Bruce Springsteen responded to the government’s threats to investigate his comments about the United States’ “corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration” by releasing excerpts of his May 14 show in Manchester as the live album Land of Hope & Dreams. 

And while Springsteen’s music is generally the salve at Springsteen gigs and on Springsteen concert recordings, Springsteen’s spoken words and his courage are the salve on the streaming-only Land of Hope & Dreams. 

“The mighty E Street Band is here tonight to call upon the righteous power of art, of music, of rock ‘n’ roll in dangerous times,” Springsteen says before launching into the title track. 

With the theme of “People Get Ready” popping up sporadically, Springsteen and the E Streeters also perform “Long Walk Home,” “My City of Ruins” and Bob Dylan’s “Chimes of Freedom.” And despite the darkness in the songs and Springsteen’s realism and warnings about “some very weird, strange and dangerous shit going on” in America, the Boss retains his optimism. 

“A majority of our elected representatives have failed to protect the American people from the abuses of an unfit president and a rogue government,” he says. 

“They have no concern or idea of what it means to be deeply American. The America that I’ve sung to you about for 50 years is real, and regardless of its faults, is a great country with a great people.

“So we’ll survive this moment.” 

Artists like Springsteen – and albums like Land of Hope & Dreams – will help ensure it.