The Boss has it covered when it comes to being a rock legend. And now he’s just got it covered.

Bruce Springsteen’s latest effort, We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions, is his first album made up entirely of covers. Pete Seeger, the legendary folk singer and political activist of the ’50s and ’60s, serves as Springsteen’s inspiration for the album.

After rediscovering a recording of “We Shall Overcome,” Springsteen decided to get some musicians together and run with it. The result is an album of Pete Seeger-popularized folk classics reborn with new life and energy.

According to a 2001 article in The Roanoke Times, the song “We Shall Overcome” is derived from a 1901 gospel song. The Roanoke Times notes that the tempo has sped up over the years. Popularized by singer Gay Carawan, the song infiltrated itself into the American Civil Rights Movement. The Freedom Singers and Pete Seeger spread the song across the country and it became an anthem for civil rights, The Roanoke Times says.

Springsteen adds his own flavor on his latest effort with liner notes: “This is a LIVE recording- with no rehearsals. All arrangements were conducted as we played, you can hear me shouting out the names and instruments of the players as we roll. This approach takes the listener along for the whole ride, as you hear the music not just being played but being made.”

The Boss could not have summed it up any better. This album features an entirely new Springsteen sound. Here he’s channeling Pete Seeger, but doing it in his own way. Where Seeger was very minimalistic, Springsteen utilizes everything he can: acoustic guitars, banjos, accordions, horns, fiddles, washboards – accomplishing the sound of “people just sitting around playing.”

All 13 tracks on We Shall Overcome fit with each other seamlessly, with a feel-good vibe weaving them together. Protest songs, old folk tales, Irish tunes and gospel-infused folk make for an eclectic collection. Nothing on this album disappoints.

From the opening notes of “Old Dan Tucker,” Springsteen calling off the count, the album kicks it high and never lets up. “Jessie James,” a song about America’s favorite fugitive, slowly builds on chords from an acoustic guitar, and then is joined by an accordion and horns.

The old Irish tune “Mrs. McGrath” opens with fiddles and acoustic guitar as it sings the melody of a nonsensical chorus. The bow sliding across the strings only intensifies its power.

The rest of the record continues without a hitch. Almost every track could be called a standout. Springsteen is re-introducing another generation to the folk songs of the past. These songs speak out about decades of American and European culture. “Froggie Went A-Courtin'” even dates all the way back to 1549. Rich in American tradition, We Shall Overcome is true to the red, white and blue.

If folk music, Bluegrass, Celtic, protest songs, folk-rock or Springsteen make your blood boil with passion, We Shall Overcome is an album you should hear.

Contact reporter Rudi Greenberg at greenbergdbk@gmail.com.