#341

Johnny Cash’s Highway Patrolman was one of my favourite songs as a kid; used to listen to it all the time on my Dad’s Cash compilation cassettes. I didn’t realise it was a Springsteen song until I first listened to Nebraska (and yes, that initial listen was after hearing, 'you might think you don’t like the Boss, but give Nebraska a try at the very least). I still prefer Cash’s version, but it’ll still make my top 2 at the end of this week.

Listening to the original now, what strikes me is just how dejected and retired Bruce sounds; his signing is almost lazy (not a criticism), like he just barely has it in him to recount this tale. Cash still sings the chorus in a melancholy ‘remember the good times’ way, but there’s none of that in Bruce’s version, just pure regret. There’s zero actual comfort for him in remembering the ‘laughing and drinking’.

My favourite Springsteen record, and really the only one I listen to as a full album.

3 Likes
#342

Won’t be surprised to see this at the top of people’s Springsteen albums list. Certainly, this was the record that people would refer to when Bruce was seen as being really ‘uncool’ before his fairly recent reappraisal -“Yeah, I don’t get Springsteen BUT Nebraska, wow!” - and, tbh, I get that. Even more so than Born To Run, this album will be the one that he’ll be remembered for the most (The Serious Artist at play)

Love, LOVE this record, though initially it took a while for it to dig its claws in. Fascinating to know that he worked on most of these with the band, couldn’t get them right, then just released the touched up, original demos. Would like to hear how some of the band versions sounded (we get an idea from some of the live versions, I guess) and, hopefully, these ‘Electric Nebraska’ sessions may appear as a long box set or on ‘Tracks 2’?

Here are a couple of great songs that didn’t make the final cut on the released album. ‘Losin’ Kind’, in particular, sounds great with terrific lyrics which showcase his storytelling chops. Enjoy!

5 Likes
#343

Nebraska is a masterpiece of the highest order. Bruce had told us about down on their luck blue collar types in the past but not with such darkness and lower middle class acumen as he has here. Cast-outs facing the harsh realities of life in rural America and the people who loved them (Joe Roberts in Highway Patrolman letting his brother go after shooting someone) It works to absolute perfection. Some of his finest songwriting to date. 10/10

8 Likes
#344

The radio’s jammed up with talk show stations
It’s just talk, talk, talk, talk, 'til you lose your patience

Most menacing character he ever wrote about, and you don’t even hear what the person’s done

3 Likes
#345

Always been a fan of this record. although quite not on board with the idea of it as his best. Easy to see why those who are turned off by some of his other stuff name this as his favourite.

Listening again this week - the atmosphere, lyrics, his voice, all pretty much perfect. For me, it’s a much easier listen than some people make out - pretty much every one of the first seven tracks feels iconic and breezes past for me, even if the overall mood is quite heavy. And like The River, centred round one truly breathtaking track in Atlantic City.

Not quite in the Born to Run/ Darkness bracket for me, but unquestionably a work of genius.

#346

Have given this a good few listens now and not really sure how to judge it against the others as it’s a totally different vibe. I absolutely love it though, perhaps overhyped it in my head thinking there would be more ‘Atlantic City’ on here. Not sure if it’s my familiarity with that song but definitely seems like an outlier to the rest of the album. Definitely the most together album and could listen to it all without skipping a track.

Really beautiful storytelling though, really get a vivid sense of those small town folk he’s singing about. Made me think of a Nic Pizzolatto story, like Galveston or something.

I will have to give the electric session a listen to as curious to see how these turn out. In terms of favourite songs, Atlantic City for me is like Top 5 material of his so clearly a winner on here but some of the others are Johnny 99, Highway Patrolman and Used Cars.

2 Likes
#347

Fucking HELL that was incredible.

1 Like
#348

Atlantic City is definitely the most produced track on the album, in terms of it being beefed up with more instrumentation, backing vocals, etc. Most of the other songs seem almost half-mumbled into a dictaphone with just a guitar and harmonica (I don’t mean that as a negative thing).

Someone else might be able to correct me, but I think most of the album was done in one night in his bedroom, which is a productive night’s work if true.

#349

Having listened again, think Highway Patrolman needs a special mention in addition to Atlantic City. Incredible.

#350

Yeah I think that’s right, I was briefly reading about it. Just feels out of place a little on the album, same theme lyrically but like you said sounds really beefed up and wonder if it should have gone on a later album (not sure what is to come so maybe it doesn’t work)

1 Like
#351

I’m late on The River, just wanted to share this wonderful version of Drive All Night in case anyone hasn’t seen it before. It’s not a song I love, but this version is beautiful

3 Likes
#352

Here’s what a really beefed up version of Atlantic City sounds like, from the USA tour a few years later. Remarkably, I think the sparser album version and this live version are both brilliant, despite being handled so differently

2 Likes
#353

There’s a really in-depth article about the recording of this album that I’ll try and dig out, but long story short what we are hearing is literally just his solo demos, recorded at home on a four track and only intended to be heard by the band. He carried around the ‘master’ cassette in the pocket of his jeans for weeks apparently!

2 Likes
#354

It really is beefed up on live versions so it makes sense that it was probably envisioned as a much ‘bigger’ track - I love that though, the sort of ghostly echo on the album version of the riffs after the chorus is really really evocative.

1 Like
#355

I really didn’t like it much at first, I thought Atlantic City was just poles apart from from everything else and couldn’t see the songs. I don’t have a hot take though, I came to appreciate the incredible storytelling and the grainy, monochrome beauty. This is my first 10 so far and that’s a bit funny, he’s got such an amazing band and my favourite is the one they aren’t on, but it’s nigh on perfect, so concise, I can easily listen to it back to back a couple of times, and have done a over the last few days. It must have taken some nerve when you’ve built your brand on that huge band sound to say no, this is the record I’m going to put out. The album artwork suits the music perfectly too.

There are a couple of things I’ve noticed, mirrors in the songs that could give the impression of the songs somehow being interconnected. I don’t have a yarn wall set up trying to prove there is a single overarching narrative, I don’t think that’s the case. It’s possibly because these are demo’s and similar lyrical ideas are being tried out in a couple of places that might have been changed as the songs were worked up in the studio, I really like the effect of it though, like the songs talk to each other, I don’t know, it’s getting late and your mind gets hazy, some notes of what I mean

-State Trooper (Bruce at his most eerie?) opens New Jersey Turnpike riding on a wet night…
-Open All Night Calls back to it, this turnpike sure is spooky at night when you’re all alone
-Both Johnny 99 and Mr Atlantic City have debts that no honest man pay
-Two highway pursuits by law officials, almost feels like two different perspectives on the same scene?
-Two autobiographical songs from Bruce’s perspective as a child involving his father and their financial aspirations (Mansion on the Hill and Used Cars)
-State Trooper and Open All Night talk are on the road in the wee wee hours and both have a verse about what the subject thinks of the radio
-Two songs end up in the electric chair, and in both cases it doesn’t seem like the most unwelcome of outcomes, Nebraska meets it with cold indifference, Johnny 99 begs for it

Atlantic City is my favorite Springsteen song, I agree with what’s been said already. It sounds amazing doesn’t it, Bruce’s ghostly hollering backing vocals, the little trebly guitar that drops in. Jaw dropping lyrically, it’s a masterpiece. Glad to see Highway Patrolman getting a lot of love, it’s a screenplay in 5 and a half minutes, you can just see it. I didn’t know this but I’ve just read that Night of the Johnstown Flood isn’t a real song, Bruce just made it up. Huh. I’m going to have to pick these two songs but that’s rough on some of the others, I love how lean and propulsive Open All Night is and State Trooper is about as chilling as I’ve heard Bruce so far. The guy driving isn’t worried about being stopped for himself, rather he knows what he’s capable of and what he’ll have to do if he is pulled over. This only really occurred to me today.

Great work Bruce!

17 Likes
#356

I need to write more about this album, but for now I’m just going to pick up on the Atlantic City clips upthread, and post another later (much later) reinvention of a Nebraska track. Hard to imagine how this could be any more different to the studio version, wish I’d got to see him with this band

2 Likes
#357

Sorry if this is what you’re alluding to and you know this already but for those that don’t know, Sean Penn made a film called The Indian Runner where the plot is basically the story of Highway Patrolman

1 Like
#358

I did not know that, so he liked the song and made a film from it? Is it any good?

#359

I can’t remember, it was so long ago that I saw it. According to Wikipedia it was ‘positively received’ fwiw

#360

Doesn’t look like it’s on Netflix or prime but most of it appears to be on YouTube