Rewind: 2002 - Springsteen Gathers E Street Band For The Rising!

The Rising - Bruce Springsteen

Columbia

Released 30th July 2002

Produced by Brendan O'Brien

US Chart #1

UK Chart #1

Personnel
E Street Band
    Bruce Springsteen – lead guitar, vocals, acoustic guitar, baritone guitar, harmonica
    Roy Bittan – keyboards, piano, mellotron, Kurzweil, pump organ, Korg M1, crumar
    Clarence Clemons – saxophone, background vocals
    Danny Federici – Hammond B3, Vox Continental, Farfisa
    Nils Lofgren – electric guitar, Dobro, slide guitar, banjo, background vocals
    Patti Scialfa – vocals
    Garry Tallent – bass guitar
    Steven Van Zandt – electric guitar, background vocals, mandolin
    Max Weinberg – drums

Additional musicians
    Soozie Tyrell – violin, background vocals
    Brendan O'Brien – hurdy-gurdy, glockenspiel, orchestra bells
    Larry Lemaster – cello
    Jere Flint – cello
    Jane Scarpantoni – cello
    Nashville String Machine
    Asuf Ali Khan and group
    Alliance Singers
    The Miami Horns

Click on the links to enjoy the music from The Rising.

Singles Released From The Rising

1. "The Rising"
   Released: June 24, 2002
2. "Lonesome Day"
   Released: December 2, 2002
3. "Waitin' on a Sunny Day"
   Released: April 22, 2003

The twelfth studio album by Bruce Springsteen and the first since 1995's The Ghost of Tom Joad. A lot of things had happened since that album namely the return of the E Street Band in 1999 for a lengthy Reunion Tour of 132 dates starting in Spain on the 9th April and would end in New York City at Madison Square Gardens on 1st July 2000. A Double Live Album would be released in April 2001 along with a DVD of the New York Show. The there was that devasting day 11th September 2001 when the world kind of changed for all of us, especially those living in New York City!

It's also the first album since Born in the USA that the East Street Band has all been present and accounted for in the studio. Some of the songs predated 9/11 and the rest were written according to Springsteen between September 2001 and March 2002.

The first song written after the attacks was Into the Fire and Springsteen was going to premiere this at the America: A Tribute to Heroes Telethon but chose instead My City of Ruins, which in itself is quite a prophetic and uplifiting song.

Sarfraz Manzoor writing for Uncut Magazine in the September issue of 2002 (and he puts it better than I ever could) said of the album that it's:

"Springsteen's attempt to offer illumination and inspiration amid that darkness. It is a brave and beautiful album of humanity, hurt and hope from the songwriter best qualified to speak to and for his country." 

A couple of days after the release of the album Springsteen and the E Street Band appeared on Letterman playing The Rising and Lonesome Day.

On the 7th of August Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band set out on The Rising Tour that would amass 120 shows taking them across America, Europe, America again, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, back to Europe and back to America for a final swing ending up at Shea Stadium New York for a three night stand in October 2003.

Full Live Shows on The Rising Tour 2002-2003

Thomas and Mack Center Las Vegas (18th August 2002)

United Center Chicago (25th September 2002)

HSBC Arena Buffalo (7th October 2002)

Wembley Arena, London (27th October 2002)

US Bank Arena Cincinnati (12th November 2002)

Pepsi Arena Albany NY (13th December 2002)

Pacific Coliseum Vancouver Canada (11th April 2003)

Valle Hovin Stadium Oslo Norway (19th June 2003)

San Siro, Milan Italy (28th June 2003)

Ullevi, Gothenburg Sweden (22nd July 2003)

Giants Stadium East Rutherford NJ (31st August 2003)

 FedEX Field Landover (13th September 2003)

Shea Stadium New York (3rd October 2003)

Shea Stadium New York (4th October 2003)