Bruce Springsteen – Nebraska ’82: Expanded

What riches listeners have been offered by Bruce Springsteen this year. The Boss has cleaned house. From a European tour and an EP highlights reel from those shows to a pilfering of the vault for Tracks II: The Lost Albums, it feels like Springsteen has showcased just about everything he has. There is more to come, should sources suggesting a new album is on the way, be believed. In the meantime, there’s an adaptation of his life on the big screen and this, Nebraska ‘82: Expanded. It’s the legendary status of the so-called Electric Nebraska that will hook many into this, but the alternative tracks and versions of songs which appeared on Born in the U.S.A. are of real interest. How amazing it is to hear these songs with such fundamental differences to them, just two years before their release. Amazing, hard work goes into preparing these songs for what they would become, world-beating, still-relevant commentaries on the blind love of patriotism and why it must be challenged. 

These early versions are twofold in their importance. Listeners are given a chance to hear the immediate, burning desire to write and perform songs of commitment to country, but are also offered the early moments, that unrefined piece of inspiration. But pull it back from Born in the U.S.A. and the monumental shift it made for Springsteen as a pop-rock symbol, and bring it all back to Nebraska. It’s as intimate as you can get with Springsteen’s work and the additions made throughout Nebraska ‘82: Expanded are nothing short of monumental. Darker consequences on Losin’ Kind pair brilliantly with that sincere, stripped-back acoustic tone. Depending on the mood, the likes of Pink Cadillac will either cruise on by or be such a heavy-hitting experience you’ll wonder why it took so long for this version to surface. Christ, what a song. A song that’ll rock those who need to hear it to their very core, though it’ll not offer any clear direction. Springsteen is not showing us what comes next, just what’s happening now.  

Nebraska ‘82: Expanded is not just joyous early versions of classic tracks. Working on a Highway needed that pop spirit, the acoustic version simply doesn’t work. It lacks the boldness, that big, blowout feel which defines Born in the U.S.A. A song like Atlantic City, the Electric Nebraska version specifically, is a gut-punch of an experience. Electric Nebraska is deserving of its own feature entirely, as is the Count Basie live material. Wonderful renditions of the title track can be found throughout Nebraska ‘82: Expanded, but this Count Basie live track is the peak of it all. This Atlantic City version is outstanding. A hearty acoustic guitar lead is what keeps this version alive. It’s pieces of Nebraska all coming together to shine a light on the honesty of the original project. For those who connected with the likes of Johnny 99 and State Trooper, then this expanded version is essential listening.  

Those live versions of Highway Patrolman and Nebraska are staggering. Much of this expanded version is. Truly strong alternatives to all-time great songs pulled from an era of change for Springsteen. Some phenomenal work overall with some delightful differences at play. You can hear why this instrumental tone was changed or that vocal delivery was altered, but it’s an experience worth having with some of the very best songs from Springsteen’s deep discography. One of the many defining albums The Boss offered and, much like Tracks II: The Lost Albums, the thrill of listening to this one comes from the details listeners missed the first time around. How these songs came together is a beautiful listening experience, and the rougher, harsher-sounding early versions of all-time greats is what keeps Nebraska ‘82: Expanded together.