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"...Brand New Used Car..."
Loose Windscreen's catalogue has been one of
the big holes in the world of Remasters – but my God has the wait been worth
it. In fact as a long-time reviewer, Bruce fan and perpetual seeker of Audio
dynamite - I'd go on record right now by saying that Disc 2 in this 8CD Box Set
alone - "The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle" - is the
single most beautiful album Remaster I've ever heard bar none. This transfer
(using the Plangent Process) is properly gorgeous. Suddenly an album I've known
for 45 years on vinyl (and something of a hidden nugget in the back catalogue of New Jersey's finest) is brought to life like never before. And there are six more
where that peach came from. Let's get to the details...
UK and USA released 21 November 2014 –
"The Album Collection, Vol.1 - 1973-1984" by BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN on
Sony/Legacy/Plangent 88875014142 (Barcode 888750141422) is a 7-album/8-CD Mini
Box Set of Remasters with a 60-page booklet and plays out as follows:
Disc 1 "Greetings From Asbury Park,
N.J." (37:13 minutes):
1. Blinded By The Light
2. Growin' Up
3. Mary Queen Of Arkansas
4. Does This Stop At 82nd Street?
5. Lost In The Flood
6. The Angel [Side 2]
7. For You
8. Spirit In The Night
9. It's Hard To Be A Saint In The City
Tracks 1 to 9 are his debut album
"Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J." – released January 1973 in the USA
on Columbia 31903 and March 1973 in the UK on CBS Records S 65480
Disc 2 "The Wild, The Innocent & The E
Street Shuffle" (46:49 minutes):
1. The E Street Shuffle
2. 4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)
3. Kitty's Back
4. Wild Billy's Circus Story
5. Incident On 57th Street [Side 2]
6. Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
7. New York City Serenade
Tracks 1 to 7 are his 2nd album "The Wild,
The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle" – released November 1973 in the
USA on Columbia KC 32432 and February 1974 in the UK on CBS Records S 65780
Disc 3 "Born To Run" (39:29 minutes):
1. Thunder Road
2. Tenth Avenue Freeze Out
3. Night
4. Backstreets
5. Born To Run [Side 2]
6. She's The One
7. Meeting Across The River
8. Jungleland
Tracks 1 to 8 are his 3rd album "Born To
Run" – released September 1975 in the USA on Columbia PC 33795 and October
1975 in the UK for CBS Records S CBS 69170
Disc 4 "Darkness On The Edge Of Town"
(43:02 minutes):
1. Badlands
2. Adam Raised A Cain
3. Something In The Night
4. Candy's Room
5. Racing In The Street
6. The Promised Land [Side 2]
7. Factory
8. Streets Of Fire
9. Prove It All Night
10. Darkness On The Edge Of Town
Tracks 1 to 10 are his 4th studio album
"Darkness On The Edge Of Town" – released in the USA June 1978 on
Columbia JC 35318 and in the UK on CBS Records 86061 – peaked at No. 3 in the
USA and No. 17 in the UK.
Disc 5 "The River" (Disc 1 of 2,
43:31 minutes):
1. The Ties That Bind [Side 1]
2. Sherry Darling
3. Jackson Cage
4. Two Hearts
5. Independence Day
6. Hungry Heart [Side 2]
7. Out In The Street
8. Crush On You
9. You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)
10. I Wanna Marry You
11. The River
Disc 6 "The River" (Disc 2 of 2,
40:17 minutes):
1. Point Blank [Side 3]
2. Cadillac Ranch
3. I'm A Rocker
4. Fade Away
5. Stolen Car
6. Ramrod [Side 4]
7. The Price You Pay
8. Drive All Night
9. Wreck On The Highway
Discs 5 and 6 are the 4-sides of the double-album "The
River" – released October 1980 in the USA on Columbia PC2 36854 and in the
UK on CBS Records 88510 – peaked at No. 1 in the USA and No. 2 in the UK.
Disc 7 "Nebraska" (40:50 minutes):
1. Nebraska
2. Atlantic City
3. Mansion On The Hill
4. Johnny 99
5. Highway Patrolman
6. State Trooper [Side 2]
7. Used Cars
8. Open All Night
9. My Father’s House
10. Reason To Believe
Tracks 1 to 10 are the album
"Nebraska" – released September 1982 in the USA on Columbia TC 38358
and in the UK on CBS Records 25100 – peaked at No. 3 in both the USA and UK.
Disc 8 "Born In The U.S.A." (46:57
minutes):
1. Born In The U.S.A.
2. Cover Me
3. Darlington County
4. Working On The Highway
5. Downbound Train
6. I'm On Fire
7. No Surrender [Side 2]
8. Bobby Jean
9. I'm Goin' Down
10. Glory Days
11. Dancing In The Dark
12. My Hometown
Tracks 1 to 12 are the album "Born In The
U.S.A." – released June 1984 in the USA on Columbia QC 38653 and in the UK
on CBS Records 86304 – peaked at No. 1 on both the UK and US LP charts.
You can't argue with the quality of slightly
oversized 5" card sleeve repros – they beautifully done (not quite
Japanese uber realistic but close). "Greetings..." has its front-flap
sleeve, "Born To Run" its gatefold, "Darkness..." its Inner
Sleeve and Lyric Sheet, "The River" has both its Inners and the
gatefold lyric sheet, "Nebraska" its Inner Sleeve and "Born In
The U.S.A." its Inner Sleeve and two-sided Lyric Insert. Hell there's even
a Columbia Records Advert Inner Bag with "Greetings..." (the seconds
album "Wild..." didn't come with anything inside). The only tiny
hiccup I can spot is the cover used for "Nebraska" – on the spine it
has the QC 38358 catalogue number - which is technically a reissue (TC 38358 is
the original as far as I'm aware). But other than that – very nicely done. The
card that attaches to the outer (pull-off lid) box with track lists and reissue
credits falls away once the shrink wrap is off – so that's a pain straight
away. You’ll end up having to put this into a plastic before it knackers
itself.
The booklet is a thing of fandom beauty. There
are no notes or explanations – just 60 pages of cut-outs from 1973 to 1985
covering press releases on each of the albums, singles released, concert dates.
In-between all the trade adverts and reviews – there are embossed colour photos
that leap off the pages – most unseen until now (a super fan's collection).
There are the infamous 'Time' and 'Newsweek' covers for 1975's "Born To
Run" in blazing colour – backstage passes and laminates – live photos –
and on it goes. It's properly gorgeous stuff – and I would imagine in the
format of 12" x 12" on the vinyl variant – Droolsome. But it would
have been nice to have a second booklet with lyrics and some liner notes. But
all that goes out the window once you clap your weary lugs on the stunning
Audio...
Using the PLANGENT Process - a team of four
have been involved - with BOB LUDWIG and TOBY SCOTT doing the lion's share of
Remasters. Master tape-to-digital transfers and DSP wow and flutter reduction
was carried out by JAMIE HOWARTH and JOHN K. CHESTER. I don't know much about
the techno mumbo-jumbo but whatever this process does - it produces warm, clear
and uber-realistic results that don't feel forced to get more volume...a brill
job done.
The debut has always been my least favourite of
his albums - a worthy beginning with moments of brilliance like "It's Hard
To Be A Saint In The City", "Growin' Up" and the opener
"Blinded By The Light". It also seemed to suffer from a weedy
Production. At last you can 'hear' that voice and piano in "The
Angel" and that Clarence Clemons Saxophone/Vincent Lopez Drum shuffle for
"Spirit In The Night" is fantastically good (Gary Tallent's Bass so
sweet too). The rhythm section too in "Does This Bus Stop At 82nd
Street?" is alive while the melodrama of "Lost In The Flood" has
some hiss but more life to it than before. An impressive start to his career
and a great remaster that at last does his debut some kind of justice (on our
way to hubcap heaven)...
After the earnest but awkward feel of the debut
– the improvement in Springsteen’s 2nd album "The Wild, The Innocent &
The E Street Shuffle" (again from 1973) whomps you in the proverbial
chops. Not only does it show progress and genuine brilliance in a staggering short
period of time – the whole album has stood the test of time far better than the
rather self-conscious "Greetings". I suspect true Bruciephiles adore
this record and after 45 years – the Remaster comes as an absolute BLAST. I've
never heard the whole album sound this beautiful – every instrument suddenly
clear in the speakers – dancing around the pretty highs and lows. Never is this
more vivid than on "Wild Billy Circus Story" – the accordion, the
mandolin and the tuba – all of it is gorgeous. And I'd forgotten just how
romantic the whole record is – and up. The opening minutes of "Incident On
57th Street" leaves me in tears – those great girly vocals that float in –
Sancious playing that Steely Dan rhythm and Federici's organ playing adding
layers. And by the time we get to the visceral "Rosalita..." the
remaster is blowing all previous versions out of the water. It ends on the near
ten-minute "New York Serenade" which sounds like Genesis on "The
Lamb Lies Down On Broadway" on that stunning piano intro. You can hear
squeaks in chairs and movements – all of it clear and in the now. And what a
fantastic song - beautifully remastered (and I still don't know who the girl
singers are)...
The last time "Born To Run" received
a CD overhaul was the November 2005 '35th Anniversary' reissue (see review)
which again Bob Ludwig transferred. So is there a difference between 2005 and
2014? Absolutely – I think it's ever so slightly better. Sure there's more hiss
evident on "She's The One" and "Meeting Across The River"
and that quiet piano passage on "Jungleland" – but all are more alive
somehow and full of amazing presence. If I play the 2005 version of
"Meeting..." – there is more compression on that hiss level – that's
gone on the 2014 version so the hiss on the tape is more evident – but so is
all that presence. This remaster is breathing – not trebled or supressed – just
as it on the tapes. The moment the beautiful opening piano of "Thunder
Road" hits your speakers accompanied shortly after by Bruce's lead vocals
- the warmth and clarity is fabulous too. Even better is "Tenth Avenue
Freeze Out" with the brilliant and street-funky Brecker Brothers
Saxophones simply flooring you (key parts were arranged by cheeky Miami Steve
on a whim). When it continues with "Night" and
"Backstreets" you also begin to notice more ROY BITTAN whose musical
flourishes on the keyboards contributed so much to every song. Bruce now says
that "Born To Run" the album was 'all' written on the piano and not
the guitar - and that's why most songs have big intros - setting the scene -
sort of mini operas. The density of "Born To Run" now seems opened up
somehow, the sparseness of "Meeting Across The River" is eerie and
the "Jungleland" 9:36 minute finisher is massively improved
("...the hungry and the hunted explode into Rock 'n' Roll bands..." -
what a song). A superb job done...
"Darkness On The Edge Of Town" was
always going to be the most difficult album in the canon to remaster well.
Studio album No. 4 has always seemed to have problems with regard to muscle.
2010 saw the Deluxe Edition do it justice with some badly need 'oomph' – and
here again we get another stab. Comparing both – the same applies with
"Born To Run" – there's more presence and power but there's also more
air and hiss. "Adam Raised A Cain" still rocks like a Punk tune but
you will hear the space in "Something In The Night". There's huge
presence in "Factory" – still one of the most powerful songs Bruce
has ever written about the workingman and his working life. "Prove It All
Night" kicks too but "Racing In The Streets" still has that
distance that somehow denies you entry into the song.
1980's double-album "The River" was
the global breakthrough with "Hungry Heart" eating up chart placing
all over the world. But of all the albums here - it's probably the one that's
least stood up to musical scrutiny after all these years. Having said that the
new transfer have worked wonders on some tracks but oddly seem to have done
naught for others. The ballads and eerie soundscapes of "Independence
Day", "The River", "Stolen Car", "Drive All
Night" and "Wreck On The Highway" all feel better – but the
rockers haven't really opened up like I'd hoped. Worse - stuff like
"Jackson Cage", "You Can Look..." and "Crush On
You" just feel dated now - while "The Ties That Bind" seems to
have no sonic punch at all no matter what they do with it. I've always thought
the brilliant B-side "Be True" or even the Darkness outtake
"Rendezvous" should have replaced the terrible "Sherry
Darling". On the upside – "Point Blank" and "Fade
Away" are both stunning as is the wallop out of "Ramrod" and the
irrepressible "Cadillac Ranch". And I'd forgotten how good a song
"The Price You Pay" is. That Bass and Piano at the beginning of the
stunning "Drive All Night" and Clarence's Sax solo always crack me up
(they used it in the Stallone movie "Copland" to amazing effect). The
double-album splurge ends on the beautiful and lonesome "Wreck On The
Highway" (gorgeous clarity on the Bass) – a song that moved me so much
back in the day...and it has done again.
After the bombast of the double –
"Nebraska" (recorded on a 4-Track Tascam) came as a shock - and for
me was a masterstroke release. Things needed to be cooled down and that's what
this stark little mother did. In fact there are times when I think it's the
true gem in his catalogue – like a Johnny Cash album you need in your life.
Even its cover was the very antithesis of the "Hotel California"
excess just four years earlier – hell Springsteen's image wasn’t even on the
sleeve (either side). Rumour was that he'd recorded all the songs with the band
but somehow it didn't work – so he just released the demos because they had
that starkness he wanted. "Nebraska" has hiss and those vocals fuzz a
little as he sings too close to the mike – but it sounds great. "Atlantic
City" has trouble bussing in from out of state while the Dylan harmonica
wail of "Mansion On The Hill" has yet another place on the edge of
town where someone is in pain. "Johnny 99" is definitely the most
'demo' of all the recordings – and a live staple during his 3 and half hour
marathons. Nuggets include the pure storytelling magic of "Highway
Patrolman" (Frankie ain't no good) and the Dave Edmunds Rock 'n' Roll of
"Open All Night" – sounding sweet. "State Trooper" has that
whooping menace and "Used Car" the hurt of being poor and being sick
of it.
"Born In The U.S.A." truly made him a
global superstar and Mister America (whether he wanted the mantle or not).
Remaster Engineer TOBY SCOTT recorded the original album so he knows his way
around these tapes – and that becomes more than evident once the sheer muscle
of the title track assaults your speakers for the first time (what an anthem).
But then as you listen to "Cover Me", "Darlington County"
and especially "Working On The Highway" – what strikes you is the
deep darkness of the material allied with the fact that most of it is hidden
inside poppy dance tunes – which I'm not sure everyone twigged at the time (we
just wanted to party in 1984). "Downbound Train" has that echo vocal
and all the instruments are now eerily clear and punchy – imbibing this deep
little cry-in-the-dark with a spooky feel. Audio-wise the fruity "I'm On
Fire" is amazingly in-your-face and hasn't sounded this good in years
(look out girly – Bruce has a bad desire). Side 2 opens with the very
River-sounding "No Surrender" where "...we learned more from a
three-minute record than we ever did in school..." (I'd forgotten how good
this song is). Longing for those old-days relationships/simplicity fills
"Bobby Jean" with heart and pathos – Bruce suddenly sounding like
he's the voice of so many lost souls still looking for that one true love/still
trying to fulfil that earlier promise. "I'm Going Down" has the
mighty Max Weinberg bashing those drums while Bruce goes 'hout' for the night.
I can remember the MTV video for "Glory Days" – still sounds joyful
and for 1984 not at all dated. "Dancing In The Dark" turned him into
a pin-up with that video (Courteney Cox of "Friends" fame was the
girl he pulled from the audience onto the stage). But for me the best track is
"My Hometown" – a simple song about small town America that nails me
every time...even though I'm from Dublin!
The vinyl version has that 60-page booklet in
12" x 12" size and is apparently a thing to behold. For those of us
who can't afford expensive LPs anymore (I'd like to) – this Volume 1 on CD is a
fantastic release.
More's to the point - like Bowie's next Box Set
instalment of "Five Years" (Volume 2) – I look forward to the second outing
of Bruce Springsteen's 'Album Catalogue' with a sense of excitement...and isn't
that the best thing you can say about a Remaster campaign...
This review is part of my SOUNDS GOOD Music Book Series. One of those titles is CLASSIC 1970s ROCK - an E-Book with over 250 entries and 2100 e-Pages - purchase on Amazon and search any artist or song (click the link below). Huge amounts of info taken directly from the discs (no cut and paste crap).
