The next release in Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's live archive series has just been announced: LA Sports Arena, California, 1988.  Coming toward the end of the U.S. leg of the Tunnel of Love Express Tour, this concert is from April 23, 1988 - the second night of a five-night stand in Los Angeles.  Performances from other nights in this stand have shown up on Springsteen videos over the years.

The Tunnel of Love Express Tour marked several changes for Springsteen.  Most significantly, musically-speaking, his association with the E Street Band was about to go on an extended hiatus.   The album Tunnel of Love had been recorded mostly by Springsteen himself without much involvement from the E Street Band.  Following this tour, Springsteen would not perform a full tour live with the group again until 1999. (Bruce and the E Street Band did perform together as part of the short Human Rights Now! Benefit tour later in 1988).  Also, on the personal front, Springsteen was in the midst of the break-up of his marriage to Julianne Phillips - something reflected in the music on the Tunnel album.  Springsteen then found himself as tabloid fodder for the first major time when he began a relationship with back-up singer Patti Scialfa - whom he would of course go on to marry.

The concerts during the Tunnel of Love Express Tour were also different than in the past.  A horn section - The Horns of Love - was added.  The entrance for Bruce and the E Street Band was highly stylized and the members were placed in unusual spots on the stage.  They also did not move around much - a departure from past shows.  The set lists were more static night to night and the music was not as bombastic in the past.  Gone were staples such as "Badlands" and "Prove It All Night," replaced by B-sides and outtakes such as "Be True."  The songs from the Tunnel album ("Brilliant Disguise," "One Step Up," "Tunnel of Love") were of course spotlighted and the show still contained many favorites such as "Born to Run" (although performed in a different arrangement) and "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)."

The show was recorded live by Toby Scott, assisted by Paul de Gre.  It was mixed from Digital PCM multitracks to DSD by Toby Scott in May and June of this year, assisted by Kenta Yoneska at Germano Studios and Rob Lebret at Thrill Hill.  This release has been mastered by Adam Ayan at Gateway Mastering.

The concerts will be offered in Direct Stream Digital or DSD ($39.95) - a format with 64 times the sampling rate of CD - as well as the usual options of MP3 ($9.95, 256 kbps), FLAC or Apple Lossless ($12.95), HD-Audio ($24.95, 24 bit/192 kHz, FLAC-HD or ALAC-HD) and CD-R ($23.00).  CDs will not begin shipping until August 4, but those purchasing the 3-CD sets have the usual option to pay an extra $5.00 to obtain the MP3s now.

All six volumes of The Bruce Springsteen Archive Series - plus a number of recent concerts from 2014 - are available at Springsteen's official live store for download and physical purchase.  You can also sample tracks at this link which you'll find just below!

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, LA Sports Arena, California, 1988 (Columbia/Nugs.net, 2015)

Set One

1. Tunnel of Love
2. Be True
3. Adam Raised a Cain
4. Two Faces
5. All That Heaven Will Allow
6. Seeds
7. Roulette
8. Cover Me
9. Brilliant Disguise
10. Spare Parts
11. War
12. Born in the U.S.A.

Set Two

1. Tougher than the Rest
2. Ain't Got You
3. She's the One
4. You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)
5. I'm A Coward
6. I'm On Fire
7. One Step Up
8. Part Man, Part Monkey
9. Backstreets
10. Dancing in the Dark
11. Light of Day

First Encore

1. Happy Birthday to Roy Orbison
2. Born to Run
3. Hungry Heart
4. Glory Days
5. Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)

Second Encore

1. Have Love, Will Travel
2. Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
3. Sweet Soul Music
4. Raise Your Hand