Only the Strong Survive may be the first time
Bruce Springsteen has recorded an album dedicated to soul and R&B, yet those styles have always been present in his music, welling up in the rhythms and outlook of
the E Street Band at their most jubilant. This persistent, evident love of soul means his decision to cut a collection of covers of R&B chestnuts isn't surprising, nor is it a shock that the 15 songs chosen for this 2022 comp demonstrate deep knowledge and good taste; those traits have been a constant throughout
Springsteen's career. The unexpected thing about
Only the Strong Survive is how it's essentially a two-man show between
Springsteen and co-producer
Ron Aniello, who plays every instrument save brass, woodwinds, and strings. There are also occasional backing vocals, along with two guest spots by
Sam Moore, but the basic tracks are all studio creations of
Aniello, who expertly re-creates the sounds of
Motown,
Philadelphia International,
Stax, and Chicago's uptown soul. His mastery in crafting the tracks inadvertently illustrates the distance between the originals and the covers; those oldies crackled with the magic created by a bunch of musicians in a small room but these digital wonders feel studied and airless, even if they do sound good. The lack of additional musicians does mean that all the attention is placed on
Springsteen's performance and, thankfully, he sounds quite good. He knows how to play with his diminished range, knows how to get a good growl going, knows how to croon without getting saccharine -- skills that help keep the proceedings lively. It's enjoyable enough that it takes a minute to realize that
Springsteen and
Aniello aren't exactly re-interpreting these 15 songs: they're merely playing them for a lark. That's enough for a good time but once
Only the Strong Survive fades out with the last notes of "Someday We'll Be Together," there's not much that lingers behind in the memory. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
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