Bruce Springsteen
18 Tracks
© Columbia
December 27, 2020 - January 2, 2021
Year of Release: 1999
Rating:
Growin' Up
Seaside Bar Song
Rendezvous
Hearts Of Stone
Where The Bands Are
Loose Ends
I Wanna Be With You
Born In The U.S.A.
My Love Will Not Let You Down
Lion's Den
Pink Cadillac
Janey Don't You Lose
Your Heart
Sad Eyes
Part Man Part Monkey
Trouble River
Brothers Under The Bridge
The Fever
The Promise
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Bruce Springsteen is an artist that has alot of recorded music. That is, when he is getting ready to release a new studio album, he has alot of songs to choose
from. For those songs that were chosen for the final release, the remaining are placed back in his vaults. In this case, many of these unchosen tracks, as well as
demos and other recordings of songs that would appear on his studio albums, the 4-CD box set, Tracks was released. However, because there were MORE
songs that did not make the Tracks box set, a smaller version of this box set was released, as 18 Tracks. 18 tracks, consisting of songs from the
box set, plus songs that were not included from the original Tracks box set release. (Get the picture or pattern? Highlights from Tracks, and three
songs NOT from it; bonus tracks.) So, for the die-hard Bruce fans, you just had to get BOTHthe box set, and the 3 bonus tracks, with the remaining of the 18
you already had, from the box set.
18 Tracks starts with an acoustic version of "Growin' Up" (1972), where the full-fledged band version appeared on Bruce's debut album, Greetings
From Asbury Park, N.J. "Seaside Bar Song" (1973), a song rockin' in Bruce form. (There are many.) "Rendezvous" is a live recording, from an LA
Remote, at the Record Plant. "Hearts Of Stone" (1977), is a slower-paced than the previous rockers, yet, another good Bruce tune.
"Where The Bands Are" (1979) kicks it back in the great rockin' Bruce style. The opening of "Loose Ends" (1979) reminds me of a song from the movie
Eddie And The Cruisers, which many thought Bruce was the singer from songs of this movie -- it was John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band. More of the typical
rockin' Bruce from 1979, "I Wanna Be With You."
The version of "Born In The U.S.A." (1982), is very, very different than what we are used to. It's slower, and acoustic. I'm sure this version was in the
working stages, before it would be "rocked up" for the final release. Another song from 1982, "My Love Will Not Let You Down," which would become a live
recording, from Bruce's Live In New York release. 1982 continues with "Lion's Den," another typical Bruce rocker. Then there's "Pink Cadillac"
(1983) -- How did this song NOT be part of a studio album? It is truly one of the bes5 songs Bruce recorded.
Now, where did I hear "Janey Don't Lose Your Heart" (1983) ?? -- From another compilation of unreleased Bruce songs, an import --
Another Side Of Bruce Springsteen Janey is another great tune.
Surprised this one didn't make the final cut on a studio album. (Born In The U.S.A. ?) Jumping next to the year 1990, "Sad Eyes" is a slower-paced tune,
as Bruce hits some high notes. (Not your typical singing Bruce, of course, therefore, it's easy to see how this song was dropped.) "Part Man, Part Monkey"
(1990) was another song from Another Side Of Bruce Springsteen -- a reggae sounding tune, and another great one.
"Trouble River" (1990) is another typical Bruce rocker, and one of the three songs NOT from the original Tracks box set. "Brothers Under The
Bridge" (1995) is a song that would have fit Bruce's Nebraska album.
Then we go back to 1973, and another great Bruce song, that never made the cut for a studio album. In fact, "The Fever" didn't make the cut for the
Tracks box set. Maybe it was too long in length? Regardless, it took years, decades, for this song to get on CD. This is my personal favorite from the
18 Tracks, as it is one of my favorite, favorite Bruce Springsteen songs of all-time. 18 Tracks ends with another non-Tracks song,
"The Promise" (1999), a nice piano-driven slow tune. The title "The Promise" would be another future compilation of unreleased Bruce songs. One of those
songs on The Promise was Bruce's original studio recording of "Fire." This song would be a hit for the Pointer Sisters, and Bruce would include this
song in his live album, Live/1975-85.
Another mention to add: Not all the songs from Another Side Of Bruce Springsteen made the Tracks/18 Tracks list. Another Side Of Bruce
Springsteen was a collecion of B-sides, unreleased tracks from CD compilations, and movie soundtracks.
Click here for more info. I also explain this
in my review, see link earlier. And, if the album cover of Bruce's Another Side looks familiar, it was based on
Another Side of Bob Dylan, and how some called Bruce when he first
appeared in the music scene, as the "next Bob Dylan."
As mentioned, for the die-hard fans of Bruce Springsteen, having both Tracks and 18 Tracks is a given. "The Fever" is worth it. Finally,
"The Fever" is released on a Bruce Springsteen compilation, 18 Tracks. Basically, any Bruce compilation of rare, unreleased tracks are a treat.
Some of these tracks would be an argument as to why they did not get released on a studio album. Yet, these tracks and more gets released on a future compilation
down the road, in the upcoming years. Bruce Springsteen has a lot to offer. 18 Tracks is that.
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