains Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's finest hour.
One of the reasons is that the songs just seem to flow out of the Boss here; he's dealing with people and subjects with which he SOUNDS at ease, and on both the exhuberant songs ("Out In The Street," "Crush On You," "Hungry Heart") and the ballads/sad ones ("Point Blank," "Independence Day," the title track), Springsteen connects with the heart and the head of the listener all at once. Another reason is that the production, the track order and the ace musical muscle of the E Street Band combine here to make this one of the few double-albums that really works as a whole. Even with a few songs that are perhaps lesser in quality than others here, nothing feels like a mistake or an overreach. THE RIVER works both as a whole and with the individual components.
I'll be honest and say that, as far as I'm concerned, Bruce Springsteen has never made as completely satisfying an album since THE RIVER, though the sheer high quality of his entire musical career is indisputable. Agree or disgaree with me all you want---when I hear this sublime album, that's all that matters.
He rocks forever!
2009-08-14 - This is his very best collection and speaks to those of us who loved the film, "The Deer Hunter". Straight from the hood!
The River ... 'nuf said
2009-07-18 - I was in high school when this album was released and my girlfriend gave it to me as a Christmas present. Being what you could call a "music freak" but from the South (Georgia), I really hadn't listened to much of Bruce's work prior to that point. I'd obviously heard "Hungry Heart" on the radio prior to receiving the album but wasn't necessarily enthusiastic about it. As a matter of fact, Bruce's voice on that track sounded much different to me than his earlier songs that I'd heard (and even to other songs on "The River"). In any case, after hearing "The River" track (LP 1, track 6) I was definitely hooked. I'm a big fan of lyricists and that song will probably remain my all time favorite for the rest of my life. I realize that, like all others that write reviews for this album, have their own personal reasons for liking/not liking this one. I like most of the songs but not all of them. Being that it came out during a very impressionable time for me, I will always hold a special place in my heart for it. It reminds me of friends that I still have and some that were lost over the years. And that's all I can ask of a record ...
