Nebraska

Personal, small-scale, stripped-down, and dull.

I love a bit of Bruce but this was dull.

This one was a surprise to me. My knowledge of Springsteen was really only "Dancing in the Dark" and "Born in the U.S.A." which made me think Springsteen only made bold and loud rock songs. But this album is almost a really laid back folk album which I actually really loved. The only thing I feel sets this back is how samey all the songs feel, which gives the album a really consistent sound but bores me a little. The Vibe: You were taking a road trip through the Midwest and did everything you wanted to do, but now you have to take the long drive back and pass all the places you've already been, but this time you don't have that excitement you had when you were seeing everything for the first time. So now you're kind of just quietly and passively taking it all in and it all seems more real and beautiful somehow.

A nice surprise. I generally find Springsteen really cringeworthy and just too American. This is a nice album though, understated, thoughtful, calming, nothing I would generally associate with him. It made for a pleasant evening.

Close to four but not quite. Still, Atlantic City is a goat.

Enjoyed it.

Was listening thinking: this sounds kinda unfinished? Then I read the book entry that says it’s literally demos so makes sense

I thoroughly enjoyed this. Something about the bleak depiction of run-down old working towns reminded me of home It seems this is the music he wanted to be making, except for the fact it didnt sell & no one else liked it…

Rennur notalega í gegn (enda sleppi ég að pæla í þessum sorglegu textum) en eftir eina hlustun er þetta allt sama lagið, productionin enda varla til staðar. Held ég hendi samt þristi á þetta, því þetta var ekki leiðinlegt.

Had always been a massive Springsteen fan, although this seemed a change of direction

Haunting stark magicial masterpiece.

I never really “got” this album. So many people think it’s brilliant and Springsteen’s best work, but I’ve always found it to be incredibly mediocre. There are a few decent songs, “Atlantic City” and “Johnny 99,” with “Highway Patrolman” being the standout on the album, but the rest ranges from underwhelming to outright bad (I’m looking at you, “State Trooper”). I can appreciate the stripped down nature of it and the history of its recording, but even with all that, it’s still not that great of an album. If I listen to it with the idea that it’s a concept album, it works a little better for me, but not by much. I really like Springsteen, and I’m probably rating it higher than I would if it were almost any other artist, but this album is just not great.

Surprisingly really good. Not the Springsteen I was expecting. 7/10

Thus album is both beautiful and depressing. Quite melancholy and lovely.

Enjoyable though not his best project

This may well be the Springsteen album I’ve liked most so far, but I still can’t quite definitively say I liked it. It’s almost there, but there’s something here that rings false to me; that may be an incorrect impression, but it’s the sense I get.

I like Bruce Springsteen, and this album, has song great songs on it for sure!

более меланхоличный чем я привыкла от Брюса, но и более мимо нот)

it feels weird simplifying all these albums just to a 1 to 5 star scale... i feel like there's a lot of parity. This will score the same as others that are not the same quality and that's annoying IMO. strong 4 nearly a 5

Enjoyable

My least favourite of the Springsteen albums I’ve had so far. This one is devoid of any joy and the lack of E Street Band is both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because its nice to have a more minimal sounding album from the Boss without all that over the top embellishment the band provide, a curse because you quite quickly realise Springsteen needs all that bombast to cover for the fact that he is not the greatest vocalist. On the plus side I only have one more Springsteen album left to get. ‘Atlantic City’, and ‘Johnny 99’ are the only songs that really resonated with me.

Already a nope. Thoroughly dislike Springsteen as a human being. Can't imagine an album is going to change my mind. Thank God it's a short album

9/10

Had this album on cassette. Beautiful sound from the harmonica and such a distinctive voice. Really enjoyed it.

Atlantic City is a brilliant track the rest 8s dreary dirge

ok

al secondo album confermo che non fa per me

Not my favourite stuff from Bruce sadly

I did not realize that The Band was covering Bruce Springsteen's Atlantic City. That's seriously such an amazing song. I'm also a big fan of State Trooper. This is a solid record.

This is a really beautiful album. It’s kind of one that you have to sit with and intentionally listen. It’s storytelling songwriting at its finest. Which has always been a strong point for The Boss, but what I like about this one is the intentional approach to singer songwriting. It’s feels more like an indie movie or book than maybe an album or collection of songs. A few notable songs: *Nebraska -such a great way to start the album. It sets the tone and opens the story. It feels very visual. It really puts you in the setting. *Atlantic City -one of my favorites! I love the storytelling of this one, but also the the tune and overall flow. I can always sing along to this one. *Johnny 99 -really fun change of pace that keeps to the overall theme of the record. *Highway Patrolman -heartbreaking. I had to stop reading anything else when this one was on. Really draws you in. *State Trooper -haunting! Love this song. *Open All Night -I love how this a boogie song all on one guitar with very minimal percussion. Super fun and interesting to listen to. *Reason to Believe -great way to end the album on a rad blues song.

Stripped down, country like set of NON anthem rock. A great storyteller.

I really liked this. I didn’t know this side of Bruce; I pretty much only know his big hits. I was surprised, and realized that this is yet another artist whose heyday was before my time that deserves a deep dive.

Pretty nice

Tout comme le Nebraska, c'est plat, monotone et on se demande si y'aurait pas mieux ailleurs. Effectivement, on aurait pu... TRAVELLING WITHOUT MOVING, JAMIROQUAI - 5 Je sais, on a déjà eu Emergency on Planet Earth, mais je pense que TWM le surpasse et mérite pleinement sa place dans cette liste comme étant un magnifique blend d'acide jazz, dance et d'afro funk.

Bit samey really, quite liked the first track as it was really atmospheric but then nothing else really happened over the rest of the album. I’m sure people absolutely love it, I’m just not one of them

I listened to this on a Saturday morning, gray day drive. Very fitting. Not the biggest Springsteen fan, but this is a good piece of Americana. The back half was a huge bummer though. 2.5* rounded down.

A bit bland, however, it was short and therfore didn't have enough time to be able to get on my nerves.

A man and his guitar. This memorable voice telling stories about sadness and loss in a country, blues style. Bruce Springsteen is the American hero for a reason. I especially love the ballads on this very pure and uncovered acoustic album.

A man and a guitar. Simple and deep at the same time.

More than many singer/songwriter, Springsteen gets away with some of his storytelling themes because he comes across as sincerely trying to get into the heads and hearts of other people, to tell their stories. No judgment. Because who is really qualified to judge? Just human nature...

I had not heard this and loved it. Never been a huge Bruce guy but over the years have grown to really enjoy some of his stuff. This one really landed for me. Seems insane that at the height of his power he released a folk album with tracks about serial killers. No percussion? Somehow works.

Have to be in the exact right mood to listen to this, and listening while on the elliptical was definitely not it. Still, I don’t love the combo of spare instrumentation and heavily reverbed vocals. Feels like a clash of aesthetics. Atlantic City is obviously a classic but nothing else really moved the needle for me.

Classic, never gets old.

This album is boring and shitty. Acoustic doesn’t play to Bruce’s strengths. His voice kinda sucks and there’s no energy anywhere in this album. He takes a great song like Atlantic City and makes it shitty and boring. Fuck this album

Grew up listening to and seeing a lot of Bruce. Saw him with my dad on the Rising tour in 2002. At college in Philly, it was kind of an obligation to have some Bruce knowledge, saw him play the final show at NY Giants stadium, and later the final show at Philly Spectrum. More recently saw him in SF with “The Sheriff”. I’ve mostly gravitated toward the full band songs and albums, and haven’t spent a lot of time with the quieter stripped down albums like Nebraska and Tom Joad beyond the hits like Atlantic City. Tried to listen to this first during the day as background, and that just didn’t work at all. This is definitely a dark nighttime album - hey it starts with a song about a murderer going to the electric chair. After a closer and slower listen, really enjoyed the songwriting, simple production, and economical storytelling. I don’t think it’s something I’ll come back to a ton, but I’m happy I finally took the time to go through it. Highlight for me is still Atlantic City, but also enjoyed Nebraska, Highway Patrolman, and State Trooper.

A better Springsteen than normal. Quiet.

I like Springsteen, but this isn't his best album. Not by a long shot.

Bruce Springsteen is one of those musicians who are somewhat overhyped. Some of his music may actually deserve the praise heaped upon it but most of it is mediocre at best. This album is definitely seriously mediocre.

This sucks more than most other Bruce Springsteen albums. Sure it forces us to focus on the songwriting, Springsteen isn't that great a lyricist. 4/10

If this album is any indication of life in Nebraska, then Nebraska is not a place I want to visit.

It's ok. A little boring. Many of the songs sound similar.

He’s the boss but just more of the same

Springsteen at the core of his (darkest) songwriting without all the extra layers on top. Hauntingly beautiful. Love this album.

Oh god. I would prefer to not meet Bruce in Atlantic City. This album is full of songs of losers, outcasts, good people caught in the jaws of America in the late 70s and 80s. Its just that I am sick of Bruce's pervasive pessimism. Every person is a victim of the system, every thing is broken down, and all his characters are just stuck.

FIVE!! Yes 5 Springsteen albums in this chart. Surely they're not all groundbreaking? Well I like the lower key vibe of this one. Sober and dour. Guitar and harmonica. It's a refreshing change to the other rocky loud albums. This is actually quite good on it's own. Not exactly original but good to listen to.

3.5

Bruce’s storytelling skills are without parallel, but here he decides to couch them within the most boring music you could possibly imagine.

Before Springsteen's career would switch into overdrive with Born in the USA, there was Nebraska. It's low key, even sombre affair. It shows a very different side to Springsteen. I applaud the effort, but I'm missing memorable songs. 2.5/5

I felt like was in Nebraska.

Springsteen is one of these artists who i just cannot get into, he's like a mixture of Dylan and Tom Waits(both of whom i love, by the way)and it just doesn't work for me.

Hey Bruce, you just put out a classic double album of rock and roll with some huge hits. What’s next? What a moody, dark album without a band? Influenced by Suicide? Sure, why not?

A lot of building up to a chorus but never actually getting there.

It’s alright. Often pretty, but overall meh.

Not special, but Atlantic City is a positive standout.

Het lijkt heiligschennis om Bruce Springsteen 2 sterren te geven. Maar dees was 'm niet, Bruce. Valt ook een beetje uit de boot als album tussen The River en Born in the USA. 2.4*

I love the unique flavour of Bruce on this particular record, and Atlantic City is one of my favourite songs of his.

cool, very different from what I'm used to listen to. the harmonica sound throughout the album is a execellent way to tie the album together

I bet Blake, but a couple of tracks.

The boss

4-

This is a Bruce Springsteen impression of Bob Dylans. As someone who does not enjoy Bob Dylan albums this makes this one of the most boring albums I’ve ever heard.

Highly depressing album.

meh and more meh

This was honestly fine, maybe better than I thought it would be. It was actually insane to hear the clear influence from Suicide on "State Trooper." That's definitely one of the coolest parts of this experience. Although why he chose to imitate that I'll never know...

70% Best: Atlantic City, Open All Night, Reason to Believe Must-Hear? No

Meh not bad. But not really my thing

schnurregiige schnurregiige

zwar chli persönlich und mega roh aber I can only take this much schnorregiige

Springsteen early stuff is primo. Stripped back without the band he lays bare the issues in America at the time. Sparse . Honest. Challenging. One of my favourites. I love the E street band. But sometimes one guitar one voice and a harmonica is all you need.

This is where he shines. Stripped right back. I once thought I knew Bruce by his anthems. But this album for me goes back to who he was ‘before’ . I remember it was like finding his true origin music that no one ever plays anymore. It might be confusing for latecomers. Nebraska at first feels unfamiliar - even bleak, but soon this campfire style and warmth feels intimate and pure. For me it’s still his best and most powerful work. But I only discovered this 1982 style in 1997. His stripped-back steel string album called "Ghost of Tom Joad" had just completely flopped. So, a bargain-bin find introduced me to a really different, non-commercial, really rural sounding “ campfire folk singer Bruce “. And it blew me away. It was my favourite album for years. The raw intimacy and new meaning in his lyrics knocked me on my ass - just when I was getting into the subtle emotional range of acoustic music, jazz and blues and roots. So the “Tom Joad” surprise led me to totally re-evaluate Bruce’s music and then curiously check in on his back catalogue, leading me to Nebraska which I remember, I felt then was his best work. So I came to this listening session remembering that. And it’s a heartwarming joy to hear it again tonight. And have the view confirmed. I feel renewed to remember a chart-topping megastar can courageously step back into a forgotten quiet style, to remind people what his roots and songs were really about. And so; for me this is part one of a two-album set, so Nebraska + Ghost of Tom Joad kind of go together. What I like best is how artists evolve, explore and drop the facade and re-invent then return. And we taste different sides and get surprised sometimes - who knew?

If ever the release of an album shocked me, it was when Springsteen dropped Nebraska. After a stellar decade that ended with The River (1982), this was the last thing I expected. And after a few listens, I dutifully filed it for a couple of years. But it eventually wormed its way into my heart, mainly via hearing Highway Patrolman on a compilation somebody gave me & realising how much I loved that song : “ I got a brother named Franky and Franky ain’t no good” and “Me and Franky laughin’ and drinkin’ nothin’ feels better than blood on blood”. Then I also realised what a great song Atlantic City is when I heard the version on the Live 1975 - 1985 triple album (1985). The Band did a great version of it on their album Jericho(1993), but make no mistake, Springsteen owns it. The sound he got from the home recording of these songs is remarkable - his voice, guitar & harmonica are perfect for the songs & their subject matter. This is working-man stuff to the nth degree. Speaking as someone who, like my father, has never owned a brand new automobile, I have to say that Used Cars still makes me tear-up. Well worth the trouble.

This is my favorite Springsteen album by a significant margin, and the only one I ever choose to put on the turntable. Generally, I find his anthemic approach just far too bombastic. Maybe I find his overconfidence off-putting and I don't relate to his characters or stories, at least in the way they are presented. But here, the stripped down (demo) production creates a spooky space that lets his narratives be complex and unsettling. These are like short stories, vividly and evocatively told with a clear specificity. I acknowledge that these are facets of his songwriting generally, the volume and density of his arrangements distill everything down to an anthem that swamps any subtlety. Like the way that many people think 'Born in the USA' is a work of simple and unproblematic patriotism (despite the lyrics). While I don't enjoy the majority of his musical output, I like Springsteen himself, especially as he presents himself in his one-man Broadway show. It's funny, self-reflective, acknowledging the complexity of life. And, with the volume turned down here, this album is a rare early sign that Bruce could do that. I like the minimal playing. You can really hear the influence of Suicide (a band I love, but who would have thought Bruce did too?), especially on State Trooper. Writing this review, I think the aspect of Springsteen's output that I generally object to is the E Street Band. They are a confident and competent bar band who accidentally ended up playing stadiums. They have the confidence to make it work, and Springsteen's sizable fan base clearly enjoy what they do, but it's not to my taste. Nebraska was a brave choice by Bruce to release a record that is unlike anything else he ever did. I'm really glad he did, because it speaks to me. This is the only Springsteen album I really like.

This is a big sleeper. Dull and boring. Do not like his voice.

much softer and more singer-songwriter than the other stuff i've heard -r eally good.

Dark album but really good

No es lo mismo sin la E street band y sin entender las letras. Se queda demasiado espartano y poco variado. No es representativo de bruce

My fav Springsteen

Saw this after watching the Springsteen movie. Loved the movie. Didn't love the album

Really solid album.

Magnificient.

Probably one of the most boring albums I've ever listened to. I'm not into singer songwriter, but usually I can tolerate it. This one has great lyrics but musically, this album was halfassed and thrown out the window.

Yawn.

So much of what makes Springsteen great stripped down and laid bare. Lots of times I prefer the loud, rock version of Bruce but when I need an album to listen to in the dark, this is top notch

Just so damn powerful.

4/5. Stark and dark lyrics, this is a difficult one. It's not even bad, the lyrics are sad and so expressive while also being mostly quiet throughout and creates the most palpable environment on any album I've heard. It is a place of danger and darkness, of sadness and broken promises: the United States of America. His voice speaks of experience of several lifetimes while also still sounding young and naïve. As much as I do enjoy this album, I will say the amount of times I had to listen to get into it as well as some songs still not standing well enough to not skip sometimes take away from the perfect score. It's a great album but not perfect imo. Best Song: Atlantic City, Highway Patrolman, My Father's House

I don’t get it.

just listened to this record the day before

A much sadder album than Born in the USA which came after. Paired with the album cover, it paints a bleak picture. I prefer his more upbeat numbers so this album doesn’t do it for me.

You know I did my best, I really did. I had never listened to any Bruce Springsteen before doing this exercise, and I would just always goof on him for all the obvious reasons. My friends have long told me if there's one album of his I might enjoy it would be this one, and maybe if I had gotten this first on this list instead of fifth--which I cannot believe there are that many albums by this dude on this list--I may have enjoyed it more. Even trying to be objective, his voice just has so much blundering bad association for me. I can't deal. Did not enjoy this at all. I really hope this is the last Bruce Springsteen album on this list.

Wowsa. You can really hear the weight of empathy he carries for humanity and all of its struggles. The raw demos are so intimate without the energy that gets infused by the band. Hats off to him for having the confidence and vulnerability to release them as is. The Boss for President in 2024! 4.4

This is probably one to really absorb over time, but it was a good quick listen. No frills, just straight acoustic singer songwriter. It can get a little same-y after some time, but there are some stand outs. "Reason To Believe" sounds like it could have been a rocker. Bold of him to put out such a sparse album. 3.8

Nebraska is an underrated masterpiece that showcases his storytelling prowess through a collection of ten hauntingly perfect short stories. Released in 1982, the album presents a stark, stripped-down sound that deviates from Springsteen's usual rock style with the E Street Band. Recorded on a 4-track recorder at his home, these tracks were initially intended as demos but ultimately released in their raw form. The decision to release the songs as they were adds a layer of authenticity and intimacy to the album. The characters in these songs are desperate and ground down by life, ranging from criminals to bitter individuals grappling with their circumstances. The minimalist production enhances the bleak themes, allowing Springsteen's evocative lyrics and emotive voice to take centre stage. The album's lo-fi quality gives it a haunting and timeless feel that rewards listeners with each repeat listen. Despite its initial reception, the album has grown in stature over the years, standing as a testament to Springsteen's skill as a songwriter and storyteller. NUMBER OF BANGERS - 8 STAND OUT TRACK - Atlantic City

I'll give it credit, this album perhaps had me the most interested in anything Springsteen had done musically that I've had the opportunity to listen to. Stripped-back production Springsteen lends itself the best to his voice, and the lyrics are easier to care about in-turn. However, this still is a pretty dull record; many tracks that go on far too long, and oddly all feel like interludes that should be a minute. Makes me wonder if perhaps the big sound usually accompanying Springsteen is to mask repetitive melodies. It's a fine enough listen for one or two tracks, and I agree that the A-side is pretty good for what it is, but by the end I was completely out of it, and I think another listen would only heighten my disdain. For now, I'll say that seemingly every album of his seems to be better than the last, but when you're on a five-star scale, the difference is miniscule enough that it really doesn't matter in the long run.

I mean come on

Another artist whose catalog I have been meaning to explore. I expected more upbeat songs like Open All Night, but I think this album would grow on me with more listens.

Well, they blew up the chicken man in Philly last night... (did he just say, chicken man?) Not one I’d listen to all the time, but every once in a while it just hits right. Still curious what it might have sounded like with a full band but that’s what live shows are for.

Bueno

Stark, brooding, sparse, bare, chilling. A masterpiece from the Boss.

This is a great album for how it came about and for it's tone. Haunting, sad, and absolutely love the jump scare.

Very folky. I like this kind of music it is very vulnerable. As a Nebraska native, it doesn't sound like the state in the 2020s but maybe it used to..then again, I live in a city. Maybe this is the sound of the wide open?

bruce is always a good listen - this album was a little on the boring side though

Great album, different from the Springsteens other albums on the list that it deserves its place also.

Liked this much more than I had guessed I would.

The lack of an E street band made this tolerable

Not a fan. This was dull, and he didn't sound good. Plus, there was way too much harmonica.

i actually had no idea that bruce springsteen could also be this. pleasantly surprised.

I can sense a general aura of critical acclaim and big thoughts about this album, but honestly, it's another "this was fine" from me. I assume it's one more instance of "if I could understand lyrics I bet thsi would be really interesting and perhaps very thoughtful".

All the songs are basically the same: poor guy gets in a little bit too far over his head and then is smacked down by the system. Maybe good in small doses, but hard to take 10 songs in a row of this. 2.5 stars

Decent enough, but nothing stands out to me outside of Atlantic City. Springsteen sings about everything from hardened killers to family troubles to typical country ballads about how hard it is to find a job (applies to Atlantic City, ironically enough) with the same lugubrious tone.

Great album! Stripped down soulful Boss. Excellent.

Bruce was tot dit ijkpunt in z'n carriere de stem van het volk van Amerika, en in het speciaal van de staat New Jersey. Maar met ''Nebraska'' zien we hem eigenlijk echt voor het eerst in de huid kruipen van een Midwesterner. Hij doet dit - godzijdank - zonder z'n E Street Band. Dit levert namelijk een veel intiemere, maar ook killere, plaat op, die past bij de 'dust bowl' thematiek. De stijl heeft meer weg van een moody Neil Young, of de southern gothic van een Townes Van Zandt, en lijkt mijlenver verwijderd van z'n arena rock waarmee hij de rest van het decennium furore maakte. De eerste helft van de plaat is verhuld in een atmosfeer die aansluit bij een John Steinbeck boek, waar ik geen genoeg van krijg. M'n favoriete werk van 'The Boss'. Hij haalt z'n inspiratie uit een verrassende hoek, waar de spannende progressie in 'State Trooper' een knipoog is naar Suicide's 'Frankie Teardrop'. Het is een lieflijk nummer vergeleken met dat duivelsgebroed, maar toch een bijzondere link. De tweede helft heeft minder te bieden, en repliceert het concept dat we horen in de opener en titelsong 'Nebraska'. Maar die eerste helft staat bij mij zo hoog in het vaandel, dat 4 sterren op z'n plaats zijn. 8/10 Highlights: Nebraska Atlantic City State Trooper

Ik vind Nebraska heel moeilijk te raten. De titelsong en Atlantic City zijn erg mooi en laten het beste van Bruce horen. Dat de rest van de plaat zo traag en zacht blijft stoort me. Ik mis de Bruce - energie van platen als Asbury Park en Born to Run. Natuurlijk is het mooi en natuurlijk moeten artiesten niet altijd hetzelfde doen. Ik vind het alleen niet zo super goed. 7/10 Highlights Nebraska Atlantic City

It is arguably technically music, but not much more than that

I think I understand why he made the album this way. He wanted it to seem "intimate" and "personal". But the end result is that it sucks. It's slow and boring, the sound is thin, and the songs are all very similar to each other. There's little-to-no variation throughout the CD in tempo, intensity or instrumentation. And I love Springsteen's early work, but while he's a great frontman, he's not a great singer, and it shows here. Especially on these breathy acoustic recordings, his tendency to mumble at a very low register makes the whole CD sound like someone talking in their sleep set to acoustic guitar.

Intimate & Dylan-esque. Beyond Atlantic City nothing in this unplugged thing really resonated with me.

Pretty good

American despair that completely captivates you in its stories and mood. It’s not something I’m gonna come back to much but I have a ton of respect for it. First Springsteen album and I know it’s very very different from his norm.

first listen laidback album, it's nice but still doesn't capture my attention

Nebraska Atlantic City Highway Patrolman State Trooper

I loved how stripped down this album one. Not one I was familiar with before now but I instantly fell in love

Um album diferente das outras musicas ja conhecidas de BS. Esse tem musicas mais paradas e tristes.

Rating: 9/10 Amazing album, loved the folk and country influences. There is a genuine nature to the songs that really resonated with me. The instrumentation, although quite sparse, really complemented Springsteen's voice.

More subdued than the other album. I’m still not a big fan of the whole white Americana dude persona

Þetta er plata sem inniheldur kannski ekki hans þekktustu lög en þetta er samt frábær plata. Mjög ljúf og fín til að hafa í bakgrunninum og ég held ég muni setja hana á af og til þegar mig langar í rólega stemmningu. Frábær plata sem ég hafði aldrei hlustað á áður.

4*

Honestly was nice hearing something kinda different from Springsteen, but it’s still not very good

Mellow, lots of harmonica

Springsteen is at his best when stripped down, so Nebraska is obviously his best work. Uniquely American as always, songs about Highways and Serial Killers, it’s dark, raw and real. 8.7/10

A bit too dour for my morning commute, but the musicianship is there, and the storytelling is compelling.

2.5 it ok

i dont know why bruce springsteen is famous at all, its like the most generic singer-songwriter shit there is?.. NNN

Quite boring

I don't know that I listened to this one as a core Springsteen album. I'm too young to have caught him on the way up. I might have been about 10 when 'Born in the USA' came out. That was my first exposure to BRUCE. I do appreciate this one now. Especially as I know the story around the album. It is also a real departure from almost everything else Springsteen has done.

it’s Good, but not like exception but also I understand it more being from Jersey.

It’s sparse but the songs are there. I’ve not listened to much Springsteen, never cared for his radio songs. I enjoyed this album though. The songs are well written and I like that they’re all little short stories. I’d only heard one song off this album before and it was the Nitty Gritty Dirt Bands cover of Atlantic City. I prefer their version of the song, but the cover is only good because the bones of the song were good in the first place. I would give this album 4 stars but I’m docking it one for too much harmonica, harmonica almost never benefits a song in my opinion.

Schön, hätte ich gerne auf Platte

Lazy guitar playing and vocals on My Father’s House. Incredibly boring chord changes on the acoustic tracks. Almost every acoustic track sounds exactly the same. So boring. Such a fucking boring album dude. Overall: 4/10

Took a look at the reviews for this album, and don't remember seeing so many 1 and 5 star reviews. Seems like people love it or can't stand it. Give Springsteen credit for going against the grain and releasing something in raw form. Interesting to find out he planned on releasing these later with the E Street band. Some of these songs would have sounded so different with a full band... But that's not how it was released. While these songs deal with real world America and probably connect to some, the songs themselves are left without a familiar hook that would leave most people wanting for more. In the progression of Springsteen's works and legacy, maybe Born in the USA never happens without Nebraska happening first. Imagine hearing Glory Days in the stripped down raw version...would it be one of my all time favs? Prob not...but I'm sure glad we got the production it deserved..and without Nebraska we may have missed out on all of the USA.🤣✌🏻🇺🇲

Classifying this one as Country Poetry. The entire album is Midwestern sad. Open All Night is a standout gem, but the rest feels heavy. Excellent album for a rainy day or a sad drive across Kansas.

Mostly just relieved to not have another random British alt band. This is a great one. Atlantic City basically gets it to a 5 by itself but there aren’t really any bad songs and the entire album creates a vivid scene. There are better Bruce offerings but this is up there for me.

Atlantic City obviously a 5 star banger. The rest of the album is beautifully written, charged with emotion and story telling that evoke Johnny Cash’s style and Bruce does it just as good or better

It took a while for this album to grow on me because it was so different from what I knew and loved about Bruce. Ultimately though, this is a great album, stripped down to the bare minimum. Really underlines his ability to tell a great story. In addition to being great acoustic songs, some of these are fantastic as full band epics, especially Atlantic City and Open All Night.

Stark, haunting, and beautiful just like the cover. Atlantic City is an all time favorite (though I do prefer the full band version) but this is honestly the first time I paid close attention to the lyrics of many of these songs and wow. There are entire novels contained in these songs. "Highway Patrolman" was stunning, "Johnny 99" was vivid, and "Reason to Believe" provides that glimmer of hope needed to continue. Pretty stunning, and must have been shocking to hear for the first time when it came out in 1982.

I have an unbroken record of giving Springsteen records 2/5 stars, so to say I wasn't exactly optimistic about this is an understatement. I started out tolerating this one, genuinely, but it didn't take long to start to grate. I don't like his voice. I don't like his vibe. And if we can banish the fucking harmonica to the annals of history then I'd actually be delighted. I'm sure he's a lovely bloke, but I don't want to listen to anymore of his music. I get the idea. You guessed it... 2/5

Yawn

i couldn’t finish - hauntingly sad, i love bruce but my mental health takes precedence 🫡 3/5 for what i did listen to - highway patrolman will stay with me for a very long time, especially bc i thought the man lying on the ground was his brother and he chased and chased a random car bc he hallucinated he saw his brother driving WOW anyway

First listen to any springsteen album. Ever. Period. I have been looking forward to seeing what the boss is about. Ive heard singles, but never full albums. This is your time to shine springsteen. Parts of "nebraska" sounds a bit like surfin USA by the beach boys to me. Just a slowed down version of the melody. More harmonica. Other than that it was a sombre experience. Maybe it will relate to the folks with roots close to the lyrics but i couldnt relate to it. The music was OK but nothing really stuck out and wow'd me. The quality of the recording is also relatively poor. I get where that came from based on the wiki but still. Overall, it wasnt awful but wasnt good. I like acoustic sessions too. I'd say below average for a first listen. Maybe its something you have to come back when you get into springsteen. But im honestly disappointed by the boss.

I have no idea why "the boss" gets so many albums on this list. He's pretty terrible... but not as bad as Bob Dylan or Everything But the Girl or Massive Attack. I just don't get the appeal.

Better than the other Springsteen album on this list. Chill acoustic vibes. Could be played at a coffee shop.

Høres veldig deprimert ut, men funker

I see a lot of over reactions on the reviews here! Apparently I’m the only person who thinks this is “ok”. Yes, an interesting side step from his previous catalogue. Yes, sparse and a bit boring. Yes, harrowing subject matter. Yes, some issues with the recording. I tried a few times over the weekend and it never really grabbed me, but I didn’t find it unpleasant or annoying. I probably do have a bit more appreciation for Bruce after this but doubt I’ll ever revisit this album. Down the middle - 3 stars.

Simple and superb.

Not the usual. Very stripped back, almost folks style....Really decent.

Guitar and rambling. Not worth my time to listen to

Amazing album! Really loved the lo-fi sound, reminded me of my favorite Elvis Presley recordings. Now I understand more why does this album has such a great reputation.

Minimalistic and hauntingly beautiful, this album is the ultimate what-if. Bruce’s home studio 4-track demos won out over a fully orchestrated and arranged E Street band album, which is considered lost media at this point. A true lightning in a bottle moment featuring brilliant songs about people pushed to break bad as their last option.

Yeah, great singer songwriter stuff but material is a bit grim. Not in the mood right now. Can’t say it’s a bad album.

Good

💤💤

4.0 several very good songs.

Only one song on the album sounds like vintage Bruce. The remainder is clearly folk genre. Bruce, regardless of the genre is A hell of a songwriter. Not a big fan of folk music but Bruce had me listening intently to his lyrics…

So I grew up a big Springsteen fan, mainly because he was so popular in Cleveland prior to blowing up with “Born To Run” (1975), as WMMS – the popular FM station in town played him all of the time… Heavy rotation of songs from “Greetings From Asbury Park” (1973), and “The Wild, The Innocent, & The E-Street Shuffle” (1974) is the Bruce that I came to know and love – with a great balance between power and delicateness… Obviously, that got kicked into another gear with “Born To Run” (1975), and the “Darkness On The Edge Of Town” (1978)… “The River” (1980) was exceptional – so that was the Bruce canon that was the backdrop to my middle and high-school years, and I loved all of it! Then “Nebraska” (1982) came out, and I was like WTF is this??? It’s not that the songs weren’t well-done – for they were, it’s just that NONE of them could hold a candle to what came before it… I listened to about 3 or 4 tracks, and I was like done with it… Maybe Bruce felt the need to do a Bob Dylan-esque album, or maybe he was cleansing his palate in anticipation of working on the more “popish” material that would be forthcoming on “Born In The USA” (1984) – but whatever it was, it was a HUGE disappointment to be sure… What could go wrong with an album of 10 totally acoustic, and incredibly depressing stories about “simple folk”, which offers no variation or diversity in sound… Glad I DIDN'T listen to the album all the way through back in the day, and wish I WOULDN'T have this morning on the drive into work… If you want good acoustic Bruce, there is plenty to be found throughout his discography…

Good.

Probably the worst Springsteen album I've heard so far. Middling 2.

His best

Definitely the best Springsteen album I've listened too. Nebraska is an ode to downtrodden America. I think there are valid concerns about songwriting ability, but it's undeniable that this album hits the folk/blues vibe on the head. Most songs are melancholy, and it shows a completely different side of Bruce compared to the other projects I've listened to. Best Songs: Atlantic City, State Trooper, My Father's House Worst Songs: Open All Night

Not his best.

Probably need some more time with this one but I can see why indie heads love this.

Always one of my favorites

The best thing about this album, not one single bite is taken from the commercial apple. Not one. This album is perfect for an overcast Saturday morning. A master class in songwriting delivered with just guitar, harmonica and voice. Masterpiece.

not my favourite sound from him

An acoustic short-story book. Each track tells a compelling story echoing blue collar America.

Best Springsteen album so far. Nothing memorable but a really nice listen. 3.5/5

Algjör eðall. Tók mig nokkra áratugi að finna mig í þessari plötu en ég skil það núna að þetta er gull.

kinda boring but good storytelling he used to be cute!

I liked the chill vibe but I would never listen to this again. But I wouldn't hate it if I heard a song from it.

Pretty bland stuff

I’ve never gotten Bruce and his popularity, I think he’s just on a different wavelength from my taste and this did nothing to convince me otherwise.

I really didn't think we needed a fifth Bruce Springsteen album (even more mumbling American folk-pop-rock for background listening with the rare arena-worthy anthem buried amidst the chaff?). But this one was actually different and by far the best I've heard from Bruce. The thoughtful, brooding, introspective nature of these songs actually make them much more interesting than pop-rock stinker number thirty-thousand-and-four. It was also a somewhat novel experience to hear a rock(ish) album without any drums whatsoever. If it works, it works.

I felt like I was listening to personal stories that were sometimes easy to relate to and other times not as much, but still enjoyable. I don’t remember hearing many, if any, songs from this album and it was an easy listen but probably won’t be on repeat for me.

Nr. 165/1001 Nebraska 3/5 Atlantic City 5/5 Mansion On The Hill 3/5 Johnny 99 3/5 Highway Patrolman 3/5 State Trooper 2/5 Used Cars 3/5 Open All Night 3/5 My Father's House 3/5 Reason to Believe 3/5 Average: 3,1 Very somber album from Bruce. Atlantic City is among my favorite songs of all time. Aside I think this album just doesn't offer enough diversity.

I quite loved this, with its intimate feel and compelling stories. A bit of a surprise for me but a happy surprise. Uh, maybe "happy" is not the right word for this album...

I guess if I must listen to a BS album, then I would choose this one. Still, it was a bit of a struggle.

Moody.

This is one of the albums that I’ve known for decades I should listen to, and now I finally have. Contemplative and beautiful.

Damn good album. 5/5

If dirges didn’t already exist, this is what eulogies would sound like, but it’s too bad I don’t care about what I’m hearing.

Springsteen tries his hand at country with mixed results. Still pretty great in places but far from his strongest work

Not his best. Too boring for me.

please, stop, no more...

I like Bruce Springsteen, but this doesn't feel like his best work.

Dark shite. But good.

Always liked Atlantic City, but never really dug into this album in detail. It is definitely one that a deserves repeated focused listens to truly reveal its stark magic. The tales of the dark and tragic sides of Americana are beautiful. Springsteen never sounded more like Dylan, but also mixes some unique influences like Suicide into the album. The stripped down sound brings surprising life into the harrowing stories, and stands in contrast to the heavy instrumental of Born in USA, which was developed around the same time. A bold move at the time, it now stands out as a high mark in Springsteen’s career.

Noice

Love, love this album. It's Bruce doing what he's best at, telling stories, real stories with all the dirt and grime and with a heavy dose of emotion.

Probably my favorite or second favorite Bruce record. Stripped down, sparse, genuine. Showcases Bruce’s songwriting skills as a more mature product. Maybe his last great record.

A very stripped down record. The story behind it is almost as good as the record. My favorite Springsteen record so far.

I'm not a huge Bruce fan, normally. But I REALLY liked this album. A whole lot. The stories, and stripped down production, everything. It all just worked.

Cool, but I like the E Street Band too much.

I'm getting a little tired of The Boss constantly showing up. I don't mean Bruce, just my work boss keeps bugging me. Nebraska might be Bruce's most "Bruce" album of all time. A full, acoustic rendering of blue collar, middle America ballads? What more could you want? I guess maybe some sax solos would be cool. Meh, lifelong fans probably love this one, but it's a middlegrounder for me.

Springsteen’s first artistic departure admirably shifts toward sparse arrangements, gritty acoustic folk storytelling, and austere, character-driven lyricism.

Miksi tämä on niin hidas? Siksikö koska teema on Nebraska? (Aito kysymys, en kuunnellut niin tarkkaan). Meni aika tasapaksuksi, kun (tempo)vaihtelua ei ollut. Brucella on kyllä vetoava ääni

Tätä kuunnellessa vajoaa omiin ajatuksiinsa, paitsi ehkä Atlantic Cityn kohdalla, KUNNES ryhtyy huvikseen lukemaan sanoja: kaikkiin tarinoihin jää koukkuun. Tässä mielessä levy on saauvutus, vaikka sen kuluttaminen tuntuukin raskaalta.

Driving through the parts of our country where it’s flat and empty and feels washed out somehow, with nothing but abandoned towns that used to be vibrant communities breaking up the landscape, feels like listening to this record. This is an album about the forgotten places. The places that have been dying a slow death for 100 years and the people who still choose to live in them for whatever reason. This album is about hopelessness and the beauty that can be barely felt on the edges of stark, ugly despair.

No doubt a masterful creation in its time period. It lacks the punch and energy of the work I know him for. The quality is undeniable the enjoyment may vary.

Kinda depressing. Wasn't digging it.

i guess im not a nebraskan

Favourite song open all night.

This is one of the few times when Bruce Springsteen did not record with the E Street Band, as he chose to release the 4-track demos as they are. Not only that, but the tone is a lot more melancholy than previous efforts, where the lyrics revolve around characters who have been through rough patches in their lives as extreme as criminal behavior or mass murder, and then finding a turning point for themselves. This album is not for everyone based on the overall tone, and how naked it is with just Bruce and his guitar. Perhaps there could have been a drummer for the faster tempo tracks like "Johnny 99" and "Open All Night", but that wasn't Bruce's intent. As it is, it's certainly an interesting piece for the diehard fans and those curious.

I like that it’s minimally-produced because it feels more intimate. But this felt like a chore after a while.

3.5

This is a truly historic album, Bruce taking a big risk introducing a whole new sound without the band, channeling Roy Orbison and American roots (routes) music to great effect for me, at least. Not everyone liked it, but I loved it and still do. They gave another guy a Pulitzer, but for my money, Bruce is as great a writer as any. Not many of the Boss's albums are less than 5-star to me, and this isn't one of them.

Springsteen is talented but very over-rated.

A classic artist

Country Springsteen. Not bad.

This ruled

Not so rockin’ Bruce. A little dull for me.

A nice relaxing feel to the album, I liked Atlantic city and Highway Patrolman the most.

Bleak as fuck, and it doesn't sound that great either. Disappointing overall, despite some redeeming moments.

How many songs are actually improved by the addition of a harmonica? Not many I'd think. Dumb Things by Paul Kelly? Anyway, this album would sink if it was by Bruce Everyman, it's so one-paced and turgid.

Second in a row that I'm intimately familiar with, and wow, what an album. In many ways this is the antithesis of Springsteen's work with the E Street Band, but just as much himself as when he's playing with Clemons, Van Zandt, Weinberg, et al. "Nebraska" is spare and absolutely devastating, but also beautifully crafted. Though they're all (mostly) fiction, each song tells a real story of modern Americana; hopes and dreams tempered by struggle and strife. An amazing piece of art.

I listened to this on a rainy day in Nebraska, which would seem like the optimal conditions, and... it was just fine.

This is one of those albums that makes her break she was a Bruce Springsteen fan. There’s not a single big hit on this album. Born in the USA was still to come. Everybody loved that album for a while before some decided that it was an anthem against the United States. Lots of big hits. Cox dancing in videos. But this, this is a fantastic album without all of the commercial hoopla. It’s raw emotion. There’s no rah rah, just life. I’ve never listened to this album. But I’ve listened to it four times now. I didn’t even want to read it until I listen to it numerous times. Great job, boss!

Way slower than I thought it would be

Too quiet and sad

This one was depressing...

Ok 3/5

I’ve heard worse from him. Still bad though

Instinct is to skip this one outright for the same reason as Kev stated: I just don't give a damn about Bruce. I'm sure I "just don't get it," but to to me, he is an overrated cash cow with one hell of a manager. I just don't get the appeal, nor can I understand people in 2024 paying $500+ to see him live. Album opens on an unexpectedly sober note. Light finger plucked guitar and bells in the background with slow-burn vocals out in front. Naturally, the harmonica makes an appearance in this southern-dripped ode. Honestly, I am enjoying this side of Bruce more than what I have been accustomed to via radio. Atlantic City trades in the exposed vocals in favor of his bread and butter, mid-poop husky strained vocals. Song tells a story of some variety -- probably some guy selling everything and going out on a limb on a hope of a better life. Honestly I don't give a damn, these vocals are dogshit. Highway Patrolman is another plaintive tale told from the perspective of a police officer protecting his brother "Frankie" who strays the other side of the law. For me this is a high point of the record so far. Really powerful and effective storytelling with a calm delivery. State Trooper is like Elvis meets punk in terms of composition. Really dig the echoed vocal effect at play here that gives a ghostly atmosphere. Another high point of the record. Remainder of the album really just slipped to the background of my focus; nice music for the background. Honestly, this is the first Bruce that I have listened to that I actually enjoyed start to finish. I think a lot of that is due to two things: (1) this is stripped down and does not feature all of the overfilled bombast of the E Street Band, (2) he doesn't sound like he is about to shit himself on 90% of the songs here. I really enjoyed the storytelling throughout and feel like a certain amount of credit should be given to his ability to craft narratives into songs so effectively. That said, I don't actually listen to music (typically) for the narrative element -- I'm generally there to generate emotion. I feel like if i was really focused and put emphasis on the lyricism this is probably a 4 leaning 5. But given my personal preferences and the fact that much of this record sort of mushes together into a single sound, I'm somewhere closer to a high 3, leaning 4. I'll give the nudge here because I feel like I am biased against Bruce from the jump and this was pleasant. I could imagine listening to it again on a chilly day near a fire.

Nice album to listen to on a rainy morning. Don't have too many notes on this one except that it was enjoyable, but nothing special to me. The singer/songwriter style has never been my favorite, so I'm not entirely surprised that I didn't fall in love with this one.

Too folky and a little too much harmonica for my liking. The Band's version of Atlantic City is leagues better than this one.

Man I for some reason just do not give a single shit about Bruce Springsteen's music, but we'll see if this changes my mind. Few songs in and it's pretty minimalist and telling stories. Not bad but nothing to write home about. Not great music to have on in the background. Pretty boring tbh. I can respect Springsteen but just can't get into him. Almost too Dad rock for me and I feel like I love Dad rock.

Mellow and enjoyable.

The only thing worse than this album is knowing I have another Springsteen record to review 2 albums away from this. Blow my brains out boring. Feels like I could only ever appreciate this music if I was an alcoholic whose family abandoned him.

Too much acapella

Oy. I get it. There’s definitely some real quality songwriting here. He’s a famous storyteller. And these songs are solid, classic, sincere and really kinda pretty. I never really connected to Springsteen’s style. But I have to admit that there’s something genuinely good here. Unfortunately, I am going to have to smash that damned harmonica. It absolutely ruins everything for me. Omg I hate this fucking harmonica.

L’album de Springsteen que j’ai préféré jusqu’à présent. Folk contemplatif et dépouillé.

Nothing but Bruce, his guitar and mouth harp, and a portable 4-track. The vocals are raw, spacious, chilling. Where many may look at Springsteen as an arbiter of bombast, this LP shows his appreciation for the American backwater, haunted with old crimes, hard memories, beater cars and spooky midnight drives. The project deserves to be looked at as a fine pastiche of Western Americana - you wouldn't play "State Trooper" at your wedding or house party, but you can certainly reflect on it. Thoughtful and morose.

JOISY BAYBEE Really liked State Trooper

Nice album. Springsteen is always a good listen.

Springsteens story telling shows through on this album. The songs flow perfectly together to tell a story.

9/10. I like this album even better than Born in the USA overall because of the flow and story telling feeling like it all meshed into one. Individual songs not as good but album better if that makes sense. I’m bought in on the Bruce hype. Didn’t realize he had the depth he has because I just always hear about the big party his shows bring.

I think I've had every boss album come up already in my first 50 albums. I do not like him, but my spotify thinks I'm his biggest fan now.

Such a fantastic album! Just Bruce with his guitar and some of the most beautiful and tragic stories. A must listen for sure.

Ok but no great sings

while it was nice to hear a more emotional and plaintive side of bruce, a full album of it was a bit heavy. atlantic city is the only track i knew going into this (and one of my favorite songs by the boss) but after two listens, i picked up a few others i enjoyed. the songwriting is really evocative here but the actual presentation feels lacking. bruce's voice is gravelly and the rest of the E Street Band is nowhere to be found, so it's just you and him. also, lotta songs about cops for some reason? highway patrolman, state trooper, the mention of an off duty cop, etc. favorites: nebraska, atlantic city, johnny 99

Did someone bet Bruce Springsteen he couldn’t make a country album? This seems like his attempt at a country album. It’s ok. Had some good stuff but not my favorite of his

Wow, so slow and soulful. This album gives me a deeper respect for Bruce.

Spännande men sorgligt

I like Nebraska, in my top three Springsteen albums I think.

Great music, unfortunately I'm not American enough to really appreciate it. Definitely, it went over my head, but I'm not really bothered too much. I don't think I'm main target for Springsteen's music anyway. I'll simply move on, again.

80s Rock album apparently. Haven’t been a massive fan of Bruce Springsteen in previous albums but will see what I think.

A little too lowkey for me.

Alright. To be honest wasn't really paying attention to the lyrics and apparently that was the main selling point. The music was not particularly standout to me but not bad at all.

I like this album. I did find out that Springsteen can be more depressing than Trent reznor.

The boss did something with this one… wish I would’ve checked it out before

If you listen closely you can hear what Springsteen was trying to do with this album. It didn’t really work tbh but it’s decent enough.

Bruce Springsteen has always been an artist of two sides, one representing the joyful exuberance that can be found in life’s simple pleasures, in dancing, in singing, in drinking with friends, in flirting and crushes and love and relationships, and in the beauty of music itself. The other is the dark side of life, the struggles of broken people living broken lives, marred by lost love, economic strife, crime, inadequacy, and misplaced ambition. It is a sign of a great artist to be able to deal with both sides of life with equal weight, and Springsteen is in a unique position of being both a great artist and highly successful and popular Pop artist. This position has unfortunately left him in another, less enviable, position, that of one of the most misrepresented artists in history. Very few people have so succinctly, so beautifully, and so heartbreakingly represented the life of the proletariat, but the overwhelming image of him is that of an unthinking patriot, proclaiming that he was Born In The USA with overwhelming pride in the evident greatness of his motherland. Nobody who has listened to Nebraska could possibly make that mistake again. It is a stark, desperate, downer of an album, the stories those of people pushed to the edge by economic circumstance, who inevitably take desperate action in an attempt to get out. What Springsteen does best is to represent the human behind the action. In very few words he is able to show the thoughts and situations driving his characters. I read a fascinating article in the Guardian magazine yesterday about whether or not song lyrics can be read as literature. One factor the author considered was that of performance: ‘Vocal delivery, melody, rhythm, arrangement and production are all used to enhance, or sometimes subvert, what the words are saying. Consider Nick Cave’s 1988 song The Mercy Seat. To cave, the indignant death-tow convict was clearly guilty but Johnny Cash later covered it on the assumption he was innocent. Same words, different impact.’ Springsteen has no doubt that his characters are guilty of the crimes they commit. What he asks the listener to do is to dive deeper beyond the basic crime and punishment narrative. Consider Highway Patrolman, one of my favourite songs on the album. Joe Roberts is a cop whose brother Frankie ‘ain’t no good.’ When he kills someone in unknown circumstances, Joe pursues Frankie right up to the Canadian Border, but lets him go. All he can think about is the good times that he has had with his brother, and justifies his own crime with the line ‘a man turns his back on his family, well he just ain’t no good.’ There is no redemption, no sense behind the violence, no justice for the dead mans friends or family. But there is an explanation behind Joe’s actions, and it forces the listener to put themselves in that situation. Anyone who tells you that it has an easy solution is lying, anyone who tells you that it doesn’t move them or make them think is an idiot with very limited taste. The music is cause for further commendation, the desperate quiet and haunting harmonica and mandolin evoking the dark, empty highways and plains that make up the majority of the songs settings. It creates an intimacy that further forces you to empathise with the characters, Springsteen making it feel as if they are confiding with you directly. Nebraska is one of the great pieces of American Art, a cry from the very soul of the working class that represents their hopes, dreams and failings. It deserves to be pondered over with the attention that we give Steinbeck and Zola, and will remain relevant while we are all still broken yet still have a reason to believe

Stripped back and all the better for it. The Boss bossing it.

I enjoyed these songs, but I didn’t necessarily enjoy the album. I think the first half was a lot better than the second. It really lost steam towards the end there, but Springsteen is a fantastic writer and that’s worth something. 4/5

Not a huge fan of most of Bruce's stuff but this one was really good, really good story telling type o' shit.

NOT GOOD.

It's not perfect, but I'm glad it exists. Really cool stripped-down record by as great songwriter! Really liked Used Cars.

Hauntingly cold, beautifully stripped back.

Not a big Brucie fan, but I did enjoy the striped back feel of this album.

This was nice. A cohesive album that flows beautifully and can be played from beginning to end. Oh,and The Boss

This started really strong for me, but as it went on I felt like every song really felt the same. Maybe on multiple listens as the lyrics set in, it would improve. But first impressions weren't great for me.

Great one. Springsteen's acclaimed stuff is filled with vocal recording that pulls emotion out of achy screams and yelps that overwhelm recording equipment capacity. I'm very here for it: state trooper at the end! Title track, Atlantic City, Used Cars, Highway patrolman are all awesome. Open All Night sounds most like a traditional hit, so I first loved that but this with more listening has got to reveal more great stuff. 4.5/5

It’s the Boss

Favorite song(s): Nebraska or My Father's House Very good, expected to like this one.

Another Springsteen record. This one a collection of earnest, heartfelt blue collar americana ballads. There’s a definite mood to the record that you can sink into. I prefer it to most of his boisterous arena rock. “State Trooper” is a highlight. It may be even more effective with a bottle of whiskey. But I’d rather listen to Mark Lanegan for that sort of thing.

I liked the slower and more emotional tone to this album. My personal favorites were “Johnny 99” and “My Father’s House.”

if he’s the boss i quit. the suicide rip offs are decent tho

I did not dig this album. I was falling asleep in this. Maybe Springsteen missed on this one. Based off the hype around him I hope every album isn't a snore-fest bc otherwise it will be well disappointing.

Nah. I think you need to be a real Springsteen fan too enjoy this. I'm not in that camp and this was not pleasurable.

Sparse, bleak, arresting, excellent.

One of those Springsteen album you either love or hate, its insanely stripped back as it's literally dems that got released. A departure from the E Street Band sounds of The River, Darkness On The Edge Of Town, and Born To Run that preceded it, and radically different from the Born In The U.S.A. that would follow, its solid Springsteen storytelling, but you need to be ready for the bleakness that come from it.

It's hard to say which is the more impressive feat – the conception of such a record or its unsparingly bleak and often gorgeous/heartbreaking execution. What a statement, especially at this point in his career. The Boss gained enduring – nay, eternal – credibility for doing this and standing by it and perhaps was freed to go similarly all in on other types of albums (and what range he would show next, with Born in the USA). One's never quite undestood why “Atlantic City” wasn't the single, though “Open All Night” is terrific, too. "Johnny 99" woulda made a great single, if not for the grim content. (One's always found it odd that the lyric "debts no honest main can pay" are featured on two songs). “Mansion on the Hill” and “Highway Patrolman” are sublime and "Nebraska" and "State Trooper" near-shocking -- these are Reagan-era murder ballads, serious Cormac McCarthy and Flannery O'Connor territory. This made a major impact on one's early teenage musical development and in quite late middle age one finds it's only got better, retaining its full power. Perhaps the most profound statement by an unsurpassed artist.

Good storytellin Didn’t catch all the tales though Musicly didn’t vibe me a heap

A stripped down and somber bruce I’m not used to listening to. I like it!

Raw Expression from Bruce, but I still can't get into his feel.

Great album. Shows what an artist Springsteen is

Knew this was going to be a slog, only made it through the first couple songs

Epic and depressing story telling

I loved the concept for this album. A couple of tracks stood out - atlantic city, used cars. But I'm not sure i'd listen to again. Somewhere between 3 and 4 for me.

This album is called Nebraska but the second song is Atlantic City and then he's off singing about the New Jersey turnpike. We don't really know where this album takes place and neither does the E Street Band since they are not on this album. Just Bruce and his guitar and harmonica. A stripped down Springsteen. Johnny 99 is a great song. Love to hear it with a full band.

Nebraska sounds like the state it’s named for: sparse, lonely, can take forever to get through. For context of how shocking of a change this album is in Bruce’s catalog, it sits between 1980’s raucous double album “The River” and 1984’s zeitgeist “Born In The U.S.A.”. This is not my favorite Springsteen album but it does house one of the best songs he ever made in “Atlantic City”. Other highlights are “Johnny 99” and “Highway Patrolman”. It also shows that Bruce is truly a great storyteller who focuses on everyday, unassuming people with remarkable histories.

Despite his riches, Springsteen somehow manages to feel very authentic when singing about the plights of the less fortunate. This album is pretty sad, but deep and beautiful too. In general, I prefer more upbeat tunes, but this is a great album for what it is. I especially love the sound the harmonica brings. It feels both ethereal and strongly rooted in southern blues. Very moving.

Much prefer Springsteen’s acoustic albums and this is his best. Lyrically there are none of the ‘Jimmy the Saint’, ‘Wild Billy’ or ‘Crazy Janey’ caricatures of his early stuff, the characters, seem far more realistically drawn and it’s all the more effective. Highway Patrol Man is full of great details, Used Cars is genuinely sad, State Trooper spooky with just the slap echo, minimal guitar and harmonica (plus that sudden ‘whooooo’ in the fade out is a great moment). Johnny 99 would be cheesy with the E Street Band parping all over it, but solo the desperation comes across. And that’s not to mention the title track and Atlantic City, which are both among his best. They were apparently demos for a full band album (hence re-used lyrics in places) but it was definitely the right decision to leave them untouched. Five stars all day long

This is my favourite Bruce album, the most emotionally affecting and evocative to my mind. A great set of songs that coalesce around the themes of bleakness, despair, compromise and unfulfilled dreams and ambitions, the immediacy and minimalism of the demos that turned out to be the recordings give them a primacy and directness that serves the feel of the album so well. It captures so effectively in my imagination a feel of the vast empty spaces of the Midwest, with a sense of mysteriousness and creepiness. Love it. A stone cold, undoubted classic to my mind ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️