45 REVELATIONS
No contest, no surrender. “War” by Bruce Springsteen is Single of the Month by acclamation. In the volatile cultural context of an empire in decline, when a disastrous past war is undergoing an Orwellian overhaul to turn it into a heroic prelude to a potentially disastrous new war, Bruce Springsteen’s insuring that hundreds of radio stations will be trumpeting “War/What is it good for?/Absolutely nothing” all winter deserves a curtain call.
45 REVELATIONS
BY
KEN BARNES
No contest, no surrender. “War” by Bruce Springsteen is Single of the Month by acclamation. In the volatile cultural context of an empire in decline, when a disastrous past war is undergoing an Orwellian overhaul to turn it into a heroic prelude to a potentially disastrous new war, Bruce Springsteen’s insuring that hundreds of radio stations will be trumpeting “War/What is it good for?/Absolutely nothing” all winter deserves a curtain call.
Making the Edwin Starr/Whitfield-Strong classic his leadoff single isn’t really a courageous move: his career momentum wouldn’t suffer if it stiffed and everybody already knows his politics. But it is a responsible use of stardom in the highest sense. No one but Bruce Springsteen could induce 325 CHR and AOR stations to play “War” immediately upon release. And not many would try to pull off such a feat.
So even were “War” a passionless runthrough, it would merit top honors. It’s anything but—though it lacks the titanic impact of Starr’s vocal performance, Springsteen’s raw desperation and the E St. Band’s overdrive attack create a record of rare power.