Truthfully, I don’t know how to classify this one.<\/p>\n
Gary U.S. Bonds released “Hold On (To What You Got)” on On the Line<\/em>, but Bruce wrote it along with six other tracks on Bonds’ 1982 album. Technically, that makes Bonds’ recording a cover.<\/p>\n But in an open secret that Bruce finally confirmed earlier this year on his\u00a0From My Home to Yours<\/em> radio show, Bruce not only wrote those tracks for Bonds, he performs on them, too.<\/p>\n In fact, the entire E Street Band performs on them–Bruce and the band recorded the backing track together in the studio, and Gary overdubbed his lead vocals.<\/p>\n So perhaps it’s most accurate to credit it to Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, featuring Gary U.S. Bonds on lead vocals.<\/p>\n No matter how you classify it, “Hold On (To What You Got)” is a terrific pop song on an album full of them. It’s not much of an exaggeration to call\u00a0On the Line<\/em> a secret Springsteen album, with a half-dozen original River-era pop songs written and performed by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band (plus a cover of “Rendezvous” as well). Every Springsteen fan should own it.<\/p>\n “Hold On (To What You Got)” kicks off the album in fine power pop fashion, and it screams E Street from Max’s opening barrel roll through that glorious bridge to a coda we can imagine Bruce milking for minutes in concert.<\/p>\n