On his latest CD, New Jersey's favorite son reconnects with his working-class roots and re-establishes his bond to traditional folk music with a collection of songs closely associated with the great Pete Seeger. It's an outstanding tribute to Seeger, but, more importantly, it's simply an outstanding album.

The album is joyous and fun, two things that definitely couldn't be said of Springsteen's last two outings, and the vocalist sounds like he's having the time of his life here. He's made so much "important" music over the years--songs that spoke for/to "The People"--that it's often easy to overlook how great he is at simply leading a good-time rock-and-roll band.

Working with his large Seeger Sessions Band, Springsteen takes folk music out of the coffeehouses and brings it to the pubs. That's hardly sacrilege, given that the roots of folk music run straight through centuries-old drinking establishments in Ireland, Scotland and England. Springsteen's versions of songs such as "Old Dan Tucker," "Jesse James" and "Mrs. McGrath" contain so much raucous Irish spirit that one might think he was backed by The Pogues.

It's a fascinating addition to one of the greatest catalogs in rock history. This critic simply can't wait to see what The Boss pulls next.