June 13 (Bloomberg) -- Bruce Springsteen is back, with all his usual passion and musicianship -- though little of the voice of the Boss at his best.

His new CD ``Live in Dublin'' (Sony Music) was taped at the end of a long tour through the U.S. and Europe.

This live recording and DVD is meant to document Springsteen's 2006 project with the big Sessions Band, which set out to interpret Pete Seeger's music before expanding to take in traditional American music and Springsteen's own catalog.

The energy is high, the musicianship smooth and assured and the passion great. Still, Springsteen's voice appears to be failing him on the CD, perhaps the result of tour fatigue. He is forced into a raspy bellow, especially on ``How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live,'' which was covered to better effect on a separate version released last year.

The album works best on the quieter numbers, including ``O Mary Don't You Weep'' and ``Further on Up the Road.'' I saw several of the 2006 European shows and have to wonder whether this was the best evening to document for posterity.

The DVD, sold separately or as a combo, was apparently edited for low-attention-span Blackberry addicts, because its choppy montage is chaotic and annoying.

What ever became of long, steady shots in music films? It only diminishes the joy of seeing the band work together in what were wild rave-ups. Ultimately, this record and video are placeholders until we get something fresh.

``RELEASE THE STARS,'' Rufus Wainwright (Geffen Records): Wainwright's zesty appetite for life seems limitless. He brings a let's-toss-in-everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach to his fifth CD project that makes Barry Manilow's productions sound like a tinny acoustic folk band playing on plastic instruments.

Wainwright recorded the CD in Berlin with an eye to making it edgy, a la Bowie and U2. He ended up wearing lederhosen and digging the city's campier side. In the end, only ``Between My Legs'' really sounds tricked up with electronica.

Comparisons can be drawn with Brian Wilson or Phil Spector's Wall of Sound. This is really something different -- big life-affirming music that can be listened to on several levels -- from high art to carefree pop standards of the future.

``Do I Disappoint You'' starts slowly and builds to a climax complete with a full orchestra and multitracked harmonies, while ``Going to a Town'' references his move to Berlin by noting he's sick of his homeland: ``You took advantage of a world that loved you well/ I'm going to a town that has already been burned down/ I'm so tired of you America.''

``SWEET WARRIOR,'' Richard Thompson (Shout! Factory): Thompson, a British master songwriter, appears with a new record that features impeccable guitar wizardry and witty lyrics.

This CD contains another 14 hand-crafted gems that range from ``Needle and Thread,'' paced by Thompson's snaky soloing, to the wistful ``Poppy Red.''

Not one noted for ``protest'' songs, Thompson weighs in on the conflict in Iraq either through the eyes of a solider trapped in the chaos (``Dad's Gonna Kill Me'') or by taking a near-Wilfred-Owenish view of war on ``Guns Are the Tongues'': ``The car was a rolling bomb/ Blew all to Kingdom Come./ They marveled how far/ His boots had traveled.''

This reviewer had a dream the other day that somewhere there is an alternate planet called Earth 2.0 where exemplary artists like Thompson are not only adored but properly rewarded in their lifetimes for the goodness they have brought. Meanwhile, the musical hacks who preside over the Top 10 back on Earth 1.0 are sentenced to be voted off reality TV shows again and again, Prometheus-like, for their cruel contributions to pop culture.

The CDs are priced from $12.98 in the U.S. or 8.99 pounds in the U.K.

(Douglas Lytle writes for Bloomberg News. The opinions expressed are his own.)

To contact the writer of this review: Douglas Lytle at dlytle@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: June 13, 2007 01:20 EDT