All things good come to he who waits; he who hesitates is lost. For every stupid cliché there’s another one out there equally stupid that means the opposite, a fact of life that nobody forgets as they grow older, and a fact that nobody out there should ever want to forget.

And so it is with Bruce Springsteen, who either waited or hesitated, according to who you talk to, and whose long-awaited “comeback” means more to more people now than it ever did before. His comeback, of course, is The River, two discs of working class angst and fury no doubt already memorized in college dormitories and better homes throughout the country. “The Boss” returns, the legions chant, and—this time, at least—they’re right. Because Bruce Springsteen has returned: he’s returned to doing what he likes best (playing) for those he likes best (his fans) with who he likes best (his band). And the fact that it’s taken him so long to do it is, well, too bad. Because it’s been worth it.

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