With Greetings, Springsteen and band want to go in the Van Morrison-meets-Leonard Bernstein direction of E Street Shuffle, but the production is aimed more toward New Dylan, hence cutting off some of the songs just when they get going. Cf. live versions of “For You,” “Spirit,” etc.

It’s an interesting record. Fun in spots & very good at capturing a certain wistfulness only accessible to young romantics. Definitely overshadowed by “The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle.” (I probably won’t make very many friends by saying this but I think after “The Wild, The Innocent…” it was all one long slow decline. And I like Springsteen.) The arrangements on “Greetings…” don’t come across as well as much of the earlier solo stuff (the Laurel Canyon Music demos) but the songs hold up well. “For You” is the first great really Springsteen track. I know people talk about the “machine gun” lyrics but I, for one, like it; especially considering that over time Springsteen’s songs have become so increasingly sparse it’s like listening to someone sing a Raymond Carver story. (And I like Raymond Carver.) There are more words on “Greetings…” than on the six most recent Springsteen records combined. What can I say – it’s my wife’s favorite album.