Fans anticipating the release of the Bruce Springsteen compilation, Tracks II: The Lost Albums, are wondering if it can live up to high expectations.
The Boss confirmed he will share eighty-three unreleased songs across seven albums later this year, with a box set and hardback book to be released later this year. While fans are rightly excited by the sheer amount of work featuring on the boxset, some are wondering whether it will live up to the hype. A post to the r/BruceSpringsteen subreddit has seen fans defend the box set and its hefty £300 price tag (for the vinyl release) as they suggest the uncut pieces will be of a high quality. Others have suggested tempering expectations as they predict a “modest” set of songs.
One user wrote: “Seven albums of music releasing on the same day from an artist with over twenty studio albums and dozens of live albums, after the age of seventy, right before a new leg of a European tour, with US dates on the horizon… and you’re going to be disappointed?”
Another added: “Seven unreleased albums released all on the same day. I think we’re more likely to be overwhelmed than underwhelmed!” A third wrote: “Seven albums of unreleased stuff is never going to be disappointing. The 1983 Garage Sessions are already out there in lo-fi quality, and they’re amazing.
“I’ve been desperate to hear the ‘hip hop’ album from 1994 for years, and as soon as I heard Springsteen had done a Gospel type album for a film, I needed to hear that ASAP. A couple of the albums seem Ghost of Tom Joad/Devils and Dust/Western Stars adjacent, three of my favourite albums. Twilight Hours I’m so excited for, Springsteen Noir, sign me up. If Rain In The River is anything to go by, Perfect World should be really interesting. Can’t wait.”
While some fans have let optimism and excitement flow, some are cautious of a few clangers being included in the mix. One user wrote: “I remember when Tracks was released in 1998. It took a while for it all to soak in, and still half of disc four is unlistenable to me. Any mammoth set of unreleased music is bound to have some clunkers.
“I had the 1983 Sessions on CD for almost 2 decades, so I know what to expect there. Other than that, I’m sure there will be moments of brilliance and some stuff that makes Human Touch sound like a masterpiece.”
Another user added: “Keep your expectations modest and you’ll be fine. I’m expecting some of it to be great, some of it to be not great but interesting, and some of it to be kinda forgettable, just like most releases of archival studio material from legacy artists.
“You don’t need Spotify live playlists, just go to Nugs and get the old shows that interest you. Those compilations from the series are nice to have available, but they aren’t really related to the rest of Sony’s Springsteen strategy. That said, there isn’t a ton left to cover with those thematic playlists either, although I’m sure there will be more.
“I think if you drop hundreds of dollars on this expecting it all to be great, you’ll be disappointed. If you stream it like most of the world, and are willing to accept a 50%or so success rate with the tunes, I think you’ll be pleased.”
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