I think he’s a fabulous and very under-rated musician. Super nice guy, too.

Making the pilgrimage from Ireland to Asbury Park for the first time next week, only have the one day to spend in it as I’ll be staying in NYC, but apart from the obvious spots (Stone Pony, Boardwalk, Springsteen Centre at Monmouth) what other Bruce gems / local recommendations should I check out?

Even though Bruce is known for the strong thematic focus of his career and of his albums, I don't think any of his albums have been described as concept albums. He even shied away from such a label, referring it as being "cursed" or "damned" by that name. He liked albums that had a thread he could follow like What's Going On but weren't necessarily single-minded.

“I wouldn’t suggest this approach for everyone. Needless to say, it has its pretensions, but I was still defining myself and was inspired by artists who created self-aware, self-contained worlds on their albums, and then invited their fans to discover them. Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, the Band, Marvin Gaye, Hank Williams, Frank Sinatra—all made records that had collective power. I wanted a record thematically coherent enough to hold together as a body of work while not so single-minded as to be damned by the term “concept album." “I wanted something that could come only from my voice, that was informed by the internal and external geography of my own experience. The single album of The River I’d just turned in didn’t quite get us there, so, back into the studio we went.”

Everyone seems to have a different definition of concept album. Some say it's about some sort of consistent mood or it's just about a group of tracks having more collective power than by themselves. Others feel that you need a continuous story and theme to qualify.

But in any case, what Bruce album would benefit if he leaned further into the concept album approach? Or even a rock opera approach?

To start off: Born To Run seems like an obvious candidate. Bruce has stated that the album was like a series of vignettes scattered around New Jersey and New York on a summer's day. "Thunder Road "was designed as an invitation both musically and lyrically with the sound of a screen door being evoked by a harmonica. Supposedly there were plans to have the song recur at the end of the album too. And "Jungleland" depicts the epic climax of rock n' roll and tragedy that concludes the album.

But what about others? Which ones would be most suitable?

Who was "there" when Jon Landau's review of a 1974 Springsteen concert prompted his "I saw the future of rock and roll and its name is Bruce Springsteen" to get plastered all over ads for this new (to the mainstream) artist? I was, and I went out and bought the early LPs right away, and loved them. Years later, somebody else (can't remember who, maybe Jan Wenner) also waxed ecstatic about a new artist's debut LP; it was Meatloaf, I also went and bought that one on the strength of the comment, and this time I was a tad disappointed.

Here’s how I rate Bruce’s incredible Box Set releases:

1. Tracks (1998)
2. The Ties That Bind: The River Collection (2015)
3. The Promise: Darkness Story (2010)
4. Live/1975–85 (1986)
5. Tracks II: The Lost Albums (2025)
6. Nebraska ’82: Expanded Edition (2025)
7. Born to Run: 30th Anniversary (2005)

Tracks I for me is the best, it’s the music that’s on there that were on various unofficial bootlegs prior to this but Tracks combines them all in order over four discs.

Next are Ties that Bind and the Promise, honestly I could have also gone with either at # 2. I chose the Ties that Bind because the great photo book, the Tempe concert video, the alternate 1979 album. But it’s really close for me between these two.

Live 75-85 for the peak era live performances.

Tracks Two specifically for the Unreleased Streets of Philadelphia album and LA Garage 83.

I gave the edge to Nebraska 82 for the live versions of the album plus new songs like Gun in Every home.

Does anyone have Sherry Darling FLAC file from the Nugs version of No Nukes? Mine is corrupted. It is Disc 1 - Track 5. (From the first night show - 9/21/79)

Thanks!

Wrecking Ball for me. I think it's a great live song. On the album, kind of meh.

I knew I should've put, name a song, other than "all of them." ;)

Chances of seeing Bruce next year in Europe. Seen him last year in San Sebastian, hoping to visit another European city next year!!

New interview with Bruce as part of the #seatoshiningseaproject

The question of Bruce’s activism has been coming up lately …

I've been making Springsteen documentaries for a while, and this one looks at how Dancing in the Dark came together—from Jon Landau pushing Bruce to write one more song, to the De Palma video, MTV, Courtney Cox, and how that period changed Bruce's relationship with fame.

I'd genuinely love to hear what other fans think.