The story behind "The Rising" seems almost too good be true: a fan randomly encountered Bruce Springsteen on the boardwalk shortly after September 11 and simply shouted, "We need you!" It's such a perfectly serendipitous moment. It's also an understandable sentiment: few writers, and certainly none in the last 35 or so years, have captured the everyday challenges of the average American better than Bruce.
This, however, was a tightrope Bruce had not walked before; the challenges here were not steel mills shutting down, or the tribulations of a veteran adjusting to post-war life. September 11 was an event whose magnitude was felt by entire nation, and played no favorites in terms of who was affected by it. The fear, anger, distress and the sense of unity through grief we all felt had to be captured accurately as well as empathetically.
Upon its release in 2002, it was clear Bruce had risen to the challenge: "The Rising" is a moving, often haunting, often devastating, occasionally joyful tapestry reflecting the pulse of the nation following the tragedy, augmented by the powerful, mature sound of the newly reunited E Street Band as well as the addition of violinist Suzie Tyrell, whose crisp, sweeping playing adds essential texture to songs such as the opening "Lonesome Day" and the legendary title track.
Bruce's ability to create characters listeners can visualize, relate to and empathize with hits a new height here: from the police officer suffering from survivor's guilt in "Nothing Man," to the fireman bravely facing his mortality in the title song and "Into the Fire," to the absolutely heartbreaking portrayal of grief in "You're Missing" and "My City of Ruins," "The Rising" puts you in the center of these characters' thoughts and actions, making for an emotionally gripping listen.
While most of the stories on the album are personalized portrayals of individuals coping with the events, Bruce's broader, politically charged writing appears on several tracks. "Lonesome Day" and "Empty Sky" both speak to the anger and misplaced sense of revenge that many were feeling at the time and was unfortunately co-opted by our government to justify the ultimately misguided War on Terror. "Worlds Apart" deals with a relationship between an American and his / her Muslims lover, and the divide between them as prejudice against Muslims and Middle Eastern Americans intensifies. Perhaps the album's most daring and accomplished track is "Paradise." The song is sung from two distinct perspectives: an American coping with the loss of a loved one, but more significantly, a young suicide bomber in their final moments, in which they wonder if the promise of 'paradise' as presented in their religion is truly worth the task they're about to carry out. Not many people can handle the latter perspective with the sensitivity Bruce does here; his ability to humanize a figure we are inherently quick to dehumanize is incredibly well done.
While largely well done, "The Rising" does have some lesser tracks that give it a somewhat bloated feel. "Into the Fire" feels a bit too on the nose and cliched as a tribute compared to "The Rising," as does the grief stricken "Counting on a Miracle." "Further On (Up the Road)" is a great song but feels out of place thematically, and "Waiting on a Sunny Day" and "Let's Be Friends (Skin to Skin)" are honestly two of his worst songs. While "The Rising" is overall excellent, it could've warranted a 4.5 or even a 5 had it been a tad more selective in its track listing.
Those flaws aside, "The Rising" remains a seminal moment in Bruce's catalog, as well as the most artistically valid statement on American life post-9/11. It's not only one of his best, but one of his most important.
