The cover versions normally come out at three stages in a musician’s career: at the very start, when they might not have enough originals to fill a 45-minute live set, and towards the very end, when there’s nothing left to prove and they just want to sing the songs they’ve always loved. (And thirdly, of course, at the moment they misguidedly decide that the world needs yet another Christmas album.)
At 73, Bruce Springsteen is simply feeling nostalgic. In recent years he’s also written his autobiography and done a one-man storytelling Broadway show. His last album, Letter to You, saw him reuniting with his E Street Band and including three songs he had written the year before he released his debut. So why not also have a bit of fun with the Sixties soul and R&B songs he knows from his teens?
