Heart of Darkness: Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska

In January 1982, Bruce Springsteen recorded a set of demos in his New Jersey bedroom—a follow up to The River, the double album issued in 1980 which had reached the top of the Billboard charts. Expectations were grand, and these demo recordings promised an impressive album. However, after a series of sessions with the E Street Band spent working on the material, Springsteen felt these new recordings failed to capture the intimacy of the home demos and made the incredible decision to eschew the expensive, state of the art productions, and release the crude, home recorded version of the album. Almost 30 years later, Nebraska is considered a classic, not only among Springsteen's canon but among the entire body of work recorded during the 20th century. The album captured the public's imagination, reached #3 on the Billboard, and added a new, darker side to Springsteen's public persona. Springsteen's fanbase is awash with rumors that an anniversary edition of Nebraska will include the elusive studio recordings and tracks not included on the original album—to which the author has had access and has discussed here.