The shortest reviews of Springsteen's 'Tracks II' lost albums you'll find anywhere
- Pete Chianca
- Jul 23
- 4 min read
When it comes to Bruce Springsteen’s “Tracks II: The Lost Albums,” there’s one thing we can all agree on: At seven albums and 83 songs, it’s looooong.
Also long, though, have been the reviews of “Tracks II.” Critics have taken the sheer volume of the set as an excuse to wax poetic at great length — and not just critics, either. Everybody and their brother (you know who you are) seems to have found time to post detailed essays on the collection’s merits, or lack of such.
And some of the takes have been, shall we say, out there. I read one where the writer argued that Bruce shouldn’t have attempted “Twilight Hours” because Sinatra could have sung those songs better — which, if that’s your bar, could preclude the continued recording of any music, ever.
Regardless, now that I’ve been listening for a month, I thought I would be doing the Springsteen community a favor — since I have to do something, it’s the law — if I provided the shortest reviews for “Tracks II” that you’re likely to find anywhere. Hence below, you’ll find a brief summary of each “lost album” (handily presented in the voice of that particular disc’s characters), followed by a review not to exceed two sentences per album. (Thank God for dashes or I’d have never pulled this off.)
LA Garage Sessions ‘83
Summary: “I had a wife and one or two kids and a house on a hill, but I did something shameful, or am considering doing it, and life will never be the same again. Also, my heart is unsatisfied, and probably hungry.”
2-Line Review: There are enough gems on here — ”Follow That Dream,” “Little Girl Like You” and “Seven Tears” come to mind — that an album of 10 of the most engaging of these tracks given the full E Street treatment (a la “If I Was The Priest” on “Letter to You”) could have been a killer disc. But the fact that so many of these songs are basically about the same thing, and even sound alike, makes it feel like a bunch of works in progress rather than anything cohesive — in this case, more is less.
Grade: 3 out of 5
Streets of Philadelphia Sessions
Summary: “Everybody’s got a blind spot that can only be filled by the sound that comes out of a drum machine.”
2-Line Review: Now this is a cohesive album — in sound, theme, and overall quality and depth of Springsteen’s incisive lyrics — and it turns out “spooky drum machine” is the perfect herald for it. “Blind Spot,” “Maybe I Don’t Know You” and “We Fell Down” are among the tracks exhibiting a moody genius, and “Secret Garden” is even better in this context than it was on “Greatest Hits.”
Grade: 4 ½ out of 5
Somewhere North of Nashville
Summary: “I am a repo, delivery, and/or detail man, or possibly all three. Yee-ha!”
2-Line Review: I always thought Bruce had a rockabilly album in him, and while this might not 100% fit the bill — it’s more Texas than Tennessee — it’s rollicking enough that if it’s as close as we get, I’ll take it. The twangy “Tiger Rose” (you may remember Sonny Burgess’s version from ’96), the three “Man” standouts, and a ballad (“Blue Highway”) worthy of Hank Williams are all highlights — along with irresistible country-er versions that improve upon several songs we already know.
Grade: 4 ½ out of 5
Faithless
Summary: “Jesus, amirite?”
2-Line Review: I was fully prepared for this not speak to me, but like Dylan’s religious albums — which I avoided for years before finally listening and appreciating — there’s a simple beauty to these songs that I was surprised to find I couldn’t resist. “All God’s Children” is a stomper for the ages, “God Sent You” is simply gorgeous, and even the instrumentals have a lingering charm
Grade: 4 out 5
Twilight Hours
Summary: “The only thing worse than not knowing a real, deep love, the kind of love you experience on Sundays or in September, is commuting. I will now sing about that like Burt Bacharach would want me to.”
2-Line Review: A brilliant collection of torch songs, positioned squarely at the corner of “In the Wee Small Hours” and “Days of Wine and Roses,” by way of Springsteen’s own particular smoky croon. That Bruce is capable of diving this deep, and this successfully, into songs so far removed from rock speaks to a maturity as an artist that probably shouldn’t surprise us (but it kind of does).
Grade: 4 out of 5
INYO
Summary: “If you think being a Mexican in America is hard, try being a Mexican in Mexico. Although at least there we have trumpets.”
2-Line Review: I will admit that a month hasn’t been enough time to delve deeply into these subtle story-songs, especially with all the other music to digest — like with “Ghost of Tom Joad,” you’ve got to put in the work of really listening to appreciate what is clearly some pretty deep nuance. Eventually I will, but even a cursory listen reveals such enjoyable elements as the title track’s dusty charm, the endearing mariachi rhythm of “Adelita,” and Bruce’s impressive falsetto on “The Last Charro.”
Grade: 3 ½ out of 5 (and that will possibly go up in a month or two)
Perfect World
Summary: “Thank God for Joe Grushecky!”
2-Line Review: The Grushecky collaborations — in particular “I’m Not Sleeping” and “Another Thin Line” — are definitely the winners here, with “Rain in the River” holding its own, and “You Lifted Me Up” sounding like another keeper. The rest are fine, but definitely of the B-Side/leftover variety — nothing that makes you think, wow, can’t believe he didn’t release that!
Grade: 3 out of 5
AVERAGE OVERALL SCORE: 3.8 out of 5, but let's round up to 4. (There is a 100-page book, after all.)
Do you agree? A month in, how are you feeling about "Tracks II"? Let us know in the comments.
Great reviews. Love your takes.
Can't lie, I really like all the discs and have a particularly affinity for Twilight Hours.
Oh and I listen to these discs while commuting!
A fair and amusing summary. I’d have given two sentences with parentheses to Something in the Well alone, but then it’s worth breaking rules for.
Your summaries are hilarious and say more than enough!
Well you nailed some call outs (let’s name all of Bruce’s “man” songs). You went a little higher than I would in some cases but Perfect World has been the one I’ve really been listening to. “Cutting Knife” is particularly worthy to me.