You just can’t top a hand-painted card from your one-year-old grandson as the best present you could ever get on Father’s Day.

The card was the surprise and highlight of my Father’s Day.

What was not a surprise was my children giving me Bruce Springsteen’s latest album “Western Stars” on vinyl. It is quite possibly the best Springsteen album since Born to Run!

Yes, a big statement but its one I’m going with. I have pretty much had it on continuous play since it was released on Spotify. Now I can play it on my Rega Planer turntable.

It’s so different from Born to Run. It’s mellow. It’s not raw. But like Born to Run, you think you have a favourite song and then the next song comes on and that’s a new favourite. Surely it’s Side A track one, Hitch Hikin’, no it’s Tucson Train, or perhaps actually it’s Western Stars. Once the four sides finish its back to Side A. Oh, how I remember going through the same process when Born to Run came out. I literally played the grooves off it. I think I have bought four copies of Born to Run on vinyl, multiple copies on CD and now have it on Spotify and a version live from Springsteen’s library of concerts.

Western Stars is rich. Springsteen’s voice is clear and there is a powerful wall of sound behind his voice. It’s got strong country roots. Oh my, how good is this album!

Following on from his Broadway Show which I also have on vinyl, Western Stars marks a departure, temporary I am sure, from his E-Street Band Albums, but not the way Nebraska and others did. Those albums were deliberately bare, stripped down and raw. Western Stars takes the production of the E-Street Band albums and adds, I was going to say a personal touch, but the E-Street Band is Springsteen’s persona.

Western Stars is a Springsteen Epic.