Bruce Springsteen - The Complete Video Anthology/1978-2000

Call it Boss in a Box. This two-disc set of music videos and concert performances is a must for any Springsteen fan. While the 1989 VHS version contained just 18 songs, the expanded DVD set has 33 performances dating through 2000, including "The Ghost of Tom Joad," performed in 1995 on The Tonight Show, and an acoustic "Born in the U.S.A." from a 1998 appearance on The Charlie Rose Show. Most of the highlights are, not surprisingly, from Springsteen's electrifying concerts, including raw versions of "Rosalita" and "Thunder Road" from early in his career with the E Street Band. Also not to be missed: the 1987 performance of the harrowing "Tougher Than the Rest," shot with poignant close-ups of wife Patti Scialfa singing backup; the raspy, gospel- tinged "Leap of Faith"; and the barely contained smolder of "Fire." Most fans will find themselves wishing that this was strictly a concert DVD; the MTV videos from the Born in the U.S.A. years (the John Sayles-directed trilogy "Born in the U.S.A.," "I'm on Fire," and "Glory Days") seem too canned and glossy sandwiched in with the rougher, more exhilarating live performances. And Springsteen's tendency to get preachy in the late '90s ("Murder Incorporated," "Dead Man Walkin'") can grate as well. But until there's a full-length performance DVD, the Video Anthology will keep fans on their feet.
--Anne Hurley