Bruce Springsteen Releases ‘Tracks II: The Lost Albums’ with Long-Lost ‘LA Garage Sessions ’83’
Bruce Springsteen, photo by Danny Clinch
After three months of mounting anticipation and dosed-out previews, Bruce Springsteen has released Tracks II: The Lost Albums, a collection of seven eclectic full-length albums recorded between 1983 and 2018 and now finally pulled off the shelf. Through the album cycle, Springsteen has consistently proven that these scrapped projects could hold their own against the most celebrated entries in his catalog, all the while saving the best for last. With the collection’s arrival, fans can finally hear LA Garage Sessions ’83.
LA Garage Sessions ’83 is the coveted missing link between Nebraska and Born in the U.S.A., a lo-fi, DIY exploration of new artistic avenues that bridged two of Springsteen’s most distinctive and celebrated eras. Across its 18 tracks, the artist works through his rapid ascent to stardom with an unselfconsciously eclectic mix of solo home recordings; it’s far from his most cohesive project, and that’s ultimately its greatest charm, making it one of the most widely bootlegged projects from Springsteen’s discography in recent years.
“I was still a little gun shy of fame,” Springsteen said. “I was unsure whether to immediately release Born in the U.S.A. after Nebraska. I spent a good part of the next year in California working on an alternative record. That was the record that these LA ’83 demos are the result of.”
Tracks II was preceded by singles from each of its other six albums. Most recently, the classic orchestral pop of “Sunday Love” from Twilight Hours followed a trio of diverse Western-influenced entries with “Adelita” from Inyo, “Repo Man” from Somewhere North of Nashville and “Faithless,” a dusty, contemplative spiritual wandering from an unreleased film soundtrack of the same name. Before that, the Boss shared “Blind Spot,” a stormy, loop-based reflection on doubt and betrayal from the Streets of Philadelphia Sessions, and “Rain In The River,” which previewed Perfect World, “the one thing on this that wasn’t initially conceived as an album.” Taken together, the collection includes a staggering 83 archival songs
Springsteen first opened up his archives in 1998 with Tracks, a celebrated four-disc collection of 66 unheard recordings from throughout his career. While he’s followed up on that impulse since with expanded reissues of Darkness on the Edge of Town, The River and more, he’s also kept stirring the pot for a follow-up to the revealing compilation–which he seems to have been just as eager to share as the fans have been to hear it.
“The Lost Albums were full records, some of them even to the point of being mixed and not released,” Springsteen said. “I’ve played this music to myself and often close friends for years now. I’m glad you’ll get a chance to finally hear them. I hope you enjoy them.”
Tracks II: The Lost Albums is available on all digital platforms and as deluxe 9-LP and 7-CD packages. Order the record here, and learn more at brucespringsteen.net.
Find tickets for Springsteen’s 2025 touring here.
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