Shut Out the Light: Bruce Springsteen Offers Seven Unheard Albums on ‘Tracks II’
More than a quarter century after releasing his first major vault project, Bruce Springsteen is back with a sequel that’s even bigger.
True to its name, Tracks II: The Lost Albums 1983-2018 promises not just a wealth of unreleased recordings from the Thrill Hill vaults, as 1998’s Tracks offered. This time, the rock icon presents seven full albums’ worth of material, sharing thematic and recording cohesion and even, in some cases, seriously considered for release at one time or another. (Though all imagery has yet to be revealed, each set will be packaged as its own album.) The 7CD or 9LP set will be released June 27; each version features a 100-page clothbound hardcover book offering notes on the albums by writer Erik Flannigan, an introduction penned by Springsteen and scores of archival photos. A single CD or double LP, Lost and Found: Selections from the Lost Albums will be available on the same date.
Though every recording on Tracks II is previously unreleased, hardcore fans will have heard some of these tracks before. The set’s opening disc, L.A. Garage Sessions ’83 – a thematic and sonic link between the spare acoustic demos of 1982’s Nebraska and 1984’s rock blockbuster Born in the U.S.A. – features songs that were later reworked as B-sides to various Born in the U.S.A. singles, including “Johnny Bye Bye” and “Shut Out the Light.” (One, “My Hometown,” even made that album proper, serving as the closing track and seventh and final Top 10 hit from the LP.) The next album, Streets of Philadelphia Sessions, draws back to the song of the same name (not included here), the Oscar-winning single from the moving Tom Hanks-Denzel Washington drama Philadelphia (1993). These tracks continue the sonic threads of that song, featuring Springsteen manipulating synths and percussion loops to create a much different atmosphere than his work with The E Street Band or even the group of musicians assembled for 1992’s Human Touch and Lucky Town albums. (“Secret Garden,” a ballad later included on The Boss’ 1995 greatest-hits package, makes an early appearance here.)
“I often read about myself in the 1990s as having some ‘lost period,'” Springsteen discusses in the Tracks II trailer released today. “Not really. I was working the whole time.” Indeed, while the three albums of that decade – Human Touch, Lucky Town and 1995’s The Ghost of Tom Joad – might feel like Springsteen was comparatively resting on his laurels after a breakneck two decades, Tracks II reveals even more roads not taken from that era. Somewhere North of Nashville, one of the set’s albums, dates back to that same mid-’90s period, and offers more versions of Born in the U.S.A. B-sides (“Janey, Don’t You Lose Heart,” “Stand on It”) and even a title track reworked for the underrated country-rock venture Western Stars (2018). Inyo, one of the most intriguing inclusions, was recorded not long afterward during solo acoustic touring for The Ghost of Tom Joad; from its track titles, it seems to have a running lyrical theme of stories in and around the Southwest, from Mexico to the California/Nevada border (where Inyo County is located).
Springsteen kept experimenting with sounds in the 2000s even after often returning to his typical heart-on-sleeve rock sound in the 21st century (even reuniting The E Street Band at the turn of the millennium). The mid-’00s Faithless is described as the soundtrack to an unmade film; three of its 11 songs are instrumentals. Perfect World, the closing album of Tracks II, is a more straightforward rocker, featuring several songs that were co-written with longtime friend Joe Grushecky, bandleader of Pittsburgh’s Iron City Houserockers. (The closing title track was cut by another pal of Springsteen’s, John Mellencamp, on 2023’s Orpheus Descending.) The set also offers Twilight Hours, a companion piece from the sessions that produced Western Stars, retaining that album’s blend of country and string-augmented pop/rock. (The album features an alternate version of one of the more unusual songs from Bruce’s vault: he initially cut “I’ll Stand by You” after reading the Harry Potter books, allegedly offering the song to the producers of the film series; it later played over the closing credit to Blinded by the Light, the 2019 drama based on writer Sarfraz Manzoor’s memoir of growing up with Springsteen’s music as a Pakistani-born Brit at the height of Thatcherism in the mid-’80s.
Tracks II is out June 27 and can be pre-ordered below alongside the Lost and Found compilation. (A note to our readers: we cannot and will not attempt to explain the eye-watering price of the big sets.) Check out those pre-order links and track lists below. (As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.)
Tracks II: The Lost Albums 1983-2018 (Columbia/Legacy, 2025)
7CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
9LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
Lost and Found: Selections from the Lost Albums (Columbia/Legacy, 2025)
1CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
All versions of tracks previously unreleased. + included on Lost and Found: Selections from the Lost Albums
CD 1/LP 1-2: L.A. Garage Sessions ’83
- Follow That Dream +
- Don’t Back Down on Our Love
- Little Girl Like You
- Johnny Bye Bye
- Sugarland
- Seven Tears +
- Fugitive’s Dream
- Black Mountain Ballad
- Jim Deer
- County Fair
- My Hometown
- One Love
- Don’t Back Down
- Richfield Whistle
- The Klansman
- Unsatisfied Heart +
- Shut Out the Light
- Fugitive’s Dream (Ballad)
Version of Track 4 released on “I’m on Fire” single – Columbia, 1985
Version of Track 10 released on The Essential Bruce Springsteen (Limited Edition) – Columbia, 2003
Version of Track 11 released on Born in the U.S.A. – Columbia, 1984
Version of Track 17 released on “Born in the U.S.A.” single – Columbia, 1984
CD 2/LP 3: Streets of Philadelphia Sessions
- Blind Spot +
- Maybe I Don’t Know You
- Something in the Well +
- Waiting on the End of the World +
- The Little Things
- We Fell Down
- One Beautiful Morning
- Between Heaven and Earth
- Secret Garden
- The Farewell Party
Version of Track 9 released on Greatest Hits – Columbia, 1995
CD 3/LP 4: Faithless
- The Desert (Instrumental)
- Where You Goin’, Where You From
- Faithless +
- All God’s Children
- A Prayer by the River (Instrumental)
- God Sent You +
- Goin’ to California
- The Western Sea (Instrumental)
- My Master’s Hand
- Let Me Ride
- My Master’s Hand (Theme)
CD 4/LP 5: Somewhere North of Nashville
- Repo Man +
- Tiger Rose
- Poor Side of Town
- Delivery Man
- Under a Big Sky
- Detail Man +
- Silver Mountain
- Janey Don’t You Lose Heart
- You’re Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone +
- Stand on It
- Blue Highway
- Somewhere North of Nashville
Version of Track 8 released on “I’m Goin’ Down” single – Columbia, 1985
Version of Track 10 released on “Glory Days” single – Columbia, 1985
Version of Track 12 released on Western Stars – Columbia, 2019
CD 5/LP 6: Inyo
- Inyo +
- Indian Town
- Adelita +
- The Aztec Dance
- The Lost Charro +
- Our Lady of Monroe
- El Jardinero (Upon the Death of Ramona)
- One False Move
- Ciudad Juarez
- When I Build My Beautiful House
CD 6/LP 7-8: Twilight Hours
- Sunday Love +
- Late in the Evening
- Two of Us
- Lonely Town
- September Kisses
- Twilight Hours
- I’ll Stand by You
- High Sierra +
- Sunliner +
- Another You
- Dinner At Eight
- Follow the Sun
Version of Track 7 released on Blinded by the Light (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) – Columbia/Legacy, 2019
CD 7/LP 9: Perfect World
- I’m Not Sleeping +
- Idiot’s Delight
- Another Thin Line
- The Great Depression
- Blind Man
- Rain in the River +
- If I Could Only Be Your Lover
- Cutting Knife
- You Lifted Me Up +
- Perfect World
Version of Tracks 1-2 released by Joe Grushecky & The Houserockers on Coming Home – Viceroy Music, 1997
Version of Track 3 released by Joe Grushecky & The Houserockers on East Carson Street – Schoolhouse, 2009
Version of Track 10 released by John Mellencamp on Orpheus Descending – Republic, 2023
You Might Also Like
29 thoughts on “Shut Out the Light: Bruce Springsteen Offers Seven Unheard Albums on ‘Tracks II’”
Leave a Comment
Between the ticket prices and the prices of these sets, “the man of the people” is getting a bit gouge-y!
I would change your work gougey to GREEDY. All that rollin’ up his sleeves , just goin’ to work, carrying his lunch box was a facade. I hope Tracks II sinks to the bottom of the charts.
I’d be happy to read the liner notes in the included book, but I’m even happier that I finally made the jump to streaming and can save myself $300.
What a money grab. No thanks.
What a money grab. No thanks.
I have gone from being a diehard Bruce fan, ( including crying and being a little weak in the knees when I met him at a book event) to being beyond disappointed in his ridiculous ticket prices which began with the Broadway show.
The price for this set is shocking, even for Bruce.
No thanks, Mr. Springsteen.
And Forbes recently classified him as a billionaire.
$300 for 7 cds !!!!!!!! this set is not for the casual fan. $600 for 60 cds of the dead . he sold his catalog so who get the $
Holy smoke! $42.00 per (CD) disc? How much more money does The Boss need?
This is a totally ridiculous price point. No thank you, boss!
I want it but I’m gonna see if the price drops.
I will get the single cd version.
Let’s see…$16 for a 20-song CD of highlights vs. $300 for 83 songs spread over 7 discs, plus an overpriced book and unnecessary packaging. I’m not an economics wizard, but this diehard Springsteen fan knows how NOT to be ripped off. Way to go, Bruce.
I’ll play the waiting game.
The people who think that Bruce Springsteen sets the prices for CDs are utterly clueless. Boycott it all you want but to blame him is beyond stupid.
Bruce has all the power in the world to say “No, you are not charging $40 per disc.” He kept concert tix prices reasonable for decades, but gave the go ahead for the super high prices of the last tour. What we don’t know is what the cost is in putting together a huge set like this and how many they will actually sell. Which might not actually be that many. Either way Bruce is doing just fine.
No he doesn’t have the power. He sold his catalog to Sony.
Bruce Springsteen is still Bruce Springsteen. Yes he still has a huge say in whatever he wants to. He put this set together, not Sony.
Well, it’s not clear to me that these recordings are part of that deal. He sold his recorded works and his music publishing to Sony. Usually that is limited to released works. It sure is possible that deal included his vault works as well, but I wouldn’t assume that. The other commenters are right in any event. He also works with Sony on new output. I am certain that the recommended this price point and I am equally certain he signed off on it, just like he did with respect to dynamic ticket pricing. I agree with the posters suggesting this is designed to push folks to vinyl and that the cd process will ultimately come down. But if not, who cares. At most, there will be a handful of decent tracks with most it rubbish just like Tracks 1. There won’t be one essential song in the collection.
As with Dylan, I would believe that Springsteen has approval rights over releases
Judging from all the comments from loyal fans on various forums, I fear this may backfire on The Boss.
I’d have been way more excited about earlier/more E-Street vault stuff. This is too ‘90s-today oriented for me, not to mention the price.
That price is absolutely ridiculous. Gosh, are the tariffs already i place (good excuse which we’ll likely here on every new piece of merchandise going forward). I was so excited about this set but no more. I’m not even going to think about buying it.
If anybody is interested, CDJapan has it with the DHL shipping about $250.00.
Their planned SHM-CD versions were apparently cancelled; I received notification yesterday from CDJapan that they would be selling only standard CD versions sets imported into Japan.
Yeah, I got that notice also. Really crappy i5 was announced a week before the release.
And just got another notice of a delay from June 27 to July 2.
I would say a lot of us veteran fans of a certain age, the target audience, all think it’s a total rip-off and should be filed under “dynamic ticket pricing” as an example of sheer greed.
And let’s not forget all this stuff wasn’t deemed fit for release back in the day and now they want top dollar for it.
I’m very suspicious about these bunches of songs being finished albums they left on the shelf. It might be a case of Bruce conveniently rewriting history after the fact.
Certainly the 18 songs in the Hollywood Hills 83 “album” are a case in point. In 83, that would have had to be a double vinyl album. CD had yet to take over. It’s very unlikely that a double album of mostly solo recordings would have been considered so soon after Nebraska, even though we know he was heading that way for a long time before Landau twisted his arm to revisit the material that became BITUSA.
Although I always do my best to support artists, and buy physical releases, and hope to keep the cd format alive. But anything unusually high priced releases? This is one of the rare cases where I condone obtaining the material by any means necessary. I could care less about books. I have over 100 music artist books, and know all I need about my favorite artists.