Bruce goes further on...with or without you

So, here's the reworked Rising, part two, with all the non-9/11 songs making up Further On. With no particular theme binding these songs together, this is really nothing more (nor nothing less) than a good old fashioned rock album. Considering that, Human Touch apart, almost all albums of Bruce had some sort of concept or conceptual idea behind them, Further On would have come off as a little lightweight, a bit of a distraction. Which, after the heavy work of the thematic and emotional songs on The Rising might have been just what people would have needed, had he put out this record a couple of weeks after a single-album The Rising. 

I already talked a bunch about the songs yesterday, so I'll keep it short today: The fab "Mary's Place" is the perfect album opener to get you in the spirit of things, while "Further On (Up The Road)" with its promise of things to come seems like the perfect album closer. On the original Rising, a track like "Further On (Up The Road)" just came off as an ordinary rock song, with more space around it here, it feels like more. "Lonesome Day", which quickly became a concert favorite, is the prefect kick-ass opener for what would be side two, while the moody "The Fuse" seemed to be the perfect closer of side one. 

Any which way, in Bruce's discography the songs that make up Further On, are minor works, but there is some fun to be had with them, and hopefully more so in this newly assembled version. And if Bruce isn't your jam, in my or any other versions, some other fun stuff will soon come your way, further on (up the road)...