There’s Magic In The Night (Godfather Records G.R. 242/243)
SAP Arena, Mannheim, Germany December 02, 2007
Disc 1: Intro, Radio Nowhere, No Surrender, Lonesome Day, Gypsy Biker, Magic, Reason To Believe, Jackson Cage, She’s The One, Livin’ In The Future, The Promised Land, Working On The Highway, Tunnel Of Love, Darkness On The Edge Of Town
Disc 2: Devil’s Arcade, The Rising, Last To Die, Long Walk Home, Badlands, Girls In Their Summer Clothes, Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town, Born To Run, Dancing In The Dark, American Land, (Bonus Track – Cadillac Ranch – Oslo Spektrum, Oslo Norway December 04, 2007)
I don’t ever want to hear anyone complain of having a cold. It didn’t stop Bruce from putting on one hell of a show for an ecstatic German audience in Mannheim. Instead of being down and out Bruce and the band fired on all cylinders and gave the audience their money’s worth. The newer tunes within the set gel perfectly with the classics providing one hell of a barnstorming set. Bruce gives a bit of social commentary right before playing Magic. He expressed his thoughts on how Truth gets twisted into Lies and Lies get twisted into truth. A rockin’ version of Jackson Cage makes an appearance in the setlist following Reason to Believe.
It had been a while since the song was performed but the band pulls it off with ease. Another surprise of the night is “Darkness on the Edge of Town”. The audience is treated to an early Christmas present with a performance of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”. What a treat it must have been to see Bruce and the band adorned in Christmas garb. It’s not everyday you see Bruce rocking out on stage wearing a stocking. The bonus track is pulled from the Oslo Norway show two days later. Cadillac Ranch is played upon request from someone in the audience. The sound of this recording is very similar to the Mannheim recording so it blends well and is a perfect addition to this release.
Godfather Records has given us yet another great Springsteen release from the 2007 European tour. The Mannheim, Germany show is presented here in all of it’s glory. Although not as good as their Milan, Italy release, this recording sounds great and is very enjoyable. There is crowd noise apparent in between songs and during quiet passages. G.R. has packaged this release in a Tri-Fold slipcase with fantastic pictures of Bruce and the band live on stage. There’s also a short review of the show on the inside panel which is very well written and full of information concerning the show.
This is the 2nd Springsteen release I’ve reviewed from Godfather Records and I’m extremely happy with it. The time and effort put into this release really pays off for them. If you’re a fan of The Boss then you’ll definitely enjoy this release. Kudos to Godfather Records. (Harley Dog Jan. ’08)
