New Jersey rockerBruce Springsteenhas long been consideredthe prolific musician’s prolific musician. Since his 1973 debut album,Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J., the manaffectionately nicknamed “The Boss"has put out over twenty studio albums (includingAsbury). He’s also released a swarm of live records and has toured for decades with and without his trademark E Street Band, with show quality/lengths that, even as he’s aged into his 70s, are still the stuff of legend.
Would it be hard to believe, then, that even after all that output, Springsteen would still have a massive haul of previously unreleased material to drop? Whether it’s surprising or not (and it feels like a bit of both), Springsteen is doing just that, coming up later this year with a release from his vault:Tracks II: The Lost Albums. This box setwill cover seven albums, finished in varying degrees by Springsteen from 1983 to 2018, that stopped before hitting the finish line for one reason or another.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Springsteen decided to finally finish the material, and will soon be giving it to the public for their own consumption. So, what do we know about these LPs so far, andwhat is their place inside Bruce Springsteen’s storied catalog?
Finding Bruce Springsteen’s Lost Albums
Filling In The Springsteen Gaps
Springsteen first introduced some of his vaulted material to fans and friends alike back in 1998 with the release of the box setTracks, which contains 66 songs recorded between 1972 and 1998.Trackshas a mixture of never-before-heard songs from various album sessions,as well as B-sides, demos, and alternate versions of material that had already been heard.
Tracks IIgoes deeper this time around; instead of single songs and throwaways, the focus is on seven albums:LA Garage Sessions ‘83,Streets of Philadelphia Sessions,Faithless,Somewhere North of Nashville,Inyo,Twilight Hours, andPerfect World. To break that down in song terms,that’s 83 previously unreleased tracks, 74 of which have never come out in any prior form.
LA Garage Sessionsis said to be a stripped-down link that bridges the transition gap between classic Springsteen LPsNebraskaandBorn in the U.S.A., whileStreets of Philadelphia Sessionsexpands on the more synth and electronic-heavy style Springsteen was recording in making the song “Streets of Philadelphia” for the 1993Tom Hanks-starring moviePhiladelphia.Faithlesswas music made for a film that, unlikePhiladelphia, never got made, leaving the material in limbo for years until now.
“Maybe Bruce… Will Get To That”: Bruce Springsteen’s Scrapped Album From 42 Years Ago Still Deserves A Release, And The E Street Band Agrees
1982’s Nebraska was a phenomenal, introspective, and personal album – but it has a louder, electric side that remains unreleased, even after 42 years.
Meanwhile,Somewhere North of Nashvillebusts out the pedal steel and country twang Springsteen has only scantily touched over the years, andInyotakes that Southern-type of sound further over the border for a Mexican/Spanish-inflected feeling.Twilight Hourspromisesan intriguing mixture of noir and orchestral arrangements, whilePerfect Worldeyes up a large, arena-rock-sounding E Street Band effort that was assembled purposefully for the release of this box set. The first single fromTracks IIis “Rain in the River” fromPerfect World, and it certainly delivers on that bigger sound.
What’s Next On The Journey To “Tracks II”
First Single Sound And A Release Date
“Rain in the River” has all the familiar Bruce Springsteen signposts, from his usual bone-weary storytelling to his familiar rusty-gruff vocals that have a signature way of drawing attention to his songs. The promised arena rock pull ofPerfect Worldis also here,as the drums feel pumped up, with the guitars and choruses on IMAX ready to wash over and thrill the listener. Just when it seems like Springsteen is out of ways to surprise you, it feels like there’s still someintriguing new ground to come with this box set.
Just when it seems like Springsteen is out of ways to surprise you, it feels like there’s still some intriguing new ground to come with this box set.
Tracks II: The Lost Albumswill be released June 27thon various formats, including CD and vinyl. A companion set made up of a selection of 20 highlight songs from the box set entitledLost And Found: Selections from The Lost Albumswill also come out on the same day.Bruce Springsteenis proving through this release that he has a massive legacy, and it isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
