Bruce Springsteen’s unparalleled career spans 22 studio albums from 1973 through 2022. It’s been a remarkable run, by any measure. With “Tracks II: The Lost Albums,” his most recent archival release, music lovers will enjoy the astonishing discovery, impossible as it may seem, that seven additional LPs had been lost to time.
Aptly subtitled as “The Lost Albums,” this release continues the project that Springsteen began in 1998 with “Tracks,” which featured 66 unreleased songs. At the time, music historians surmised that some 350 unreleased tracks languished in Springsteen’s vaults. With “Tracks II,” the singer-songwriter focuses on his unreleased corpus between 1983 and 2018, a period in which Springsteen recorded the 83 unreleased tracks that comprise his latest collection.
The ”lost” albums range from “LA Garage Session ’83” through “Perfect World.” Arranged largely in terms of theme, the LPs also include “Streets of Philadelphia Sessions,” which accounts for the outtakes associated with Springsteen’s Oscar-winning song, as well as “Somewhere North of Nashville,” with its country-rock accents. As one of “Tracks II”’s standout albums, “Faithless” finds Springsteen engaging in a series of spiritual effusions, including the LP’s exquisite title track. The collection is rounded out by “Inyo,” which features a series of spaghetti western-related tracks, and “Twilight Hours,” with its languid cinematic soundscapes.
Music lovers on the lookout for the fabled “Electric Nebraska” LP will be sorely disappointed. Both Springsteen and E Street drummer Max Weinberg have confirmed the existence of the elusive “Nebraska” outtakes, yet they are not in evidence here. But “Tracks II” more than makes up for this omission by proffering such a wide range of previously unreleased music. Simply put, “Tracks II” is a treasure trove, laden with enough material for virtually anyone, regardless of personal taste, to unearth a slew of hidden gems.
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As with its predecessor, “Tracks II” also affords listeners a vital window into the nature of Springsteen’s craft and production process. The songwriter’s creative practice is clearly based on prolificity. “Take the Darkness on the Edge of Town” (1978), “The River” (1980), and “Born in the USA” (1984) albums, for instance. In each case, he wrote and recorded some 50 songs before whittling down his track lists considerably. If nothing else, Springsteen’s rage for creation underscores his dedication to ensuring quality across the breadth of his official releases. In short, it is no accident that his albums tend to be largely free of filler or throwaway tracks.
Whether you’re a Springsteen aficionado or a new fan who is just discovering the Boss’ unique contributions to American music, “Tracks II” is required listening. Chock-full of previously unheard tunes, the collection affords music lovers with new vistas for experiencing Springsteen’s work. Bring on “Tracks III!” And if it happens to include “Electric Nebraska,” all the better.
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