Disc 4:
Trouble in Bruce Land. It's tough to say that these songs are of lesser quality, seeing how a lot of "major" artists out there couldn't write them if you put a gun to their head. Unfortunately, the Springsteen of the '90s has become something of a black hole, turning increasingly inward until the key elements of his appeal have very nearly been snuffed.
I recall him saying at the time of "Human Touch"'s release that he rejected an initial batch of songs that he recorded because he felt that they were just weak rehashes of the material on "Tunnel of Love."
Well, here's all the evidence you need: "You can't trust the one you love, and you can't even trust yourself," at varying dirge paces until you're ready to scream. "Goin' Cali" takes the "57 Channels" spoken-word bass-thump into vaguely more interesting territory, but even the rockers at this point (particularly "Leavin' Train" and "Seven Angels") sound like -- Gulp! -- Jon Bon Jovi. I can find no good in this development.
There's a lot of lucid-though-generic introspection on this disc, but there's one absolutely gorgeous cut that's destined for classic status. "Happy," a synthesizer-backed ballad of redemption, mates passionate lyrics with the somber tone of Springsteen's most moving post-"Born in the USA" work. It's a remarkable moment of soul-bearing contentment.
"I'm happy in a love like this," he sings, and if that's where Springsteen's journey has led him after all these years, you can't really complain. When you put your heart into it, he seems to be saying, resignation can transform itself into resolution. And, regardless of how his work affects you, you can't deny that Springsteen's heart has always been in it.
The ride isn't over yet, folks.
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Listen to a clip of "Seven Angels"