All 83 Songs on Bruce Springsteen's Tracks II: The Lost Albums - Ranked

By: Josh Kitchen / June 27, 2025

For over a quarter of a century, the Bruce faithful have held out hope that an epic second set of unreleased songs and outtakes would eventually follow the release of the first outtakes collection Springsteen put out in 1998, the simply titled Tracks. We Tracks 2 truthers have been patient, dutifully gorging on any scrap of information that could mean the long-awaited collection might be coming out.

Over the years, we were indeed spoiled little Bruce boys and girls, with epic collections that accompanied The Darkness on the Edge of Town and The River anniversary box sets. We were given such fine morsels like “Stray Bullet,” a song not even the most diehard Bruce obsessive had heard of, on The River set; and the legendary ’78 version of “Racing in the Street” on the Darkness set, complete with a violin intro and alternate lyrics.

On The Essential Springsteen collection released in 2003, we got a live recording of “Trapped,” a concert-staple cover of the Jimmy Cliff song he still plays to this day, and the rare beauty “None But the Brave.” On the Chapter and Verse disc that accompanied his autobiography, we got songs like “Henry Boy” and “He's Guilty” from the earliest days of his career.

We now call this "Tracks 1," much like how WWI only got its name after WWII began.

But we Bruce freaks wanted more. We craved it and needed it. Our precious would be this Tracks 2 box set—like emaciated E Street Gollums paddling around dark and cavernous online Bruce message-board passageways, searching for anything to help us feed.

Then the interviews with Bruce and manager Jon Landau started coming out after these box sets: We want to do a big set of unreleased material. Would it be Electric Nebraska? Would we get “Protection,” the great 80's pop gem he gave to Donna Summer?

Finally, there started to be real smoke to the proverbial fire. Last year, a rumor started that the Tracks 2 set would be coming soon and that it would make up not only lost outtakes and material, but would be several discs of full albums. At one point, the rumor was nine. (Nine lost albums to rule them all, perhaps?)

Then, earlier this year, the rumors spiraled out of control—and indeed, the announcement of a Tracks 2 box set took place in April, confirming that it would be seven discs of unreleased, fully realized albums formally titled, Tracks II: The Lost Albums.

Fans lost their minds. We were like hogs to the trough, ready to “get birth naked and bury our old souls and dance on the graves” of the naysayers, to quote Long Time Comin’ by Bruce. Tracks II was coming, and over the course of two months Bruce Inc. would release a single from each disc, whetting our appetites and getting us more and more excited.

Well, my friends, I am here to tell you that the rumors were true—and not only is this the best set of unreleased material he’s ever put out, some of the records on Tracks II stand among his very best. From Inyo—a sparse, sorrowful, and politically charged suite of borderland ballads and desert elegies—to Faithless, a soundtrack to a spiritual western film that never was, the rockabilly adventures found on Somehwere North of Nashville, to the Streets of Philadelphia Sessions—a deeply atmospheric, drum-loop-laced set of heartbreak songs that feels like the spiritual sequel to Tunnel of Love—these albums are not just leftovers. They are full, vivid portraits of Bruce in motion. In Sam Sodomsky's excellent Pitchfork review of Tracks II, he quotes Bruce talking about what makes his outtake endeavors unique from his contemporaries like Dylan or Neil Young, “I always picture it as a car,” he explained of his body of work—and what else. “All your selves are in it. And a new self can get in, but the old selves can’t ever get out. The important thing is, who’s got their hands on the wheel at any given moment?”

Tracks II has a Klansman (stay with me on that one), a repo man, several fugitives, a lost charro, a ghost in the well, and a preacher begging for a ride to salvation.

The set exceeds my every expectation of what it could be. And even so, I am a greedy fan and want more. Luckily, Bruce has already confirmed there is a Tracks III coming. Maybe then we might get songs like “Preacher’s Daughter” from the Darkness era, "Protection," or the haunting multi-layered experiment that is “Chevrolet Deluxe." For now though, there is so much to sit with and take in on Tracks II: The Lost Albums. For a set as mammoth in size as this, I felt the only thing I could do in return was to rank every one of the 83 songs on the collection. complete with a write-up for every one. It was not easy, and there are wonderful tracks on each of these discs, but here are my rankings, the top ten here representing some of the very best work Bruce has ever released. So settle in, put on our precioussssss Tracks II, and enjoy this list.

The merchandise

1. Fugitive's Dream, LA Garage Sessions '83

   
   

“Sir, I am a pilgrim and a stranger in this land. Once I had a home here and my salvation was at hand.” So begins “Fugitive’s Dream,” the titular track and undeniable standout of the Tracks II box set, pulled from the LA Garage Sessions '83 disc that opens the entire release. As the title suggests, these songs were recorded in Los Angeles in 1983—a year that bridges two of Springsteen’s most monumental records: Nebraska and Born in the U.S.A. Many of the songs on Born in the U.S.A. evolved from material Bruce originally wrote for Nebraska, but a number of tracks were left behind—songs that didn’t quite fit the stark solitude of Nebraska or the stadium-sized defiance of Born in the U.S.A. “Fugitive’s Dream” is one of those outliers. But had it made it onto either record, it would no doubt be considered a career highlight and a fixture on every definitive hits collection he’s ever released. The narrator is a classic Springsteen figure: a man who’s transgressed—whether through criminal acts or moral failings—and is now trying to build a life in the wreckage.

Photo: Frank Stefanko

That fragile peace is shattered when a stranger appears, threatening to expose his secrets and unravel the world he’s tried to rebuild. “I allowed him into my home / His vow our secret would never see the light.” From there, things spiral—the past rushes in, and with it, paranoia, regret, and loss. “I thought I could hold on to the vows I tried to keep / Day after day I felt myself go weak.” Anyone familiar with where Springsteen was emotionally at the time can hear the weight in this song. In the early ’80s, Bruce was battling intense depression tied to his upbringing, his fraught relationship with his father, and the looming pressures of fame. He was, by many accounts, on the edge—and this song feels like it. (We will see these personal struggles up on the big screen in October in the upcoming biopic starring Jeremy Allen White.)

Photo: Frank Stefanko

Musically, “Fugitive’s Dream” rides a hypnotic, nervous guitar riff—like a more aggressive cousin to Nebraska’s “State Trooper.” A tense synth solo slices through the middle of the track, and the whole thing pulses forward with a sense of urgency and dread.

But what exactly is the fugitive running from? The law? God? Or something even more intimate? Longtime fans familiar with early versions of the track will recognize an alternate lyric that casts the narrative in a new light: “One night I rose from a dreamless sleep and I went to his bed / I watched as he lay sleeping / I reached out and touched his cheek… I tried to understand why I felt these things that I felt.” These lines hint at a repressed love—a same-sex connection the narrator can’t understand or express. The emotional intimacy, confusion, and shame woven into that moment add a layer of queerness that reframes the entire song. It's not just about fear of being exposed—it's about the pain of denying one’s truest self. Springsteen never clarifies. He lets the ambiguity linger. And that’s part of what gives “Fugitive’s Dream” its haunting power—it resists closure. It demands to be returned to, re-read, re-felt. Interestingly, the lyrics resurface later in the box set in two other tracks: the more buoyant “Unsatisfied Heart” and a stripped-down piano ballad version that closes the disc. The former could be read as a more hopeful reimagining, while the latter strips the song of its teeth. Neither, however, hits as hard as this version. “Fugitive’s Dream” is a brilliant glimpse into Bruce’s fragile psyche during one of the most creatively fertile and emotionally exposed periods of his career. A true lost classic—finally brought to light.

2. Ciudad Juarez, Inyo

   
   

The most ambitious collection of songs on Tracks II is undoubtedly Inyo. Recorded between somewhere in the 90's and finished a decade ago, and named after Inyo County in the eastern part of of California, this suite finds Springsteen expanding on the storytelling terrain he first explored on The Ghost of Tom Joad—stories of Mexican immigrants, border towns, Native Americans, drug cartels, and the prices we pay in pursuit of a better life for ourselves and our children.

It's a collection steeped in sorrow, empathy, and politics, and it stands among the most thematically unified of his archival releases. The most heartbreaking song in this set—and arguably one of Springsteen’s finest—is "Ciudad Juarez." The narrator is a father who moves to Juarez in northern Mexico with his daughter in search of work. But she vanishes, never to be seen again. “She vanished into the streets / of the city of death / the city of my lost heart / Ciudad Juarez.” Juarez has long been plagued by cartel violence; between 1993 and 2011, over 500 women were trafficked and murdered there. Springsteen paints a harrowing picture of the region's brutal ecosystem: “The drugs flow north / across the river / the guns flow south / the blood flows here from the devil’s mouth.” There’s a quiet rage beneath Bruce’s mournful delivery—an indictment of a system in which the cartels could not operate without the guns and ammunition manufactured and trafficked from the United States. The song’s stark, sorrowful atmosphere is punctuated by a haunting trumpet solo from E Street Horn member Curt Ramm, which floats above the mournful instrumentation like a funeral hymn. “I have my bullets / of our blood and name / my blood / I carry your picture / here at my breast / picture of my lost soul / Ciudad Juarez.” It’s a devastating portrait of loss, grief, and helplessness—and one of the most politically pointed songs Springsteen has ever recorded. If Springsteen had released Inyo as a stand alone, I have no doubt it would have been a critical darling - ranking among his best work.

3. Something In The Well, Streets of Philadelphia Sessions

   
   

The first four tracks on the Streets of Philadelphia Sessions disc are the strongest consecutive run in the entire box set. The third track, 'Something in the Well," opens with an uneasy synth and a chilling violin trill. The narrator wakes up sensing that something is wrong—and spends the next four and a half minutes warning that something is waiting in the proverbial well, something that should never be released. A thread of caution runs through several of the songs on this collection, perhaps offering a clue as to why Bruce chose not to release them at the time. The Lucky Town and Human Touch albums leaned into more hopeful, redemptive themes. These tracks, by contrast, are shadowed by fear, dread, and emotional fragility. But thank God Bruce finally decided it was time to share them. "Something in the Well" feels like a haunting midpoint between The Ghost of Tom Joad and "Down in the Hole," a Rising outtake later released on High Hopes. The violin here is eerie, expressive, and vital. The song never lets up. It ends just as it began: tense, despairing, and full of fear. But it’s the kind of song that makes you want to be scared. It lingers with you, like whatever’s still waiting down in the well.

4. Blind Spot, Streets of Philadelphia Sessions

   
   

Springsteen with his Oscar for Best Original Song for "Streets of Philadelphia"

For years, Springsteen fans had heard rumors that Bruce recorded a “hip hop/drum loop” relationship album in the early ’90s, around the time he cut Streets of Philadelphia. With the release of Tracks II, we finally get to hear that elusive project—and while it leans more into atmospheric drum loops than straight-up hip hop, the vibe is undeniably fresh for Springsteen.

“Blind Spot” was our first glimpse into this long-shelved collection, and it remains the most hip hop-adjacent track in the bunch. Built on a hypnotic beat and a looped sample of a man grunting—reportedly recorded at Venice Beach—it might sound strange on paper, but it works. The result is one of the most infectious and rhythmically engaging tracks Bruce has ever released. Lyrically, it taps into one of the core themes of the Streets of Philadelphia Sessions: the fragile terrain of human relationships—how mistrust, emotional blind spots, and personal failings can quietly corrode love. These themes, deeply introspective and emotionally raw, are part of the reason Bruce shelved the record back then. Coming off Tunnel of Love, he reportedly felt his audience needed a breather from his more vulnerable, relationship-focused material—and sonically, the project was a big departure from anything he’d done before.

Blind Spot proves the risk was worth it. Bruce’s vocals are a standout—cool, wounded, and intimate. It’s a track that reveals another layer of his artistry, one we only now get to fully appreciate.

5. The Lost Charro, Inyo

A couple of the tracks on Inyo feature a supremely talented group of mariachi musicians, and “The Lost Charro” is the finest one. I remember over a decade ago, sitting in the UCSB rec center, when Bruce's producer Ron Aniello posted a short clip of Bruce and Patti playing with mariachi musicians, captioned, “The Lost Charro.” That brief glimpse sparked the imagination of Springsteen diehards—but the clip was quickly deleted, and the project seemed to vanish - until now! The track was indeed called “The Lost Charro,” and it’s a tenderly sung ballad, with Bruce going full mariachi—his voice even reaching falsetto, blending with the horns and guitar.

The song was co-written by Kathleen Mullen Sands, author of Charrería Mexicana: An Equestrian Folk Tradition, bringing depth and authenticity to the piece. "The Lost Charro" centers on the beauty of tradition and the love found within it, “The traditions of the charro are the same eternally / No matter how much the horse changes / No matter how much the horseman may walk.” The track is a massive creative swing for Springsteen—and he knocks it out of the park. I can’t help but think of Linda Ronstadt’s sublime mariachi albums when I hear it, and in another world can imagine her recording a beautiful version herself.

6. Delivery Man, Somewhere North of Nashville

   
   

Not all the great songs on this box set are as serious as you might think from this write-up so far. On Somewhere North of Nashville, Bruce decides to have a good time. Recorded around the same time as The Ghost of Tom Joad, the tracks on this record are much more lighthearted than those found on Joad—featuring a full band of honky-tonk players, slide guitars, rockabilly solos, classic Springsteen harmonica, and clear Chuck Berry influence. The best song from this collection, in this author’s opinion, is the irreverent poultry horror story—“Delivery Man.” ("Atlantic City" does not count as a poultry horror story, but you could make the argument.) One in a trio of "Man" songs on the record along with "Repo Man" and "Detail Man," the premise to "Delivery Man" is simple: a delivery truck driver transporting a bed of live chickens hits an overpass and suffers a catastrophic accident, the truck bed exploding and the hens meeting a gruesome, chaotic end. “Pens busting on the blacktop, chickens scattering all about / Running hellbent 'cross the highway, getting turned inside out.” It’s sort of hilarious how Bruce leans into the carnage, taking clear pleasure in the chickens’ fiery deaths—using them as yet another allegory for the classic Springsteen everyman, stuck in a life he never dreamed of living. “We was chasing some survivors 'cross the parking lot / Well I stood up and checked our situation at hand / Lord don’t let me spend my life as a delivery man.” “Delivery Man” is the most fun you’ll have on the record. While it was originally recorded in 1983 (during the sessions that make up Disc 1), the version here is elevated in full rock and roll style—a raucous cluck of a good time.

7. Maybe I Don't Know You, Streets of Philadelphia Sessions

   
   

Photo by: Neal Preston

A dark drum loop kicks off "Maybe I Don’t Know You," joined by ominous, distrustful synths that signal storm clouds ahead. This is a song about the chasms that can erupt between two people in a relationship—paranoid, tense, and emotionally raw. Built on a signature '90s-era Springsteen guitar riff, the track hums along with swirling loops and synths, evoking a sense of quiet dread. Sonically, it bears a striking resemblance to "Nothing Man" from The Rising, which was originally written around the same time. The refrain of “ahhhhhh” that precedes the chorus of "Maybe I Don’t Know You" mirrors the haunting “ahhhhhh, I am the nothing man” from the later track. It's hard not to hear one evolving from the other. After questioning his partner’s taste in music, their clothes, and the growing emotional distance, the protagonist finally confesses: “You came to me for understanding and tenderness, but instead I met you with indifference, and I can’t explain.” The narrator is clearly still scarred by a past relationship, projecting old pain onto something new. It’s a shame this song sat in the vault for 30 years. It ranks among his darkest—and most affecting—works.

8. The Klansman, LA Garage Sessions '83

I am as shocked as you are that there is a song on this set called “The Klansman,” let alone that it’s in my top 10. This song has been circulating in bootlegs for years, and it's one many fans—myself included—never thought would see the light of day. If Born in the U.S.A. gets misinterpreted and continues to be misunderstood, imagine what the world might have thought of a song called “The Klansman” accompanying the rest of the tracks on his biggest-selling record. But obviously, the song is an indictment of racism and the way it has always been prevalent in American history and culture. The titular Klansman is a man raising young boys, and the youngest son discovers he’s in the Ku Klux Klan: “I was ten years old when my Pa said / Son, some day you will see / When you grow to wear the robes / Like your brother and me.” The song ends without a resolution for the boy. Will he defy his father and brother and walk away from the white supremacy that controls his family? We never know—and it's that unknowing that makes “The Klansman” an important cautionary tale in Bruce’s catalogue: “When the war between the races / Leaves us in a fiery dream / It’ll be a Klansman / Who will wipe this country clean / This, son, is my dream.” It’s another song about the original sins of the father, and about how our fate is in our own hands—only we can break free from “those chains that bind me,” to quote the man himself.

9. Where You Going, Where You From, Faithless

The Faithless album is one of Tracks II’s best surprises. When I first heard about these gospel-tinged songs—originally written for a film of the same name that never came to fruition—it was probably the disc I was least excited for. But it exceeded my expectations by a mile. Just over half an hour long, Faithless features seven original songs and four instrumental tracks. The soundscape throughout is richly textured, clearly crafted with cinematic storytelling in mind. My favorite of these is a quiet, moving track called “Where You Going, Where You From,” which features Bruce’s delicate vocal accompanied by twangy guitar and lovely backing harmonies—including contributions from his kids, who were still young at the time. The minute-long instrumental outro of the song flows seamlessly into the next track, reflecting the album’s cohesive, spiritual atmosphere.

10. Waiting On The End Of The WoRld, Streets of Philadelphia Sessions

It's unbelievable that this song was not released until now. It's been easy to find as a bootleg for a long time, but it's never been as good as it sounds here. "Waiting on the End of the World" feels like a perfect summation of the music found on Tunnel of Love, Human Touch, Lucky Town, and now the rest of the songs here on the Streets of Philadelphia Sessions. It's peak Bruce, a hopeful sounding Bruce anthem about the price we pay for love.

Bruce's songwriting here is sublime, with lyrics among his best, "Will you meet me in the halls/Where light scatters and darkness falls/Here in this feast of friends/To break and we begin again." It's beautiful stuff, and if it was released in 1995, there is no doubt it would have become a concert staple and beloved fan favorite. There's no time like the present.

11. Unsatisfied Heart, LA Garage Sessions, '83

This has been a favorite Bruce song of mine for quite some time - like other songs on the LA Garage disc, "Unsatisfied Heart" has been available as a bootleg for years. It's hard to see why this one went without an official release for so long, it's perfectly Brucey - a riff that feels like it grew into "Downbound Train" from Born in the USA and lyrics about a man's checkered past. (that are the same lyrics from "Fugitive's Dream") Perhaps Bruce found it too alike to songs like that and on the shelf it sat. "Unsatisfied Heart" has built a cult following, however. Bruce die-hard's The War on Drugs actually covered the song in 2018. It's a song that they could have easily put on one of their own records, sort of informing so much of the Bruce faithful musicians who would come after him. This version is filled in with a great backing band, drums, guitar, and the rest. It's an outstanding could have been single - one can only hope Bruce adds it to his live set.

12. Idiot's Delight, Perfect World

“Idiot’s Delight” is the best song on the final disc in Tracks II, Perfect World. Bruce has said that this is the one disc that is sort of a cheat—it was never meant to be a complete album, and it’s simply a collection of songs left over from the past 25 years or so. The record feels that way, and I find it to be one of the less interesting sets of songs here, but the best track is this three-and-a-half-minute slinky stomp of a song. Written with long-time friend and collaborator, Pittsburgh's Joe Grushecky, it opens with pretty funny lyrics describing a man who meets St. Peter at the pearly gates: “I met up with St. Peter / He was working at the pearly gates / He said I can't let you in now, son / You're going to have to wait / So just sit back and take it easy / And kick off both your shoes / And grab yourself a beer / While I watch the evening news.” The song is sort of pointless, but it’s fun as hell, and features killer harmonica playing from Bruce. It would be a total blast in concert. “Idiot’s Delight” is proof that a song doesn’t have to be a heady allegorical tale to be considered a Bruce classic—sometimes all you need is blistering guitar, thundering drums, and Bruce singing about all that’s unfair and holy in this perfect world we live in.

Springsteen at the Stone Pony January 8, 1983 Photo by: Billy Smith

13.Inyo, Inyo

A gentle folk ballad that opens the album of the same name. This one is as good as anything on Devils & Dust,"Aint ya feelin' dry now, aint ya feelin dry, now" Bruce sings in refrain in the chorus, a beautiful and gentle track set to just Bruce's guitar and Soozie Tyrell's violin. "Inyo" is a strong and bold album opener, inviting us into an expansive, dry, and desolate western landscape filled with pain, love, family, loss, violence, and the same kind of choices and sacrifices that so many of Bruce's characters have to make.

14.Richfield Whistle, LA Garage Sessions '83

A fantastic song that could have been on Nebraska. It feels like a perfect bridge between that record and Born in the U.S.A. At almost seven minutes it's also sort of a mini epic, and feels could have also been on The River, it's extended outro reminds of "Drive All Night."

15.Silver Mountain, Somewhere North of Nashville

"Silver Mountain" opens with whistling, which usually means the song is a coin flip on whether it's good or not. Luckily, this coin is shiny and new - "Silver Mountain" is an ear-worm of a stomper with excellent singing from Bruce and violin from Soozie Tyrell. It's a great song, you'll find yourself tapping and stamping your feet to this.

Los Soldaderas, Walter H. Horne/Courtesy of The Library of Congress

16. Adelita, Inyo

"Adelita" was the first release from Inyo. A tribute to Las Soldaderas, female soldiers of the Mexican Revolution, "Adelita" is a resplendent ballad drenched in mariachi horns and guitar. This is a song that could have lived comfortably on The Ghost of Tom Joad, its storytelling in line with the great stories on that record, but it's place on Inyo turns it into an authoritative centerpiece, Adelita feels like the hero of the record - this and "The Lost Charro" are exceptional musical experiments that simply work.

17. The Great Depression, Perfect World

Photo by: Danny Clinch

One can listen to "This Depression" from Wrecking Ball, a song about, well, Bruce's depression, and then listen to "The Great Depression" from Perfect World, and understand why this one wasn't released at the same time. "This Depression" is a dark dirge, and "The Great Depression" is simply joyous, it feels like a song at odds with itself, but when I hear it, I hear a man who is fighting through the darkness to get to the light. Musically it sounds a lot like "We Are Alive" from Wrecking Ball, perhaps another reason it was shelved, but it's a moving song, uplifting, melancholic, the kind of thing Bruce is really good at.

18. Rain in the River, Perfect World

"Rain in the River" was the first single released from Tracks II, setting the stage and showing fans they were in store for a lot of exciting surprises. It's a heavy track with not that many lyrics - the few lines here detailing a sort murder ballad - a man takes a woman to a river, and only the man leaves. The song reminds of "Where the Wild Roses Grow," by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, a similar tale of a violent ending for a woman looking for love, fittingly from an album called Murder Ballads. One of the best songs on this disc, it's a short song, but it's a fun one - you can't help but smile when Bruce does the falsetto as an older singer.

Photo by: Danny Clinch

19. Secret Garden, Streets of Philadelphia Sessions

Very similar to the version released for the Jerry Maguire soundtrack, but with more of the hip-hop/drum loop feel on the record. Secret Garden has always been a favorite of mine, and it's nice to see it in its rightful home - even though it is hard to top the version we know - Bruce gets damn close here.

20.The Desert (instrumental), Faithless

The first of four instrumental soundscapes found on Faithless, "The Desert" is the most interesting - quiet and introspective, leaving the listener feeling lost and alone, with tribal instrumentation and percussion. Bruce is great at opening songs that feel like an invitation - think "Thunder Road" or "Badlands." "The Desert" is one of those great mood setters, leading right into "Where You Going, Where You From." I hope he gets to score a film that actually comes out someday.

21. Janey Don't You Lose Heart, Somewhere North of Nashville

Already a complete classic, Bruce turns this Born in the U.S.A. B-Side into a country rock number with singing that's just as sweet as the original. Wonderful lap-steel is heard on this version, and it is a standout on the Nashville disc, with piano taking place of the "no-no-no-no's" on the original, again with fabulous violin playing from Soozie Tyrell - her best on the whole set.

22. My Master's Hand, Faithless

Something I kept thinking about listening to Faithless is that I wish Johnny Cash was around to cover some of these songs. He would have absolutely crushed "My Master's Hand," a song that feels like it would have been at home on one of his American Recordings albums. "I'll be the hammer in my master's hand," Bruce sings over a descending piano, which reminds of Cash's "The Man Comes Around," and then begins some of his best harmonica playing, which is very Devils & Dust.

23. Tiger Rose, Somewhere North of Nashville

    
    

Springsteen and Sonny Burgess performing "Tiger Rose" in 2001

In 1996, E Streeter Garry Tallent asked Bruce if the great Sonny Burgess could cover "Tiger Rose" - Bruce had cut it along with the other songs that make up the Nashville set, and not only did Bruce say yes, but Garry taught Sonny's band the music whole Bruce supplied the lyrics over the phone. They even played it together in 2001. "Tiger Rose" is a short and sweet, perfectly rockabilly tune with great lyrics, "Tiger Rose let me read some prose to you/Just as long as it shows my love any verse will do." It almost sounds like "Fast As You" by Bakersfield legend, Dwight Yoakam.

24. We Fell Down, Streets of Philadelphia Sessions

    
    

Really great drum loops and synth here, reminds me of the best stuff on Tracks 1 Disc 4, which included thematically and musically similar music. The song also reminds me a bit of what David Bowie was doing on Blackstar - with a frenetic wall of distorted synth and effects.

25. Let Me Ride, Faithless

"Let Me Ride" is a contemplative and yearning number that ranks among the best songs Bruce has ever written on spirituality and faith. "I've been a soldier, I remember you, an assassin, my shot was true," the narrator begs his creator, to give him his ticket to ride. Beautiful backing vocals respond to his call. What is the ride? An invitation to heaven? Purgatory? Hell? Death itself? We don't find out, but it's a song about man seeking not forgiveness or absolution, but mercy for the things he's done.

Photo by: Danny Clinch

26. When I Build My Beautiful House, Inyo

A fitting album closer, "When I Build My Beautiful House" features some of Bruce's most tender singing on the entire set. This would have been perfect on a Bruce 90's record, and gives us a bit of hope at the end of a record that details so much pain and strife. Musically it mirrors the opening track, Inyo, creating a wonderful bookend for the record, and the song builds in feeling until it finally breaks - suddenly, showing just how fragile a foundation can be.

27. El Jardinero (Upon The Death of Ramona), Inyo

Ramona has passed on, and in the garden, her father mourns her and prays to and for her, seeing her in the roses and life that grows there, Ramona bringing him comfort and love. This song is quite beautiful, and is a good reminder of the quality of Bruce's songwriting - he let this one sit on a shelf for over 20 years, when it could have been a classic for so many other artists. "Daughter if my sorrow is my sin, with my work here in this garden, we'll both live again." I mean, come on.

28.Sunday Love, Twilight Hours

The first single released from the "Bruce Bacharach" record, Twilight Hours, is also the best track on it. Twilight Hours is a very ambitious project from Bruce, in my opinion, it makes less sense than Western Stars, which was going to be the album Twilight Hours might have been released with. Musically, there is gorgeous stuff here, most the songs sound beautiful, with top notch sounding playing, strings, and Bruce vocally giving it his all. I think most of the songs though are pretty mediocre, a bit too schmaltzy, but "Sunday Love" is not that. It progresses with Bruce doing his best romantic croon, the song reaching its musical peak in the final two minutes, decrying never having his Sunday love, like a classic Sinatra style lost and lonely guy. You can easily picture a New York street, rain falling down at night, the narrator with his hands in his raincoat, searching aimlessly for that sweet Sunday love.

Bruce Springsteen, Sunday Hours

29.All God's Children, Faithless

This song feels like a gospel revival, Bruce putting on his best over the top preacher voice, akin to "Shackled & Drawn" from Wrecking Ball, no doubt this this was recorded around that time. It's a religious stomper with backing vocals that feel like a church call and response, voices singing "Glory Hallelulah" in unision in the chorus. "I'll be ready when the rapture comes," Bruce sings, the voices raising him up. The song takes you to church, but you'll definitely leave sweaty and tired.

30. High Sierra, Twilight Hours

"High Sierra" is making a lot of best of the box lists in reviews for Tracks II. This one should have definitely been on Western Stars instead of Twilight Hours. It builds on the same sort of musical ideas found there, and has probably the best songwriting on the entire disc. It features lyrics that are found on "Fugitive's Dream" and "Unsatisfied Heart" from the LA Garage Sessions disc - ”One day a man cane through town, someone I used to know, reminded me of something I’d done a long time ago." It's also one of the longer tracks on this set, and that's fine by me because it's quite enjoyable.

31. If I Could Only Be Your Lover, Perfect World

This is a pensive rock ballad, lending itself more to an ethereal soundscape and leaning on vibes more than other tracks on this disc. The riff is sort of psychedelic and sounds like part of it could be backwards, sort of like "Rain" by The Beatles? The riff reminds me so much of "Morning Dew" by the Grateful Dead, it's that sort of song - its a chilling sound, and "If I Could Be Your Lover" feels more connected to a song like "The Fuse" from The Rising than most of the other songs on Perfect World. It's a really cool track from Bruce, and it's hard to get this one out of your head.

32. Farewell Party, Streets of Philadelphia Sessions

A poignant album closer, "We all dream of a life somewhere,/untouched by our failures," Bruce sings in a track about the promise of a transfiguration. It's this album's "If I Should Fall Behind" or "My Beautiful Reward," emotionally heavy classics found on Lucky Town. "Farewell Party" rounds out possible Bruce's best album of the 1990s.

33. Sunliner, Twilight Hours

Another song that would have made sense on Western Stars, I like to think it could have been a nice flip side to "Tucson Train." Bruce loves trains folks, and can ya blame him? The song moves along like a speeding train on the California coast, a sweet bass humming along to Bruce's falsetto, more strings drenching the track in Jimmy Webb glory. It's a really good song, and I think makes little sense on this record over Western Stars.

34.A Prayer by the River (instrumental), Faithless

This instrumental interlude features nice banjo playing along with ghostly singing, giving the listener a sense of loss, searching for direction, an introspective meditation on purpose and

place.

35.Follow That Dream, LA Garage Sessions, '83

A luminous lost classic from Bruce finally gets its due. Bruce has been playing this one live since 1981 - he's done it live 51 times according to Brucebase, most recently in 2017. "Follow That Dream" opens the entire set, and it's a perfect opener. The song is a reimagining of the Elvis song of the same name - and here it's more somber, almost like a lullaby, both lamenting and tender. "If your heart is restless from waiting so long/If you're tired and weary and you can't go on/If a distant dream is calling you/Then there's just one thing you can do." It almost feels like it's about the Tracks II box set itself, something that has been like a dream for Bruce fans for over 25 years, finally seeing the light of day.

Bruce Springsteen, Follow That Dream, 1988

36. Sugarland, LA Garage Sessions, '83

Another bootleg fan favorite, "Sugarland" is like simialr tracks that Bruce was writing at the time that did make it on releases or the first Tracks. Frankie, another Born in the USA contender is musiically similar to "Sugarland." About a married couple who own a farm, the prices of grain plummeting from depression, the narrator sits at the Sugarland bar, bemoaning his troubles and his fate. It's classic Bruce. Like "Follow That Dream," he also has played this one live, although far less, only twice in 1984 on the Born in the USA tour.

Photo by: Danny Clinch

37. Poor Side of Town, Somewhere North of Nashville

A funJohnny Rivers cover, and I believe the only cover on the entire set. A highlight from this disc.

38. Faithless, Faithless

The title track of the surprisingly great Faithless album is actually one of my least favorite tracks on it. It's good, but sound stoo much like "Matamoros Banks" from "Devils & Dust "to me. Not to say it's bad by any means, (it's still in my top 40!) but I find the themes Faithless offers better represented in songs like "Where You Going, Where You From," and "My Master's Hand."

39. Indian Town, Inyo

"Indian Town" sounds like a cousin of 'Highway Patrolman" from Nebraska, the narrator and his friend, Billy, trying to survive Indian Town, a vengeful and watchful sheriff in ostrich skin boots ever present in their world. It's stark and pretty, along with opening track Inyo, setting the stage for an album full of stories of similar woe and pain.

Photo by: Danny Clinch

40. The Aztec Dance, Inyo

    
    

Musically this reminds of "Across The Border," from The Ghost of Tom Joad and "The Last Carnival" from Working on a Dream. Features strong guitar playing from Bruce and a really nice synthy atmosphere.

41. Detail Man, Somewhere North of Nashville

"Detail Man" is a swinging and bluesy rockabilly gem that features Bruce singing fast and loose, a bullet mic harmonica following along in the background. It is also the horniest song on the entire set. "I’ll kiss you in places other men ain’t ever heard about," he sings in this rollicking number. What the hell places is he talking about???

Photo by: Danny Clinch

42.One False Move, Inyo

Like others have noted, "One False Move" is not that dissimilar from the classic "Straight Time" from The Ghost of Tom Joad. The narrator even mentions he made his "straight time" on the streets of South Texas, pissing in a cup for the man, doing his best to live on the straight and narrow for his son in El Paso. The song builds with progressive strumming from Bruce and militaristic drumming. "You get your measure in the daylight, for the evening that awaits, one false move is all it takes." Ain't that the truth.

43.Somewhere North of Nashville, Somewhere North of Nashville

Another one of the handful of songs on the set that we already had a released version of. Instead of being what felt like an afterthought on the sublime Western Stars album (among Bruce's shortest songs in his catalogue there, at under two minutes), here, the title cut of Somewhere North of Nashville gets respect it deserves. This version is fully realized, drenched in gorgeous slide-guitar and production with a beautiful piano solo, and is mournful and tender "Somewhere North of Nashville" closes a record that I would imagine will become a fan favorite.

44. Between Heaven and Earth, Streets of Philadelphia Sessions

The synth looms large on this track, beginning this song and never letting up, it's a prime example of the vibes Bruce was going for on this record, and these sounds and instruments don't feel dated now. There are so many pop acts who rely on samples and electronic sounds, the songs on this disc feel ahead of their time, and might be why feel especially prescient. "That's me, layin' there starin' at the ceiling/I've gotten so good at concealing from you," Bruce sings over the beat. It's contemplative and confessional, like so many of these songs. Just really really excellent.

Bruce Springsteen, Repo Man

45. Repo Man, Somewhere North of Nashville

The first single released from the Nashville set, and the album's opener, "Repo Man" gives us a taste of the rockabilly and swinging style that a lot of the great tunes on this record have. Bruce's singing here feels like it may be modern overdubs, but you can tell he's having a damn good time. The song feels fresh, fun, and features some really exciting guitar playing.

46. Black Mountain Ballad, LA Garage Sessions '83

Like so many songs from this era, "Black Mountain Ballad" is another where Bruce wears the depression and anxiety he was feeling at this time on his sleeve. "I wanna weep but the tears won't run/I wanna sleep but the sleep won't come," he sings, and uses more lyrics later found in "Downbound Train." It's sad to think about him having to deal with these feelings at a time when men weren't supposed to be feeling them. Luckily, he got help, and he is who he is today, but the art he made during that period is outstanding, and "Black Mountain Ballad" is another sweet sounding song about what makes him great. It would have worked on The River.

Photo by: David Gahr

47. County Fair, LA Garage Sessions '83

A great song that could have been on Nebraska if it was a more lighthearted record - a song fans have also known for a long time as it was released on the Essential Springsteen bonus disc - but the one we've had for years sounds more like a demo - scratchier with worse quality. This version is cleaned up and crisp.

48. Shut Out The Light, LA Garage Sessions, '83

Another variation on an already released classic. Some slightly different lyrics here, but not much different than the one we already know and love. A great song.

49. Johnny Bye-Bye, LA Garage Sessions, '83

Already a fabulous Born in the U.S.A. B-Side about Elvis passing away, this version has some different lyrics and slightly different feel with some nature sounds I find interesting. Feels more related to "County Fair" on this set, both of those acting as sonic cousins to "Used Cars" from Nebraska.

50. Stand On It, Somewhere North of Nashville

    
    

The Tracks 1 version of "Stand On It" is superior in my opinion, but it's fun to hear Bruce going back and reworking older songs in new ways. There are at least three versions of "Atlantic City," and each one is a classic. This version of "Stand On It" is dirtier, slinkier, and it is fun - but again, can't beat the original.

Springsteen in 1983, by: David Gahr

51. Don’t Back Down, LA Garage Sessions '83

Cool heartland rock vibes, could've been a classic if filled out the way other songs on Born in the USA are.

Photo by: Danny Clinch

52. You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone, Somewhere North of Nashville

    
    

Sadly not a cover of "Cups" from Pitch Perfect, but if you can believe it, this is even better. A piano ballad respite track from the fast and loose tracks found on this disc, it features robust singing from Bruce and really fine piano playing.

53. Two Of Us, Twilight Hours

This one feels more like it could have been on Western Stars than Twilight Hours, starting with a banjo, and more of that Jimmy Webb style production than Burt Bacharach's. Definitely one of the highlights from this disc.

52. Goin' to California, Faithless

A break from the more spiritual songs on Faithless, "Goin' to California' is a nice folk tune that makes you feel like you're joining a group of covered wagon travelers heading west. Excellent strings on this song, more akin to a film score than a song you'd throw on, which is exactly what these songs are supposed to be. The backing vocals are sublime across this entire disc.

53. One Beautiful Morning, Streets of Philadelphia Sessions

    
    

Where a song like "Maybe I Don't Know You" feels inward and dark, "One Beautiful Morning" is bright and reminds me of other songs from this era. Only downside is maybe it reminds a bit too much of "Send me On My Way" by Rusted Root, which had just come out by the time this was written.

56. God Sent You, Faithless

Another song that reminds me musically of "The Last Carnival" from Working on a Dream. It's a dirgey prayer of a song, Bruce singing feels like a plea - "God sent you to me, through his inner light forsake temptation," Bruce sings over a gospel piano line with more of the ghostly background singing found on Faithless. A sweet and haunting tune.

57. Blue Highway, Somewhere North of Nashville

A traveling song where Bruce does his best Elvis Presley impression, singing "Bluuuue" just like the King in "Blue Christmas." It's a solid song placed at the end of the record before the title track closer. Awesome slide guitar on this one.

Photo by: Danny Clinch

58.I'm Not Sleeping, Perfect World

Classic E Street sound here, with Roy Bittan on piano and organ, along with the E Street Horns. Another song co-penned with Joe Grushecky, musically it's a good one, and reminds me of "Leap of Faith" from Lucky Town. This would have worked on High Hopes in place of his cover of "Just Like Fire Would."

59.Under A Big Sky, Somewhere North of Nashville

"Left my home/left my friends/I can't go back again/ don't know why, and I don't know why." Bruce sings in the opening lines of "Under A Big Sky." It's a sorrowful lament of another man down on his luck. It's a classic country trope, and Bruce is good at writing songs like these, I can only imagine how quick a song like this comes to him. It's great.

60. Our Lady of Monroe, Inyo

The one song on Inyo that does not take place in the American West - "Our Lady of Monroe" takes place in Jersey, about a retired Newark cop who "tries to lose some of what he'd seen," and aims to spend the rest of his days in Monroe. The song is a lament about living with your sins and the pain of life, hoping for some kind of respite. It's very Bruce to give one spot on an album about a violent world in the desert to a Jersey guy, but it's a story that feels altogether linked with those on the rest of Inyo.

Photo by: Danny Clinch

61. Blind Man, Perfect World

A bluesy song, with a hypnotic rhythm section and searing organ from Charlie Giordano. Would have worked well on High Hopes.

62. Late In The Evening, Twilight Hours

The strings on this one are the stars in my opinion. "Late In The Evening" is one of those overdramatic crooner songs that makes you feel like it's the end of the world for the person singing. "She's gone, but still I carry on, another drink, another song." It's epic in its scope, but to me, a little overdone.

63. The Little Things, Streets of Philadelphia Sessions

This song features some awkward lyrics, but it is a sweet song - pretty with some instrumentation I haven’t heard on many other Bruce songs. The last half of the song is quite pretty.

64. My Master's Hand (Theme), Faithless

A beautifully rich instrumental version of the even better track with lyrics. On a record like Faithless, the instrumental themes feel just as important as the songs with vocals, this one may have been a recurring major theme in the film that never was.

65. Jim Deer, LA Garage Sessions, '83

An acoustic stomper, with just Bruce, his guitar, and harmonica, it's a track akin to "Johnny 99" from Nebraska about a guy who is in prison, recounting the life he once had. It's not bad, but definitely feels like a throwaway. It has fun lyrics, "I stole from the law/I stole from the poor/I probably stole from you, sir!"

66. One Love, LA Garage Sessions, '83

My main issue with the LA Garage disc, is that some of the songs sound unfinished and more like demos. Where tracks like "County Fair," "Unsatisfied Heart," and "Richfield Whistle" feel fully realized and fleshed out, a song like "One Love" feels half-baked - mediocre compared to the rest of songs of the time. Nice riff though.

67. The Western Sea (instrumental), Faithless

The shortest instrumental here, and the shortest song on the set. It's length does not detract from its beauty, however. I think what makes these instrumental songs so important to the set is just how unique they are to Bruce's ouvre. As a film lover, I think he could easily join Nick Cave as someone who can gorgeously score a film.

68. Seven Tears, LA Garage Sessions '83

Too Buddy Holly-esque for me. "Cindy" from the Ties That Bind set is the best track in this style - glockenspiel and 50's style guitar riffing. A bit mystifying why it's on the sampler disc for this set, other songs being much better representations of the period.

69. Another Thin Line, Perfect World

A track written with Joe Grushecky that Bruce has played live a lot over the years, not a favorite of mine. In the mold of songs like "Code of Silence, "not terrible by any means, but forgettable.

Springsteen with Joe Grushecky

70.My Hometown, LA Garage Sessions, '83

A much poorer version of the hit single that closes Born in the U.S.A., the 1983 "My Hometown" features a more prominent glockenspiel, accompanied by what sounds like a modern Bruce vocal doing his best 1983 Bruce impression, and some alternate lyrics. Tough to beat a huge classic, but it's an interesting early take.

71.Twilight Hours, Twilight Hours

Not the worst title track. I just think this one gets lost in a batch of songs that don't really have much identity, unlike most if not all the other tracks on these discs.

72.Cutting Knife, Perfect World

I could have seen this one making sense on High Hopes. Unusual lyrics on this one, similar musically to other modern Bruce songs, but uses the knife metaphor a little too liberally - not altogether bad, but not a song I see myself revisiting often.

73. September Kisses, Twilight Hours

Reminds of a Roy Orbison song like "Blue Bayou," or "In Dreams," building slowly over the course of the track. Good guitar and wall of sound drumming here. I think it just gets too over the top Bruce crooner for me. I also hate the title.

74. Don’t Back Down On Our Love, LA Garage Sessions, '83

There is a version of this that is slower and resembles the chord structure of better songs on the 83 disc like Unsatisfied Heart and Fugitive's Dream. Like this version, that one has also been circulating in bootlegs for years. I've always preferred that version to this more frantic and repetitive sounding one, but I get why he didn't want to include another song that sounded so similar to the other tracks here.

Photo by: Danny Clinch

75. Perfect World, Perfect World

This song actually was covered by John Mellencamp and released by him in 2023 on his Orpheus Descending album. It pains me to say it, but his version is better! Bruce's is fine, it's more quiet and calm, and works as a closer to this record of the same name, but Mellencamp's feels more lived in. The songwriting is good here though, and it's very Bruce that even in his own perfect world, it can only be a "nearly" perfect world.

76. Little Girl Like You, LA Garage Sessions, '83

    
    

Again, I'm not really a fan of these Buddy Holly lite tracks from Bruce, which this is. "Little Girl Like You" is a sweet and frantic track, but nothing special.

77. Another You, Twilight Hours

A nice enough song, it gets lost in the sea of Bruce Bacharach tracks on this disc. Like all songs here though, Bruce's singing is top notch.

78. Lonely Town, Twilight Hours

I cannot get "Everything I Own" by Bread out of my head when I listen to this song. I hope I didn't just ruin it for you.

79. Fugitive’s Dream (Ballad), LA Garage Sessions, '83

As I mentioned earlier, this is a less exciting and more plodding version of the very best song on this entire set.

I stole this graphic from Vice

80. I’ll Stand By You, Twilight Hours

    
    

The famous Harry Potter song. Bruce wrote this for the first Harry Potter film, but was rejected by J.K. Rowling because she did not want modern music in the films. (This was reversed in the seventh film when "O Children" by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds was used in a scene - J.K. Rowling - flip-flopper?? Say it ain't so.) The song finally found release on the soundtrack for the charming Gurinder Chadha film, Blinded By The Light. It's a cheesy song that actually does reference magical creatures found in Harry Potter - "Here, the ghosts and the goblins/Can rise from your dreams to steal your heart away." These are very silly lyrics, and the song really has no place on the Twilight Hours disc, not fitting musically or thematically.

81. Follow The Sun, Twilight Hours

    
    

The bossa nova inspired closer of the Twilight Hours disc, "Follow The Sun" is another attempt in this style from Bruce, where he finds much more satisfying results in the track "The Wayfarer" from Western Stars.

82. You Lifted Me Up, Perfect World

    
    

For some reason, this song is included on the single disc sampler for Tracks II: Lost & Found. I find it cringey and overdone - akin to some of the worst modern era Bruce tracks that ended up on High Hopes like "This Is Your Sword" or "Frankie Fell In Love."

83. Dinner At Eight, Twilight Hours

The unfortunate truth of ranking an 83 song set of songs by Bruce Springsteen is that one track has to be last. Even if the set itself is outstanding, some sad song has to take that spot. I cannot say that I'm surprised that a song called "Dinner At Eight" gets this honor, but here it lives. When the track listing for this set came out I hage to admit I did scoff at some of the song titles on Twilight Hours. "Dinner At Eight" and "September Kisses" being among the most hard to take seriously. Bruce does take some creative vocal stabs on this one, that aren't replicated elsewhere, but it's just very subpar. Points in the attempt though, Bruce Bacharach.

Live look at the Bruce faithful finally holding Tracks II:

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