Bruce Springsteen with The Sessions Band Live in Dublin is a two CD (and optionally a DVD) of concert performances recorded over three nights in Dublin in November 2006. Previously the band had been billed as the Seeger Sessions Band but that had caused early parts of the tour to be poorly attended.

That’s a great shame because anyone who comes to this album with an open mind will want to have had the chance to join in the fun personally. That’s my warning that in no way is this a traditional Springsteen album.

In fact, it’s almost as if this album has been beamed in from a parallel universe where Springsteen didn’t record Born To Run, Darkness, The River and Born In The USA but continued the inspiration of his first two albums with a deep interest in folk and jazz influenced music.

This has opened my eyes. It seems that I was very blinkered about Springsteen. Anything between 1974 and 1978 is fantastic and essential. The rest ranges from very good to OK. Bruce with the E Street Band is better than without.

Listening to this album time and time tells me that I was wrong and I should pay more attention.

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