We are currently being overflooded by countless releases of old Bruce Springsteen material. As much as I appreciate listening to and discovering exclusive versions of songs, rare cuts, outtakes and remastered concert downloads, Springsteen repeatedly releasing old material seems to be a big rip-off. Pockets somewhere are filled with money – and they sure as hell aren’t mine (or other fans’).”. As if the astronomical prices for Broadway tickets aren’t enough, unsupecting and innocent fans are lured to buy new merchendise we’re supposedly can’t do without (se the extract below).
Spare parts and broken hearts, keep the world turnin’ around
Springsteen hasn’t released any album with new material since Wrecking Ball in 2012 (!) and I’m beginning to fear that it all is a diversion to hide that the seemingly inexhaustible well of Bruce Springsteen’s blaze and brilliance has dried out. We’ve been forced to walk down this unavailing memory lane long enough – it only leads to a dead end. Can someone please save me from this misery and these dark thoughts! Provide me with some evidence (or rumours if you will) to prove me wrong – I’m desperate!
The latest Bruce Springsteen releases:
- Bruce Springsteen: The Album Collection Vol. 2, 1987-1996 (released on May 18, 2018)
- Bruce Springsteen – Spare Parts (Spotify playlist released on May 18, 2018) *
-
Freehold ’96 (concert download, released on May 4, 2018) [the release of concert downloads is a reocurring monthly event since April 17, 2017]
- Bruce Springsteen: Greatest Hits (exclusive Record Store Day release pressed on red vinyl, released on April 21, 2018)
- Springsteen on Broadway (ongoing Bruce Spingsteen Broadway show/monologue since October 2017)
- Born to Run and Chapter and Verse (Biography and a collection of 18 songs as an appendix released on September 27, 2016)
*On May 18th, Bruce Springsteen’s team (curators of the official social media accounts) released a “new” playlist on Spotify called Bruce Springsteen – Spare Parts. The contents are; “Bruce’s best cuts and outtakes from 1978-2010, available for the first time digitally. Exclusive versions of Born In the USA, Thunder Road, Streets of Philadelphia…”. It’s a very interesting compilation of B-sides and rare concert versions.
Playlist:
- For You
- Incident on 57th Street
- 30 Days Out
- Leap of Faith
- Growin’ Up
- The Big Muddy
- Streets of Philadelphia
- Murder Incorporated
- Thunder Road
- Hungry Heart
- Darkness on the Edge of Town
- This Hard Land
- Straight Time
- Sinaloa Cowboys
- Born in the USA
- Spare Parts
- Darkness on the Edge of Town
- The Rising
- Spirit in the Night
- A Night with the Jersey Devil
- The Promise
Stray Bullet 
As a collector, I’m actually grateful for both the remasters (although I wish he’d released the CD version in the US; I’ll be waiting for a nice long while for mine to arrive from Japan) and the new EP collection. I don’t look at it as a delaying tactic for new music; there’s no reason why we can’t get both reissues and new music simultaneously.
And Bruce is known to have at least two albums already done and in the vault; I just think he doesn’t feel like releasing them yet. When he releases an album, he has to put some promotional effort behind it. It’s what he’s going to be talking about and playing for a while, and I don’t think he’s in the frame of mind to focus on that yet. It would distract from his broadway run. If we truly do get an ESB tour after Broadway, I’m still not sure he’ll release the solo album he’s often referred to as being complete–he might hold that until later, when he can do a shorter solo tour with fewer health concerns.
But–I do share your impatience for new music. 🙂
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i agree about a new album but believe high hopes had new releases on. frankie fell in love the wall harry’s place and this is your sword were all new releases i believe.
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I’ve not bought the new album releases as there’s nothing new for me . I feel the price is excessive and I’m told the vinyl is not even 180gsm. Will I buy it – probably but not for a while – there is always deal somewhere for completists like me.
I refuse to buy anything digital- complete waste of money for nothing physical . It will appear somewhere for free.
I am increasingly of a mind that we will not be getting any more ESB tours. Broadway suits Bruce at this time , a similar run in London is plausible. A year plus on tour at his age – maybe but I don’t see why he would want to , or need to .
Some new songs would be great but I’m Happy to wait until Bruce is ready.
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Reblogged this on It's Hard To Be A Saint In The City and commented:
“Can someone please save me from this misery and these dark thoughts! Provide me with some evidence (or rumours if you will) to prove me wrong”
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