Nebraska
Bruce Springsteen
1982
Album Summary
Nebraska is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on September 30, 1982, by Columbia Records. Springsteen recorded the songs as demos on a 4-track recorder, intending to rerecord them with the E Street Band, but decided to release them as they were. Nebraska remains one of the most highly regarded albums in his catalogue.The songs on Nebraska deal with ordinary, down-on-their-luck blue-collar characters who face a challenge or a turning point in their lives. The songs also address the subject of outsiders, criminals and mass murderers with little hope for the future—or no future at all—as in the title track, where the main character is sentenced to death in the electric chair. Unlike previous albums, which often exude energy, youth, optimism and joy, the vocal tones of Nebraska are solemn and thoughtful, with fleeting moments of grace and redemption woven through the lyrics. The album's reverb-laden vocals and mood combined with dark lyrical content have been described by music critic William Ruhlmann as "one of the most challenging albums ever released by a major star on a major record label". Because of the album's somber content, Springsteen chose not to tour in support of the album, making it Springsteen's first major release that was not supported by a tour, and his only such release until 2019's Western Stars.
Wikipedia“Nebraska” by Bruce Springsteen (1982) I’m familiar with Bruce Springsteen’s hits, but I’ve never listened to this album. Based on what I know about Springsteen, my expectations are low. In the title track “Nebraska”, Springsteen sets the mood with a forlorn ballad about a man condemned to death for murdering ten people. No redemption, no meaning. Lower middle class nihilism. Poor poetics (sounds like it was written on a single afternoon, with sloppy meter and clunky phrasing). Poor recording quality. I’ve never been impressed with Springsteen’s vocals, and I’m not surprised here. It’s ok to affect a Southern accent if it’s done well, but here it’s not. Has Springsteen ever been to rural Nebraska and Wyoming? You couldn’t tell from this song. He’s from Jersey, for God’s sake. Shake my head. More of the same on “Atlantic City”, which is at least set in more familiar territory. Distracting microphone pops and gimmicky howls in the background. Guitar work perfectly unrefined. I think on this album, Springsteen imagines himself taking the baton from Dylan. Springsteen drops it. A little background might be helpful. At the time this album was released, Columbia Records had both Springsteen and Dylan under contract. Dylan had been recording his “evangelical Christian” music for several years, and one can imagine that Columbia executives were anticipating that Dylan was on the way out. They needed someone to carry the baton, and Springsteen might fit the bill. “Nebraska” has so many marketing parallels to Dylan’s earliest work, one can’t help but see here a chance for Columbia to keep the folk-rock-prophet-poet franchise going. Find a replacement for Dylan that would satisfy the market that had Dylan had made lucrative at the start. Springsteen failed. With numerous irritating flubs on harmonica, primitive three-chord compositions, completely derivative melodies, the only thing ‘creative’ about this album is the lyrics, and while they’re shockingly despondent, they just ain’t that good. In “Johnny 99” we’re treated to a reprise of the underwhelming phrase “I’ve got debts no honest man can pay” (previously used by a different crook in “Atlantic City”). What, Bruce, did you think it was so clever you had to use it twice? Come on, man, if a guy gets drunk and murders a night clerk because he’s unemployed, we can’t muster sympathy for him because he’d rather be executed than serve 99 years. The attempted pathos is simply too implausible. Likewise in “Highway Patrolman”, we’re supposed to feel good about a cop who lets his brother escape to Canada after a murder. Doesn’t make sense. Note to Bruce: On “Highway Patrolman”, “Shortwave” radio is not used for local communications. The music is monotonous, the production is completely amateurish, the lyrics beg pathetically to be taken seriously, and the instrumentals sound like they were all performed by the same person in one or two takes (they were). My low expectations were justified and satisfied. Don’t waste your time, young ones. This boomer says “Nebraska” is a dud. 1/5
Holy cats, I didn’t listen to this record for a long time and I love it. The stories of blue collar families being downtrodden is incredibly sad but I really like Bruce’s voice on this album. This is super intimate and I really like it. Favorite song: Atlantic City Least favorite song: Open All Night
Springsteen would be a legend just for this album, I swear. Can't-miss songwriting with its soul in the blues.
I love everything about this album. The tunes are strong, the subject matter is dark, it was recorded on 4-track. Spooky Americana about desperate people. And some cars. If I have a favorite Springsteen album, it's this one.
Je n'ai pas pour habitude de faire une analyse d'album piste par piste mais celui-ci s'y prête bien : Nebraska - Bruce Springsteen lâche un pet gras et s'en réjouit. Atlantic City - Il coince sa coupe mulet dans sa guitare et hurle à la mort pendant quelques minutes. Mansion On The Hill - Bruce décapsule une bière. Johnny 99 - Il rend hommage à son ami Johnny Halliday avec qui il a remporté en 1999 le concours du plus grand nombre de hamburgers ingurgités en une heure. Highway Patrolman - Il lâche encore une fois une énorme caisse. State Trooper - Il se poste à la fenêtre de son appartement et siffle chaque demoiselle qui passe dans sa rue. Used Cars - Il discute avec ses amis de la couleur des flammes qu'il compte dessiner sur les portières de sa voiture. Open All Night - Il développe en chanson une comparaison entre le sexe féminin et une soirée porte ouverte. My Father's House - Il raconte la façon dont son père frappait sa mère et tente de justifier son comportement. Reason to Believe - Bruce Springsteen lâche encore un pet détonnant avant d'éclater de rire.
Never been a big Bruce Springsteen fan. I don’t know what it is about him; maybe the flagrant American patriotism, the complete yer’da-ness of it or just the lack of substance to his music. I appreciate what he does and by all accounts he’s a decent & down to earth dude but I don’t even think an album full of his greatest hits would ever inspire me to listen to it more than once let alone this acoustic mess where he just lists American place names for some reason. Maybe if I was sinking my 5th Miller-Lite on the 4th July, flipping a few patties on the ol’ grill whilst I tell my buddies Greg & Dale about the new Chevy truck I’ve just bought to fit the fishing rods & golf clubs in, then I might appreciate this album a bit more. But I’m not and therefore I don’t.
I don't know what to say if you can't appreciate how great this is. It's Bruce Springsteen doing dark lofi folk about nihilistic class struggle pulling inspiration from Suicide! That's just an incredible sentence by itself!
The album Bruce made just for me. Murder ballads, fever dreams, a trail of wreckage... and as it finally winds down he tells us he finds it kinda funny "how at the end of every hard-earned day people find some reason to believe." Is that hopefulness in the face of all that misery, or is it cynicism at rock-bottom? I'm still not sure. Either way I could and will listen to this record 1000 times. Also, it seems silly to mention because it's so obvious, but this album is a goddamn masterclass in songwriting.
C'est avec un enthousiasme certain que je lançais cet album du beauf le plus célèbre des Etats-Unis, monsieur Bruce Springsteen. Malheureusement, cela ne s'est pas déroulé comme prévu. Dès les premières notes de l'album, c'est le drame. Bruce coince les cheveux de sa coupe mulet dans sa guitare. S'en suivent des hurlements de douleurs, qui ne seront interrompus que par la fin de l'album. Un véritable coup du sort.
Gamblers, recidivists, mass murderers, troublemakers, brand new used cars, and state troopers who took the job after rising wheat prices killed off their farm deferment. Taking his cue from Badlands, Bonnie and Clyde, and a bunch more movies that don't match his warmth and empathy, Springsteen carries these sketches as far as he can. Eventually, the melancholy and sparsity pulls them up. But what's there is sad, bountiful, and some kind of gift. He creates a hell of an atmosphere with the harmonica, too. Is he a good player? I've no idea. But I hardly think this is the place to go for technical perfection.
This album is like sitting around a campfire with just Bruce and his guitar. Which is to say, way to ruin a good campfire.
So this album is basically Bruce Springsteen sitting around a campfire acoustic style, telling stories that make little sense and sometimes he feels like playing his harmonica, and that's basically the whole album.
I've loved this album since it came out in 1982. Really what got me into Springsteen. Such a great album. 5 stars.
Really liked this one. Funny enough the songs weren't my favorites but the general atmosphere of slow, melancholic story telling really strikes a chord for me.
What a haunting album. Kudos Mr. Springsteen, kudos. Incredible lyrics and his stripped down (mostly) acoustic approach adds a perfect sombre tone. I was totally blown away by how good a story-teller he is. After listening to the album a couple times I decided to read up on it and was glad he decided to keep it in demo version, rather than rocked-up with the E-street band. I might not have minded if Open All Night got moved to another album - I like it, but it's a bit too rockabilly for the rest of the album's tone. It sounded a lot like Pink Cadillac to me, and apparently that was another track he recorded along with these ones but kept for a later album. The other songs he recorded with these ones but kept for Born in the USA are also some of his best - I'm on Fire would easily fit right in on this album and I'd love to hear the stripped down version of Glory Days. I patted myself on the back for thinking that State Trooper sounded a bit like that weird Suicide album with his shrieks near the end - yep, one of the songs influenced the Boss on this one. I don't know if I knew too many of these songs, but I instantly loved Highway Patrolman and My Father's House. Something about the emotion-tugging lyrics and his raw sound - just beautiful. The title track was close behind these two; a great opener. I also really liked how he layered in self-harmonies and backing vocals to Atlantic City.
There is a darkness to Bruce Springsteen's music that has always been there, from the earliest albums. But there's a period between Darkness on the Edge of Town and Born in the USA where he really leans into it. I would recommend listening to these albums as a group, to get the full impact of what he was doing. Nebraska is the apotheosis of this period. It's stripped down, mean, Steinbeck-level naturalism. Instrumentation is minimal, no Clarence Clemons solos to temper the dark stuff. The mood of course is pretty bleak. It's a hard, uncomfortable listen if you're looking for the Springsteen anthems of old. There are images from these songs that will haunt you long after you hear them. As a songwriter, Springsteen is at his best here. He drops some of the flowery turns of phrase that turn up in the earlier albums in favor of a more plain-spoken style. There are no "ghosts in the eyes of the all boys you sent away" here (I adore that line, btw, but it has no place here). These stories stare hard into the eyes of the struggling, the desperate, the broken, not necessarily with sympathy, but with honesty and pathos. Springsteen covers a lot of thematic territory with a purposefully limited lyrical and musical palette, and yet somehow spins complete narratives populated with some pretty memorable characters. The few mood breakers he offers are brief but impactful. The way he ratchets up the tension in "State Trooper" and then busts it open with a holler is nothing short of brilliant. Try listening to that riding in your car at night and see if you don't feel your hands tighten on the wheel. I also enjoyed the whistling in the dark exuberance of "Open All Night." Fave Songs (All songs, from most to least favorite): Atlantic City, Johnny 99, Open All Night, State Trooper, Highway Patrolman, Nebraska, Reason to Believe, Used Cars, My Father's House, Mansion on the Hill
What begins dark and mournful, ends dark and... not as mournful? Without knowing the artist, if you would have told me this was by the same guy that sang Born in the USA, I would have called you a dang dirty liar (you rascal, you). But this is raw, hardly-accompanied BOSS, and even if it ain't about his life, who's to say its not? And even though I'm not from a blue-collar mining town like the subject of most of the songs, I may as well be now. Shit's a real deep bummer, man.
I received this album at 14 through Columbia house subscription way back in the day. I didn't choose it, they sent it as the record of the month. I think I listened to it once. I didn't "get it" and to be honestly I've never listened to it again. I've never really been a Springsteen fan. This should be interesting This didn't make me a fan and I'm still not sure if I get it.
That was a really boring album. Like Bruce has some good stuff but this was not engaging at all.
Just bruce and a guitar. Music hell, cant even give credit to this one. I hope my hate for bruce is misguided but this album proves nothing.
I like some of Bruce Springsteen's music in general, but this was a snoozefest. 1/5 stars.
Acoustic albums aren't for me, ideally would have listed as listened and not have to submit a star rating. I've given it a one, but I don't think it's a bad album necessarily.
2nd time ever listening. timely with the whole super bowl and DWI story floating around with the boss. Really liked this album 2nd time and will be adding to regular rotation. very chill
I loved this album back in 1982, and still love it today. I am probably in the minority, but THIS is my favorite Springsteen album.
Superb, an introspective delight. If you're looking for more of Born In The USA there will be disappointment to start with but stay it's worth it.
I enjoyed this album the most out of what I've listened to so far for this project. Beautiful music, vocals, emotion
I started the album feeling very skeptical. It sounded like he was trying to emulate Bob Dylan. The faux Southern accent rubbed me the wrong way. The characters in the songs were terrible people that didn't get my sympathy. As the album went on and the harmonica started to die down I started really enjoying the album and Bruce Springsteen's own unique style started coming through. The album is a wonderful cohesive sorrowful listen.
There are times when this is my favorite Springsteen album. It creates a certain dark, foreboding mood in a way that none of his other work does except for maybe “The Ghost Of Tom Joad.” This album also might have his strongest songwriting of his career. It’s sort of amazing that only one of these songs has been adapted into a movie. Ever since reading Bruce’s book, “My Father’s House” kills me every time
I love this stripped down, acoustic Springsteen. The imagery of these songs are all so vivid. Beautiful album
I was truly surprised at how much I enjoyed this album. it's not at all the genre I usually go for, but this album tells a story in such an effective way.
La pièce titre est juste incroyable, juste ça fait que c'est un excellent album. Un Springsteen acoustique c'est difficile à battre. 5
The 8 album sequence starting with From Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J and ending at Tunnel of Love is 5-star album only, and this is number 6, so five stars.
small-time criminals, desperate people, desperate times, love and love lost. But, in the end, somehow, we find a reason to believe.
One of my favourite folk albums beautiful subject matter about crime and pain in america. It’s so raw and insensitive because of the fact That all the songs are demos. Nebraska and Atlantic City are amazingly good, I love this album
Bleak and grim and utterly beautiful. It’s amazing that an artist would go this direction at such a point in his career and fully explore one dimension of his talent and creativity. “Atlantic City” and “Open All Night” are great, but “Mansion on the Hill” and “Highway Patrolman” are sublime. The last section lags a bit, which is the only thing keeping this as sub-5. And I’ve always wondered: who dances to “The Night of the Johnstown Flood”? 4.5
A fantastic album. Bruce's first album that was just under his name and not with the E Street Band. Realised just when everyone was expecting another big rock banger and he goes and does this very slow, dark, sad acoustic album. It's great stuff.
The antidote for Springsteen haters. If you loathe Bruce Springsteen, you will probably love "Nebraska".
25th August 2022 Listened while at work. Went to see South Pacific last night with Dougs in it then met Sav and Sal in town. One of the greatest of all time. The storytelling, the characters, the balance of this album, it’s astonishing.
Prefs: Nebraska, Atlantic City, Mansion on the Hill, Johnny 99, Highway Patrolman, State Trooper, Open All Night, My Father's House, Reason To Believe Moins pref: Used Cars
Immediate 5/5 for me, as it's in my personal top 10 albums of all time list. There's definitely an added bonus when you listen to this album when you come from New Jersey as there's so many ties to the state (even though it's titled after a different one altogether lol), and so many depictions that so masterfully describe scenes that people in New Jersey have had. Like in "State Trooper", where you are driving down the NJ Turnpike and begging for the cop behind you to leave you the hell alone. I think many a young person from NJ has been in this exact setting and shouted those animalistic shouts of joy that Bruce bellows at the end of the song. Or like in "Atlantic City" where a big fight is breaking out on the boardwalk, and a young man yearns for optimism while crooning over his financial shortcomings. The harmonica blows me away every time. The reverberating mandolin that comes in at the first post-chorus (around 00:53) floors me. The vocal harmonies and shouts in the outtro fadeout floor me. It's hard to pick which track is my favorite. "Nebraska" is raw yet somehow beautiful- even though the lyrics are a true story about a man who befriends/kidnaps a girl and murders 11 people with her. "State Trooper" captures a scene as truthfully as the art form ever has. I think ultimately it's "Atlantic City" because this was one of the most formative acoustic guitar driven / singer songwriter songs that influenced me to write this style of music. The album art is just beautiful too, and you definitely can judge this book (album) by it's cover- as that's what you are going to get (sonically). (I only would have maybe preferred if it was a picture of the New Jersey Turnpike, as NJ tends to be more often referenced than Nebraska on the album. But I don't know the album is called Nebraska? Hmmm. I'm conflicted.)
My first time listening to this album. The production is rougher than I expected. I’d previously only heard a live version of “Atlantic City” but this stripped down original version is really growing on me. I’m very used to hearing Bruce Springsteen in wailing rock star mode but he’s a wonderful, emotive singer in this mode too. Wow - “State Trooper” has a really hypnotic energy. I really like the bells (?) that come in around the one-minute mark of “Used Cars.” On the first go-around, I enjoyed the album but wasn’t convinced it was the masterpiece everyone says it is. But I spent the weekend listening to it a few more times and I’m starting to get it. A subtle but great album.
4/12 I’ve never been to Nebraska, but man, there were some moments where he took us there. Standout Tracks: Nebraska, Atlantic City, Highway Patrolman, State Trooper
Enjoyed this one. Definitely want to listen again in order to listen to the lyrics more intently.
Great record. Not super close to the top of my Springsteen album list because the second half lags a tad bit for me. Love the bare bones production, though.
Solid album great folk songs. Up there with Dylan easily. Only 4 stars as there are no mindblowing tracks but definitely something I'd want on vinyl.
Awesome acoustic Bruce album. Lots of good stuff on here, I like the road theme throughout the album. Highlights: -Atlantic City -Johnny 99 -My Father's House
Nebraska is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on September 30, 1982, by Columbia Records. Springsteen recorded the songs as demos on a 4-track recorder, intending to rerecord them with the E Street Band, but decided to release them as they were.[3] Nebraska remains one of the most highly regarded albums in his catalog. The album begins with "Nebraska", a first-person narrative based on the true story of 19-year-old spree killer Charles Starkweather and his 14-year-old girlfriend, Caril Ann Fugate, and ends with "Reason to Believe", a complex narrative that offers a small amount of hope to counterbalance the otherwise dark nature of the album.[5] The remaining songs are largely of the same bleak tone, including the dark "State Trooper", influenced by the vocal stylings of Alan Vega and Suicide's "Frankie Teardrop".[19] Criminal behavior continues as a theme in the song "Highway Patrolman": even though the protagonist works for the law, he lets his brother escape after he has shot someone.[5] "Open All Night", a Chuck Berry-style lone guitar rave-up, does manage a dose of defiant, humming-towards-the-gallows exuberance.[5] Springsteen stated that the stories in this album were partly inspired by historian Howard Zinn's book A People's History of the United States.[20] A music video was produced for the song "Atlantic City"; it features stark, black-and-white images of the city, which had not yet undergone its later economic transformation.[21]
Good to compare this minimalist Springsteen with the maximallist "Born in the USA" which came from the same sessions. Again, I can see why he's been so acclaimed and has the reputation he does. Fave track - "Atlantic City" - great track!
No conocía el disco. Aunque por momentos me resultó algo monótono, se convirtió en una grata companía.
Fins avui no havia escoltat mai un disc sencer de Springsteen. M'ha sorprés el so íntim i proper, i crec que hi ha un grapat de temes força inspirats. També he llegit que van ser grabats en un quatre pistes i que en principi eren només demos, i van acabar covertint-se en les versions oficials. Això diu molt de la qualitat interpretativa de Bruce en aquella època. Mha fet venir ganes d'escoltar més coses seves.
I always think about Bruce Springsteen like something like bad country songs (don't know why), but this album is very different from my expectations and it is a very good piece of good songs.
Muutama vuosi sitten tein kulttuuriteon ja asioikseni kuuntelin Born In the USA -levyn, mutta muihin Bruce Springsteenin levyihin ei ole tullut tutustuttua satunnaisia kappaleita lukuunottamatta. Tämä menee siihen kategoriaan, että vanhemmat ainakin jollain tasolla tykkäsivät, eli itse ei voinut kuunnella yhtään. Ihan ok tarinankerrontaa, enemmän minä tästä tykkään kuin Bob Dylanista. Kiva että tulee syy kuunnella tällaisiakin artisteja tässä listan mukana.
I've never listened to this album before, but I've always known that Bruce wasn't afraid to go deep with his lyrics. Wow. I love the rawness, both of the recording and the subject matter.
I've tried and failed many times to like Springsteen. However with an open mind I can see this is a classic. Also fair play to having the balls to release an album of home demos at this time of his career.
Bruce in his rawest form - shame the first album we got wasn't with the mighty E-Street band, but his lyrical genius is on show here. I'd give my left ball to be able to tell stories as well as this guy with just a guitar and a harmonica.
The spare sound of Bruce and his guitar fits perfectly with the stories told in these songs.
Jesus it's like 1001 albums but 400 will be Bruce Springsteen. Once you here 1 Springsteen album is hard to separate the rest. The album is named after one of the most boring places on earth. Loved it
Those who dislike this album will argue it is incomplete and somber. And while I certainly agree that it is though things, I think that’s what makes it beautiful. Springsteen had some unplugged demos ready to go for his next E Street Band album, but decided that this is the way he wanted Nebraska to be put out. And although it is bare on instrumentation, “simple” is the worst word to describe this album. Lyrically, he covers serious topics like death, crime, corruption, familial bonds, and finding hope. Very heavy stuff, all from the perspective of average people who are the product of their environment. He presents it with such naked vulnerability and the tiredness of a blue-collar worker, that you feel a sense of compassion for some of these blemished characters. Springsteen draws you into these stories with beautiful presentation, you get an emotional stake in these stories. To me, it’s a true songwriter album accompanied by beautiful composition that is presenting a story of connection and redemption; even if its full of characters that have little redeeming qualities for the surface. Favorite Song: Nebraska, Reason to Believe Least Favorite: Johnny 99
In my top 3 for Springsteen. Strongest in the lyrics: a lot of the music and delivery are great too. Some of the story songs get a little dull and plodding though, less songs than monologues, but it’s a minor quibble.
I've listened to this album at least once before, and some of the tracks more than once. "Open All Night" is the one song from Springsteen that I've learned to play on the guitar. "Nebraska" and "Reason to Believe" are tracks that I would definitely come back to for a second listen. I'm not a huge Springsteen fan, but this album fits in well with what I like. I'd listen to the whole album again.
Much quieter Springsteen than Born in the USA, Nebraska continues on I'm the tradition of Bob Dylan with the singer-songwriter with a harmonica, and the outlaw country of Johnny Cash, with heavy blues influences. Lots of themes of criminality and moral murkiness. Some of the tracks like "Open All Night" could have used the full E-Street Band treatment, but it might have felt jarring on this quieter record.
Raw, gut wrenching and agonizingly haunting. I think this is truly one if Springsteen's best work.
The first thing you need to know about this album is that these songs are basically DEMOS. And many songs from the same demo session eventually became full fledged E Street Band songs on "Born In The USA" two years later. So there's no Big Man or Silvio Dante here. Just The Boss, his harmonica and acoustic guitar. And it all works in terms of creating what it feels like to be on some back road in desolate, Western Nebraska (as someone who was born in raised in Nebraska, I'm a little too familiar with these trips). State Trooper, Reason To Believe, Mansion On The Hill and Johnny 99 belong on any Best Of The Boss list. This album isn't always my go-to-Springsteen (I prefer the energy and enthusiasm the E Street Band brings out of him). Fun, somewhat related, fact: When I was in college, my roommate and I went to Wyuka Cemetery in Lincoln, Nebraska just to literally take a piss all over Charles Starkweather's grave. It's an experience I recommend highly. I'm sure The Boss would be proud.
Atlantic City is one of my all-time favorite songs of his. Great album. Of his acoustic works I might rank The Ghost of Tom Joad a little higher, but I liked this one a lot. Definitely would listen to again.
Very good, this was his only album I'd listened to before this challenge. A slower pace than most of his other stuff but at least there is no sax.
Bruce managed to create a album not full of hits but full of atmosphere, storytelling and great music
A fantastic album. Great storytelling from the heart, a genuine artistic expression from beginning to end. Dylan-esque musically, but Bruce makes it his own as always.
Americana at some of its finest. Some blues, solemn harmonicas, overwhelmingly suggestive of the USA in parts where opportunity and dreams were either squandered or just forgotten. There is not much else to say here, this album is neither happy or sad, yet it carries a type of reverence or gentle observance of life in general. Circumstances, injustices, sewn between moments that should be cherished, the album is very down to earth. That makes it great.
As far as an outro to 2021 goes, it couldn't get better than this. I read the back story to the recording of this iconic album and doubled down on the gear. Plugged some hard to drive AKG702 headphones into my phone. This showed the flaws and fancy of the recording process like some kind of magic. The 4 track, the tape dubbing, the carry me in your pocket sound was just something special. My fave Bruce experience without a doubt.
I really like the storytelling on this album and the raw presentation style. I think it shows a lot more maturity than what most people assosciate with Springsteen, and reminds me of The Rising in that sense.
Gritty folk to a hard harmonica and acoustic guitar. Lyrics struggle with morality and tough choices at the margins of blue collar life. Love the drawl of Nebraska intro with an American the beautiful feel and Falsetto open of Johnny 99. Different version of Atlantic City for me sounded a little faster and tinnier but still delivers. Nice storytelling on patrolman and trooper. Nebraska, Atlantic City, mansion on the hill.
I know Bruce's classics, but haven't heard anything on this album before. Not a lot of happy songs. Have to listen to this album a few more times to see if it'll be on the permanent list.
Revolucionari en el seu moment, mostra a Bruce per primer cop despullat de la banda, amb unes balades rurals a guitarra i harmònica que supuren sabor a terra endins, a pobles perduts i perdedors sense futur. Un pont entre 'The River' i 'Born in the USA' que no pot diferir més del seu so bombàstic i espectacular. Un moment de reflexió en plena època de musa inspirada del de New Jersey
This is great… it’s 1D, but I suppose that’s the idea. Just feel like it needs some E-street sometimes!
No era lo que me esperaba. Disco triste y tranquilo. 3.5 que suben a 4. Gran sorpresa.
I first listened to this as background music and my initial impression was, eh, it's ok. Give it a 3. Then I paid attention to the lyrics. Damn. What a dark album. Bleak. I went back and forth between a 4 and 5. The music isn't exactly groundbreaking (although certainly good), but the lyrics are like a gut punch about what life is like for the downtrodden and the criminal. Bruce has an almost disturbing affinity for people who feel forced into a life of crime. Is there something you want to tell us, Bruce? By the time I reached My Father's House, a truly devastating tale of estrangement, I decided I had to give this a 4 only because I think I'd be hugely depressed if I listened to this album often. (oh, and then, in case you haven't already been devastated by this album, Bruce quickly gives you 4 more depressing stories in Reason to Believe to end the album. Thanks, Bruce).
Yeah listen. Its bruce slringsteen. Its going to be good. I think they might have gone back and rerecorded some of these track and i think im more familiar with those. But yill very good.
Widely acclaimed as Springsteen's best album, I really like it but would probably put it 3rd on my list of his records.
Wonderful folk sound from Bruce Springsteen. Favorites: "Atlantic City", "Johnny 99", "State Trooper"
Listened Before? N Beautiful album. Simple and stripped down, classic Springsteen subject matter. Not a happy one, but a good one. Lots of harmonica, reminds me of Dylan. Added to library? Y Songs added to playlist? Atlantic City
Four stars An all-time classic, and an album which still holds its own many years after it was released. As is usually the case with those classic albums, I won't write a full-blown review here given that others have already written wonderful stuff about them and there's not much I can add that I feel could be relevant and interesting. Nebraska is just a timeless gem for anyone who has even a remote interest in Bruce Springsteen before he blew everything with that awful, generally cheesy-sounding *Born In The USA* album. Number of records left to review or just listen to: 939 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 28 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 17 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important to me): 17
A little less harmonica would have done it for me, but really good relaxing/driving/campfire album.
SHACK Well if he had gone dark story telling country, this would be SHACK. SHACK Where's Maddie SHACK?
This...was shocking to me. So good...really expected it to not be my kind of listen. But definitely was, and will be again at some point.
There may be bleaker albums, but probably not from a multi-million record selling major label artist of Springsteen's. Even the nominally "up" songs aren't really.
Bruce Springsteen followed up his highly successful (both commercially and critically) albums, Born To Run and Darkness On The Edge Of Town, with a solo acoustic album, Nebraska. Sparse and raw, Nebraska could have been career suicide for a less talented artist, as his band was at the height of their creativity, both live and on record and Nebraska seemed like a step back. The demo quality of the songs may have put off fans that wanted another rock album, but the depth and honesty of the lyrics and music displayed the incredible talent of Springsteen and I give him credit for having the guts to release this record despite record label pressure for another chart-topping, best selling album. I like this record, more so now than when it was released, but it will be a piece of art that will stand on it's own as a triumph, in his vast discography.
The BOSS has an amazing ability to do emotion. I've never been to America so I can't say it "feels like Nebraska" but it definitely DOES feel like a heap of well-written, really miserable shit. Plus, another album of his I've never heard before but feels instantly familiar. 4/5.
Wasn't always a fan of this era of Bruce, but this time through I mostly enjoyed Nebraska.
Well this felt like a change of tempo for old Brucey B. or as I know him. I really liked it! Reminded me of Leonard Cohen sadness and delivery but a bit of Dylan guitar style... I dunno really what I saying but I liked it
My Bruce Springsteen experience is limited to Born in the USA and Born to Run with a couple of songs here. When I saw that Nebraska was the album for the day I got pleasantly surprised as I've never listened to it. The opening song to Nebraska which is also called Nebraska starts very slow and much more folk than I'm used to when it comes to Springsteen. The following song Atlantic City picks up the pace but keeps the same folk style. Nebraska continues as a folk album which is very different from what I'm used to. It really required me to stop what I was doing and sit down and listen to the lyrics. As usual Bruce's lyrics are extremely well written and from the perspective of blue-collar characters dealing with serious situations. It's much more solemn than Born in the USA which was released two years later. I liked this album but it won't get many repeat listens as it really requires attention and the correct mindset.
I guess this is my favorite Springsteen album so far. Not generally a fan, but the stripped back style sounds OK to me.
Sparse, but works really well. Springsteen's lyrics do a wonderful job of painting pictures of various characters, which might be lost with a full band performance. Favorite tracks: "Atlantic City", "Jonny 99", "Open All Night"
Really really good. You’ve shown me this one before, I absolutely love how tired he sounds. Although it’s not enough to turn me into a full on Springsteen fan, this album is really great.
For some reason, this was my favorite Springsteen album growing up. I loved the hushed emotion and storytelling on the record, and I loved that if I wanted to, I could fall asleep to these near-lullabies. The first two tracks are absolute perfection. Bruce’s singing on “Atlantic City” is desperate and powerful, and the production on “Nebraska” is so wonderfully purposeful. I love it. The second half of the album is a little bit of a let-down (outside of “My Father’s House”), so I unfortunately give this 4 stars, but if we’re really counting I’d say 4.5.
4.2 - An amazingly stripped down showcase of Bruce Springsteen's talents as a songwriter, singer and performer. What a ballsy move to release his 4-track recordings as is, but it's a gamble that works. Having long ago written off Bruce Springsteen as the MOST overrated, this is a record that redeems him as an artist. Standouts: "Johnny 99", "State Trooper."
Some real good tunes on here. First half of the album is soft, then it gets bigger in instrumentation.
I mean, its Springsteen we know what is in this box. Banging harmonica, some good country guitar and that classic vocal. It's good but on occasion.
It’s so interesting to hear how much can be expressed with just three chords. This collection presents a bleak portrait of American life, between the serial killers of Nebraska and the trucker driving through the lonely night hours of Open All Night. There are also conflicts unresolved both internal (Highway Patrolman) and external (My Father’s House.) After all the dark stories and expressions of deep loneliness, all augmented by the production which relies entirely on Bruce’s single voice, his guitar and his harmonica, aided only by some echoey reverb that also serves to enlarge the space around the singer and the listener, it is hard to find real solace in the closing track, Reason to Believe. Bruce is telling us, rather than showing us that reason, and his apparent hope that we take him for his word here doesn’t seem to be enough. I was excited to receive the assignment to listen to Nebraska start to finish, and there are really some great songs on it. But it’s not an easy listen, apart from the fact that Bruce Springsteen happens to have one of the most charismatic and inviting voices in rock and roll. Here we get a real close look at Bruce’s dark side, and while a visit to the dark side can often be both fun and thought-provoking, it’s also a challenge.
Ihan ok pläjäys ilman pohjia tai huippuja. Sen suuremmin artistin levyjä tuntematta väittäisin, että parempiakin levyjä löytyy.
I've always been pretty bored by this album. Atlantic City alone bumps it up a star. I'm glad this exercise in daily listening gave me the opportunity to listen and re-evaluate this album, because it is better than I've given it credit for, but it isn't what I want from a Springsteen record.
free expression not covered up other instruments or production values. Just a man and an acoustic guitar.
Best wel te waarderen album van Bruce, mooie diversiteit aan rustige en wat snellere nummres