Somewhat of a misstep for the Boss. There is some good stuff here, but there is a lot of throwaway tracks. I can't possibly imagine why he thought it would be a good idea to add "Crush on you" or "I wanna Marry you". Luckily Nebraska followed this up and made good on the silliness presented here. There is some absolute classics here though. The title track, Jackson Cage, Independence,and of course, Hungry Heart. Condensed to 10-11 songs, this wouldve been a lot better

I am not fond of how the album is produced. Also I think there are too many songs on the double that are just average,

This while some of his best songs are on the River, like the title song and Independence Day.

The first double album I´ve heard where I just have to say:
TOO MUCH FILLER

Up there with the very best of Springsteens work, some say this would have been better as a single album but I think there is very little filler here - great collection of songs - each song a little story backed by a great performance from the E street Band

The River album is as commented by other users very long

But the songwriting / story telling on this album and the diversity of subject matter and differing styles of the songs is sublime ! I would therefore not be able to pick a track to omit from the record!

Therefore it is very long , but very worth the listen

Several other Bruce Springsteen records--Nebraska, Born to Run, Darkness on the Edge of Town, and Born in the U.S.A.--are all candidates for my favorite from his catalog. But I'm going with The River because I think it is the album where his artistic vision is most fully realized. Here Springsteen shows how most of our todays are the tragicomic sum of a scattered series of yesterdays that had once hoped to become better tomorrows. His lyrics fuse past and present, desire and destiny, laughter and longing, in ways that speak directly to today's economically troubled, and disappearing, middle class. Nowhere is this poignancy better seen than on the title track, a quintessentially American tragedy told from the perspective of a working-class everyman whose life is turned upside down by an unplanned pregnancy.

Bruce Springsteen's fifth album is a mammoth two record set, featuring half party rock and half introspective acoustic songs. The title track is off course one of Springsteen's best. The river, is a stunning track, full of Bruce's genius. Hungry heart, another Bruce classic is a brilliant pop song, which he almost gave to the Ramones to record before he saw sense and recorded it himself. Of the umptempo rockers standouts include the opener, the ties that bind, the wonderful, sherry darling, and, the Elvis Costello influenced, Jackson cage. There are a bunch of throwaway rockers, but they're all good fun, although, crush on you, and, I wanna marry you, aren't the most memorable of Springsteen tracks. And, Ramrod, Cadillac ranch,and, two hearts, all sound better in their live incarnations on the 1975-1985 box set. Mention must also go the excellent, out in the street. The album's more intimate, acoustic tracks, give the album a more substantial feel. Independence day, fade away, and, the lovely, drive all night, are all superb, and Wreck on the highway, closes the album with a foretaste of where Springsteen will go next, to the monochrome bleakness of, Nebraska.

Side 1: this must be a classic album
Side 2: couple of fillers but the great tracks keep coming
Side 3: oops
Side 4: back on track but not as good as side 1 & 2

Someone really should have pulled him up on this and basically said you have a great album here but a double ain't working.

Some of my favorite songs are on here but it could be a little long. That is the only reason why I wouldn't put it up with some of his greatest albums but this is pretty damn close. This is a great Springsteen album even if ranked less than some of his others.

One of Springsteen's best. I love the back-to-back and unrelenting rock and roll tunes. Definitely a sense of humble America pervades. I actually don't love the slower tracks as much as the critics but overall it's effective as a whole piece.