Now as the culmination of that tour, Springsteen has put together his first live TV special with the E Street Band (he filmed a special with a different band for MTV in 1992) which will air on HBO throughout April. The concert film consists of songs recorded from the last two nights of the reunion tour at Madison Square Garden. I could hear the shrieks of excitement up and down the Jersey shore.

To the general music buying public, Springsteen has not been truly relevant since 1987's Tunnel of Love. Other than a couple of songs that were attached to films (Secret Garden, Streets of Philadelphia) Springsteen has flown below the pop music radar, relegated to classic rock stations.

Ah, but to the faithful, including myself, Bruce has never really gone away. He worked sporadically in the 90's experimenting with different musicians and folk music, and he finally released some of the hundreds of unreleased songs he has recorded over the years with the Tracks boxed set. Much to the surprise of everyone, looking back led Bruce to reconnect with his past and move forward. Springsteen has gotten back to doing what he does best with the people that he did it the best with.

This show is what Springsteen fans have been waiting for—a document that can be pointed to for all of the people that say they don't get it. Every Springsteen fan has friends and family who just don't understand a love of Springsteen. This is the response that I usually get: "He's pretty good, Born in the USA was a good album, but I just don't know what the big deal is." It feels like trying to explain electricity to the Amish - they just don't get it. But here we hoped would be Bruce's way of explaining himself. Consider it a sermon to convert the uninitiated into the "ministry of Rock and Roll" as he had called it throughout the tour.

Those are pretty lofty expectations for a TV concert - maybe too lofty.

Make no mistake about it - this special is not to be missed if you are a fan of live music. The band is as tight as it has ever been. These are older and wiser musicians at the top of their game. The three guitars: Bruce, Nils Lofgren and Steve Van Zandt, give the music a full and lively sound, while the backbone of the band, Gary Tallant on bass and drummer Max Weinberg, anchor every song with a solid foundation - be it a quiet rumble or power that will rattle your teeth. The group knows how to fill their bars and compliment each other without stepping on each other's toes. The intensity of the performance could practically melt your TV screen. The band works as hard as any in the business and Springsteen pushes himself to the brink of exhaustion. It makes you tired even though you're sitting on your couch.

There are some old favorites (Born to Run, Badlands) and some songs that are re-energized with new arrangements (The River, Youngstown -with a blazing guitar solo by Nils Lofgren). The rest is just solid rock and roll. Prove It All Night, the second song in the show, sets the pace with the sheer fury of Springsteen's solo and the passionate trading of yells between Bruce and Steve that close the song. Tenth Avenue is the showstopper at just over 16 minutes. Bruce mixes in a little gospel (Take Me To the River) and uses the song to introduce the band while prancing around the stage like a rock and roll preacher.

Two new songs are also included in the show. The first, Land of Hope and Dreams is a song that was written for the reunion tour and centers on the idea of companionship. The band has played this song from the first night of the tour, and having seen that first show I can tell you that the song has blossomed into a wonderful gospel inspired crowd pleaser now that the band has mastered it.

The second new song, American Skin (41 Shots) is the now infamous song that got its inspiration from the shooting of Amadou Diallo, an unarmed man, by the NYC police. American Skin is a wonderful song, when taken separately from the ridiculous outrage that surrounded it, that continues the tradition of Springsteen's career -making socially conscious music that speaks to the everyman. The show is worth seeing just so you can hear the song for yourself and see how much people blew its message way out of proportion.

What is most enjoyable about the concert is the feeling of friendship that emanates from the stage. There is a sense of camaraderie, not only among the band itself, but also between the band and its audience. The audience loves the music and the band loves playing it. The audience hardly needs any prompting at all, but when they get some, they respond with joy. The band is all smiles and there is not a moment of coasting in the show. The give and take of spirit and emotion throughout the Garden is captured here and should be savored because it is a rare thing in music nowadays. This is probably as good as TV concerts get.

But it is still just a TV concert. The show is edited into a 1 hour and 50 minute program. Springsteen shows are no less than 3 hours. This means that a lot of footage had to be cut out. A Springsteen concert, like any concert really, is a complete story with ebbs and flows. When you disrupt that natural flow to fit into a time bracket you dilute the original. If HBO could air a complete N SYNC concert I am confused as to why they would not due the same in this case. There is also a problem with the sequence of songs. It makes sense to move American Skin to the end of the show to draw attention to the newest song, but in terms of the flow of the show it takes away from the uplifting spirit of the previous song and leaves a somber aftertaste.

I was at both of the concerts that this special was filmed from and I have to say that TV as a medium can only capture so much of any live show and that this cut concert can only hint at what the complete show was like. For those who have never seen Springsteen live, I'm sure that you will find this an enjoyable show. But please be aware that the true concert is a different experience.

Bruce Springsteen has still never released a complete concert in any form and that is a real shame. Maybe I am just bothered because I was hoping that this might help the apathetic to finally get it, and while this show is a good television program, It will probably fail to change the minds of those who just don't see what the big deal is.

Michael Messineo is a part-time writer and has seen 14 live Bruce Springsteen concerts. No, he does not think he has a problem.

Got a problem? Email Michael at filmmonthly@hotmail.com