Tracks | ||||
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Box set by | ||||
Released | November 10, 1998 | |||
Recorded | May 3, 1972 – August 24, 1998 | |||
Genre | Rock | |||
Length | 254:58 | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Producer | Various | |||
Bruce Springsteen chronology | ||||
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Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band chronology | ||||
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Singles from Tracks | ||||
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Tom Hull | B+ ( ) [3] |
AllMusic | [4] |
Tracks is a four-disc box set by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen,released in 1998 containing 66 songs. This box set mostly consists of never-before-released songs recorded during the sessions for his many albums,but also includes a number of single B-sides,as well as demos and alternate versions of already-released material.
The project began in February 1998,when Springsteen and his chief recording engineer,Toby Scott,began going through his massive collection of unreleased songs. Springsteen had been known as a very prolific songwriter ( Darkness on the Edge of Town , The River ,and Born in the U.S.A. each had more than 50 songs written for them),and by 1998 the number of unreleased songs was up to more than 350—3/4 of all his recorded material. Scott had begun on a computerized database of Springsteen's archives in 1985 in order to allow Springsteen to find specific songs that hadn't been released yet,and it was understood by Scott and others since the 1980s that Springsteen would eventually compile a selection of these unreleased recordings into a box set. [5]
Springsteen,engineer Chuck Plotkin and manager Jon Landau had considered releasing these songs in their current rough-mix form,going as far as mastering them in a test-run to get an idea of what they would sound like,but following a listening session in June,it was decided to mix them properly from the original multi-track tapes. Around this time,Sony Music was alerted that the project was in-progress,and they created their own timetable for promotion and release with a September 10 deadline for the final submission of the master tapes. According to Scott,they hadn't even completed a final list of songs by June,and the three-month schedule placed a lot of pressure on them to locate,remix and master the final track list in time to meet Sony's deadline. [5]
Springsteen,Scott,and three sets of engineers spent the next three months going through Springsteen's massive song library,locating the multi-track reels with Scott's database,mixing songs and picking out the best of the unreleased material. Sometimes,a song would need extra parts added on,such as in the case of "Thundercrack",a song dating back to 1973. Springsteen called in then-former bandmates Danny Federici and Clarence Clemons,along with original drummer Vini Lopez,to fill in the missing pieces. [6]
Though Springsteen already had a personal recording studio on his Jersey estate,the setup was awkward,using modest equipment in unconventional ways just to meet contemporary standards of professional recording. By the end of June,Scott was upgrading the facility into a far more sophisticated operation in order to meet the September deadline. Additionally,they began scheduling mix sessions across three different studios as the engineers' availability would be limited due to work with other clients. Springsteen's longtime engineer Bob Clearmountain would work remotely from Los Angeles,where he was already booked on other projects through August. Ed Thacker would mix at Springsteen's newly upgraded facility from July through September. Thom Panunzio would also mix at Springsteen's estate from the end of July through all of August,but he would work out of a mobile studio rented from the Record Plant as Thacker would be working out of Springsteen's studio at the same time. The material would also be divided up chronologically among the three engineers. For example,Panunzio would remix the earliest material as he had worked on many of those recordings when they were first made. Clearmountain mixed all of the material from the 1990s and Thacker mixed all of the material in-between as well as some of the earlier recordings. Up until early August,Scott would be coordinating the entire project by phone from his home in Whitefish,Montana,as he was expecting the birth of his first child,and engineer Greg Goldman would join the project as Scott's eyes and ears on the ground in Jersey where much of the team was located. [5]
On a typical day in August,when all three engineers were working simultaneously,Panunzio and Thacker would generally set up a mix during the evening,returning the next morning to finish. Springsteen would call in during the afternoon and show up between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to listen to mixes and make any suggested changes. Plotkin would be present,adding his input,and he would also have his mixes played back in real time on a receiving unit set up in Springsteen's living room at the compound. [5]
One of the most common changes between the new mixes and the vintage rough mixes was the difference in reverb. According to Thacker,Springsteen's vocals were originally "very big and sitting in the track surrounded by reverb," but Springsteen was now requesting him to "make the vocals drier than they might have been 20 years ago [and to] make them a little more personal." [5]
By the end of June,they had a preliminary list of 128 songs selected for the box set,and the following July,they cut it down to 100 songs (six CDs worth). However,Springsteen eventually decided to cut the number to 66,leaving a total of four CDs. By then,Scott's wife had delivered and he was back on-site in Jersey. As the final mixes were approved,Scott loaded them on to a digital workstation and assembled them in sequence as they would appear in the final boxed set. This meant setting spacings,doing crossfades and other editing tasks that are often saved for the mastering stage if more time had permitted. These final sequences were outputted on to a hard drive and sent to Gateway Mastering in Portland,Maine where they were mastered in a week. After three days of listening tests,Scott,Plotkin and Springsteen signed off on the project and submitted the finished masters on schedule. [5]
Even though the original intention was to cover material from all aspects of Springsteen's career,acoustic demos from 1972 (such as "Arabian Nights","Jazz Musician","Ballad of the Self-Loading Pistol",and "Visitation at Fort Horn") were not available for release,due to ongoing court proceedings surrounding the songs (concerning the attempted release of these songs by a different,European based label in 1993). [7] [8] Songs from the Electric Nebraska sessions,as well as songs from an unreleased 1994 album,were also missing.
The box set was a minor success,peaking at #27 on the Billboard 200 album chart. [10] It has been certified platinum in the U.S. and gold in Canada.
In a mostly positive review,AllMusic's music critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine opined that "If the end result isn't as revelatory as some may have expected (even the acoustic "Born in the U.S.A.," powerful as it is,doesn't sound any different than you may have imagined it),it's because Springsteen is,at heart,a solid craftsman,not a blinding visionary like Dylan. That's why Tracks is for the dedicated fan,where The Bootleg Series and The Basement Tapes are flat-out essential for rock fans."
Since its release,44 of the songs on the set have been played live at least once,with "My Love Will Not Let You Down" receiving the most attention at over 100 plays. [11]
The box set was later condensed into a single-disc album called 18 Tracks ,with three songs ("Trouble River","The Fever",and "The Promise") not on the 4-CD box set.
As a result of the project,Sony Music also created its own archive database,making extensive use of Scott's cataloging efforts over the previous decade. [5]
In an interview with Rolling Stone in September 2020,Springsteen suggested that a follow-up box-set of unreleased material is in the works:"There's a lot of really good music left. You just go back there. It’s not that hard. If I pull out something from 1980,or 1985 or 1970,it's amazing how you can slip into that voice. It's just sort of headspace. All of those voices remain available to me,if I want to go to them," he told interviewer Brian Hiatt. [12] Drummer Max Weinberg has overdubbed drum parts for over 40 songs since 2017 for potential inclusion in the next box-set and commented that "any other artist would kill to get these songs." Springsteen also hinted that he may release some "lost albums" in full from his vault,including "Electric Nebraska". [13]
All tracks are written by Bruce Springsteen, except where noted
No. | Title | Recording date and location | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Mary Queen of Arkansas" (Demo Version) |
| 4:27 |
2. | "It's Hard to Be a Saint in the City" (Demo Version) |
| 2:52 |
3. | "Growin' Up" (Demo Version) |
| 2:38 |
4. | "Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street?" (Demo Version) |
| 1:58 |
5. | "Bishop Danced" |
| 4:18 |
6. | "Santa Ana" |
| 4:35 |
7. | "Seaside Bar Song" |
| 3:33 |
8. | "Zero and Blind Terry" |
| 5:56 |
9. | "Linda Let Me Be the One" |
| 4:24 |
10. | "Thundercrack" |
| 8:25 |
11. | "Rendezvous" (writers: Springsteen, Doug Cameron) |
| 2:48 |
12. | "Give the Girl a Kiss" |
| 3:51 |
13. | "Iceman" |
| 3:17 |
14. | "Bring On the Night" |
| 2:36 |
15. | "So Young and In Love" |
| 3:47 |
16. | "Hearts of Stone" |
| 4:29 |
17. | "Don't Look Back" |
| 3:00 |
No. | Title | Recording date and location | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Restless Nights" |
| 3:44 |
2. | "A Good Man Is Hard to Find (Pittsburgh)" |
| 3:15 |
3. | "Roulette" |
| 3:51 |
4. | "Dollhouse" |
| 3:31 |
5. | "Where the Bands Are" |
| 3:43 |
6. | "Loose Ends" |
| 4:00 |
7. | "Living on the Edge of the World" |
| 4:17 |
8. | "Wages of Sin" |
| 4:51 |
9. | "Take 'Em as They Come" |
| 4:28 |
10. | "Be True" |
| 3:39 |
11. | "Ricky Wants a Man of Her Own" |
| 2:44 |
12. | "I Wanna Be with You" |
| 3:21 |
13. | "Mary Lou" |
| 3:21 |
14. | "Stolen Car" (alternate version) |
| 4:26 |
15. | "Born in the U.S.A." (Demo Version) |
| 3:08 |
16. | "Johnny Bye-Bye" (writers: Chuck Berry, Springsteen) |
| 1:49 |
17. | "Shut Out the Light" |
| 3:51 |
No. | Title | Recording date and location | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Cynthia" |
| 4:13 |
2. | "My Love Will Not Let You Down" |
| 4:28 |
3. | "This Hard Land" |
| 4:46 |
4. | "Frankie" |
| 7:22 |
5. | "TV Movie" |
| 2:48 |
6. | "Stand on It" (alternative version) |
| 3:05 |
7. | "Lion's Den" |
| 2:18 |
8. | "Car Wash" |
| 2:06 |
9. | "Rockaway the Days" |
| 4:40 |
10. | "Brothers Under the Bridges '83" |
| 5:06 |
11. | "Man at the Top" |
| 3:19 |
12. | "Pink Cadillac" |
| 3:33 |
13. | "Two for the Road" |
| 1:57 |
14. | "Janey, Don't You Lose Heart" |
| 3:24 |
15. | "When You Need Me" |
| 2:54 |
16. | "The Wish" |
| 5:14 |
17. | "The Honeymooners" |
| 2:04 |
18. | "Lucky Man" |
| 3:31 |
No. | Title | Recording date and location | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Leavin' Train" |
| 4:05 |
2. | "Seven Angels" |
| 3:26 |
3. | "Gave It a Name" |
| 2:47 |
4. | "Sad Eyes" |
| 3:47 |
5. | "My Lover Man" |
| 3:56 |
6. | "Over the Rise" |
| 2:38 |
7. | "When the Lights Go Out" |
| 3:05 |
8. | "Loose Change" |
| 4:18 |
9. | "Trouble in Paradise" (writers: Roy Bittan, Springsteen) |
| 4:37 |
10. | "Happy" |
| 4:51 |
11. | "Part Man, Part Monkey" |
| 4:28 |
12. | "Goin' Cali" |
| 2:59 |
13. | "Back in Your Arms" |
| 4:35 |
14. | "Brothers Under the Bridge '95" |
| 4:55 [14] |
Disc 1
Disc 2
| Disc 3
Disc 4
|
Chart (1998–2020) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (ARIA) [15] | 97 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [16] | 31 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [17] | 36 |
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) [18] | 18 |
French Albums (SNEP) [19] | 39 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [20] | 63 |
Italian Albums (FIMI) [21] | 8 |
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) [22] | 4 |
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) [23] | 65 |
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [24] | 11 |
UK Albums (OCC) [25] | 50 |
US Billboard 200 [26] | 27 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Belgium (BEA) [27] | Gold | 25,000* |
Canada (Music Canada) [28] | Gold | 50,000^ |
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [29] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [30] | Silver | 60,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [31] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Born in the U.S.A. is the seventh studio album by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on June 4, 1984, by Columbia Records. Produced by Springsteen, Jon Landau, Steven Van Zandt, and Chuck Plotkin, the album was recorded in New York City with the E Street Band over two years between January 1982 and March 1984. Some of the songs originated from the same demo tape that yielded Springsteen's previous album, the solo effort Nebraska (1982), while others were written after that album's release. The sessions yielded between 70 and 90 songs; some were released as B-sides, some later saw release on compilation albums, while others remain unreleased.
Darkness on the Edge of Town is the fourth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on June 2, 1978, by Columbia Records. The album was recorded after a series of legal disputes between Springsteen and his former manager Mike Appel, during sessions in New York City with the E Street Band from June 1977 to March 1978. Springsteen and Jon Landau served as producers, with assistance from bandmate Steven Van Zandt.
The Ghost of Tom Joad is the eleventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on November 21, 1995, by Columbia Records. His second primarily acoustic album after Nebraska (1982), The Ghost of Tom Joad reached the top ten in two countries, and the top twenty in five more, including No. 11 in the United States. It was his first studio album to fail to reach the top ten in the US in over two decades. The album won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album.
Human Touch is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen. The album was released on March 31, 1992, the same day as Lucky Town. It was the more popular of the two, peaking at number two on the US Billboard 200 chart, and lead single "Human Touch" peaking at number one on the Mainstream Rock and number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. "Human Touch" has since Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for over one million copies sold in the US, and was nominated for Best Rock Vocal Performance at the 1993 Grammy Awards.
Lucky Town is the tenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen. The album was released on March 31, 1992, the same day as Springsteen's ninth studio album Human Touch. Lucky Town peaked at number three on the Billboard 200, with lead single "Better Days" peaking at number one on the US Mainstream Rock and number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. Lucky Town has since been certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), for over one million copies sold in the US.
The River is the fifth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released as a double album on October 17, 1980, by Columbia Records. The album was Springsteen's attempt at making a record that captured the E Street Band's live sound. Co-produced by Springsteen, his manager Jon Landau, and bandmate Steven Van Zandt, the recording sessions lasted 18 months in New York City from March 1979 to August 1980. Springsteen originally planned to release a single LP, The Ties That Bind, in late 1979, before deciding it did not fit his vision and scrapped it. Over 50 songs were recorded; outtakes saw release as B-sides and later on compilation albums.
Tunnel of Love is the eighth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on October 5, 1987. Although members of the E Street Band occasionally performed on the album, Springsteen recorded most of the parts himself, often with drum machines and synthesizers. Tunnel of Love is not officially regarded as an E Street Band album, as The Rising (2002) was marketed as his first studio album with the E Street Band since Born in the U.S.A. (1984).
Devils & Dust is the thirteenth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, and his third acoustic album. It was released on April 25, 2005, in Europe and the following day in the United States, where it debuted at No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 album chart.
Live/1975–85 is a live album by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, consisting of 40 tracks recorded at various concerts between 1975 and 1985, and released as a box set by Columbia Records on November 10, 1986. It broke the record for advance orders, and, according to RIAA certification, is the second-best-selling live album in the US. Rolling Stone hailed it as "an embarrassment of riches", while The New York Times said it was "an unprecedented event in popular recording" and "monumental".
In Concert/MTV Plugged is a 1992 concert video and 1993 live album by Bruce Springsteen.
Greatest Hits is the first compilation album by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released February 27, 1995, on Columbia Records. It is a collection of some of Springsteen's hit singles and popular album tracks through the years along with four new songs at the end, mostly recorded with the E Street Band in 1995. The latter constituted Springsteen's first release with his backing band since the late 1980s. Some of the songs are shorter versions of the original album releases.
18 Tracks is an album by Bruce Springsteen, released in 1999. All but three selections had been on the boxed set Tracks, released six months before. This single album was intended to capture more casual fans, and thus was oriented towards the shorter, more pop-oriented selections from Springsteen's vault.
We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions is the fourteenth studio album by Bruce Springsteen. Released in 2006, it peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 and won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album at the 49th Grammy Awards.
Magic is the fifteenth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released by Columbia Records on LP on September 25, 2007, and on CD on October 2. It was his first with the E Street Band since The Rising in 2002, and topped the charts in six countries, including the US and UK, going triple platinum in Ireland. Two songs from the album – "Radio Nowhere" and "Girls in Their Summer Clothes" – won a total of three Grammys, making Magic the second of only two Springsteen albums with three wins, after The Rising. It ranked No. 2 on Rolling Stone's list of the Top 50 Albums of 2007.
The Promise is a compilation album by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released November 16, 2010, on Columbia Records. The album is a collection of previously unreleased songs which were recorded during the Darkness on the Edge of Town sessions in 1977–1978, with some vocals and additional instrumentation overdubs recorded in 2010. It was released in 2CD and 3LP formats. The album is also available as part of the box set The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story. The two-CD version of the release entered the UK Albums Chart at number 7. It had been in production for many years and was originally scheduled to be released for the 30th anniversary in 2008. The Promise debuted at number 16 on the Billboard 200, while the box set, The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story, debuted at number 27.
High Hopes is the eighteenth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on January 14, 2014, by Columbia Records. It went to the top of the charts in eleven countries, and was Springsteen's eleventh No. 1 album in the United States, a record surpassed only by the Beatles and Jay-Z. It was his tenth No. 1 in the UK putting him on par with the Rolling Stones and U2. Rolling Stone named it the second-best album of 2014.
The Ties That Bind: The River Collection is a box set by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen. Released on December 4, 2015, the collection is an expanded edition of his 1980 album The River, containing 52 tracks on four CDs along with four hours of video on three DVDs or two Blu-ray discs. The first two CDs feature the remastered version of The River and the third CD contains the previously unreleased The Ties That Bind, a single LP originally intended for release in late 1979 before Springsteen expanded it to the final double LP. The fourth CD, The River: Outtakes, spans the entire The River sessions in 1979 and 1980 and contains eleven previously-unreleased outtakes. The fifth disc contains a 60-minute documentary, The Ties That Bind, which was produced and directed by filmmaker Thom Zimny and features an interview with Springsteen as he reflects on writing and recording The River. The film transitions between Springsteen telling the stories behind the music—and illustrating them with solo acoustic guitar performances—interspersed with period concert footage and photos. The remaining disc(s) feature Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band: The River Tour, Tempe 1980, a new film produced from footage professionally filmed in 1980 using four cameras and recorded in multitrack audio. The film features 23 of 33 songs performed, clocking in at 2 hours, 40 minutes on 2 DVDs, from Springsteen's November 5, 1980, concert at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. Also included is 20 minutes of footage from the late September 1980 River Tour rehearsals held in Lititz, Pennsylvania. The boxed set also includes a 148-page coffee table book featuring 200 rare or previously unseen photos and memorabilia, including a new essay by Mikal Gilmore.
Chapter and Verse is a compilation album by Bruce Springsteen that was released on September 23, 2016. The album is a companion piece to Springsteen's 500-plus-page autobiography, Born to Run, which was released four days later. The career-spanning album features eighteen songs handpicked by Springsteen, five of which were previously unreleased. The album contains Springsteen's earliest recording from 1966 and late '60s/early '70s songs from his tenure in the Castiles, Steel Mill, and the Bruce Springsteen Band, along with his first 1972 demos for Columbia Records and songs from his studio albums from 1973 until 2012.
Feel Flows: The Sunflower & Surf's Up Sessions 1969–1971 is an expanded reissue of the albums Sunflower (1970) and Surf's Up (1971) by American rock band the Beach Boys. It was released by Capitol/UME on August 27, 2021 and was produced by Mark Linett and Alan Boyd. Feel Flows is the band's first major archival release since Wake the World and I Can Hear Music in 2018, and the first issued on physical media since Sunshine Tomorrow in 2017. The title is taken from the Surf's Up track "Feel Flows".
The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concerts is a live album and concert film by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, released on November 19, 2021. It was recorded over two nights, September 21 and 22, 1979, at Madison Square Garden, as part of the No Nukes concerts organized by activist group Musicians United for Safe Energy (MUSE) against the use of nuclear energy.