Bruce Springsteen’s Massive ‘Tracks II’: A Revelatory Yet Overwhelming Collection

2024 has already proven to be a significant year for Bruce Springsteen. The 50th anniversary of his groundbreaking album, *Born to Run*, is being celebrated this summer, and a biographical film, *Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere*, is set for release in the autumn. This cinematic portrayal depicts the Boss grappling with the creation of his adventurous 1982 record, *Nebraska*. And these events preceded Springsteen’s international attention when he launched his European tour with powerful statements criticizing the American government.

However, if his career wasn’t already undergoing intense scrutiny, a remarkable and expansive project has recently emerged: a box set titled *Tracks II: The Lost Albums*. This serves as a follow-up to the 1998 *Tracks* compilation, which featured four CDs of studio outtakes accumulated over the years. In contrast, this new box set contains seven full, unreleased albums—a staggering 83 songs—representing a roughly 25 percent increase in Springsteen’s recorded works.

For ardent fans, this is a monumental, consistently impressive, and genuinely revealing undertaking. It is also, however, undeniably overwhelming, an unnecessarily unwieldy method of presenting such a crucial body of work.

The sheer scale of this compilation is unprecedented. Bob Dylan pioneered this type of retrospective release with his ongoing “Bootleg Series,” yet no complete, previously unreleased Dylan album has surfaced. Neil Young, a prolific archivist, frequently releases older material, but largely focuses on live recordings and alternative versions. While the Prince archive has yielded a complete album like 2021’s *Welcome 2 America*, nothing compares to the volume of recordings Springsteen has revealed.

These songs span from 1983 to 2018; however, the collection’s core consists of three albums recorded in the mid-1990s: *Streets of Philadelphia Sessions* (mostly solo recordings centered around drum loops), the traditional country-influenced *Somewhere North of Nashville*, and *Inyo*, a collection of songs reflecting on the Mexican border. These are flanked by *LA Garage Sessions ’83* and two 21st-century projects: *Faithless*, a soundtrack to an unmade film, and the orchestral pop of *Twilight Hours*. Finally, there is *Perfect World*, which compiles assorted recordings from various decades.

A striking feature of these albums is their seriousness and determination. While Springsteen’s dedication and creative vision are well-known, any concerns about these being hastily produced works vanish upon first listening. While not all tracks feel completely finished, each album showcases an artist pursuing an idea and committing to a specific direction.

For less dedicated Springsteen enthusiasts, the *LA Garage Sessions* are likely the most appealing. Having relocated to California and feeling liberated after recording *Nebraska* independently, Springsteen was exploring his next artistic move—which, despite his mixed feelings, ultimately resulted in the globally successful *Born in the U.S.A*. With 18 tracks, this is the longest of the “Lost Albums,” highlighting the creative explosion he experienced at this pivotal moment. (It should also not be confused with the legendary “Electric Nebraska” sessions, whose existence Springsteen initially denied and later confirmed).

The 1990s are often considered a less productive period in Springsteen’s career; between 1987 and 2002, he only released the less-popular 1992 double album *Human Touch* and *Lucky Town*, and the understated acoustic album *The Ghost of Tom Joad* in 1995. However, *Tracks II* presents a very different picture of creativity and exploration during this decade.

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*Streets of Philadelphia Sessions* (named for the Oscar-winning song marking Springsteen’s initial use of drum machines) is the most fully realized album and the one closest to actual release. While the early-generation rhythm loops become repetitive, the songs maintain a consistent mood—perhaps overly so, as Springsteen explains it would have been his fourth consecutive dark album about relationships, prompting him to reconsider.

*Somewhere North of Nashville*, featuring prominent fiddle and pedal steel guitar, was recorded concurrently with *The Ghost of Tom Joad*. While lacking the gravity of that album, it’s much more upbeat—the most lighthearted of the seven and, in some ways, a precursor to the joyous 2006 *We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions*.

*Inyo* is more subtle, beautiful in parts and monotonous in others, foreshadowing sounds and themes from 2005’s *Devils and Dust* and portraying immigrant stories and struggles with even greater resonance today.

The purpose of *Faithless*, the shortest and most enigmatic of the “Lost Albums,” is difficult to discern; the film for which this music was intended was never made, leaving the listener to interpret the spiritual imagery, Southern gospel arrangements, and atmospheric instrumentals. The most surprising album might be *Twilight Hours*, recorded as a companion piece to 2019’s *Western Stars*. While *Western Stars* drew inspiration from the cowboy pop of Jimmy Webb and Glen Campbell, *Twilight Hours* embraces a more distinctly Mad Men-era, Burt Bacharach-inspired style, showcasing Springsteen’s unexpected vocal range on beautiful tracks like “Sunday Love” and “High Sierra.”

It’s worth pausing to discuss Springsteen’s vocals. We often associate him with his powerful, intense singing style, but across these albums, he employs varied vocal approaches. This often-overlooked aspect of his work highlights his refinement of ideas and methods throughout his career.

Currently, Bruce Springsteen is primarily recognized as a live performer. He hasn’t had a platinum-certified album since 2007, and his streaming numbers are surprisingly low. However, he continues to fill stadiums worldwide. This difference is largely attributed to the E Street Band, which imbues even his most somber compositions with a sense of camaraderie and excitement (including his hits—consider the unusual sight of tens of thousands of people singing along to “Hungry Heart” or “Dancing in the Dark”). This element is entirely absent from this collection, aside from some contributions from individual band members, reinforcing the overall atmosphere of darkness and isolation.

*Tracks II* underscores Springsteen’s self-critical nature and meticulous curation. This was evident in the first *Tracks* box set: Unlike Bob Dylan, who frequently omitted his best songs from his official releases, it was clear from Springsteen’s outtakes that he nearly always made the right choices. The reason for these “Lost Albums” remaining unreleased is understandable, although one could argue that any of them could have been released.

This precise and unwavering editorial approach makes the decision to release all this material at once even more perplexing. This is significant, albeit imperfect, work; the context is important and requires considerable time and effort to fully understand. The accompanying notes, in which Springsteen discusses each album with writer Erik Flannigan, provide excellent background information. But the timing of the release is questionable.

Why not release them individually as a series? Or release the 1990s albums together? Or combine the country-influenced records or the works echoing the themes of *Inyo* and *Faithless*? Should these seven albums be considered a singular piece of his career, or should each be examined individually? Even the most dedicated fans lack the time to engage with this release thoroughly. The price—a list price of $300 for seven CDs ($350 for the nine-LP version)—is also excessive.

Despite his age (75) and claims of five more unreleased albums for a future *Tracks III*, the question remains: why not provide listeners the opportunity to fully appreciate this music, understanding its origins and impact, instead of rushing through a massive collection that significantly alters the narrative of such an influential artist?