TPV Recommends
By Bob Gendron

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band: Live In New York City (2001). Chris Hilson, director. Standard (1.33:1), Color, Dolby Digital 5.1. Extras. 2-disc. Columbia.

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U2: Elevation Tour 2001 Live From Boston (2001). Hamish Hamilton, di-rector. Standard (1.33:1), Color, Dolby Digital 5.1. Extras. 2-disc. Interscope.

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Much commotion has been made about Bruce Springsteen. The Boss's been deemed rock's savior and the champion of American pride, though according to some, his working-class appearance is only a disguise. No matter. Spring-steen's concerts with the E Street Band are inarguably the stuff of legend: three hours plus in length, often culminating with Springsteen collapsing on stage from genuine exhaustion, the crowd urging him to roll another number for the road.

Live In New York City is no exception. Filmed for an HBO broadcast, the concert is now available as a more complete twin-DVD set. This is what rock and roll is about-the spirit, sweat, and passion that come from the streets. At 52, Springsteen isn't the street-crawling kid he was when he first recorded in 1973. But with tangible urgency, on the two summer nights this was filmed, he makes one thing plain-Springsteen still has something to prove, a desire to mass communicate and connect through song. This urge is the most enjoyable facet on display here, via a blistering 25-song set.

From the moment Springsteen walks on stage, it's clear he doesn't have to win the rapt crowd. But he plays the Garden as it if were a small club in 1974, pulling out all the stops, the only overkill being a dialogue-overwrought "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out." However, in the presence of the blood-curdling "American Skin" and the hope-against-hope "Badlands," any theatrical excess is automatically excused, for Springsteen embodies American principles as well as any rock artist, and in light of our post-9/11 world, this force and inspiration only seem to burn brighter, the songs assuming a heightened relevance. The eight members of the E Street Band give Springsteen the backing firepower of an orchestra, but theirs is a hotter, smoother, and extra-dramatic version of a standard classical unit. Looking at their facial expressions, it's obvious they share in more than Springsteen's enthusiasm; they espouse his philosophy. Rock and roll might not save you, but it can help you transcend.

By concert's end, we wish we were on that stage, just for a moment, to feel what it must be like to have that kind of power and the means of expressing it. Springsteen's performance isn't just the music of legend; it's the music of dreams that die hard.

Twenty years ago, who would have thought an Irish band would capture America, and what it means to be an American, better than any American group could? Like Springsteen's 2000 tour, U2's Elevation Tour was the most in-demand of 2001, playing to sold-out crowds for every show. While Springsteen unravels tales about community, escape, and dreams, U2 goes a step further, and provides faith and salvation.

For the first time since 1992, U2 moved out of outdoor stadiums and back into indoor arenas. The result is a stripped-down presentation, the anchor of which is a truly groundbreaking stage assembly, crowned by a heart-shaped walkway that allows the band to amble out into the middle of the audience. Lighting is used to grand effect, greatly complementing (and adding layers of meaning to) songs like "Bullet the Blue Sky." Musically, the band has never been tighter-the new material from All That You Can't Leave Behind its finest in ten years. Of special merit is "New York," which, when performed in Boston on June 6, was a poignant tribute to the city. Shown here in black-and-white, it's now an anthem that sends shivers down the spine. The same musical conviction happens at the end of "Walk On," especially when U2 launches into a few bars of "Hallelujah." A more appropriate selection could not be imagined; we just want the band to keep playing, to levitate our souls. That such an incredible souvenir is already available from a tour that's still in progress at the time of this writing is a testimony to the buzz and excitement generated by the DVD format, and just maybe, the band's awareness that we need it now more than ever.

Both DVDs look wonderful. Live In New York is shown from a traditional perspective that makes the rockers look larger than life, while Elevation Tour, filmed by 20 cameras, immerses us as audience members. The sonics of the U2 set are outstanding, especially the punchy, clenching bass. Springsteen's audio quality is good, though occasionally marred by fluctuations in loudness.

Together, these DVDs depict the experiences of unforgettable performances-they come closer than any other pop-music DVDs to presenting concerts as seen through the eyes of their audiences. Beyond the lighting, stage, and larger-than-life postures, they are about finding meaning through music, releasing emotions, and, for some, building a spiritual foundation. As much as anything since 9/11, these discs-material products on the surface, but artistic statements on our screens-uplift my own spirits, and remind me that the world, evil notwithstanding, is good.