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ADRIAN THRILLS reviews Tracks The Lost Albums: Bruce Springsteen releases 83 monumental and magnificent unheard tracks

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BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN: Tracks II: The Lost Albums (Sony)

Verdict: Monumental and magnificent

There are box sets, deluxe editions… and Bruce Springsteen anthologies.

This week, The Boss is not holding back – he’s releasing seven new albums filled with songs from 1983 to 2018 that have never been heard before.

He once shared with us that everyone harbors an insatiable desire within their hearts, yet even the most passionate enthusiast could be taken aback by the immense quantity offered in Tracks II: The Lost Albums.

In all, there are 83 tracks, but just nine of them have previously been released in some format. Interestingly, six out of the seven albums are standalone creations, each boasting a unique sound and set of themes.

This item is offered in a 9-vinyl LP box set priced at £280 and a 7-CD collection costing £230. While Track II can be streamed, it’s not exactly budget-friendly. And if you’re looking for something that would go viral on TikTok, this might not be your best bet. But for those eager to delve deeper, it’s a veritable treasure trove.

In the course of the lockdown, Bruce Springsteen found himself revisiting these songs again. (The movie about his life, titled “Deliver Me From Nowhere,” featuring Jeremy Allen White and Stephen Graham, will be released towards the end of this year.)

He’s explored the archives previously, most notably on the 1998 four-disc collection titled “Tracks,” which contained a mix of unused material and leftovers. However, the exceptional quality and range presented here elevates Tracks II to a different category compared to its predecessor.

Hey fellow Springsteen enthusiasts! If you’re like me, eagerly awaiting a new album from The Boss each day of the week, let me share with you my personal journey through his magnificent seven. Here’s an album-by-album guide to Bruce Springsteen’s masterpieces:

1. Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ: My introduction to the Boss and his gritty tales of small-town life.
2. The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle: A perfect blend of rock ‘n’ roll energy and heartfelt storytelling.
3. Born to Run: This album took me on a thrilling journey across America with the E Street Band.
4. Darkness on the Edge of Town: A raw, introspective look at love, loss, and the struggle for redemption.
5. The River: A rich tapestry of stories that capture the complexities of life in New Jersey.
6. Nebraska: An intimate, acoustic journey through America’s heartland, filled with haunting tales.
7. Born in the U.S.A.: A powerful indictment of the American Dream and its disillusionment.

L.A. GARAGE SESSIONS ‘83 (1983)

Labeled as the bridge connecting the solo, stripped-down album “Nebraska” from 1982 and the iconic “Born In The USA” of 1984 (Springsteen’s renowned heartland rock), L.A. Garage Sessions initiates a series of Bruce Springsteen releases.

As a devoted admirer, I’d like to share my excitement about an album I recently crafted. It’s a 18-track collection, blending the mellow tones of lo-fi folk with the nostalgic vibes of 1950s rock and roll. The creation process was simple yet effective, using just a guitar and a drum machine as my primary tools.

1. “Little Girl Like You” carries a heartfelt nod to Buddy Holly’s style.

2. In a faithful tribute, “Follow That Dream” reimagines an Elvis classic as a statement of belief.

Among the outtakes of Born In The USA, you’ll find some cheerful pop music reminiscent of The River from the 1980s.

STREETS OF PHILADELPHIA SESSIONS (1993-94)

In a striking turn of events, Bruce Springsteen’s poignant ballad “Streets of Philadelphia,” released as the soulful theme song for Jonathan Demme’s 1993 film on the AIDS crisis, climbed up to the No.2 spot in the UK charts, marking his highest-ever single there. It’s hardly shocking that he followed this success by creating an entire album in a similar vein. However, it remains puzzling as to why he chose not to release this album until now.

This composition primarily relies on drum beats and synthesizers rather than guitars, with a focus on somber, intense love ballads that gradually gain momentum. One notable track is “Maybe I Don’t Know You,” which delves into the suspicions of a lover and shares thematic similarities with the song “Brilliant Disguise” from 1987.

SOMEWHERE NORTH OF NASHVILLE (1995)

The Boss switches to country music, and it’s a fun, lively experience! Recorded simultaneously with 1995’s acoustic album “The Ghost of Tom Joad,” this collection was initially intended for release at the same time. It offers an enjoyable mix of honky-tonk tunes and barroom ballads. Pedal steel player Marty Rifkin and E Street Band violinist Soozie Tyrell are part of Bruce’s talented band in this project.

Bruce Springsteen performs a soulful rendition of Johnny Rivers’ ’60s ballad “Poor Side of Town.” He also delivers energetic takes on “Repo Man” and “Detail Man,” two upbeat rock songs that share similar themes, but with distinct lyrics. Yee-haw! (Informal exclamation expressing excitement)

INYO (1996-97)

In the latter part of the ’90s, with my wife Patti Scialfa, I was focusing on nurturing our growing family, which meant taking a step back from The E Street Band’s limelight. However, behind closed doors, I was tirelessly working on music projects, creating and hoarding new records. Among those hidden gems is “Inyo”, a piece deeply rooted in the stories of Mexican communities in California and Texas.

In a worn-out tone, the songs are given depth by softly strummed drums and melodious mariachi horns. Adelita is a heartbreaking love story unfolding during the Mexican War of Independence, while Ciudad Juarez tells the gripping tale of cross-border drug trafficking. Inyo, in its own right, could be considered the Hispanic equivalent of Nebraska.

PERFECT WORLD (1990s-2010s)

Instead of being designed as a standalone piece, Perfect World is unique among these albums as it was not originally conceived for independent release.

Rather than having distinctively different tracks, these songs share a powerful, stadium-worthy vibe, with frequent collaborators of The E Street Band like drummer Max Weinberg, pianist Roy Bittan, and bassist Garry Tallent making appearances.

In simpler terms, “I’m Not Sleeping” is an energetic rock song, while “If I Could Only Be Your Lover” employs the imagery of a rundown small town to symbolize lost love. Bruce Springsteen’s wife Patti and Steven Van Zandt provide backup vocals in the song “You Lifted Me Up.

FAITHLESS (2005-06)

Translated as the score for an unproduced “spiritual Western” movie, Faithless is another captivating departure. Springsteen has dabbled with gospel before – My City Of Ruins and Land Of Hope And Dreams were performed with intense gospel passion during his latest UK tour – but he’s never delved into sacred music quite like he does on All God’s Children and God Sent You.

The melodic composition of his meditation piece features celestial choruses and brief instrumental interludes reminiscent of the dry, barren landscapes of the American Dust Bowl. On the track “Where You Going, Where You From,” his sons Evan and Sam lend their backing vocals.

TWILIGHT HOURS (2010-2018)

If Faithless is an unforeseen deviation, Twilight Hours is all the more unexpected. Initially considered as a sibling album to 2010’s Western Stars (an album influenced by 1960s Californian pop), it’s a sophisticated tribute to the essence of Bruce’s fellow New Jersey icon, Frank Sinatra.

Although The Boss may not be born with the ability of a traditional crooner, each song he creates about tragic love is filled with genuine emotion and meticulously constructed.

On Sundays, Love Tune is a soulful blend of Broadway and Bacharach, taking place during the morning commute (with ‘newspaper and coffee on the subway’), as film composer Jon Brion gracefully incorporates guitar and vibraphone into the sophisticated duet Two Of Us.

On June 27th, you’ll find Track II available! It’s a compilation album called “Lost And Found: Selections From The Lost Albums,” which consists of 20 tracks. You can grab it as a double vinyl record or a single CD.

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2025-06-25 11:04

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