I can't rate MAGIC as highly as many. The reasons why are best explained in this note I sent to Buffalo News Music Critic Jeff Miers.

Hey Jeff, enjoyed your recent writings and ruminations on THE BOSS! I just can't seem to give MAGIC quite as strong a grade as most. The best I can do is a B+, and that has nothing to do with Bruce. The writing, the playing, the concept of the album is all Straight A. What I can't get past is Brendan O'Brien's production. He mishandled many of these songs, burying the vocal with too much echo, muffled guitars and bass. Girls In Summer Clothes could be much brighter than it is, a classic Bruce sing-along. Instead it almost plods, and unless you have the printed lyrics, you may never know the words. Happens way too much on this album. Last To Die is nearly right, but falls short for the same reasons. I'm not so naive to think that Bruce's singing style can go back to 1978, (when did he get that southern drawl which often show up in live shows?), and he's never been one to have huge mainstream hits even as much as U2, but put this album in the hands of a Bob Clearmountain, Chuck Plotkin, Keith Forsey or a Bob Rock and you just might have not only the best Springsteen album since THE RIVER, but one that would rival it as well.

John Kalodner, please knock some sense into Brendan O'Brien. Am I way off here?

Rob Lucas