Bruce Springsteen
Tracks

In 1998, Bruce Springsteen, on the occasion of his 25th career anniversary, released this gigantic box set of 4 CDs containing 66 tracks written between 1972 and 1998. It is certainly the happiest episode of the '90s regarding the Boss's production. Indeed, it must not have been easy being a fan of the Boss in the decade he distanced himself from the E-Street Band and released only 3 albums of original songs, none of which reached the top of the charts. Here, then, is what fans had been waiting for years. The popular outtakes of the New Jersey rocker. Because he has released just over 250 songs, and it's rumored there are as many still unreleased.

The first CD includes a series of tracks recorded between "Greetings from Asbury Park N.J" and "Darkness On The Edge of Town". The first 4 tracks are acoustic versions (only voice and guitar) of tracks that later made it into the debut album. The most interesting is "Growin' Up" which doesn’t lose its intensity despite the absence of all the other instruments. After that, a parade of tracks one more beautiful than the other follows. And one wonders how our man managed to overlook them for so long. Yes, because tracks like "Santa Ana", "Zero and Blind Terry", "Seaside Bar Song" and "Thundercrack" would have made the fortune of any average songwriter. They represent a rock 'n' roll epic narrating nights spent around town, dad’s Cadillacs, girls with long black hair and fold-down seats, heroes for a night, and flights to freedom. Note in "Seaside Bar Song" the line "The highway is alive tonight" which Bruce would revive years later in "The Ghost of Tom Joad". Also noteworthy are "Bring On The Night", the beautiful "Linda Let Me be the One" and "Iceman" a song Bruce himself admitted to having completely forgotten he had written. It closes with the powerful "Don't Look Back" which was immortalized in the DVD and CD "Live in New York City" of 2001.

The second CD is mostly about "The River". A substantial album because it contained 20 songs, and given the number of songs recorded during that session, it could have resulted in a triple album. These are pure rock 'n' roll songs, flowing yet attentive to the themes that have always been dear to the Boss. "Loose Ends" is the symbolic song of what could have been a third part of "The River". A song that opened the concert in Turin last July amid the public’s ovations. Incredible how "Where the Bands Are" was discarded from previous albums. It would have been a great stadium song. "Restless Night", "Roulette", "Dollhouse", "Ricky Wants a Man of Her Own" it’s clear as day they come from that period. "A Good Man Is Hard to Find (Pittsburgh)" is beautiful and very sweet. Also present is the studio version of "Be True" which used to be the second track in the setlist of the Tunnel of Love tour ('87-88). But it doesn’t carry all the energy of the live version. "Born in the U.S.A." is here with a vocals and guitar only version, as it was originally conceived. Indeed, it was supposed to find space on "Nebraska," the acoustic album of '82. It’s incredible to hear the ultimate stadium song in a completely stripped-down version. The CD closes with "Johnny Bye Bye," which recalls Elvis's death, and "Shut Out the Light" the story of a family man returning from Vietnam.

The third CD is divided between the years of commercial success and sentimental failure. The CD opens with "Cynthia" which with its significant use of keyboards, was left off "Born in the U.S.A" perhaps because it was too similar to "Bobby Jean". "Car Wash" is the only Springsteen song to take a woman's perspective. While "Pink Cadillac", "Janey Don't You Lose Heart", and "Rockaway the Days" are honest rock 'n' roll episodes in the Boss's style. "Tv Movie" and "Stand On It" are fast rock pieces in pure Jerry Lee Lewis style. I want to mention the very fun "Lion's Den" which, with purely filler lyrics and clever use of brass, manages to be a great song for a sing-along. A cut above the rest is the masterpiece "The Wish", a song dedicated to the maternal figure. In it, the first guitar bought for Christmas is recalled. It's a song of disarming sweetness, and in the end, it even manages to move.

The fourth CD introduces us to a meditative and bitter Springsteen. Except for the first two extremely rock tracks "Leavin' Train" and "Seven Angels" that would have elevated "Human Touch" to much higher levels, we are confronted with acoustic tracks, from "Tunnel Of Love" to "The Ghost Of Tom Joad" passing through "Human Touch" and "Lucky Town".

In short, the prevailing theme is marital crisis, except for "Happy", a song with a very sweet melody that describes the serenity and happiness of waking up next to one's sweet half. The only song performed with the E-Street Band is "Back in Your Arms", one of the unreleased tracks recorded for the '95 greatest hits.

Bruce fans, here they will find food for thought, as the significant number of songs allows for a considerable amount of time to be spent on the album. For those who do not know the songwriter yet, perhaps, it is better to start with some older albums of original songs. So that in the future, this box set can be appreciated even more.

It also had good success in Italy, selling 60,000 copies in the first week. Not insignificant if you consider the cost of 120,000 lire, (today it can be found at 60 euros).

 Enjoy listening.

 Until next time...