Even when he was quite capable of selling out several nights in a large stadium, Bruce Springsteen would occasionally surprise the music world by playing a small club. The Boss did exactly that when he performed at Marz American Style on Long Branch Island, NJ on August 20, 1994. For the small audience, it was quite a treat (and a rare one) to hear Springsteen in a more intimate venue. Recorded from the soundboard and offering excellent sound quality, American Style is a German bootleg CD that gives listeners a chance to hear how inspired the singer sounded that night. For the Boss, playing a small Jersey Shore club meant revisiting his roots, and he sounds like he was enjoying himself tremendously on favorites like "Born In the U.S.A.," "Glory Days," "Lucky Town" and "Darkness on the Edge of Town." Springsteen (who is joined by Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers) performs his share of rock and soul covers, including gritty versions of Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl," Chuck Berry's "Around And Around" and Sir Mack Rice's "Mustang Sally." Much of American Style has a definite rawness and a refreshing bar-band quality, and therein lies much of its appeal. The Boss obviously wasn't going for slickness -- just having some casual, unpretentious fun. The results, although not quite essential, are consistently appealing. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide