Bruce Springsteen
Best of Bruce Springsteen

LA RECENSIONE

Let's start from the premise that I own all of Bruce Springsteen's studio albums and that I don't need to get the physical version of this collection. Because yes, this Best of was released in two different formats, one with 18 songs released as a single CD and double vinyl, and one with 31 songs released on digital platforms.

In any case, no matter how good the content may be, I consider this yet another proof of the incompleteness of Bruce Springsteen's collections, as well as a lack of effort in including the most representative tracks. I will go album by album to say what I think of the selection, and I will base it more on objective criteria than personal tastes.

• Greetings from Asbury Park NJ - "Growin' Up" is, besides being my favorite from the album, also the one that most represents Springsteen in terms of themes and style, and in the single disc, I consider it a non-obvious but definitely pleasing inclusion. The digital version also includes "Spirit in the Night", but given its greater popularity, "Blinded by the Light" might have been a more suitable inclusion.
• The Wild, the Innocent and the E-Street Shuffle - "Rosalita" is undoubtedly the most suitable inclusion, as it is by far the most famous song from the pre-Born to Run period. "Sandy", present only digitally, as beautiful as it is, may be a somewhat dated choice, given its significant drop in popularity.
• Born to Run - "Thunder Road" and the title track are obvious inclusions, among Bruce's absolute masterpieces and perennial staples. While the two timeless classics are present in both versions, the digital one also includes "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out", not among my favorites but whose inclusion is understandable given its popularity. The absence of some important album tracks is questionable.
• Darkness on the Edge of Town - "Badlands" is present in both editions, and here the same reasoning for "Born to Run" and "Thunder Road" applies. However, only "Prove It All Night" is added in digital, and excluding "The Promised Land" is a crime. Here too, the absence of popular album tracks is questionable.
• The River - "Hungry Heart" is present in both, as it should be. The crime, however, is excluding the title track, despite it being excluded only from the physical version and present in the digital version. A timeless classic and a genre masterpiece should have been included a priori. Then an album as rich as The River could have had a third song to represent it, to be honest.
• Nebraska - "Atlantic City": an obvious inclusion as it is the most well-known from the album.
• Born in the USA - "Glory Days" is present only digitally, "Dancing in the Dark" and the title track in both versions. We are talking about an album where all the songs are highly popular, and not everything can be included, of course. But where are "My Hometown" or the even more popular "I'm on Fire", for example?
• Tunnel of Love - "Brilliant Disguise" was the first hit from the album and is still a representative piece, and its inclusion in both editions is understandable. But why is "Tougher Than the Rest", currently the most popular from the album, only present digitally?
• Human Touch - There's only the title track to represent the album in both editions. Understandable, since it is the most iconic hit from Bruce's otherwise less fortunate period.
• Lucky Town - The album is only represented in the digital version with "If I Should Fall Behind" and "Living Proof". The first is a decidedly appropriate inclusion, the second is not very popular, and "Better Days" would have been more suitable to represent the album in the collection.
• Greatest Hits - "Streets of Philadelphia" first of all, but also "Secret Garden", present in both editions, are entirely understandable inclusions given their popularity.
• The Ghost of Tom Joad - The title track is an obvious inclusion and is present in both versions. A great song, and although not a big chart hit, it has rightfully established itself as a classic of songwriting.
• The Rising - No complaints about the inclusion of the title track in both versions, as it is one of the most iconic pieces of Springsteen from the 2000s. However, it is a shame that the very popular "Waitin' on a Sunny Day" or "Lonesome Day" are not there; the inclusion of just one track to represent one of Bruce's main albums of the last twenty years is decidedly sparse.
• Devils & Dust - This is an album that, as beautiful as it is, does not contain songs that stand out for popularity, and it is in fact represented only in the digital version. Probably including the title track (a single that also won a Grammy) instead of "Long Time Comin'" (still very beautiful) would have been objectively the most suitable choice.
• Magic - Objectively, for popularity, "Radio Nowhere" would have been the most suitable choice, and it has always been the favorite for collections. However, including "Girls in Their Summer Clothes" (personally my preference aside) as the sole piece to represent the album, both in physical and digital formats, is, as far as I am concerned, a somewhat unusual choice but one I definitely like.
• Working on a Dream - There is only "The Wrestler" in digital. Beautiful, but I think that the title track (equally beautiful in my opinion) would have been more appropriate.
• Wrecking Ball - "We Take Care of Our Own" represents the album, and only in digital format. Wrecking Ball would have deserved to be represented also by the title track or "Land of Hope and Dreams", in my opinion, similar in terms of popularity. It's an album that deserves a lot, and in my opinion, underrated.
• Western Stars - "Hello Sunshine" is the most popular track from the album, and a comprehensible choice for both editions.
• Letter to You - The physical version only contains the title track, while the digital version also includes "Ghosts". Excellent tracks for sure, and with the former being the most popular overall, the choice is understandable. But I wonder where "I'll See You in My Dreams" is, which has recently gained a lot of attention, especially thanks to live performances.

That's all I think. See you next time!