Highly regarded because of the legacy around it, the shortcomings of Electric Nebraska would be all too easy to sweep away as merely a symptom of over-exaggeration from dedicated fans. But the Bruce Springsteen album, tucked away on the Nebraska ‘82: Expanded release, has little to worry about. It’s as definitive a release as you could ask for. Just about every track from these sessions is worth releasing, compiled into one place but split up clear enough for listeners to hop in and out of whichever release they want. Electric Nebraska will be the clear winner for fans, frothing at the mouth and shaking viciously as they get their hands on The Boss’ holy grail. It stands up well, too. That is the crucial detail. Where you could once offer up some dreamy scenario of what Electric Nebraska would sound like, there is now a clear sound. Actual, living proof of Electric Nebraska. Some may never have expected it. Those are the listeners who will be delighted most of all, irrespective of how it sounds.
Thankfully, it sounds excellent. That much was expected. Whether it lives up to the hype built up inside your mind over the decades since its rumoured existence, that is up to a listener. It never hits a moment where it sounds better than the original works, be it the softer tempo of Nebraska or the pop-rock thrills of Born in the U.S.A. which would feature just two years later. Whatever the case, it detracts a little from Electric Nebraska. We know how these songs turned out and it’s an uphill battle to connect with what they once sounded like. But they are beautiful in their own way. Nebraska is still a heartbreaker of a track, the electric coming more from the tone of regret rather than any clear instrumental change. Atlantic City is the song which changes all this, making for a clear electric instrumental focus. For the educated listener, the fan who has spent years with Nebraska, these will serve as welcome refreshers.
Like a lot of Nebraska ‘82: Expanded, there are some surprising, tearjerker moments. Maybe it’s the personal touch, the change which affects a listener also present in the likes of Mansion on the Hill, but it hits that little bit harder. Such is the case for alternate versions. Bob Dylan and Neil Young have plenty of those out there, and this is much the same quality for those who feel they need a slightly different expression from an all-time great track. Well-mixed, crisp production is what makes Electric Nebraska such a thrill. This is not just slowed songs, though. Downbound Train from Electric Nebraska builds on the staggering performance given on Johnny 99. It’s a stark contrast to the song featured on Born in the U.S.A., which already had a thrilling tempo. Catchy is more than enough for those moments, with the thrills of Open All Night based on the occasional whoop and new guitar riff.
Electric Nebraska is what you make of it. It answers the impossible question which has no doubt rattled through the minds of many for a long while. Sometimes, the abstract, the promise, is better than the end result. It’s not quite the case for Electric Nebraska but it does have lesser moments. Reason to Believe sounds a little too close to Springsteen stock than anything else, while the slowed Born in the U.S.A. is a far cry, a downgrade, from the song which would define the 1980s for The Boss and his listeners. Very strong stuff around that though with a frankly excellent mix and preservation of what could have been. Alternate listens such as this are rarely given this brilliant treatment, and listeners are much better off having listened to Electric Nebraska than trying to figure out what it could have been.
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