Pete Seeger done the old fashioned way2 Out of 5 Stars
"The Seeger Sessions" is Bruce Springsteen's vanity project. A very nice one, and a noble purpose. But much like other established artists that have ventured into well intentioned forays (Joe Jackson's big band, Elvis Costello's country, Linda Ronstadt and Rod Stewart dive into standards), merely recreating something doesn't make it great.
Which is what happened to "The Seeger Sessions." It may be the closest thing to a recorded hootenanny released on a major label in the last 20 years, and the musicianship is superb. What's missing is a feeling that this is flowing naturally. Springsteen sings several of the songs like he's gargling - the affectation is obvious. Why it was considered necessary is something I don't get. While I can comprehend the idea of recording them live with a mostly acoustic band, the end result is mostly stagecraft without emotional investment other than a good time for the musicians.
The real moment for me came just a few months ago. I got to see Tao Rodriguez Seeger (Pete's grandson) play live and Tao incorporates several of Pete's songs into his sets. The encore was "Bring 'Em Home," a raging anti-war anthem. Tao tore into it with all the edge of The Clash. On this CD, Springsteen treats it like a museum exhibit. Bruce and the band perform it like they're giving a reading to a college study. When Seeger wrote the song, he was p-o'd and meant it. When Tao sang it, he (to paraphrase The Sex Pistols) meant it, maaaan. And here, Springsteen and the gang want you to know that they really, really like it, and isn't that great? Well...no. Well done and proficient, yes. But Pete Seeger isn't a museum piece, and shouldn't be presented as one.
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