My favorite topic! The Promise was colossally disappointing due to the fact that Springsteen recorded all new lead vocals (in 2010) over vintage 1977 tracks for at least half of the selections appearing on that set. Personally, I had the hardest time with the songs I was already familiar with from hearing them (years ago, in their original vintage incarnations) on assorted bootlegs. Because the Night is one of the worst offenders as the studio version from The Promise is actually Springsteen's cover of Patti Smith's version, as it features her lyrics, not the Springsteen-penned lyrics that he had been performing on tour since '78. What's the point? But at least Because the Night was genuinely unfinished when they hit the road for the Darkness tour so, if they were going to include that song, they'd either have to include a live version or a recording with new vocals. More frustrating are the songs in which the original vintage versions were complete (or certainly close enough for an outtakes collection). Songs like Fire, Gotta Get That Feeling, One Way Street, Spanish Eyes and Rendezvous did not require new vocals. Compare Gotta Get That Feeling from The Promise with the commonly circulating outtake versions from either The Lost Masters or the Deep Down in the Vaults bootlegs and you'll understand why I was pretty bent out of shape when I heard that song on The Promise. But even some of the tracks that didn't receive new vocals on The Promise were needlessly altered. Racing in the Street received a new violin solo, Talk to Me received new horns, and the title track received a choir, a string section, and the inexplicable elimination of some key lyrics. This is why I'd prefer to wait until Springsteen is dead before he releases any more outtakes. He cannot and will not leave well enough alone. In light of the heavy-handed, decades-later work performed on the outtakes appearing on both The Promise and The Ties That Bind, my enthusiasm for the eventual release of a Born in the USA deep dive box set has been considerably tempered.
An interesting idea. It sounds like something Neil Young would do. Stuff that I'd really like to hear is the 1986 Desert Rose band material, though I don't know if that's connected to Tunnel Of Love or a supposed lost album. And remember in September 1995, the LA Times printed that Bruce had a new album coming out soon that was to be called Blindspot. Two months later we had The Ghost of Tom Joad instead. What happened there? Either they had some old info or things changed really quickly.
Like you, I consider myself a massive Bruce fan. In particular I love the Darkness/River era the most. It truly was Bruce at his most prolific. My disappointment, petty as it may be, is if you're going to do these archival sets, they should be authentic recordings from that era. With new vocals, added layers of instruments, etc it's just a song he had sitting around that he's decided to record rather than a true document of his artistic process in 1978 or whenever it was written. Modern Bruce vocals, when placed next to his younger self, just doesn't cut it on the recordings. It sticks out like a sore thumb & distracts me from the material and its historical significance.
That’s great. In my opinion, Because The Night, Fire, Rendezvous, Spanish Eyes, and Gotta Get That Feeling are unlistenable because of the jarring contemporary vocals.
The most upsetting track was The Promise. Underneath all the overdubs was the 7min-full band version first released on Deep Down In the Vaults. It was recorded September 28, 1977. He rejected it for Darkness, and instead of putting in on Tracks, he treated us to a 1998 version, fully re-recorded. He must really hate this recording. Not only did he add strings and layers of instruments and background vocals, but he chopped it from 7:08 to 5:46 (close) , and in so doing, removed part of the final verse, words he had sung since 1976. This is too much. The people that this doesn't bother are either new fans that have no clue why some people are upset, or hungry heart fans that love I'm A Rocker. I saw him on a dark stage, playing piano himself, with one spotlight on him, singing, "when the promise was broken, I was far away from home, sleeping in the backseat of a borrowed car". I remember thinking that it was incredible, I thought I knew all his good songs. There were no bootlegs or internet, so I had only heard rumors of this song. One thing you have to love about Bruce is that being a star and wealthy never seemed to affect him, he just did what he felt compelled to do, write songs and play rock and roll, until he got married, and turned to having a personal life. He was great at communicating his feelings, and stirring yours up. He obviously wrote the Promise at a low point in his life, when felt all his efforts were not enough to overcome the forces against him. In fact, the first time he played the Promise, he sang "It's a Loser" instead of "Thunder Road", and that was about himself. In the second verse, he sang about his girlfriend who loved him, but he couldn't love her, so she left and he just stared out the window. And I think he was drunk and sleeping with a stranger in the back of seat of that borrowed car! This was so dark, I thought he was losing it. Fortunately I guess, he never played that again; the next time he sang it, almost two months later, it sounded much like The Promise we know, because he rewrote the chorus, the second verse, and ditched the stranger and the bottle at the end. August 3, 1976 was the first time he played it, if you need a copy, I can give you a link. I put a link to lyric page under the date. So I really liked the Promise because it seemed like it was real, a part of himself he was sharing. Now it is just a song his rich ass is singing. Sorry if that sounds brutal, I am exaggerating, trying to communicate my feelings. It's still him, he knows why he wrote it, but the original passion is long gone. Eight months before he stopped playing it (July 15, 1978), he wrote the verse "Well my daddy taught me how to walk quiet and how to make my peace with the past, I learned real good to tighten up inside and I don't say nothing unless I'm asked" (courtesy of springsteenlyrics.com), so he never lost touch with that song. I saw him play it July 5, 1978, ten days before he dropped it from the set. He did not play it again until 1998, when he recorded the 18 Tracks version. What a joke, 66 outtakes from the past, and 1 modern take of the most important song to many. I love Springsteen, but that and the other things he has done, have been disappointing. I still love ya Boss, but please take your head out of your ass! Just kidding! thanks
Graveyard this is an awesome post. I just have one minor suggestion, what about the Mexican horns? I thought a Mariachi Band was playing inside my computer, but it was just the songs from The Promise. Sadly, he has become a master of overproduction. We will be hearing more outtakes very soon, it's in his contract with Sony. I will dig it up and post it, unless somebody else has it. 2020 is target year; 2005-2010-2015-2020 is box pattern.
The problem with a lot of artists is that when they revisit their old material. They think they can fix it and make it better. I've recorded 5 albums and one was on Sony. I want to change every single recording lol! Bruce needed someone to tell him no!!! But you can't cause it's his songs.
I believe that Springsteen has a lot of Yes sayers around. I can only guess that Van Zandt thinks that he should release the archive stuff untouched like Dylan. But Springsteen is el jefe
That is Landau's job, but he doesn't jump in often enough. It took him two years before he confronted Bruce on BITUSA, to finish the album. I have had that same feeling too with my writing, if you let it rule you, it always costs money or other negative consequences. Jon Landau has been his partner since 1975, who knows, if he wasn't there, Sony or Columbia back then would have had to threaten or order him to finish his record. But Bruce has absolute power over how he makes the record. This is in his contract RequestforApprovalThe new contract also specifies Springsteen has total control over the production of all recordings and their contents contract made 2005 2007 contract, Bruce paid $101 million, Sony earned $72 million new contract made 2015 2017 - June 30, 2027 higher royalty rates, $31-million advance I guess the $72 million has something to do with how he gets his own way I also believe he is a nice guy, but our wishes and complaining would never change the way he makes his records, or overdubs The Promise
When he dies all the mixes will come out! We will be plungeoned to death with all 77 takes of The Promise! Which I'm fine with!
Me too, I will download them all, catalogue each one, and listen to the ones I like. Now we are dreaming
I want everything that Bruce has recorded to be released but I'd much rather him be selective with the stuff he puts out for now while he's still here. I do prefer a listenable album to take after take of songs. He makes albums not songs, and 95% of the time he gets it right. There's times he's wrong, and I agree that The Promise (song) should have been the complete version, but mostly he gets it right. Nobody has complained about what he did on Thundercrack on Tracks, yet that's overdubbed. Crime writers (for example) don't allow books to be released that they don't seem worthy, and Bruce is no different. He didn't seem these archive songs finished til he released them how he has. And I am not a new fan, nor wearing rose coloured glasses, I am a huge Bruce fan and have been for years. I own everything he's put out officially and nearly everything that's out there from the studio (and every demo recording out there). Once he's no longer here (Which could be another 30 years with the way his mum's side of the family are going) then they may release even more snippets, but for now I'd rather have some logic to the released as opposed to what has happened to Elvis' catalogue over the past 42 - and longer - years.
The Elvis Presley Follow That Dream collectors’ label is incredible, particularly the Classic Album Series. If the Springsteen studio archives are treated half as well, I will be satisfied.
Don't Look Back and The Promise always belonged on Darkness instead of Factory and Streets of Fire follow The Promise with Prove It All Night and Darkness for the greatest album of his career or at least a great follow up to Born To Run
Nothing wrong with Hungry Heart or I'm A Rocker, and enjoying all those supposed 'filler tracks' from The River does not disqualify one from enjoying his deeper emotional material. He showed his true malleability, and willingness to sell himself out -- likely due to his own insecurities -- with Born In The USA. His new teeth, his new physique, the pop lyrics and his pandering to the American public with the anthemic title track, his adoption of the '80s sound (others did it too, but the best '80s sounds come from bands who didn't have a '70s sound coming into it, imo), and his embarrassing MTV dance moves, all revealed to me an artist seeking fame over all else. Most others don't seem too bothered by it though, so I suspect I'm either too sensitive or getting too soft. I'm guessing Springsteen's earliest works touched his fans so deeply that any departure seemed disappointing. I wonder if disappointed Duran, Duran fans feel the same sort of 'betrayal'? That said, I'm still really enjoying Western Stars and it's been 32 years since I've said that about any of his work. And thanks for the offer on the August 3, 1976 link. Shall I PM you for it?
I sent you link, is it ok to post them here? I never see anybody do it re your pandering comment, are you Ronald Reagan? That song was about the plight of Vietnam Vets, not pandering anybody. I was glad he finally cashed in, after all the 3 hour shows and radio broadcasts. BITUSA was recorded with the Nebraska album demos, but they held it for the Electric Nebraska E Street Band version on the next album, which they named it for. I assume you were looking for another word. Nothing wrong with that album, Western Stars, and Hungry Heart, it's just another lousy conspiracy theory!
I totally agree with you on this and I must have said so ad nauseum on many similar threads. The " ...From the Darkness Sessions." is a total fake. All I ask for is transparency and truth advertising. Just be upfront and say that these are songs that are basically "new", though inspired by sketches from '77/'78. Then we can enjoy the songs based on their own merits--and some of them are good. But this MYTH that there are finished songs--let alone complete albums--in pristine quality seep down in the climate-controlled vault has got to be squashed. Bruce has got to stop presenting new songs as "old."
Yes, but with Neil Young, there actually are completed "lost" albums in releasable form ready to come out as soon as Neil snaps his fingers.
No, pandering is exactly the word I was looking for, and used. To suggest BITUSA does not send mixed messages misses a big part of its backdrop and its rollout. Going further, if one is to argue it's only a political protest song, then Springsteen et al need a history lesson that's a lot less ethnocentric. Thanks for the link
Obviously we can't discuss the particulars, but suffice to say that Springsteen was playing with powerful images and to a certain extent, still raw emotions --BitUSA came out less than ten years after the Vietnam War--and he didn't like a lot of the reactions and tried to stage manage them after the fact. He largely failed--as evidenced by the fact that it's still a divisive issue among many fans. But that's the nature of the relationship between the artist and the public. Once the art is exposed to public scrutiny, it's no longer the artist's call. That album made him an extremely wealthy man. It sold millions to people who missed the meaning he was trying to convey.
He's certainly allowed to do whatever he wants to his work. He can burn them if he so chooses--and if he was a Universal artist and not Sony--this discussion would be moot. But he shouldn't allow his dedicated fans to believe something exists that doesn't. He should be more honest.
It's a mixed 'bag' imo... I think most long-time fans would have preferred all vintage takes from the studio sessions. I would have. Ones already mixed down to 2 Track. Possibly some alt vintage mixes of the album tracks as well. Problem is once you dive into the multi-tracks for those same or other unreleased recorded tracks used to make vintage rough or vintage finished mixes, or unmixed, maybe you think you should remix this song for one reason or another. Then the next thing you know you are listening to all the individual parts from the multi-tracks and thinking either this performance could be better or this instrument wasn't recorded well or didn't sound good enough and then you're in the weeds of fixing, and then re-recording, and then mixing and matching vintage parts with modern parts. For better or worse. For a lot of fans, for the worse. That will never change. You can't change it. I advise fwiw just deal with your own thoughts and feelings about it if you like it for what it is. Fwiw I try to hear and evaluate everything on an individual basis. As it is as I hear it on its own terms. I think Fire is great. Ain't Good Enough For You also. I like Save My Love but don't like Bruce's vocal styling all that much on it and the voice is mixed too forward in spots to my ears. Do love the melody, lyrics and the passion. Don't like the mix I guess. Agree with you about the soulfulness of the record. It's there in the vocals of Spanish Eyes and It's A Shame. The arrangements and tone show some restraint, patience, style, and a slowly simmering passion. Come On Let's Go is a tune we've heard before with different lyrics, like some other Promise songs. It's a depressing song to me. I can do with or without it I guess. Perhaps it's not sequenced right and feels out of place where it is and it feels right to me but makes little impression on me in context. Talk To Me was given to Southside at the time. No reason it wouldn't have horns all over it in the version on The Promise. I like it. The Little Things dies for me with that specific kind of falsetto Bruce didn't use or have in 1977. This performance should have been on Magic or WOAD imo. It actually fits on either one of those records better too imo. Recast here in this way with the falsetto it sticks out too much. It's such a good song too. Breakaway has a strange shivering, shaking, dual sounding lead vocal that is poorly executed imo, as does The Promise. Another good song, Breakaway. Good performance in general, but vintage and modern vocals seem 'combined' and staggered and disjointed in their timing and I find it distracting. A hybrid that doesn't work not for lack of a good song or even performance, but for what the final result is. I even like the horns that join in before the last few verses. Back to the title track, the whole shebang is interesting to me, but really 'the song' gets lost amidst all the extra layers of parts and sounds. City at Night and The Way are little gems. I like 'em. It's the TONE that Bruce gets right in both of these vintage tracks. I'm sure he might think he mumbles, croons, and drawls his way through The Way but it feels right to me. Racin' in the Street '78 is a great take. It's mixed and or mastered loud as hell imo with no sense of dynamics imo. Love the alt take and performance. I don't like the heavyhanded mix. I like those mid-tempo, slower, soulful, melodic ballads, and so I like Gotta Get That Feeling as it is. Conversely, Outside Looking In sounds like the vocal tries too hard in some spots, but I like it. Guitar solos instead of sax solos would have put this one over the top (in a good way) for me. Yeah, I'm a sucker, for Someday. I know, guilty as charged. Despite the often ridiculous snare drum it seems like Bruce is writing a Roy Orbison Christmas inspired song, ha. Part of the problem with expectations and realities for the set is at least twofold. Bruce was saying these were like two unreleased albums, between BTR and Darkness, like independent from Darkness. Then the other larger contextual approach was these are all outtakes, alt takes, from the Darkness sessions as part of a deep dive into the Darkness on the Edge of Town sessions, album, and mystique. Well, those two approaches just don't mesh as one. Not the same direction. So it becomes more like a random Bruce jukebox of songs, performances, recordings, dating from around 1977 through 2010. A fine collection of songs with performances, recordings, and mixes of varying quality. Because The Night seems way too measured, slow, stiff, tired, and weak, to my ears. One Way Street seems measured and deliberate too but has a pained kind of melancholy and gritty expressiveness in it that I find appealing. I like it. I think The Promise is rightfully praised, validly questioned, and understandably criticised imo. It can often be an uneven listen, a rewarding and frustrating one, an enjoyable and kind of confusing one. It seems to me more labored than it ever needed to be. It is what it is . For some reason, I imagine the folks who are behind and who work on the Dylan Bootleg Series releases would have probably got 5 gold stars on a cd audio-only project of Darkness.
