Live in New York City

Disc 1
1	My Love Will Not Let You Down
2	Prove It All Night
3	Two Hearts
4	Atlantic City
5	Mansion on the Hill
6	The River
7	Youngstown
8	Murder Incorporated
9	Badlands
10	Out in the Street
Disc 2
1	Tenth Avenue Freeze Out
2	Land of Hope and Dreams
3	American Skin
4	Lost in the Flood
5	Born in the U.S.A.
6	Don't Look Back
7	Jungleland
8	Ramrod
9	If I Should Fall Behind

Barnes & Noble

Bruce Springsteen built his reputation on the concert stage, sweating and testifying through shows that often hit the four-hour mark. And while there's no shortage of recordings documenting the Boss in concert, each live album seems to take on a personality all its own. Live in New York City has several unique aspects: It's a homecoming of sorts, given the locale and presence of a reunited E Street Band, who inject tried-and-true tunes like "Badlands" and (of course) "Born to Run" with that extra hit of octane. It's also a reaffirmation that Springsteen is still capable of cutting to the quick with a lyric, as borne out by the chilling "American Skin (41 Shots)," his take on the controversial shooting of Amadou Diallo by New York City policemen, which makes its first official appearance here. Culled from a ten-night stand at Madison Square Garden, Live in New York can sound somewhat disjointed at times, but the individual performances are hard to fault. From the slowly building intensity of "Prove It All Night" to the joyful bop of "Tenth Avenue Freeze Out," Bruce and band maintain a precise dynamic control, while making it sound like they've not a care in the world. Despite the undeniable house-rocking ability of the E Street Band -- who, even after all these years, can often make an arena feel like a Jersey shore beer hall -- the album's most riveting moments are its quietest. The aforementioned "American Skin" is as spare as can be, while versions of "The River" and "Atlantic City" burn slow and low in their intensity. Perfectionists might be pining for more of the new material debuted on the tour -- the On the Road-style buddy tale "Land of Hope and Dreams" is the only other unreleased tune represented -- but there's enough meat here to keep fans gnawing happily until the Boss next emerges from the studio. David Sprague

All Music Guide

Compared to the gargantuan Live/1975-85, 2001's Live in New York City seems like the very definition of restraint, but consider this -- not only does it span two discs, it leaves out a considerable portion of the set list from the show and thereby the set list of Springsteen's celebrated 2000 reunion with the E Street Band. Some critics complained that this record was little more than a tie-in to the HBO special of the same name, but even if that's true, the record would have merit since it illustrates exactly why this group should never have parted ways. In a sense, even if this is the third live album in Springsteen's catalog, it's the first that attempts to replicate the feeling of an evening out with the E Street Band (the Live/1975-85 box tried too hard to be an ultimate experience; MTV Plugged captured a transitional phase). Though most reunions feel a little forced, this feels natural, yet never nostalgic, since the track listing never relies on the predictable. There are no hits in the conventional sense -- outside of "Born in the U.S.A." tucked away on the second disc and an initially uncredited "Born to Run" -- but there are many fan favorites interspersed with a few obscurities and new songs, most notoriously the protest song "American Skin (41 Shots)." This works in Springsteen's favor, since there's no pandering -- only the joy of making music with the band that understands him best. This doesn't really result in something essential, even if the new songs are quite good, but if you've ever been a fan, it's hard not to warm to Live in New York City. Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Rolling Stone

[three-and-a-half stars]...The inclusion of "American Skin," one of Springsteen's finest songs, alone justifies the release of Live in New York City....These performances make Live in New York City more than just a souvenir of a nostalgia tour; it's a document of a great combo still burning to outdo itself. Greg Kot