Product Description

After a five year recording hiatus following the emotionally eloquent TUNNEL OF LOVE (and a subsequent world tour), Springsteen returned in 1992 with the tandem release of HUMAN TOUCH and LUCKY TOWN. Though released separately, both albumssignalled the singer's more mature preoccupation with introspective, complicated themes of desire, despair and regret. The albums were also Springsteen's first without the full E Street Band. HUMAN TOUCH and LUCKY TOWN marry Springsteen's popular persona of fist-waving, stadium rocker with the morereflective, rootsier sound the singer favoured on NEBRASKA.
LUCKY TOWN's "Better Days" is Springsteen's forthright contemplation of his contradictory status as a multi-millionaire, working class hero. The slight Nashville lilt of "If I Should Fall Behind" is reminiscent of the sentimental balladry on BORN IN THE USA and "Leap of Faith" is a keening, raspy return to the Springsteen of anthemic yore. HUMAN TOUCH and LUCKY TOWN may never be revered in same way as some of hisother releases, but both albums are immensely satisfying asa double shot farewell to the raucous rebelliousness of Springsteen's youthful rock and roll years.

Track Listing

1. Better Days
2. Lucky Town
3. Local Hero
4. If I Should Fall Behind
5. Leap Of Faith
6. Big Muddy
7. Living Proof
8. Book Of Dreams
9. Souls Of The Departed
10. My Beautiful Reward

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #16808 in Music
• Released on: 2000-01-10
• Number of discs: 1

Customer Reviews

3.5 actually, and creeping upwards
1992. Bruce finally breaks his streak and produces a pair of clunkers.

Two albums at the same time, nice marketing trick, if not original, but not necessarily twice as good. But in his defence, these genuinely are two different albums.

"Human Touch" he probably sweated over for some considerable time, desperately trying to find his muse. In large part, he failed. Finally, he seemed to have emptied what had seemed to be a bottomless well of great tunes and often greater lyrics, substituting a plodding, uninspired soft-rock sound driven by pro-session men. I've never worked out why he dropped the E Streeters in pursuit of new sounds and musical approaches, only to settle on journeymen studio players. The heart and soul went with the tunes.

"Lucky Town" on the other hand, seems to have been a later burst of genuine inspiration, recorded quickly and largely solo. In a fit of indecision - or perhaps pushed by Landau and the sales guys to finally deliver some turnover after 5 years without a new record - he released both CDs. The Bruce of a few years before would have quickly seem the truth and canned "Human Touch" as not up to scratch.

The net result was that the overly long and strained "HT" drowned out the simpler, more genuine "LT". In retrospect, this has done "Lucky Town" a great disservice, as recent revisits suggest there is some really good material here. "Better Days", "Fall Behind", "Leap of Faith", "Reward" are all decent songs. There are no Bruce classics here, but there are good songs and heartfelt performances.

"Human Touch" unfortunately fails to improve with age.

The jewel in a lopsided crown
Bruce Springsteen's "experimental" period in the early nineties when he decided to record and tour with musicians other than his long-time rearguard The E St. Band is widely considered to be his least fruitful and least appealing. In 1992, for some reason known only to himself, he decided to simultaneously release two single albums, "Human Touch" and "Lucky Town". For other similarly incomprehensible reasons, many people seemed to instinctively gravitate towards "Human Touch" as the stronger and more important album. In my opinion this was mistaken. "Lucky Town" is actually a very strong album. Although I often wonder just how good it could sound if the tracks were given the full E St. treatment it still stand up surprisingly well. The storming opener "Better Days" is up there with anything on the hugely successful "Born In The USA", while "Local Hero" and "Lucky Town" are both appealing rockers superior to much on "The River". The sound is full, dominated by Zach Alford's drums and Springsteen's guitar/harmonica. As is often the case, Springsteen interlaces his rockers with meaningful, moving slower cuts like "My Beautiful Reward"; "Book Of Dreams" and the beautiful "If I Should Fall Behind". For me, however, the two other cornerstones of this album, alongside "Better Days", are the moody and magnificent "The Big Muddy", all bottleneck guitar and portentous lyrics of lost faith and desolation, and the pounding, politically-motivated "Souls Of The Departed" which is even more relevant today than in 1992. It is a great shame the latter track could not have appeared on "The Rising" as it is highly appropriate.

Not too many people rate this album too highly when discussing the Springsteen canon. I would say that as a finished product and entity it is a more satisfying listen than both "The River" and "Born In The USA". It certainly outdoes "Tunnel Of Love". That is the call for all you "unhelpful" voters out there to click your "no" boxes ! As Springsteen himself is fond of saying "one man's tea is another's coffee..."

Springsteen on top form
I can only echo the sentiments of most of the other reviewers.
This is, according to the experts Bruce SPRINGSTEEN's weaker period. I can't help but think that those who knock this album haven't really listened to it. It's purely and simply vintage SPRINGSTEEN and is a pleasure from start to finish. Stand out tracks? well, more than one - my favourite being LIVING PROOF which has a terrific beat coupled with dynamic lyrics. Is there a rock artist whose words are so easy to identify with? I don't think so. BETTER DAYS is a great tune, as are LUCKY TOWN and LOCAL HERO which follow it. Not just a rocker though because BOOK OF DREAMS and BEAUTIFUL REWARD are great ballads.
If you are a SPRINGSTEEN follower and this album has passed you by, then give it another try. Honestly, this is pure 5 star material.