Review Summary: Unreleased material or not, The Boss reminds us why his influence has become so immense
Decades removed from their primes, it isn’t a mystery that our aging heroes have yielded mixed results in their 2010 efforts. While Neil Young’s
Le Noise illustrated that the man still had brilliance left in him, Tom Petty’s latest effort came off as weary and uninspired; virtually an excuse to tour. Since the release of
Tunnel of Love in 1987, Bruce Springsteen has been a bit of an enigma, for his records have failed to meet the astronomical expectations he had set in the 1970’s. With that said, the arrival of
The Promise in December of 2010 could not have come at a more ideal occasion. Unlike Young, we are reminded of The Boss’ magnitude with a collection of unreleased material (not a typical studio album) from the glory days of the mid to late 70’s.
The Promise is a two-disc compilation of Springsteen’s sessions for
Darkness on the Edge of Town; featuring alternative versions of several Darkness tracks and other completely unreleased works.
As B-side related releases generally entail,
The Promise fuses mediocre material with tracks that should never have been lost. The latter undeniably includes opener “Racing in the Street,” which is essentially the alternate version of the
Darkness on the Edge of Town centerpiece. Contrary to the slow burning nature of the original, this adaptation is a surge of vintage Springsteen energy; featuring perfectly transposed piano, passionately bawled vocals and ultimately capped off by harmonica and violin solos. This particular account of “Racing in the Street” not only rivals the original, but may actually be the superior version. What we see here is the very definition of Americana; an acceptance of trials and tribulations without the abandonment of hope. And that is just something we’ve cherished in The Boss since day one.
Leafing through
The Promise, it isn’t ridiculous to say that tracks such as “Ain’t Good Enough For You” and “Talk To Me” would have been massive commercial hits, despite their absence from
Darkness on the Edge of Town. “Ain’t Good Enough For You” in particular screams single from the get-go; riding an infectious melody and hand claps throughout what proves to be an absolutely fantastic pop song. This is certainly an indication of the entertainer in The Boss, a track that may have served perfectly on Springsteen’s most popular record:
Born in the USA. Even with several of these exuberant tracks scattered throughout both discs, Springsteen comes back to earth with his trademark laments. The penultimate segment “The Promise,” is a peaceful, yet distressed piece which is elevated by Springsteen’s lucid storytelling. The outro evokes the thought of classic the
Born to Run opener with Springsteen’s utterances of:
“Thunder Road, for the lost lovers and all the fixed games
Thunder Road, for the tires rushing by in the rain
Thunder Road, Billy and me we'd always say
Thunder Road, we were gonna take it all and throw it all away”
So, while Neil Young discovers the light he once relished in, and while Tom Petty is lacking endurance, The Boss finds a way to remain fresh in our minds.
The Promise isn’t the perfect release by any means, but an uncovering of twenty-one solid rock and roll tracks. Groups such as The Gaslight Anthem and The Hold Steady are quick to reveal those wisps of nostalgia that The Boss coined with a piano, sincere lyricism, and an overwhelming sense of optimism, and these sentiments are only furthered with
The Promise.
