Now, I’m not for one second saying that just because you happen to have Mr. Garry W. Tallent and The Mighty Max Weinberg as your engine room, you are going to immediately sound like The E Street Band, but there will certainly be sonic echoes, a vibe, a feeling, a power at work at the back of the band. I guess it is more a case of DownTown Mystic and The E Streeters sharing common musical ancestors, both having evolved from the parade of bar bands and buskers, jam sessions, studio demos, live shows, and big dreams, which all musicians of a certain age are the product of.
On E Street is, therefore, a tribute to such times and experiences rather than an excuse to ride coattails. After all, why would DownTown Mystic need to do that? He has proven time and time again that he has the songs, the chops, the delivery, the experience, and the understanding to be his own man… still, it must be great to have such icons along for the ride.
“Way To Know” also proves that he has the riffs, here the perfect combination of simple, effective, and big…hey man, it’s called groove…a rock anthem that is as familiar as it is fresh, or as the Mystical one puts it “vintage yet modern”, I can’t argue with that.
“And You Know Why” swaps the foot-on-the-monitor anthemering for a delicious and deft slice of soul-infused balladary, although we are back in arena territory soon enough with the single “Hard Enough,” all squalling guitars and the finessed ferocity of one of the most famous rhythm sections in rock history firing on all cylinders.
And if “Sometimes Wrong” both charges ahead and yet is drenched in shimmering guitar motifs, it is a testament to the fact that even rock and roll music can still be clever, elegant, and ornate whilst being big.
The original versions of these songs first saw the light of day just as Messrs. Tallent and Weinberg were helping to shape the sound of modern music with an album you may have heard of, Born in the USA. But not only do these new remixes bring everything bang up to date, by taking the sound of the past and polishing it up and precision-engineering it to meet the tastes and standards of the rock audience of today, but it also bows out with two new, alternate recordings of the songs.
It’s the sound of rock-and-roll tradition moving with the times. It’s a showcase of everything that made the genre so popular, proving that it still counts. And it’s the coming together of a gang of seasoned sonic warriors to do exactly what they do best…rock, and indeed, roll!
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