As anyone who made it to here probably already discovered, the long-awaited announcement was published today: Bruce is releasing a new album on October 2 called Magic.  You can read the complete press release on the official site if you haven't already. The news has been received with overwhelming enthusiasm that I personally haven't seen since The Rising was announced more than five years ago. It's like suddenly the decline that started with Bruce's involvement in the 2004 presidential campaign and that hit rock bottom in the US with the Seeger Sessions album and tour has been turned around, and all the fans who have been laying low for 2-3 years are coming out of their hiding places and back into the fold. A good indication is that traffic on this site has been at least twice what it ever was during the recently closed Seeger era, including when that tour was announced and key setlists posted. Of course, everything may not be as rosy as it seems right now. A lot of people have been waiting for this moment for years and may see it as Bruce's last chance to redeem himself. So if the new album doesn't live up to their expectations and the E Street Band just isn't up to par anymore, those fans may decide that Bruce just isn't worth the attention anymore regardless of what he comes up with next. Personally I don't belong to that category. All right, the Devils & Dust album did very little for me, I must admit, but the tour was one of the best ever. And after a hesitant start I had to surrender to the Seeger Sessions band, and I rank Live in Dublin as Bruce's best live album to date. But like most everyone else, I consider an E Street Band album special. The real thing. The real Bruce. And I have absolutely no doubt that Magic will be amazing. And even if it isn't, I will probably always be around to see what he comes up with next. Bring it on!

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