Boot Tracker, June 25th 2008, Milan

For a while I was afraid a proper recording of Milan wouldn't surface. An mp3 recording, not worth mentioning, rose its ugly head and a sub par audio rip from a video was what we got, but no proper audio recording. Since Milan was one of those shows that had rabid fans and casual fans foaming from the mouth alike, I found this to be highly disappointing. Luckily, good things still come to those who wait. Courtesy of Edomedo, there is now a very nice document of Milan indeed. Though this tape is far from the best sounding bootleg of this tour, I dare say it is one of the most exiting tapes to listen to. Edomedo warned in the description that there would be a few people clapping, what he meant to say was he captured the entire stadium in union with the band. The good people from Milan are very present indeed, yet hardly ever in an intrusive way. So what this recording manages is capturing the exitement of a Springsteen show in Milan, or getting as close as a tape can. Depending on your own tolerance for audience 'noise' (music to my ears on this one) you'll love this tape. Especially since the band comes through pretty darn good as well. Not spectacular, but good enough to make this a highly enjoyable recording.

Milan got treated on a spectacular show from the sounds of it. The opening "Summertime Blues" made me check again what year it was. After pinching I was certain we were still living in the future of '78. "Summertime Blues" isn't the only parallel with '78 by my accord. As I have addressed many times before, Springsteen's dedication to his trade is stunning. To these ears the band sounds as relevant and committed as they did thirty years down the road. Listen to that rousing "Spirit in the Night" and you'll be able to hear what I mean. Clarence's hips may not be able to carry Scooter into the crowds anymore, but the Boss still brings the house down with this one, effectively using his catwalk to get his physical with the audience in. While Springsteen's show has adapted to larger audiences over the years, it is uncanny how he manages to connect with these large buckets. Even when he's not performing in small clubs or arenas, E-Street Band shows habitually have an intimacy that you wouldn't suspect from his brand of delightfully bombastic R&R. Whether he's playing a moving ballad like "Racing in the Street," a no holds barred R&R rouser as "Darlington County" or a mini Rock opera like "Born to Run," in funny way that intimacy is always there. Springsteen often boasted he's in this trade to make a connection, this Milan recording proves he delivers the goods.

"Spirit In The Night"

MP3 File

Download the full show in mp3 here
A small request, use mp3s for personal use only. Keep them in your iPod or on your computer but never use a mp3 based CD in a trade. The quality of mp3s deteriorate rapidly every time a CD is ripped. Using high quality music files such as FLACs is essential in keeping the trading pool healthy.

Recording: 4- out of 5
Show: 5 out of 5
Artwork: none