In the mighty musical Meadowlands – Swamplandia – the Boss is concluding his tour in, where?, Washington, DC? Come on, guys. Not even slightly funny. Kyle Smith in Free Expressions admits to pausing when he first heard the Boss’s “Land of Hope and Dreams Tour” had turned into a Rachael Maddow monologue.

Mr. Smith also wondered why Bruce was concluding his tour in DC. Of all places?

For more than 50 years, as glam rock, punk, disco, electronica and every other musical craze came and went, Mr. Springsteen held to his style. His music was never timely, which is why it’s timeless.

As Smith recognized, the Boss is 76 …

… and you never know when you’ll get another chance to see him perform.

The problem begins with Bruce’s writing. Bruce writes political diatribes about as well as Smith plays guitar.

(Bruce) added nothing to the discourse. He simply repeated talking points we’ve all heard many times. He was like the guy at the Thanksgiving table who brings up politics when you ask him to pass the stuffing. Mr. Springsteen seemed even to design his playlist around titles intended to annoy Mr. Trump, even though the lyrics have nothing to do with the current situation (“No Surrender,” “Wrecking Ball,” “Murder Incorporated”).

Would Springsteen ever suggest that a man who is so rich that his daughter was able to grow up to be an equestrienne on their 400-acre horse farm is out of touch?

Smith writes that he would never tell an artist to “shut up and sing.” After all, isn’t the man entitled to his views? Nor would Smith ever suggest that a man who is so rich that his daughter was able to grow up to be an equestrienne on their 400-acre horse farm is out of touch. Rich people are entitled to be angry about the excesses of ICE.

Born to Run His Mouth

(Bruce) eventually weighed down the mood with many lugubrious picks such as the endless 2001 sermon “American Skin (41 Shots)” (which is about an accident, not a policy, and anyway concerns an illegal immigrant, not an American, who was mistakenly shot in 1999 by New York police who thought he had a gun). Even worse is Mr. Springsteen’s current follow-up, “Streets of Minneapolis,” a topical clunker that is unworthy of one of the great songwriters. It’s the opposite of timeless.

(THE BOSS) weighed down the mood with many lugubrious picks such as the endless 2001 sermon “American Skin (41 Shots)” (which is about an accident, not a policy, and anyway concerns an illegal immigrant, not an American, who was mistakenly shot in 1999 by New York police who thought he had a gun). Even worse is Mr. Springsteen’s current follow-up, “Streets of Minneapolis,” a topical clunker that is unworthy of one of the great songwriters. It’s the opposite of timeless.

Would Bruce Springst