Nebraska

it was on a better side of country 3.5

8.5/10

I understand now why people love him. He is a talented singer/songwriter. I respect him and his music. I just don't want to be involved in any way.

8/10 Best songs: Atlantic City, Johnny 99, State Trooper What I find fascinating about this album is how restrained Springsteen is. He never goes hard with his singing; he never uses obscenities; his music very very rarely reaches a huge, bombastic crescendo. He's quite talented. His music doesn't entirely work for me for this reason - I like my music to have more extremes; because of this, State Trooper is probably the best song on this album because he marries his restraint to something "more." Overall pretty good. I won't make my mom (a Bruce Springsteen fan since the 70s) angry after all!

5 Sterne wegen seinem Protestsong gegen Trump.

A quietly poignant picture of Americana that finds beauty in the banality of life.

Jeg er glad for at jeg har set BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN: DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE så jeg forstod, hvad inspirationen bag Mansion on a Hill var (dengang han så et stort hus på en bakke)

Virkelig stærk folk-plade, mit toxic trait er at det her nok er min yndlings-Springsteen. Det her album er markant bedre end filmen om det her album.

Decent listening experience! 🤠

Wannabe bob dylan

not my favorite Bruce - but it is still the Boss

It was alright. Not a huge Springsteen fan but I can appreciate him.

Boring. Ugh

Атмосферно, 3,5

Начало мне нравится, видно что альбом будет про ковбойскую, фермерскую естетику. Музыка очень простая, гитара и гармошка, текст и вокал тоже простой. Пресновато 2,5 из 5. Скучно🫩 Альбом не вызывает эмоций, даже отрицательных. Не понимаю за какие заслуги его добавили в эту подборку

Had a hard time getting through this album.

Beautiful, essential. “Atlantic City” is an all-time great. The album’s closer to 4.5 than 4.

bob dylan fans would like it, but im not fan

This album always intrigued me, today was the day I finally listened and I’m disappointed. The lyrics aren’t that good, the whole idea sounds appealing to me but it doesn’t hit.

This album is morose, quiet, and introspective. It feels as though Bruce has been frustrated with America, but, doesn't quite have the words to express the level of frustration. Because of that, this album just doesn't quite hit. It sometimes gets close, but, never tips over the edge.

and the attawaking holler days came to a shuttered close

Some great moments but not really my cuppa

pls stop giving me white american music, it's sooooooooooo boring

Really surprised me, it had an early Bob Dylan vibe to it? Nebraska was such a good song! I honestly really was shocked, loved it

I'm getting Bob Dylan flashbacks... 😟

1. nebrazka - 2 2. atlantic - 1 3. manzion - 2 4. johny - 1.5 5. highuuay - 1.5 6. trooper - 1.5 7. carz -2 8. night - 2 9. houze - 1.5 10. reazon - 1.5

Well, they blew up the chicken man in Philly last night

Is it genius? Maybe. Is it good? no. Can’t get into the monotonous Americana, although lyrics seem to be good when my attention span can handle paying attention to them. I’m sorry Bruce. I like your heartthrob fun stuff, I don’t like your dark side. But to be fair, I struggle to like dark music. It’s not you, it’s me!!. 2.4

I fear I have lived a life too privileged for this album to be anything other than a man strumming an acoustic guitar. I do appreciate how depressed this sounds, I’m very used to Bruce being loud and proud and it’s interesting to hear him just hopeless over some of this.

Probably the best of Springsteen which is saying a lot. He sucks

This album is a cure for insomnia

But unusual from Springsteen's usual fare, ok I suppose 3*

This aint it chief

Nah. Who outside the US cares about this drivel? The guitar is boring, Bruce's singing moreso. Not gonna waste my time finishing this record. Instead, I listened to Black Messiah from the late and great D'Angelo. I knew some songs from this record already, but it could not prepare me for the absolutely amazing record it is. Its jazzy, soulful and if you ask me one of the, if not the best R&B album of the 21st century. It's often leans into the more experimental side, but never strays too far. Enough to be tantalizing, not enough to be grating. Each song is just an instant classic. Unlike Nebraska, which sucks. 2/10

Boring, stale didn't finish as I got bored. Standard country stuff.

Fairly boring. Didn't really grip me. Probably didn't give it chance, but definitely a forgettable album

Great album. Has a stripped down sound. Works well with Bruce’s vocal delivery. Notable tracks include Nebraska, Atlantic City, Highway Patrolman, State Trooper, Used Cars.

Other than Atlantic City, this album is awful. So slow and morose. and some of the lyrics are just dumb. This could easily be a 1.

Decent album. Slower than I normally listen to. I enjoyed the harmonica. My dad would like it

Gritty and raw, this is quintessential Springsteen. The storytelling in his songs is great. My only issue is you really have to be in the mood to listen to this album.

Every day in America, it feels like it gets harder and harder to accept that I have to live in the same country as people with truly monstrous beliefs, such as those who gave this a lower score than Born in the U.S.A.

Not an album if heard before. It was ok but certainly not my favourite of his.

Didn't think I knew this album at all - turns out I must have owned it at some point as I knew and loved every song.

I'm getting spoilt with all the Bruce we've had recently. I love that this one is so different from the albums around it in his discography, he has come back to something similar a few times since but never quite like this. A moody reflection on isolation, sadness, and desperation. “I guess there’s just a meanness in this world.”

It’s a gritty , real album , that you need to be in the mood for. I loved it

I’ve enjoyed discovering more of Bruce through this project but I knew this one would be coming up and it’s one I’ve previously found more of a challenge to enjoy listening to. It’s certainly not the usual Bruce fare and the stripped back nature of it gives another side to his work. It’s still a bit of a challenge to engage with completely but an interesting listen.

Bruce is beginning to annoy me now. He can’t sing, the songs are average at best and this album lacks any energy.

He must have been going through his Guthrie/Dylan phase at this point. And I approve, well, in comparison to his usual middle of the road rock guff.

Calls the album Nebraska...first track is called Nebraska. Album is still about New Jersey haha Excellent album. The Boss always delivers for me. You can feel his pain and emotion in every bar of music. It's beautiful.

Much more up by street than the usual full-band-mode Springsteen

This would be great for a long peaceful road trip

I liked a couple of songs but not really my cup of tea. 3/5

zzz

Springsteen gör sin grej så bra som det går, men den grejen är allt som oftast inte min.

Shit vad boss.

bruce not my guy but not bad

A bit samey, but at the beginning the album has some amazing songs. This sadness and compassion to it at the beginning shifts to life-affirming stories in the second half of snapshots of life. Snapshot storytelling

she was staaaaadinnnn, on heeer froooont laawwn

Harmonica through the streets of a town so silent and still

another album that i wasnt expecting to like much. it wasnt bad. I like atlantic city i saved that song

Enough with the Springsteen already

It feels like a seminal album. So thank you for that. But what comes from this album in music, is probably better

Well, they blew up the Chicken Man in Philly last night. They blew up his house, too..everything dies, baby, that's a fact. But maybe everything that dies someday comes back.

this genuinely healed me. thank you bruce and your awesome harmonica love you

Look man its really good music. But the stripped down sound and low production value makes it so unenjoyable. Its dark like an old bruise and harden like calloused skin. Somewhat a metaphor again for how hard life can be. But lukewarm bruce album, badass he dropped this at his peak though.

Holy snore-fest… not a single track stood out to me. I understand that Bruce Springsteen is meant to be one of the greats, but in this album he sure doesn’t sound like it. Swing and a miss, buddy!

I think you need context to appreciate this album. It's alright on its own, but if you know how this fits in his discography, it's pretty awesome.

I have already listened to this and did not like it then

On a lot of albums that I love, there’s one slower or acoustic song that I find slow and boring and a slog to get through. But after a couple dozen listens, I grow to appreciate it a lot more. This feels like an album of those songs. I love a lot of Bruce’s music, but this did not do it for me on a first listen. Maybe someday after many many listens it will hit me, but it’ll take a while to get there and I’m not sure I have the patience.

:0 FAVS (top 3): mansion on the hill, state trooper, my fathers house mençoes honrosas: atlantic city, used cars o album é bom, mas nenhuma diferença nas faixas fica meio massante por 40 min... tipo pra ouvir bem chill da pra ouvir tb de som de fundo mas so se quiser, nao é um repeat facil mas é ouvivel nota final: 3/5

7 - GOOD

i like atlantic city but the rest of it was pretty boring

Very not my type of music

This is how Springsteen should sound, stripped down to the basics.

I own this on vinyl bro

Listened to it while working - it's mostly too slow for my liking.

Enjoyed it, good background music to work to.

Really enjoyed this - gave me a nostalgic folk, Bob Dylan feeling.

I will start by admitting that I've never really been much of a fan of The Boss. The first few tracks ("Nebraska", "Atlantic City", which I knew from a cover of the track by The Band, and "Mansion on the Hill") surprised me, and at least momentarily, I felt the pared down, solo, 4 track recordings suited Springsteen more than his grander compositions. They quickly overstayed their welcome, and I spent the latter two-thirds of the album either bored or annoyed by his almost signature combination of self-indulgent attempts at songwriting broaching on high-art and generally lackluster, shouty and mumbly vocal performance. I admire his inspiration by and attempt to incorporate more rootsy singer-songwriter stylings into his repertoire, but a lot of it feels as though it's a pale facsimile of the greater artists Bruce imitates (Dylan, Cash, Guthrie, and in some cases here Townes Van Zandt). I feel as though it grasps at the achievements of the great American songwriting of decades past, but simply misses a lot of the cultural context and grit it sprung from, making it dull in comparison. It gets 2 stars, I appreciate the attempt at branching out on his part, and think there are some respectable tracks on this album, but it very much fails to impress for most of it's length. Favorite Tracks: "Atlantic City", "Nebraska" Least Favorite Track: "My Father's House"

I am... not a Springsteen fan, to be frank. Wailing on the harmonica and talk-singing (reductive) gets old for me very fast. That being said, I'm not sure I've ever sat down and tried to listen to an album straight through, so this was a good experience. I will start with my first positive takeaway being that some the harmonica play was more nuanced and enjoyable than I initially gave credit. It absolutely shreds on Atlantic City and....Johnny 99? I think my issue is his harmonica style pairs better with his more heavy hitting guitar performances to my ear (Atlantic City). But going from his super low tempo ballad-like acoustics and lyrics so soft they blend into the melody, to that piercing pitch of often simple and repetitive pieces is just not enjoyable for me. I also just cannot get on board with basically narrative stories on top of a melody. It feels so boring in comparison to the more poetic, verse heavy interpretations of the artform. Not to mention how generally samey that consistent structure makes most of his work feel indistinct from each other to me. Last complaint, the weird ad libs are so not it. State Trooper is probably the worst offender but the hoots n hollers can be so ick.

The Yellowstone of albums- no depth, repetitive, but if you want to live an Americana fantasy, you probably eat it up.

TIL that Bruce Springsteen has a really depressing album called Nebraska

Pretty solid. feels very American

An absolutely awful album

ok THIS Bruce Springsteen I can get behind

Helt ok

Ein stilles, düsteres Album voller Geschichten über Verlorene und Gestrandete. Reduziert auf das Wesentliche, wirkt es roh und ehrlich – aber auch sperrig. Kein Rock, sondern akustischer Minimalismus, Mundharmonika mit Tiefgang.

I mean... well written and well meaning. Fits well in his repertoire. Just not something I would seek out or think to put on a playlist. Musically, lyrically, and conceptually good. Solid 3.

Not for me. 1/5

Don’t support Trump but liked the album

Didn't quite click for me - not sure why. Possibly needed quieter environment

2/5 Há algumas faixas introspectivas e interessantes, porém grande parte parece que nunca foi finalizada. Os roques não fazem sentido apenas com o violão e a voz do cantor.

It swasn’t really bad, but it’s just not my thing. This is basically late night, lonesome cowboy music, like the kind of album you’d put on while drowning your sorrows in a flask of whiskey and feeling bad for yourself.

I can not be dealing with Springsteen, although I do quite like the song The Cash Brothers wrote about this album. Source: YouTube https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Pycuwh1p4oo&pp=0gcJCTIBo7VqN5tD

Bruce Springsteen was at the height of his powers in 1981. He just put out two incredible, all-time great albums, Born To Run and The River. However, after selling a ton of records and becoming rich and famous, like all true artists, he kind of felt lost or, maybe, guilty. He wanted to be an artist, not a rock and roll star. The problem is, when you’re good, you’re good, and the people will find you. So, Bruce retired to his ranch in New Jersey and began writing songs that would become the album Nebraska, with a few winding up on Born in the USA. Bruce sat down with his guitar, his harmonica, and a four-track recorder, which allowed him to record vocals, guitar, harmonica, and one more track. He began to write and record the demos for Nebraska. There was the title track, Nebraska, inspired by the Terrence Malick movie Badlands. It’s a beautiful-looking movie about a murderous couple just out killing for fun. It’s based on a true story, of course. The song is incredible and a good introduction to the darkness on the album. Track two is Atlantic City, which is about a dude who needs to provide for his family, so he has to go to work for the mob in Atlantic City. Later, there are songs about Bruce’s father and his unresolved issues with his father. I’m not a folk guy. I love guitars, I love the E Street Band, but this album is a masterpiece. Though, thinking more about it, this isn't exactly a folk album. I think it's too pessimistic to be what feels like folk to me. I'd still call this a rock album. I’m also not a lyrics guy most of the time, I’m a riff guy, but Bruce can write poetry and this album is full of it. Bruce brought his demos in for the E Street Band to work up and by the time they got the songs recorded, they just didn’t work. Finally, Bruce was convinced to just release his demos as the album. It’s so dumb to even suggest. What’s the show about? It’s about nothing. Nothing? There has to be something. No, nothing, Jerry. That’s the show. I think you have something there. Anyway, Bruce was on board and somehow they got the record company on board. I’m quite sure there’s no way a record company today, if there still are record companies today, would ever let Sabrina Carpenter or whoever is popular now, release an album made up of demos they recorded in their bedroom with bleak lyrics and just a harmonica and an acoustic guitar. But the record company agreed that Nebraska was art and people needed to hear it. Even though everyone was on board, they pretty much thought this album would not sell. Coming off Born To Run and The River, you put out an acoustic album next? Once word gets out, the casual fans will just wait for the next album, if they ever buy another Springsteen album. But, wouldn’t you know it? The album got great reviews and sold over 1 million units in the U.S. I know I’ve not really talked much about the actual songs like I have in the last few of these I’ve done, and the songs are brilliant, but I find the whole story behind the album fascinating. The songs are all stories, really. A song about a guy who loses his job and murders a motel clerk out of frustration, a song about a cop wrestling with letting a family member skate by after a crime, or to arrest him, another about a car thief becoming more and more paranoid as he’s driving a stolen car down the highway, all the songs are great. I used to think Springsteen was for old people. I just didn’t get him. Then I really listened to Born To Run for real, and I got it. The light bulb turned on. But Nebraska is different. It’s not the big band and the fun times. It’s dark and spare. It’s not an album you put on at parties, but it’s one I think you must hear before you die.

Going through a lot at this time of his life, that much is made extremely clear throughout this album. Little Bob Dylanish at points, both in the voice and (of course) the harmonica. The folky, bluesy guitar playing is a little same samey, however quite nice to listen to. His storytelling, as always, is exceptional and is what makes him such a unique muscian. Nice to hear a different side to Springsteen, other than his over played radio hits. Highlight 'State Trooper' - sounded almost The Doorish.

It was alright.

not really my style, very beautiful songs but sometimes I felt like I listened to one song again and again. I would give 3.5 stars if I could

Springsteen channels his inner Nick Cave on this collection of dark Americana.

The Jeremy and Jeremy performance in Deliver Me From Nowhere was a great insight to this album. I had listened to this album off and on for the better part of forty years and the story behind it is likely much better than the following album. While it’s probably my fourth or fifth favorite Springsteen album, it’s still a five star banger.

After all my "this is dull" comments for many other albums, I come to this. Yet I don't find this dull. Slow paced? Sure. But I've always found the album to be one of my preferred Bruce albums. J99 I used to sing to my kids as infants. Odd choice, but I knew the words and it was at bedtime, so it fit. With two sons, the song about the highway cop.

Just ok, nothing special

Dreary

This was outstanding. So simple and so impactful. Great lyrics and good stories.

i can appreciate the storytelling, but i just cant get into Bruce unfortunately.

much has been made about Springsteen's pessimistic outlook on the world across these songs—it was around the time of Nebraska's release in the 80s that Springsteen first started seeing a professional about his depression after years of denial—as well as the boldness of his decision to make this sparse, solo acoustic album his followup to The River, a lavish E Street Band-assisted double-LP that was also his first #1 in the US. it's also notable as one of the first major DIY recordings; these songs were all recorded on a four-track and were intended to be demos for a full-band album that wasn't released until last year's Nebraska '82 reissue. it's interesting, actually, to listen to this in such close proximity to the release of Electric Nebraska and the Deliver Me From Nowhere biopic, which is focused primarily on the making of this album. I dunno, it just seems interesting to focus on the Nebraska era compared to, say, a more polished and explosive record like Born to Run. I think it just goes to show how quietly influential Nebraska has been on rock music, especially in the underground, over the past few decades; and when the songs are this high-caliber, it's no wonder why the haunting mood of this album has persisted in the minds of Springsteen fans to this day! sometimes all you need is a guitar, a harmonica and the truth. Springsteen's typical working-class narratives are in abundance here, but the stories themselves are decidedly darker than usual. it starts pretty much right away; the opening title track is about Charles Starkweather, an Actual Serial Killer who murdered 10 people in Nebraska and Wyoming while on the run from the law with his underage girlfriend; it's immediately followed by "Atlantic City", a song about a man who turns to working for the mob in the titular city, in a last-ditch effort to make ends meet after years of honest work fail to relieve his debts. there's plenty of grizzly narratives to follow,—some less fictional than others—but some of the most interesting tracks are the ones where Springsteen gets autobiographical ("Mansion on the Hill", "Used Cars" and "My Father's House"), opening up about his own lower-class economic background and the envy he felt at those who were more well-off than his family growing up. it's also interesting to listen to this album against the current backdrop of ICE raids and foreign occupations and extrajudicial killings and other heinous actions that have marked being American in 2026, and in just a couple weeks too. many of these songs are about blue-collar workers who try their whole lives to amount to something, but never do. it's one of the most recurring themes in the Springsteen discography, and it's one which gets more and more relevant with time. while Nebraska will certainly make you reflect on the dark side of American life, Springsteen is courteous enough to offer a bit of levity, however morbid, on the closing track. "at the end of every hard-earned day," even at the lowest points in their lives, "people find some reason to believe." I hope I can continue to believe in something. decent 9/10.

looove him, made me kinda sad

Man, was this dull and boring. 1/10

See you tomorrow! Not bad, but not me

this review is quite biased because i am not the biggest springsteen fan, but i do think it has a certain charm to it. definitely not for me though! however, my top three songs were: - atlantic city - state trooper - my father’s house

Always a favorite. Have bounced off most of the other Springsteen albums but I’m sure more will be on the list and I’ll give them an another try. 4 to 4.5 for me.

Too melancholy. I like the Boss, but this one is a little subdued for my taste. I do appreciate his songwriting skills though

Good folky stuff, very reminiscent of Bob Dylan and there are some really great songs here but a lot of boring stuff too

Better than Coldplay

Don't like Bruce Springsteen - too pretentious.

Fairly solid entry by Springsteen

Some decent folk, not really on the same level as his other work

Very tame and tuned down record. Took a lot of awareness to enjoy this album. Springsteen’s voice is great but this whole thing comes across as one big slurry

This album was perfect with the storm right now.

Oh Bruce

a little slower pace than I wanted to listen to but not a bad album

For a good brooding sesion

“Man turns his back on his family, well he just ain’t no good” 😊 A stone cold classic!

1. Nebraska: harmonica, storytelling, perfect for a drive on backroads 9/10 2. Atlantic City: "but maybe everything that dies someday comes back", like the outro 8/10 3. Mansion on the Hill: beautiful 9/10 4. Johnny 99: 7/10 5. Highway Patrolman: :( "blood on blood" 8/10 6. State Trooper: love the guitar strumming, love his voice, tension 10/10 7. Used Cars: chimes! 8/10 8. Open All Night: jangly 8/10 9. My Father's House: voice, lyrics (dream, trees, house, return to home) 10/10 10. Reason to Believe: 8/10 Overall: acoustic highlights how nice his voice is, atmosphere 8.75/10

loved all the harmonica in the album. the top track was state trooper for me. its a bit mellow for me, but maybe the right time and place will come again for me to play it in its proper setting…

okay bruce i’m interested -feel like i might actually like this -the vibe is fine so far nebraska reminds me of post malones more country songs and like feeling whitney -who’s the chicken man and why did we blow him up -he really loves a harmonica -so far these have been the same sonically and a little boring tbh -okay hit them notes -im bored -okay state trooper is kinda cool

Wasn’t super motivated to listen to this album, and from the minute the album begins with the grating harmonica, to its final screeching note, the only thoughts I could have were, ‘Fuck Bruce Springsteen and fuck this album.’ Its major theme is about white despair, an America and a life that has moved on. Sad themes with no reprieve or even glimmer of hope.

Easy 4.5 stars. Love this album. The lack of production elevates the grittiness of the stories in these songs and makes them feel more authentic. This is my America 🫡🇺🇸

I really don't know how to describe my feeling without sounding generic. The lyrics are so incredibly raw and dense with storytelling, where the songs are written from the perspective of Springsteen's characters, it almost feels like you're vicariously living all of these different lives from post-vietnam war America. But when they're autobiographical songs, it's so completely emotive. I like that the instrumentals are stripped down for the sake of the lyrics and storytelling. Really liked the identical lyrics in both 'State Trooper' and 'Open All Night' which both have completely different meanings. It's so cool. I really really REALLY enjoyed this. A couple of songs that weren't it for me, but thats about it. 1. Nebraska ⭐ 2. Atlantic City 👍 3. Mansion on the hill 👍 4. Johnny 99 ⭐ 5. Highway patrolman ⭐ 6. State trooper 👍 7. Used cars ⭐ 8. Open all night 👍 9. My father's house ⭐ 10. Reason to believe 👍

One of the best records by the Boss. It’s simplicity and scarcity is something special. It stands out and it did stand the test of time.

Springsteen is beginning to grow on me. I think that most of all he is a good storyteller, and this album shows that very well

Good background music, quite chill

Bummed out Bruce reminiscing about the lean times of youth in blue collar America. Look for a common thread in these lines where he wains poetic: “I saw her standin’ on her front lawn, just a twirlin’ her baton…” “Ever since I was a child I can remember that mansion on the hill…” “Well, they closed down the auto plant in Mahwah…” “Now ever since we was young kids it’s been the same come down…” “New Jersey turnpike, ridin’ on a wet night ‘neath the refinery’s glow…” “My little sister’s in the front seat with an ice cream cone…” “Last night I dreamt that I was a child out where the pines grow …” “How at the end of every hard-earned day people find a reason to believe …” The melodies are very similar, I don’t think I’ve ever heard any of these songs; they’re new to me but not new. (2.1*s) If Nebraska made The List, we’ll be hearing from Bruce yet again.

Nebraska is a down on your luck story about a bunch of characters. Each tune has some good lyrical content and you do get pulled in. The album finishes up with some real truth and a guy poking a dead dog with a stick. Not sure why it's titled Nebraska though since most songs take place in Jersey. Still not a big fan of Bruce after this one but I'll give him credit for putting out a stripped down, raw album featuring a solo attempt at Bob Dylan. I'll admit that this record made me finally agree the guy is talented. It's rough out there for the working man and the Boss has always connected with that crowd. I may have been more into Springsteen if I was a lifer at the Allendale DPW but these days my collar is white and I can't really relate. Not going back to Nebraska anytime soon or the state (I hear it's ultra-conservative)...1.63 stars for the Bossman.

Bruce continues to puzzle me as to how he got so damn popular and such a movement. His hits with the E Street Band are certainly fun, but I've never liked any aspect of his slowed down, acoustic folk albums. Nebraska is heralded as a timeless classic but I just don't get it. I guess people love that at the time he distanced himself from stardom and self-recorded a solo acoustic album? Like so much of his other music (majority of it very skippable) it must have resonated with the common man as it was another huge hit despite there being little to no meat on the bone for me. Atlantic City is probably the only song that I have even a shred of appreciation for. Bruce only continues to prove that I am not a common man I guess because this album does absolutely nothing for me (nor do his others in this ilk). Despite my dislike of the album I knew it was going to be on this list. Happy to put this back on the shelf to collect a lot of dust. 0.93 stars

Who hurt these men, Boss? And who hurt you?

4.5

Such a strong album. Dark mood but the music is so good.

Bruce. A guitar. A harmonica. Great songwriting played in the most stripped down way possible that makes it really hard to dislike this. It can be dull & they can sound similar but the STORY is different.. He writes stories like Dylan & like Dylan, the voice is the issue. Why do all these lovely storytellers have such shit voices? 4

This felt like a real departure from most Bruce that I know. Really meaningful, really poignant, you can feel that these are stories and tales that are close to his heart. I thought I was going to end up finding it dreary and perhaps too stripped back but that never really happened for me. I do feel the album was missing an edge l, excitement or a 'hit' but it was never meant to be engineered that way so it's hardly surprising. Strong enough for me to want to return to experience it again.

Previously rated: #28 - Born to Run (4/5) #293 - Darkness on the Edge of Town (3/5) #678 - The Rising (3/5) #722 - Born In The U.S.A (5/5) *********************************************** Album #1,005 I'm sure this one is a critics favorite, but the quiet, subdued, personal and introspective albums just don't do it for me. No, it's not terrible, just not exciting at all. A low 3/5.

I guess it's possible to see why Springsteen has a large fan base. If this is your kind of music then this album provides consistency which can be read as a mark of quality. Probably great of it's type but not my thing.

This is the second Bruce Springsteen album I’ve listened to, the first being Darkness On The Edge Of Town. This was much more stripped down than that, just Bruce, his guitar, and the occasional harmonica. I didn’t like Darkness very much, and I thought this was even worse. All the songs here just blended together into one big snooze fest. The lyrics were dreadful too, with the same lines being recycled across multiple songs, making them even more unbearable. This just made me wish I was listening to something by Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, or Bob Dylan. And one thing’s for sure, I’m never going to Nebraska.

Love when a guy who sucks at singing removes everything but himself from the music, and then proceeds to sing to me about the blue collar life, all while never having worked a real job.

7.5/10

not my favorite but definitely not bad

Oh Bruce... Nothing can make me like you

Will have to revisit this album later ok but for now I liked some of the vocals and great guitar work but it just felt redundant after a few songs except when it got lively again. 4/10. favorite Song: Atlantic City

Most of the tracks feature Springsteen singing soft vocals over acoustic instrumentals. Definitely not his strong suit.

Springsteen changes the style but not the quality. Still shit.

5 out of 5 So many new Bruce songs that I never heard before. So soulful and sad; very western feel, which was perfect after just completing reading Buffalo Hunter Hunter.

I've listened to Bruce Springsteen before, he's just never been my style I guess. So I went into this album not expecting to enjoy it. I was glad to find I did enjoy it after all. It was a nice album to listen through while going out for a morning walk.

Enjoyed this one! I listened to it in the car - since it was heavy lyrically, I would listen to it again to better understand all the themes. Very intriguing.

Had some nice story songs, not exactly my cuppa tea but I appreciated it!

Little bit boring, but fine.

So fine, not my fav by any stretch x

Not a fan of the sound. Appreciate Bruce singing about the struggles of the common people and the album definitely sets the mood. But I just found it a bit boring.

When I got Born to Run, I said it made me smile at my desk. This one makes me want to throw on a plaid shirt and take a moody walk to an abandoned factory - but in a good way.

Different to expectations Very chill/ Americana Don't like 2nd song

This was really boring. I understand that most people who like this album enjoy it for the lyrics. Maybe someday I’ll give it another shot and pay more attention to those, but for now I can only give this the benefit of the doubt and a 2.

I knew this album was a solo acoustic and even then, this album has soul. Too bad it ain't same without the band.

I have a lot of respect and appreciation for Bruce Springsteen but he has never been my favorite artist. This is easy to listen to and just fine but nothing special for me. 3

Folksy

My favorite Springsteen album...the only one I'll actually seek out and listen to. 4 lonely prairie stars.

Depressing, but really good. Need to listen to more of his old stuff.

harmonicas are so raw and sentimental i could bust. so folky. gives me nostalgia of a deep america i haven’t even stepped on. STATE TROOPER SO GOOD. i think Ethel Cain listened to this too. STILL AT THE END OF EVERY HARD EARNED DAY PEOPLE FIND SOME REASON TO BELIEVE

idrk, wasn’t anything menorable, but also didn’t dislike any?

Solid album Bruce is that guy. It was a bit slow for my vibe but appreciate the soul that went into it

I don't like Springsteen, but I can respect what he does and why he's great (and Tom Morello is awesome for all the reasons). I'm having a hard time with this one, though. No hits, nothing new, he has like four other albums that should be here in this one's stead . . . ugh.

honk shoo honk shoo

Atlantic City and the album more broadly is probably the most Bruce has ever worked on me. Will revisit. Fav tracks: Atlantic City RYM: Y (#749) Saved a song: Y

My favourite Springsteen album. Just perfect narrative rock, shot through with sadness and loss, that sounds like nothing else in his catalogue.

not my vibe

Stunning and very chill

Live Laugh Love Bruce Springsteen

3.5 State trooper 👌

there's a time and place for sad bastard music, this could make it on my sad bastard playlist.

This is the kind of thing I wanted when Springsteen came up the first time on this list. This is great.

Love Springsteen, this is a great stripped down album that as a songwriter love every song. I would give it 5 stars if it weren’t my favorite album of his.

I don't know much about Bruce Springsteen, but it seems he gets into a depressive state when he visits Nebraska cuz this shit is DEPRESSING. Like usually playing solo with guitar and harmonica evokes this slightly adventurous mood, like riding in horseback. Idk what Bruce did with his guitar but it sounds like you ripped it out of his nightmares. Don't listen if sad, otherwise a nice beautiful album. 8/10

Sure

A superior album

Meh.

Standouts Atlantic City

Some of the blues songs were okay, but overall matches my typical feeling about Bruce, which is that he's not my cup of tea.

Springsteen is one of those artists who you can instantly recognise. I enjoyed this album in no small part due to his distinctive voice

I wanted to like this, I really did. Atlantic City is a great song and I wanted to like the rest. I don't mind Bruce. But this Bruce is a boring Bruce. I get the songwriting quality is good. But...yawn...I just don't get the Bruce that is a single guitar and harmonica Bruce.

tres entrainant!

mid

The harmonica is the electric guitar of the mouth. Was t really grabbed by the acoustic. Glad Born in the USA was saved for the next one

Phenomenal album, excellent song-writing and storytelling. That's the Springsteen I like most. His big hits are great, too, but this is just a man and his guitar and a 4-track recorder, telling sad stories about the lives and stories of people that weren't so lucky in their lives.

Atlantic city.

It’s not my favorite Springsteen, and probably not his best work, but still exceptional

Baring in mind I watched an entire biopic about how this album kinda sucked and nobody really liked it, I didn’t hate it at all. His voice sounds as good as usual and it’s a sweet one.

I’ve never been the biggest Springsteen fan. I especially don’t understand the hype about this album, I found it to be very boring. Not all these albums are for everyone I suppose.

The second album that i'm reviewing of Bruce Springsteen. The songs have a lot of depth and the subject matter is dark. Its mainly about different American cities, desperate people, women and cars. The typical Bruce Springsteen Album. However this particular album is quite stripped back, the complete opposite of his big stadium sound, it's just Bruce, singing, an acoustic guitar, and a harmonica. It's rawness makes it feel incredibly intimate and unsettling. The songwriting is dark, mainly stories about loneliness, violence, guilt, and people stuck at the edges of society. There’s no romanticism, it’s all broken lives, desperation, and moral ambiguity. His voice sounds weary and distant, which fits the mood. The lo-fi recording gives the album an eerie quality. It is said that Bruce was very brave to release something this bleak and minimal at the peak of his commercial success, it was a huge risk which seems to have paid off artistically. It’s not an album you put on for fun but with the right mood it will hit. The album cover reflects the music by being very stark, empty, and cold. Just an endless road and open sky, which define the themes of isolation and emotional distance. Overall a powerful, deep, and humane album. Not an easy of fun listen, but an honest one. Favourite tracks are Nebraska, Atlantic City, Johnny 99, State Trooper, Reason to Believe

Это ужасно утомительно

Stark, spare, dark. Some of his best song writing.

Slow, calm and felt like a man talking with all the usual rules of music, in the most positive eay possible

Honestly very cool to hear the softer side of Springsteen. It’s really not my favorite and I appreciate his more up beat stuff a lot more, but this is a strong album that shows a lot of range either way.

no me copó para nada, capaz fue un día medio malo

Taint bad. Darker Bruce is better than blue jeans Bruce.

Such a a strong sense of space listening to this album, felt like I was in a cabin with the boss himself, with a saxophone laid across my lap, waiting for him to let me honk on it.

Before this album I really only knew Springsteen from Born in the USA, which is catchy but not really my vibe. So listening to this I found the album surprisingly… calm? Chill? I grew up listening to tons of harmonica songs that my dad loves, so the harmonica in Mansion on the Hill was pleasantly nostalgic for me. Open All Night matched the more upbeat energy I was expecting from the album and complimented the other songs nicely. I worked during the whole album and wasn’t paying attention to lyrics, but from what I heard the storytelling has me interested in looking up lyrics later to see what the songs were about, which is also a plus. Overall very pleasantly surprised by this one.

You don’t have to release an album if it’s not good.

I'm neutral about this album. Bruce tried conveying a low among a career of a lot of highs, and I appreciate that. Musically, it's pleasant/somber but also a bit one note.

What an absolute snoozefest, 2

As someone who loves Atlantic City, I'm surprised how little of the rest of this album works. Its like a pastiche of country rock, rather than doing anything itself. Overly sentimental, without saying anything in particular. That said, Atlantic city is amazing. And the hoots on State Trooper are cool

If I ever listened to this album again, I would have no way of knowing that I was listening to it again because this seems to be the blandest thing that a musician can produce and it would not register with me in anyway.

Deliver Me From Nowhere was a shitty movie because they didn't show the Snoopy binder that Bruce wrote Nebraska in

I’ve long struggled with an intrusive thought brought about by mention of the figure of the “bedroom musician”. Since 2007, hearing those two words has immediately conjured an image of an etiolated Beck-knock off fumbling around in their artfully-squalid masturbatorium with a suspiciously expensive synthesiser. Accompanying that image is a soundtrack of nauseatingly milquetoast tosh; a particularly risible passage from The Postal Service or, as in the most truly traumatising visitations, “1000 fireflies”. I’d have offered long, long odds on The Boss being the one to finally exorcise that despicable phantom. Across Nebraska, though, Springsteen finds a sort of black magic in the claustrophobia. The party that never quite gets started in “Johnny 99”; the gothic-tinged melancholy of “Highway Patrolman” (oh, Maria); the haunting “Mansion on the Hill” and its heartbreakingly pure longing. There’s a sedate, almost concussed quality to the songs. Moments like that in “Atlantic City” where a gentle change to the cadence of the down-down-down-up-down-down strumming pattern makes space for a surprise mandolin offer a window into Springsteen’s craft – how he compiles his melodies, makes room for ideas. It’s something the wall of sound of his amped up hits tends to obscure, for better or worse. And with all that talk of rooms and walls, we return to the figure of the bedroom musician. I will it that, from this moment onward, the once wan raconteur has now forever been supplanted by the image of a barking mad Bruce channeling his inner Johnny Cash – in the reprocess finding out something fundamental about himself. Bruce Springsteen, the desperate man’s bedroom musician.

ICH KANN DAS NICHT NEUTRAL BEWERTEN

Ich werde nicht mit ihm warm... Musikalisch einwandfrei. Macht Spaß. Aber Stimme und Gesang ziehen selbst die more upbeat Songs runter... My father's House rettet es. Ein bißchen.

Was soll man noch sagen als "Klassiker". Allein Atlantic City reisst alles raus. Zugegeben: Bei den Lyrics höre ich nie 100% hin.

beautiful lyrics and melodies, i love the simplicity and bruce will always remind me of my father’s taste in music <3

No. 52 I didn’t listen to this record for a long time and I love it. I really like Bruce’s voice on this album. This is super intimate and I really like it.

Bruce on his Joan Baez/Bob Dylan/Led Zeppelin III grind and I'm here for it; great storytelling; one thing about me is that I love an acoustic album; a lot of the same chords were the same (D, G, A in the same sequence in particular) and I wish there was a little more variation to the chord progressions

have never been a springsteen fan but this album surprised me a little. none of the songs particularly grabbed me and i don't love his voice, but i liked the overall vibe a lot more than Born in the USA et al

Nothing on here tops Atlantic City although Johnny 99 is pretty cool too. Lots of wailing on the harmonica and spare, plaintive melodies.

hooray for acoustic bruce!

depressing! i liked the demo vibe, i don’t think i was massively in the mood for this when i listened. good storytelling for the characters in the songs but it does start depressing and doesn’t let up

I'll add at least two songs to my playlist This list really is making me listen to stuff I wouldn't normally... And so far, with every single one of them, I've found a few things to enjoy about each album

great songs

01) Nebraska - 7,5 02) Atlantic City - 7,5 03) Mansion on the Hill - 8,0 04) Johnny 99 - 7,5 05) Highway Patrolman - 7,0 06) State Trooper - 7,0 07) Used Cars - 7,0 08) Open All Night - 7,0 09) My Father's House - 7,0 10) Reason to Believe - 7,0 TOTAL: 7,25 (73/100) Current ranking: 386/765

The title song is SO PRETTY. This album is so Zach Bryan coded with all the harmonica. “Everything dies baby, that’s a fact but maybe everything that dies someday comes back” PERIOD. I love that line. Such a beautiful album overall. Fav song is ‘Atlantic City’.

4/5

Nice.

Loved it. Raw, honest, everything that’s said about it is how it is. Top tier, haunting lyricism. Bruce’s voice elevates the subtle production.

3.5 - harmless.

Two in a row? I have listened to this before but it's been a while and I was not as Springsteen-tolerant back then. Let's see how it goes THIS time... Still sounds like Springsteen doing a decent Dylan impression. It's fine. I did really like My Father's House.

Funny how a guy who's famously from New Jersey's and his biggest album is named after the state perhaps least like New Jersey. Really good. For sure my favorite from him, since I'm not typically a Boss kinda guy. 8/10

I really loved this, compared to the bombast of his work with the E Street Band it's a very different vibe. 10 tracks recorded mostly just with an acoustic guitar and harmonica on a 4-track, Springsteen's writing is what really shines. He's always a good lyricist but it's the melancholy storytelling that makes Nebraska great - music that makes you feel something this strongly can't be bad

A couple nice tunes. Not sure I get the mythology around the album.

This is probably the third time I’ve tried to listen to this album after having it recommended to me various times over the years. I just can’t do it. Springsteen’s voice irritates me and musically I find it pretty uninteresting

Boring singer/songwriter trash.

Sorry Bruce, I think I like you, but I cannot give every guy sitting with a guitar that doesn't impress me a different mark

Not how I would have imagined a Springsteen album. I don't think I had heard any of these songs previously and I don't think he has the voice for an acoustic album.

This is one I probably need to spend some more time with. Get out the headphones. Read the lyrics along with the music. Sorry, Boss. I didn’t give you enough attention. Then again, you didn’t capture it.

Too country but great lyrics

Eh not really my thing

Heard it before. Very fitting to get it before 2025 ends, it's literally Nebraska year, we got an electric version of the album and a movie about it. What an album. I do love acoustic Bruce, there's something special about him without the rest of the band. Thematically Nebraska isn't very happy but there's something really comforting to me about this album. I don't get why it has a score average barely above 3, people should be giving it 4 minimum for Atlantic City alone 5/5

ass

Never heard this whole album before, it's really good. Kind of chilled out with a bit of depression mixed in. The music and vocals are fantastic. Not a ton of variety to the songs but that seems fine to me. It definitely has a vibe to it and I like it. This will be one I put on again sometime.

this album made me feel as though I was the male version of myself living in the 80s working a blue-collar job and Will’s Vermont cabin reading east of Eden and understanding there was something more yet never getting the opportunity to intellectually expand past the point I am at now in this lifetime, not knowing that there was more possible than that for me or meet with other thinking people as grammy would call it

Was good to listen to some different music by Bruce Springsteen. I think this will grown on me over time

4.1 Probably Bruce's strongest effort from a strictly singer-songwriter perspective. And if the Band is covering your song, you know you are doing pretty good.

Sounds like Bruce Springsteen, but every song is literally the same boring song...

i really was not familiar with bruce springsteen’s game. prior to the movie that came out this year, all i knew was born in the usa (song). this album is so gloomy and personal and it works with his voice so well.

shite and boring

Aight

I think I like the E street band as much as I like old Brucey - the stripped back production did not resonate with me as much as the glossy commercial stuff.

Meh, not my style

Don't listen to a lot of Springsteen so I guess I had no expectations of what I was going in to but I liked all the harmonica. My favorite song was Open All Night and I didn't have a least favorite because I pretty much felt the same about every other song. I would like to listen to something more "mainstream" and compare the two. 3/5 album for me.

The greatest story teller of our generation with mostly just an acoustic? Does it get better?

Atlantic City is a banger

Szomorkás hangulat, kicsit egyhangú, háttérzene feeling inkább. Megvan a country vonal is a szájharmonikával. A Jonny 99 kilóg, az pörgősebb, de nem teljesen az én világom, az Open All Night már inkább. Meg a Reason to Believe is, de lehet csak megszoktam a hangulatot.

Definitely can hear where a number of influences came from here. Dug it.

Fair play for going back to his roots etc, a good listen, although as ever with Bruce hard to make out what he's saying half the time.

Melancholy, straightforward, but so evocative. Why am I nostalgic for a city in a time I will never meet? It's all-american and yet somehow relatable on every level. That's the power of Springsteen.

So perhaps I got this album in the wrong place, wrong time, because I know that it is an absolute classic and it has inspired, for example, Frank Turner, who I really like, and a lot of other singers. To me, it just felt like all these slow, melancholy songs about working-class heroes. They're just all the same song, and it's pretty depressing. It's a pretty depressing album, very slow, with nothing to lift the spirit. I didn't stop to listen to the lyrics so much, also because I don't fully understand them. I wish I had liked it more. I wish this had been a massive discovery, and I love Bruce, but it just didn't cut it. Maybe I'll return to this one day and realise what I missed, but today this is not for me.

Album review 015 Nebraska by Bruce Springsteen (1982) Rating 4/5 I’ve never given this album much time in the past and my previous (attempted) listens didn’t give the attention that’s needed. I knew what to expect this time round, stripped back, minimal and fairly bleak songs but, sitting without distraction and giving Nebraska my full focus, I found that I really enjoyed it.

habla de temas interesantes pero no conecté

don't like it, always the same

Very interesting, I realize I didn't know hon and really love the voice and the guitar.

Nope, can't get in to the Boss...

3.5

Relatable and understandable lyrics, the kind of music I like from Springsteen.

For a long time I wasn’t a fan of Bruce Springsteen. All the stars+stripes wearing, chest-beating, stadium anthems… eurgh. Then I heard Nebraska. Stripped back. One man and an acoustic guitar telling sad stories. This is the Bruce album for Bob Dylan/Leonard Cohen/Neil Young fans. Over time, I’ve come to really like many other Springsteen albums and was lucky enough to see him live with the E Street Band this year. Now I absolutely am a fan…. It just took his least Stadium-anthem album to make me see the light.

This is a classic album that just keeps getting better with each listen. Love this album.

I take back everything I said about Bruce Springsteen. I never understood the hype. Now I get it. This whole album was good.

Good storytelling, good instrumentation. But didn’t really do much for me

Too sad and depressing for me. Gimme that happy Bruce!

Deep, slow, and sad.

The last Springsteen album I got was "Born to Run" which I gave a 5, declaring loudly that I had discovered a love for "The Boss" that I never knew I had. This one was just okay. I don't know why I didn't like it as much, maybe I'm having a bad day, or maybe it's just different and that's okay.

not one of his best

Heard of Bruce Springsteen, never listened to much songs. Didn't know what genre he was, so a folk album kind of surprised me. Good storytelling and clear vocals. A bit sad and depressing in the mood/vibe

I've said it before and I'll say it again, but I'm of the mind that Springsteen's best work has been post-2001. I would go as far as to say I love everything he's released since The Rising. His earlier stuff just doesn't cut the mustard for me, particularly Nebraska.

I enjoyed this, of course, because Springsteen is basically incapable of writing a song that doesn't at least have some merit. It loses a lot from not having the E Street Band with him, and it's so dark and maudlin, but even so, it's a great example of evocative songwriting and heartfelt performance.

Well, what a surprise this album was, never been into Bruce, but I absolutely loved this album, played it twice in. Row, and have added to my collection - love the stories in the songs.

Meh

Some of these songs do feel like they blend into each other, but there are absolutely some standouts and the storytelling is great as always. First time listening to this springsteen album, still think the movie was mid.

Nice listening. Would buy this album.

the boss in a new form

I definitely don't listen to enough Bruce Springsteen. What a depressing album, but I guess New Jersey was a pretty depressing place back then. Great lyrics, great vocals, great guitar work. What more could ask for.

You know what, I really don’t like Bruce Springsteen. I said what I said. Not only that, this is the worst Bruce Springsteen album yet. He probably doesn’t deserve this 1 star but I’m just so sick of hearing his music.

I’m not big on Springsteen, but this album felt personal and stripped down. Not the tunes that get overplayed. That being said, the tunes are still a standard 4 bars (booooring) and the lyrics are the highlight once again.

Listened together the songs end up sounding too much alike.

wonderful

Second Springsteen album this week. I'm starting to hate factory workers.

bra bra

It was unbearable. I never understood the hype surrounding Bruce Springsteen. I never particularly liked his music either. But this album is especially bad. I gave up during the third track. 1/5

Drivin down that lonesome highway, I drank a toast to my father’s ghost and wrapped that Pontiac round a tree. Times is tough, I said to the highway patrolman who had stolen my girl from me. There’s a darkness on the edge of town - is it my soul, or because the streetlights burned out again?

Mixed feelings about this. I have to say that Springsteen is not my cup of tea at all. I'm too "not American" to really understand the music and it doesn't make me feel that much. That being said, I really liked the stripped arrangements. The 4-tape recorder, then, is a plus, super innovative in terms of future lo-fi music, which I like. Could be my favourite of his albums, but I'm not into his writing, I must say.

Baby shit

Springsteen has become one of my favorite artists recently and this list has been great at making me listen to more of his music.

Wow, I really don’t like this.

Love this album.

Lot of songs about New Jersey for an album called “Nebraska”

Some Springsteen you rock out to, swing and dance too, sing to. Nebraska you need to LISTEN to.

I have a hard time sympathising with a mass murderer (title track)