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Springsteen’s ‘Chimes of Freedom’ is the Best 4-Song Album You’ll Ever Find
A review of Bruce’s shortest album
For several days I have felt like something was not quite right in the universe, and this morning I realized what it was: it has been a full sixteen days since I published an article on the one and only Bruce Springsteen. After performing a suitable penance (reciting the lyrics to “It’s Hard to Be a Saint in the City” ten times while prostrating myself toward Freehold, NJ), I set out to correct this travesty. Since I recently started reviewing every Springsteen album track by track, that seemed the best place to start.
But which one (thus far, I’ve reviewed Born to Run, Born in the U.S.A., and Letter to You)? Both Darkness on the Edge of Town and The River beckon, but those contain ten and twenty songs, respectively. Since it’s St. Patrick’s Day and rivers of green beer beckon, I needed something a bit shorter. As often happens, the rock and roll gods presented me an answer with exactly what I was listening to as I type this: the 1988 live EP Chimes of Freedom.
Chimes of Freedom was released as part of the Human Rights Now tour for Amnesty International, and though it contains only four songs, it is a must for every Springsteen fan. It contains “Be True” (previously only available as the B-side of the “Fade…
