New Springsteen Album!!

[Spike-X]

New Springsteen album due in April; tour to follow
By LARRY McSHANE
Associated Press Writer

February 16, 2005, 11:21 AM EST

NEW YORK -- The seeds for Bruce Springsteen's new album "Devils & Dust" were sown nearly a decade ago, when the singer-songwriter launched his first-ever solo acoustic tour.

"I was so excited after playing on that tour, I'd get off the stage and go write," Springsteen told The Associated Press about those 1995-96 dates. "Then I put those songs on the shelf for a while, until I had a chance to revisit them."

The visit is now complete, with a 12-song album due in stores on April 26 _ Springsteen's first release of all-new material since his Sept. 11-themed "The Rising" in July 2002. A tour was planned to follow the release, although Springsteen said it was unclear if he would perform alone or with a small band.

Two of the new album's songs, "The Hitter" and "Long Time Comin'," were actually written and performed on "The Ghost of Tom Joad" tour. But not all the material dates back that far; the title track was written around the start of the war in Iraq, Springsteen said.

"It works as a metaphor for all the music underneath it, the individual stories of people wrestling with their demons," Springsteen said of the title track. "A lot of it is set in the west, in what feels like a rural setting.

"It's about people working through their confusions, sometimes well and sometimes tragically," he said in a telephone interview earlier this week.

Springsteen opted to record without the E Street Band for "Devils & Dust." The core group was Springsteen on guitar and other instruments, producer Brendan O'Brien on bass and drummer Steve Jordan, who had produced last year's "23rd Street Lullaby" album by Springsteen's wife, Patti Scialfa.

In keeping with his pattern of recording, the new album is a quieter, more acoustic affair than "The Rising." Springsteen, now 55, has alternated between large-scale rock records followed by more introspective material since 1982's "Nebraska" was released two years after "The River."

Pedal steel guitar, harmonica and violin fill in the sparse, rootsy arrangements. Springsteen, who says his vocal range has expanded with age, provides some higher-pitched vocals on the track "All I'm Thinking About."

Springsteen said the accompanying tour would be an acoustic affair whether he performs alone or with a band, targeting theaters and smaller venues.

"I was actually signed as an acoustic act, and I've always enjoyed playing acoustic," Springsteen said. "Even when I was in a band, back in my early days, I was always writing songs that weren't meant for the band."

[Spike-X]

Although the set list indicates the CD contains 12 songs, 13 will in all likelihood be released. The 13th is the one which will push the CD over the edge to have a parental advisory. At this time, Sony is not revealing that the song is on the CD or that the CD will have the parental advisory. The business side of the Bruce Camp, to include Sony marketing, is attempting to influence Bruce not to include the song. They have advised him that it will hurt sales and negatively impact Bruce's image. Although we would like to think that Bruce does not care about these things, he is advised by people who do. As a result, the reporting of a set list which is not completely finalized.

To note is the last minute change, specifically the inclusion of Long Time Comin' which was added during the last week of remastering.

For those who have missed it, the set list will contain the following songs, although it appears that they will not be in this order on the CD:

Devils and Dust
All the Way Home
Long Time Coming
The Hitter
All I'm Thinkin' About
Reno
Black Cowboys
Maria's Bed
Silver Palomino
Jesus Was an Only Son
Leah
Matamoros Bank

Now the tour. As reported, it will begin as a solo effort. Additional members of the ESB will be added to the tour in a progressive manner culminating in a full ESB world tour. Discussions related to venues, etc. have begun and smaller venues are anticipated at first.

Based on attendance at some shows during the last tour, a number of the solo shows will be held in smaller venues in smaller markets. Although the obligatory cities (NJ/NY/Boston/Philly/LA) will have shows, a number of smaller markets will have solo shows at smaller venues. The solo shows will be for one or two nights and as the tour progresses, the ESB is expected camp out in those cities which will have more than one show. Forty shows in 40 cities is something Bruce does not want to duplicate.

One thing that Bruce has directed is that solo shows and shows with the entire ESB be held in Europe. He has made the point of ensuring that Europe is well included on all aspects of this tour.


Here's hoping he includes Australia, even after the less-than-stellar result last time he came down here (promoter booked larger-than-necessary venues, overcharged for tickets).

[Adam Crocker]

As reported, it will begin as a solo effort. Additional members of the ESB will be added to the tour in a progressive manner culminating in a full ESB world tour.

Interesting approach I have to say.

So what's your take on this Spike?

[leonaozaki]

I know we're trying to be positive now, and I am one of the world's largest Springsteen fans, so God help me....

I honestly don't care that Bruce has a new album coming. I mean, I'm a little excited, and I'll probably pick it up at some point...

I swear that I am not saying this so I can appear trendy because it was cool to like Bruce back when. I -am- saying this because I bought The Rising and I just couldn't get into it. Sure, there were a few songs on it I liked, but I can't honestly say that I've listened to it all the way through in a very long time now.

Even TOM JOAD, the album these songs date from, doesn't appeal to me anymore. I'm sure part of it is that I've grown away from Bruce...but I think part of it too is that Bruce isn't hitting them out of the park the way he used to...and in fact may have stopped doing so in 1986 or thereabouts. That makes me sad...as does the fact that I know I won't be burning to get to the record store for this the way I was when HUMAN TOUCH and JOAD and THE RISING came out.

Ah...who knows? Maybe they'll all be songs of the same caliber as "41 Shots."

rob

[Spike-X]

Interesting approach I have to say.

So what's your take on this Spike?
I would have preferred another rock album with the E Street Band, naturally. but Bruce does what Bruce wants to do, not what we want him to. Hell, he seems to take an almost perverse pleasure in doing the opposite of what we want him to do.

I'll buy the album when it comes out and try to appreciate it for what it is, not what it isn't. I had another listen to Long Time Coming and The Hitter this morning. They're good songs, very much in the vein of the Ghost Of Tom Joad material, as they were written and debuted during that tour.

Devils And Dust is a song I'm eager to hear. It was almost debuted during the Vote For Change tour - on the TV special, you can see Bruce writing a setlist with "Devils" at the top, but he changed his mind for some reason.

[Deathstroke]

I'll be adding this information to the column that's for sure.

[howyadoin]

Springsteen opted to record without the E Street BandYeah, that worked really well last time...

[Spike-X]

My thoughts exactly.

[Deathstroke]

Track Listing:

Devils & Dust
All The Way Home
Reno
Long Time Comin'
Black Cowboys
Maria's Bed
Silver Palomino
Jesus Was An Only Son
Leah
The Hitter
All I'm Thinkin' About
Matamoras Banks

[Hombre]

Track Listing:


All The Way Home


The one he gave to Southside Johnny!? If so, that's good news, I liked the lyrics about hard luck lovers getting together, much in the vein of his men+women stuff I seem to like so much (even though I'm alone myself), and felt that Southside's voice didn't do it much justice...

[Deathstroke]

The one he gave to Southside Johnny!? If so, that's good news, I liked the lyrics about hard luck lovers getting together, much in the vein of his men+women stuff I seem to like so much (even though I'm alone myself), and felt that Southside's voice didn't do it much justice...

I'm unsure, the information I read just gave the titles of the songs.

[Spike-X]

The one he gave to Southside Johnny!?

I'm not sure, to be honest. I've never actually heard that song.

Something you might be interested in - somebody has mixed the Bruce and Southside versions of Hearts Of Stone (they use the same basic backing track) to make it sound like they're duetting. If you want a copy, PM me and I'll send you the link.

[redlantern2051]

For me, Bruce acoustic is pretty damn cool. I thought "Tom Joad" was cool. That said, when I saw Bruce and the E Street band play live at the Sydney Cricket Ground, (with my then girlfriend, who was another MAJOR Bruce fan) it felt like one of the greatest days of my life. I'll never forget when he played "Rosalita"! It felt like he was singing to me, his bond with the audience is THAT strong. Gee it was special. I'll be buying the new CD, thats for sure.

[Spike-X]

Did you go to the Sydney concert in 2003?

You didn't happen to tape it, did you?

[Deathstroke]

Here's the cover art for Devils & Dust:

http://www.melodicrock.com/brucespringsteen-devilsdust.jpg

[Spike-X]

Only six weeks to go!

[Deathstroke]

According to Melodicrock.com's (http://www.melodicrock.com) news update for March 21st, Springsteen's new CD Devils & Dust will now have DualDisc features.

[Spike-X]

I've just read that "All The Way Home is the same song that Springsteen contributed to Southside Johnny's Better Days back in 1991."

And I do indeed have a copy of the Southside version (featuring Bruce on backing vocals), I'd just forgotten I had it (it's on a compilation CD of Bruce covers I've got). It's a pretty good song, I'm looking forward to hearing Bruce doing it.

[Spike-X]

According to Melodicrock.com's (http://www.melodicrock.com) news update for March 21st, Springsteen's new CD Devils & Dust will now have DualDisc features.
This is only for the US release. Other countries will have a Deluxe Edition of the CD with the DVD content on a separate disc. Which is fine by me, that's how I prefer it anyway.

[Deathstroke]

This is only for the US release. Other countries will have a Deluxe Edition of the CD with the DVD content on a separate disc. Which is fine by me, that's how I prefer it anyway.

Thanks for the updated information.

[Spike-X]

The title track has been released through AOL. I don't know how you find it there, but give it a try. If that doesn't work, try this link (http://boots.illusionfxnet.com/Devils%20&%20Dust/Bruce%20Springsteen%20-%20Devils%20&%20Dust.mp3).