Nebraska

Super boring

Loved these 10 songs. Hard topics with a charming delivery.

Considering this was the album before the behemoth, Born in the USA, it’s a bit surprising how mellow it is. I did enjoy it - good background music.

Atlantic City je jako dobra stvar, isto tako i album cover. To mislim da mi je najbolje što se tiče ovog albuma. Inače nisam fan Boss-a, Springsteena općenito - nije mi nešta lik važan.

Instead of rerecording his demos with the E Street Band as he originally intended, Bruce Springsteen decided to release them as he recorded them. The result is a startlingly intimate and somber album that tells the stories of ordinary people, outsiders, and criminals with no future. Springsteen's voice is cloaked in reverb and the lonesome harmonica further adds to the expansive hopelessness. This album stands out among Springsteen's extensive catalogue and is a testament to his ability as a storyteller and songwriter able to capture the pathos of the disaffected.

I try, I really do, but most of Springsteen just doesn't strike a chord with me. He's got a few songs I really dig, but at the end of the day it's all just very simple and the stories he tells don't strike an emotional chord that allows me to overlook the rest. It feels to me like music for people who are trapped in manual labor jobs because that's either all they're capable of or that's all that's available to them. It feels like music that might inspire one to keep on trudging. I don't mean that as an insult because there are people who are simply stuck for reasons beyond their control, I'm just not that person. And I think that's why it doesn't resonate.

The Boss is far from dancing in the dark on Nebraska, where he channels his main inspiration Bob Dylan to create a collection of intimate tales of outsiders across the nation. The harmonica is haunting and the instrumentation sparse. Springsteen was always a great lyricist, but unlike 'Born in the USA', Nebraska is an album were the listener is actually forced to listen and consider each and every word. I will never be the biggest Springsteen fan, but where some of his biggest hits are perfect for hitting a 6 lane highway, tracks such as 'Atlantic City', 'State Trooper' and 'My Father's House' are perfect for driving on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere in complete darkness.

Tremendously beautiful and mellow output from the Boss. It’s no secret that I’m not a huge Springsteen fan - even though he has arguably delivered his fair share of great hits. The intimacy created on Nebraska shows a more delicate and extremely personal aspect of Springsteen’s exceptional songwriting skills and I always find myself almost spellbound listening to his storytelling on this. Sometimes it pays off to take it down a notch and let the E Street Band sit back and relax.

1 Not for me

Good but have enjoyed other Springsteen albums just as much.

It's one thing to completely change directions after your most commercially successful record, it's another to do that and write some of the best songs of your career. A truly beautiful record.

Great album

This was toooo Americana for me. Bruce has never really been my jam, but I respect his talent.

Pleasant acoustic folk

Pretty decent album overall. On the one hand, it’s lacking the showiness of a full band, on the other hand, the songs are greatly improved with the absence of Springsteen’s signature belting. All in all, worth listening to for the stories.

Not a big fan of this music

I liked i because it was really something different from what I'm used to listen.

Stark. Distilled Bruce. Shows his development as a storyteller. A polar opposite from the busy E Street arrangements on the first two albums.

A pleasant enough listen, nothing amazing but I also never wanted to turn it off. Best songs: Atlantic City, Highway Patrolman, and My Father's House.

A more stripped away Springsteen album that embraces Americana even more than his E-Street efforts. This album fully displays his lyrical prowess, but doesn't have any major mass appeal hits. In their stead, we are left with stories of life, poor choices, and missed opportunities and the lessons they leave behind.

Stream of consciousness notes: Okay, I'm so excited for this! I've been meaning to listen to more Bruce Springsteen for a long time. Jesus, these songs are depressing... Beautiful album, I'm so happy I finally listened to it and will definitely be revisiting! Favorites are probably Atlantic City, Highway Patrolman, and My Father's House.

There were individual moments in this album that I liked, but it was SO samey that it was hard for me to pinpoint any one song that I would want to revisit. Highway Patrolman was one that I did save, but this is one that I don't think I would need to listen to again.

A few decent songs, but mostly unmemorable and uninspired

I watched Terrence Malick's "Badlands" recently so I was excited tto give this record a listen. I enjoyed it, it had a great, bleak atmosphere. I see why people say this is Springsteen's best.

A little slow and really need to be in the right mood to listen. But great song writing from The Boss.

Stumbled onto this one after our last Springsteen album and have been through it a few times. Excellent.

Not enough rocking Springsteen

I like bruce but not my fave album

Good album, but springsteen hasn't hooked me yet. 3 stars

Can't stand Bruce Springsteen

LP

The sound of a 50 year old man fleeing assault charges and hopping a bus to Atlantic city to drink himself to death.

To be honest I was dreading another Bruce Springsteen album. But this is decent; more sombre and stripped-back than his other, more work. I think I like Grumpy Bruce more than Hollerin' Bruce.

Here we go...most overrated singer/songwriter in history. Now that Tyler lives in the NE, he loves the Boss. Somehow he did not succumb to godawful 80s production on this, mostly. Perhaps cause it's just him on a 4 track. This is fine. Sparse. Repetitive. Entire album about future Trump voters...more economic anxiety here than a New York Times interview with peeps in a rural café.

It's alright for what it is, which is essentially a bunch of demos. Kinda depressing and like most people I prefer the upbeat happier Boss.

A perfect album of story songs that encapsulates the American mythos. My favourite album of all time

Fantastic. Gets at the universal truths that the real American spirit is one in which all people struggle to get by in a world that is harsh and unforgiving.

As a casual listener, I mainly follow what's on the radio. So I know the Springsteen hits. This is a darker, more haunting album. Really tough to "get into." The tone is very Dylan-esque.

Amazing album. Atlantic City is clearly one of Bruce's all time best, but the album itself is very writer and story focus. The songs are engaging and convey a pretty compelling honesty and passion. Really enjoyable.

Apple described this album as bleak and I completely agree, but what a theme for an album. I listened to this one at night before bed and it really felt like the perfect late night album just due to its slow nature and sheer difference from the other BS albums we’ve gotten. I wouldn’t listen again but I have a lot of respect for this album.

Another from the Boss. Much darker than his usual fare, and I don't really mind it. Some heavy hitting emotional tracks and performances on here. Not a whole lot that stood out to me, but the style was very consistent and enjoyable throughout. I like this one a lot, an excellent change of pace from Bruce. Favorite tracks: Atlantic City, Nebraska, Highway Patrolman. Album art: About as bleak as the music. Black and white is very effective here, and the blood red font and borders elevate this dramatically. I've said it before, it bears repeating: if you add red to a black and white cover, you're putting yourself in "serious business" "great album art" territory. 4/5

beautiful, bleak favorite track is probably State Trooper but the whole album is bangin 10/10

Amazing album. Nor a weak track. The story behind the album is fantastic.

I'm not a big fan of the boss, but much prefer this style than the E Street Band.

3.5

Liked it much more than other stuff I've heard from him. Needs more listens to fully appreciate. - 3.5/5

This is better than I want to admit. A lot better. This is by far the best version of Bruce. Best track: Atlantic City

Not the very best of Springsteen but it's certainly very good.

I think a low 4 for this. It's lyrically very nice, tells some great stories, and is wonderfully haunting, but doesn't do enough musically to elevate it further than this. Not a lot of variety in it, other than the harmonica (which I don't particularly like).

It's alright. Atlantic City was really good but most of the album was a real downer.

Loved highway patrolman. Happy to have heard this album.

A stripped back Springsteen, playing all of the instruments, recorded on a 4 track. Familiar themes and stories of blue collar struggle, but more downbeat and lacking the overblown musical cheesiness of some of his most popular compositions. It really works and is by far my favourite version of The Boss that I've heard so far. As an aside, after listening to 'Atlantic City' I couldn't get 'I Want It That Way' by Backstreet Boys out of my head. Rating: 4/5 Playlist track: Atlantic City Date listened: 14/11/22

beautiful, nostalgic melancholy

Just good ol Bruce

What a fucking slog. Third Springsteen album that I ‘Had to hear’ smh.

Anyone expecting Born In The USA style Springsteen won't be disappointed. You won't get Born In The USA style Springsteen, but you will not be disappointed. Beautiful, eerie, simple, or made to appear that way, storytelling at its best. 4.5/5

Perfect album? Bruce's song writing on this album is exceptional, with small-town, everyman vignettes set to an acoustic performance so vulnerable it's heartbreaking. The production creates a sound that's deeply intimate, like sitting up front, listening to the last performance of the night in a 2 am-empty bar. Amazing work.

I did not know this album existed! It is beautiful, dark, and sometimes quite violent. I very much enjoyed the stripped back and austere production. 4.5+/5

One of the most improbable things that I've learned while listening to albums from this list is that I am apparently a Bruce Springsteen fan. Don't get me wrong, he always seemed like a cool, hardworking guy, but knowing him from his hit songs provided me with a much different perspective on him. This is the fifth album (Darkness on the Edge of Town, Born in the USA, the Rising, Born to Run) of his that I've reviewed, and the only one I didn't really like was Born to Run. The others were fantastic. This album is my favorite so far. It feels so personal and intimate, and I'm glad that he didn't go through with rerecording the songs with the E street band as he originally intended. It's an album so stark in terms of its outlook on the future that it, that it could have been released today. The song State Trooper shows a notable influence from the band Suicide, which was a cool nod (I know that Springsteen has covered their songs live) and also shows just how far-ranging Springsteens influences are 4/5

This is enjoyable, low key music. I'm surprised at how low key it is. All of the songs are crooners.

Takiego albumu nie spodziewalem sie po panu Springsteenie, bo przeciez popularny muzyk radiowo grany, juz darkness on the edge of town wydawal sie albumem malo przyjaznym dla szerszej publiki, ale Nebraska idzie na jeszcze wyzszy poziom, rocznik 82 i szosty album w dyskografii artysty i pierwsza plyta ktorej nie promowal pozniejszym tourowaniem, bo nie ma tutaj koncertowych trakow, cale 40 minut nagrania jest dzielem jednej osoby, nagrywane w warunkach domowych, gdzie instrumentalnie slychac glownie akustyki, od klasycznej gitary, mandoliny, przez organy czy cos cymbalowego, a to wszystko okraszone potezna dawka harmonijkowania, wyjatkiem od tej reguly jest trak open all night, ktory zamiast akustka ficzuruje delikatnego elektryka, ktory nadal jest utrzymany w klimacie prostego troj akordowego grania, do ktorego dochodzi sporo zabawy z poglosowymi efektami na wokalu i muzycznie wychodzi ambitne folkowe rokowanie rodem z heartlandow, jesli chodzi o kontent liryczny to plyta jest przepelniona springsteenowymi bohaterami, wiec przegrywami walczacymi z beznadziejnoscia losu jaki trafili na loterii, dziesiec opowiesci malowanych odcieniami szarosci, ale jednak tak urzekajaco wciagajacych sluchacza na dziesieciu trakach, od seryjnych mordercow przez opryszkow, po wiejskich szeryfow czy kupowanie uzywanych samochodow i innych wspomnien dziecinstwa, ktore nie wydaje sie byc jakims bogatym, jesli przed Nebraska szanowalem pana Bruca za skillse gitarkowe czy energie z born to runa i darknessa, tak teraz jestem fanem tego jak samemu potrafil nagrac taki material, tak osobisty, a jednoczesnie pozwalajacy sie sluchaczowi utozsamiac z kreowanymi bohaterami, prosty muzycznie, a jednak tak wciagajacy w sluchawki, ze musialem go przesluchac juz chyba z piec razy przed jakimikolwiek notatkami albumowymi, na plejke dodam atlantic city, za skojarzenia z boardwalkowym imperium, state troopera za najbardziej niekonwencjonalne wyjcowanie plyty, a jako ostatni braterska historie z highway patrolmena, a cala plyta leci na poleczke, bo dawno tak nie wciagnal mnie krazek jak dzisieszy Springsteen

Like this one a lot.

Litt for gubbete for meg

Ça parle aux écorchés. C’est tellement dépressif... Faudrait disperser tout ça sur 4 albums pour que ça passe mieux.

Boring and a bit too slow.

No, just no. I don't know what people see in this dude but for me it's just not happening. Strangely the very end of the album had a few somewhat decent moments, usually it's the other way around. Apart from the music itself - it's fine to name an album after a title song, but it should follow a theme. Naming an album Nebraska, a location, and follow this first and title track by song called Atlantic city - a completely different location - what?

Taylor Swift could have written Nebraska but Bruce Springsteen could have never written All too well (taylor's version) (10 minute version) (from the vault)

As if I needed another reason to never go to Nebraska. Jesus Christ, who likes this sad sack bullshit music?

While Nebraska eschews some of the cheesy trappings of later Springsteen - the horns, the over-production - it doesn't completely avoid all of the stylistic missteps of his sound. The characteristic dusty, breathy vocal style that would define a whole generation of singer-songwriters, not just Springsteen - but also Rod Stewart, Bryan Adams, John Mellencamp, and even Tom Waits at some of his more saccharine moments and the overly serious small-town troubadour songwriting style are still there. As a standalone album, it's one of the strongest of Springsteen's career, but I can't get back the overall flaws of his sound to see him as anything more than bland momrock. While he's across the board a better songwriter than Bob Seger, he loses when it comes to production choices, hook writing, and general timbre - and Bob Seger is not a highwater mark.

Really shit.

Too country for my taste. And I like the e street band stuff. But this is a good record for what it is. Bedroom demos...

Pretty alright acoustic stuff. Didn't find anything special for me.

So bleak. So perfect. This is the first time I've ever sat down and listened to this album. I know most of the songs really well. The others are familiar. Hearing the whole album should be depressing but I'm too busy with my feelings of awe. Simple songs with sparse backing, sung by a singer with limited range should be a recipe for boredom. Far from it. Springsteen imbues the songs with so much passion that he takes you with him into this dark land and you enjoy the ride

Never my type but Atlantic city is universally good

Haunting and powerful. This is the Bruce Springsteen I really love. His voice is perfect for these songs of longing and regret. Amazing album.

This album is proof of the clout Mr B must have had back in ‘83. ie before Born in the USA. Remarkable. It’s an album that either moves you or not. I’m sort of moved…

Mä oon varmaan väärä ihminen arvioimaan tätä levyä. Mulle tää on vaan mies ja kitara (välillä myös huuliharppu) ja samanlaisia biisejä toistensa perään. Tekstit on varmasti mitkä Brucen biiseistä tekee hienoja, mutta mun on jotenkin aika vaikee samaistua niihin, enkä suoraa sanottuna myöskään aina ymmärrä mistä puhutaan. Tuntuu melkeen pahalta arvostella näin alas tää levy, mutta meen ihan silla fiiliksellä mikä tuli kun kuuntelin tän läpi.

I think I listened to this years ago but never got into it. Really enjoyed it this time! I love the stripped back, intimate style of the whole album. It contrasts nicely with his more radio friendly hits I'm familiar with. This really put me in a contemplative mood and was ideal for driving to. It might not be something I'll listen too often but I will definitely come back to this when the mood is right.

The good people of the state of Nebraska have to have the strongest case ever for malicious misrepresentation. No state can possibly be anything like as boring as this collection of dirges. This is also one of the few records by a singer songwriter that challenges Bob Dylan's capacity for irritating vocals (there has to be a special mention, as always, in this category to Neil Young). Normally I quite like Springsteen but this is just dire. Was the inclusion of all of his albums really necessary.

My favorite Springsteen album but I still don’t love Springsteen.

woohoo another almost dead white man... ... 2 stars (its a 3 but -1 because)

Dark. Hits hard with something for everybody.

I really enjoy a handful of Bruce's songs but none from this album. . just to sleepy for me.

Powerful lyrics, enjoyed the storytelling and singing in this album

ok

I really like this album. Very stripped down, just great song writing. It's only real flaw: it inspired a lot of inferior albums that wanted to be like this. Of course that's not Bruce's fault. I don't think it's quite a 5 but I will give it a very enthusiastic 4 stars.

Great sense of rawness and emotion, very moving songwriting. I feel like I need to listen to the lyrics more closely to truly get it, but it's really effective at what it is. There aren't many songwriters that can just ditch the band for a bit and pull off this kind of album.

It's like listening to someone cosplay a cowboy.

Great album, don't listen to Springsteen often but it's always a pleasure.

Classic Springsteen. Not really any upbeat songs, so kinda boring after a while.

Rock oscuro típico de Springsteen. Un 4.

Taste havers with a time machine: Bruce, drop the E Street Band

Fucking mid lmao. I won’t be listening to this shit ever again.

Tem umas músicas boas, mas no geral, nunca vou voltar a escutar ele inteiro. Apenas algumas, como: Atlantic City Nebraska Mansion On The Hill

good

Great album.

I enjoyed this stripped-down sound more than the other Springsteen albums on this list

Not his best but some oh his most solemn work, great album

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.

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.)

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.

It's just not Born in the USA

ok, would not listen again

blinded by the light

Never did care for his music

That was hard to listen to. He was either mumbling or too loud most of the time and the harmonica was screeching in my ears.

Who was I joking? Of course this is one of Springsteen’s most memorable. This aged better than a fine wine for me.

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.

Some real good tunes on here. First half of the album is soft, then it gets bigger in instrumentation.

S Tier = Atlantic City; State Trooper; My Father’s House A Tier = Nebraska B Tier = Highway Patrolman C Tier = Used Cars; Reason to Believe D Tier = Mansion on the Hill; Johnny 99; Open All Night

This is a tough one for me, balancing the weight of Springsteen's legacy, my thoughts about the music, and my as-objective-as-possible approach to these ratings. The conclusion: While I don't find the music to be poor, this album makes me wonder at why Springsteen became as big as he did. Is this perhaps not his best work? Are there other factors contributing to his fame? Whatever the case, I'd have to say that this album was just "good" – with some tracks maybe reaching "great" – especially given that there is, in my opinion, much better music in the areas of folk and folk rock. If I could, I'd maybe give this one a 3.5.

Really wasn't into this. Dreary voice. Would really have to be in the mood for slower sad stuff. Did enjoy "Open All Night" though.

Title song inspired by the movie Badlands, nice lyrics. The album was kind of boring.

I didn’t expect to like Bruce Springsteen but this was a great album.

No matter how acoustic his guitar is or how much reverb he puts on it, Springsteen just cannot pull off the country authenticity needed to sell this LP. Little rhythmic or lyrical variation means this is a forty-minute slog that just never hits home as a truly genuine red-dirt country album.

Big miss

Is was meh

God this shit was SO boring. I really don’t understand why he’s a thing .

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

Depressing

It feels quite ordinary but, really, its just not my bag

all killer

Fuck this shit

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.

Too slow for me. Open all night was my favorite song. Not sure how this was enjoyable unless you are high, in your feels or just old

I’m never going to Nebraska.

Meh. It's just not Born in the USA.

My favorite Springsteen album by a lot. So beautiful.

Very good

Kind of a mellow album from what I knew of The Boss. Good listening American music

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."

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.

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.

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.

Good album

Listen, I totally get that this album has poetic value, and that he was trying a new style. But WOW, this was one of the dullest albums I’ve had in months, musically speaking. The songs are SO simplistic, the majority of them use the three most basic chords (1,4,5) and are just plain indistinguishable. There is no talent displayed here, his voice is a bit annoying, and the harmonica pierces my ears. Compared to the rest of the 1001 list, this one is surely a 1/5

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"

They blew a chicken man in Philly last night, and they blew a piss house too? Yeah, I'm not digging this even slightly. Dirge followed by dirge. Until "state trooper" which starts out nice and shows promise, but is ultimately a bit shit without actually going anywhere. It almost imperceptibly gathers pace in a way that, if it actually went anywhere, could be considered threatening... But then it just literally fades the fuck out, achieving absolutely nothing. And is instantly followed by another dirge. Open All Night is almost a straight up beat for beat cover of Dire Straits Walk of Life, but without the upbeat pleasure of it. A couple more dirges for good luck and yeah, I've heard all I need to. This is a rock solid one-star bag o'shite.

Stripped down. Good not great.

A lot chiller than I expected, more Bob Dylan-y. I was expecting stadium rock to be honest!

Good

After reading about how this record got made, it's a pretty interesting story, and the novel approach, and also pretty brave. The thing is, it didn't translate to the songs. This was a bust.

Nothing stands out

The antidote for Springsteen haters. If you loathe Bruce Springsteen, you will probably love "Nebraska".

Sounds a bit like Bob Dylan in places but not as interesting

Americana.

The first solo album and a cracker

I've listened to this many times, but finally taking the time to review it. This album is so American. Springsteen is often said to be at his best on this album. I can't disagree. While it's not my favorite, it might very well be his best. Overall, it feels sad. Life coming up short. Getting older.

I guess this is my favorite Springsteen album so far. Not generally a fan, but the stripped back style sounds OK to me.

Never liked him. Don't like monotone acoustic miserablists. This is the perfect storm of stuff I don't like

Not impressed to be honest. His voice comes out so dull for this style of album. Overall pretty boring, only redeeming song was Atlantic City.

I don’t love Springsteen but I don’t hate him either… The album opens with it’s title track a very basic all American sounding ballad. It’s okay except the harmonica at the start… yuck. Atlantic city sounds like something a group of musicians will be playing at a street festival loud, folkish and somewhat uninteresting. Things slow down with mansion on the hill but the criticisms are still the same. Springsteen’s echoey vocals don’t work In Johnny 99 but it’s not dreadful just okay. Both highway patrolman and used cars are dull and lack anything to really review them of. State trooper appears in between the last two songs mentioned and well this one is cool to be fair, the album’s rockiest track with a bad arse guitar riff ( for an acoustic) and the screaming at the end somehow works perfectly! Open all night is also a fairly rocky cut using an electric guitar and one of the better songs by far. Then my father’s house is boring yet a solid song. I don’t get reason to believe being the closer over my father’s house but this song is still one of the best songs on the album, not my kinda thing, but still great! This is the most by the book 3 that I could ever give it’s solid there are little actually bad songs but plentiful of boring slow pieces and yeah I’ll give him that he is a good lyricist but not good enough to save him from the mid tier.

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.

bruce

Listened to on 7/13/22 3.5/5 Favorite song: Nebraska This wasn’t my favorite of his albums and didn’t have any songs that were particularly memorable but it was still pretty good

Real folksy and slow. Nice to listen to

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

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.

I liked the overall moodiness. Bruce is emo as heck

Good

meh

*Yawn*

I just can't

A little one note; harmonica is weak, production is sloppy, chords are basic, vocals are monotone, narrative is odd.

Over the recent years, as more people have become political activists, Bruce Springsteen has still been in the scene for a long time. This album has been considered darker than others, as shown by the themes explored. Springsteen's storytelling influenced by those such as Bob Dylan have shown the most strength here, as songs such as "Highway Patrolman" and "Reason to Believe" prove. Unfortunately, the actual music is just good, which weakens the album a lot. Nebraska shows a more thoughtful side from Bruce, which is ruined by the "average" music.

Was very "one note" for me. Nothing really stood out as being amazing. Maybe it'd be better with more context on his career?

To quote Tom Morello, "You don't gotta be loud to be heavy as shit."

Wasn't always a fan of this era of Bruce, but this time through I mostly enjoyed Nebraska.

Starts out great, but gets tiring towards the end, which made the experience of listening to it something weird

Clima cativante, bom uso de harmônicas e das harmonias das faixas acústicas.

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

To be fair, this was alright (this coming from someone who thinks Springsteen is one of the most overrated artists of all time). The vocals are tolerable and he creates a moody introspective atmosphere via some Americana influenced songs with a simple acoustic guitar and harmonica backing. Yet somehow it also sounds a bit forced, like he's putting it on. Anyway, I gave it a chance, played it through and didn't hate it like the last Springsteen album I listened to.

Perfect early morning background music

Bring back Throbing Gristle.

Tedious nonsense. Even his well-known stuff was dreadful, and this is somehow worse, truly terrible

Is the singular for tedium tedia?

Bloody hell, enough of the harmonica already! The gentle guitar playing is quite soothing, but far far too much harmonica, man! 1.5

I've never quite understood the hype for Springsteen. To me he's always been kind of a journeyman rocker without much humor or feel for any kind of groove. This album got so much praise and it eludes me entirely. Somehow, mumbling with minimal instrumentation is supposed to make this an authentic and interesting album - it doesn't.

Beautiful

Rustic Bruuuuuuuuuce

An on brand Springsteen offering. Solid and steady as always.

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.

mournful. better than born in the usa which was inadvertently jingoistic.

Americana feels hit you right in the patriotism. It’s a decent effort from The Boss. I found it an easy quick listen. Probably won’t go back to it.

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.

Not what I expected from the Boss, kind of surprised

Something about his voice and writing in this one turned me off. I really didn't like it.

Amazingly boring...

meh

zzzzzzzzzz

Best Song: Highway Patrolman. I'm a sucker for these kind of simple, storytelling songs and this one's not bad, although sometimes the syllables don't line up well and it feels like he needs to rush or drag to finish a particular phrase on time. Worst Song: Reason to Believe. I would have liked something more dramatic to conclude this otherwise sleepy album, not a sort of religious diatribe. Overall: I appreciate that this has less of the over-the-top bravado that characterizes much of the other of Springsteen's work that I am familiar with, but still, I just find his voice largely uninteresting.

Ik ken leuke nummers van Bruce Springsteen. Dit album vind ik erg kaal klinken - de man met de gitaar - en ook de melodie vind ik erg basic. Helaas niet iets waar ik echt van kan genieten. **

Nice folk with some beautiful moment, but ultimately too downbeat and monotonous for me.

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.

Beautiful

I think ultimately I prefer his stadium rock work, but this is a nice change of pace. Definitely more contemplative and quieter

I really like this version of Springsteen, I do love great story telling, especially done simply. Fave: My Father's House

Pretty boring.

all ‘merican buzzkill

9/10 Best Song - Atlantic City

So sparse, and so powerful. I can’t believe how simply he recorded it.

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.

Cool

fucking hell, cheer up bruce. Nebraska must be a grim place if this is what it sounds like. not much good to say about this dreary load.

Stuffing ice cubes down my knickers and squealing like a burns victim is how I like to experience this record. Nothing is as exciting as the first time I heard it. I was banging a whore at the time though. I say whore, it was the remains of a small boy covered in maple syrup.

Fine, if you like this kind of thing. I don't massively, but I doubt Bruce Springsteen is too upset about that. He should be though.

SHACK Well if he had gone dark story telling country, this would be SHACK. SHACK Where's Maddie SHACK?

A moody and brooding atmospheric offering from The Boss that's perfect cool down music on a rainy day when you've been fighting with your spouse before 9am. I dig that harmonica, man. It knows how I and all of Nebraska feel. Bruce is a very talented storyteller and I love his voice. But I have to say, The Band's cover of Atlantic City is far superior. I would have loved for them to cover this whole album to infuse these songs with their carefree country bumpkin Americana enthusiasm.

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

njä, lite trökigt

Very stripped down. Nice!

4/15/2022 Today's Album: "Nebraska" by Bruce Springsteen - Let's get this out of the way. The country genre is plagued with cheap sellouts and generic 4 chord strummers, but there must be a distinction between those artists and Bruce Springsteen, who as far as I can tell, pioneered the genre and did it better than anyone could replicate. Each of his songs have the same sort of guitar and harmonica shtick to them, but they also mostly have this really depressed loner tone to them. I don't know if I would add any of the tracks from this album to my playlist, but I think there is definitely a time and a place for music like this and I can respect that this is not just a shitty country record like I might expect on first impression. I will say that the production of this project makes me sort of sick. His voice has this really weird peaking issue where there'll be a ton of compression when he sings a little louder into the microphone. He is obviously a great performer at both guitar and harmonica, but I just don't think he does a lot to impress me. It's definitely more about the story-teller aspect of his music and trying to get a deeper meaning, but on a first listen it just is sort of distracting how little there is to latch onto musically. I will also say that a lot of the subject matter built into the genre is usually pretty toxically masculine, and this album isn't devoid of that, but it definitely steers away from it more than the average country project. Overall, if you like country music you're probably going to be into this, but I haven't really met many people that like country music and aren't slightly inbred so take that as you will. Score: 5.5/10 A great country record, but a country record nonetheless. Highlights: Atlantic City, Johnny 99, Open All Night

2/5 somewhat boring.

Had always wanted to listen to this album and get more into the boss. Going to take more than this one to get me there. Just a little too subdued for me. 2/5

Not a fan of the boss but i liked this album.

Attempting to bask near the glory of other albums, this one doesn’t do much for me. Feels like forced sentimentality

The Boss give a more stripped down album

Downbeat, raw, Solomon subject matter. Not the Springsteen I like, although songwriting, musicianship and delivery are still excellent.

A little less harmonica would have done it for me, but really good relaxing/driving/campfire album.

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

Perfect record. Top 10 of all time.

I just couldn’t finish one track on this album. There were a few songs that I thought were gonna be ok but then he started with the dissonant harmonica and ruined it. At one point I thought the harmonica was off and it.was.his.voice (Johnny 99). This entire album sounds like someone took ambien and is trying to quickly record it before they fall asleep. I don’t get this one, not for me.

small-time criminals, desperate people, desperate times, love and love lost. But, in the end, somehow, we find a reason to believe.

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

There are so many great albums by Bruce, and they pick this one. Just so boring ... D+

2. pour State Trooper Sinon c'est chiant

As far as Springsteen albums go this is not the best. It isn't a bad album just not as good as a lot of his discography. It is also a really depressing album when you read the message behind it. I do have this to thank for one of my favorite albums of 2021, "Pressure Machine" by The Killers.

Folk. Bastante aburrido.

American story telling... Did not care for these unpolished bits

meh

Wonderful folk sound from Bruce Springsteen. Favorites: "Atlantic City", "Johnny 99", "State Trooper"

decent, but not very special Bruce album. Some songs sound like ones I heard on more recent albums of him too somehow

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.

Not bad but not my kind of music

Not a big fan. Grating.

3.75

Widely acclaimed as Springsteen's best album, I really like it but would probably put it 3rd on my list of his records.

Nebraska Nebraska I love youuu

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.

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.

An uninteresting slog of an acoustic album, the songs all blend together and nothing really stands out. I'll admit I only really know the hits when it comes to Springsteen, but this really fell short of any expectations I may have had.

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

favorite songs: Atlantic City; Mansion on the Hill; Johnny 99; Highway Patrolman; State Trooper; My Father's House; Reason to Believe.

Beautifully melancholic

Really good, I liked it a lot. Very stripped down and good!

4.75

I think I just don't like Bruce Springsteen that much... His version of Atlantic City is so far inferior to The Band's version in my opinion--less energy, more slurring of his words, less tight arrangement, less interesting. Even some of the lyrics are worse! He just seems to be whining into the mic in a lot of these. I appreciate some of his tunes but can't get behind him overall.

Senza dubbio grande artismo eh, però senza testi davanti non è particolarmente appassionante. Così a cazzotto non capisco come faccia ad essere così famoso. Di nuovo, mi viene in mente De Andrè, non solo ha testi della madonna, ma proprio le melodie sono belle e variate, sto qua blatera sempre allo stesso modo. Boh.

When I was a kid, I had joined the Columbia House Record Club. I picked a number of Bruce Springsteen albums because hey, he's from Jersey, right? I still only listen to Born To Run and Born In The USA with any frequency at all. If I had gotten this album then I probably would have need mental help. This is the bleakest album I have ever heard. I mean, it's him trying hard to be Dylan in a lot of ways, but wow. I find it interesting that the sides are so unbalanced on the record and tape. I would have found that confusing as a kid as well. Why put them so unbalanced? I guess there was a point... It's a very stark record, compared to the bombast of a lot of his other stuff, impressive that range. But still, man, Bruce lighten UP. So yeah, it was very well made, a stark record, but it was VERY depressing. Going to have to be in a good mood before I come back to that one.

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.

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).

Ugh, fuck off. I just had "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan" three days ago and this is literally the same thing. Boring mumbly folk rock until the harmonica starts and your entire auditory system shuts down, leaving you with lifelong tinnitus. Thanks for the headache. Harmonicas are more annoying than kazoos. Bruce Springsteen at least has a bearable voice when compared to Bob Dylan, but that doesn't make this album anything higher than a 1/5 for me.

The boss man has let me down again, sad face.

Estilo propio del compositor norteamericano. Voz característica. Suave y tranquilo de escuchar. Poco rock que destila. Le falta algo. Un poco decepcionante

Sad and gloomy

Good.

La pièce titre est juste incroyable, juste ça fait que c'est un excellent album. Un Springsteen acoustique c'est difficile à battre. 5

This is really my shit right now but I did listen to it yesterday and entirely forgot it. Listening again and yeah, still my thing but will I remember tomorrow? Will dock a star from what I feel whilst actually listening for forgetability

We love the Boss

I tend not to listen to lyrics and found this album a massive snore.

Like a cross between Woody Guthrie and Suicide.

Definitely a classic. A few of the songs are a bit samey tho.

EVERYTHING DIES BABY THAT'S A FACT but maybe everything that dies someday comes back😭

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.

Might revisit, if I can slow down a bit

I find it a masterpiece. Good for work and blue mood.

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.

No era lo que me esperaba. Disco triste y tranquilo. 3.5 que suben a 4. Gran sorpresa.

Un disco muy melancólico e inclusive doloroso, acerca de la vida en USA lejos de las ciudades, las luces, las grandezas que se ven en la tele. Extrañamente, la mejor rola del disco es Atlantic City que es la que de cierta forma no cuadra con la temática completa.

v somber

This is great… it’s 1D, but I suppose that’s the idea. Just feel like it needs some E-street sometimes!

Best album

I love this stripped down, acoustic Springsteen. The imagery of these songs are all so vivid. Beautiful album

Maybe Springsteen's best?

De este álbum solo puedo salvar una canción, “State Trooper”, que con literalmente dos acordes tiene mucha más música que todas las demás juntas que, por culpa de esa languidez y una omnipresente armónica, parecen compuestas en la cárcel para ser tocadas en la iglesia… de la cárcel. Compraría este disco para poder prenderle fuego físicamente.

Fantastic, a classic.

No es para un publico, que no esta acostumbrado a esto. Intente, sin exito, escucharlo.

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

Not the type of sound i love bruce for but still an all timer

-"Johnny 99," "Open All Night," and "Reason to Believe" gets decently groovy. -"Johnny 99" sounds vaguely Johnny Cash-like --The harmonica in quite a few songs is cool, particularly "Johnny 99" and "Reason to Believe" -Overall just not very exciting or interesting

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

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.

Nice songs, but the sound becomes a bit repetitive. Very much underplayed.

Not the best

Lyrically this was fire....musically was a bit samey

Bruce is singing funeral dirges for lost potential.

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.

Pretty underwhelming. I still don't get the appeal of The Boss. No, I'm not asking for help. I'm fine forgetting about this forgettable music.

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.

A fairly solid concept album from Bruce about a town on Nebraska, I think. Anyways, good listen, a nice sound, 3.5/5

Buen disco

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.

Very Boss roadtrip

8/10

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.

I knew nothing about this album but damn that’s some sense stuff. Very Johnny Cash-esque, and funny to hear that Cash covered some of this album. Worth a listen, but I won’t be re-listening too soon.

Not the stuff I know from Springsteen, but good

Great storyteller. Most songs are depressing or slow sounding

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.

Too slow songs