This boxed set will include 83 songs, with 74 making their official debut after remaining unreleased until now.
The release is called “Tracks II: The Lost Albums,” and is a collection of 83 songs across seven CDs (or nine vinyl LPs), including 74 tracks that have never been officially released, as announced by the star on Thursday.
For years, fans have speculated about the extensive vault of unreleased material Springsteen has accumulated throughout his career. While the singer-songwriter has occasionally hinted at these projects, even longtime followers may be surprised by the depth of “Tracks II.” The set organizes these previously shelved recordings into seven distinct albums spanning from 1983 to 2018, each reflecting a unique production style and creative period in Springsteen’s career.
Among the highlights is “LA Garage Sessions ’83,” an 18-track album from the era when Springsteen was refining the sound that would become “Born in the U.S.A.” Some of these songs, such as “Fugitive’s Dream” and “Don’t Back Down on Our Love,” have been widely bootlegged but are now receiving an official release.
Another standout is “Streets of Philadelphia Sessions,” which sheds light on Springsteen’s early ‘90s experiments with electronic production. After recording “Streets of Philadelphia” for the 1993 film “Philadelphia”—which later won an Academy Award for Best Original Song—Springsteen explored similar sonic elements for a full-length album with what he described as a “hip-hop edge.” Though completed, he ultimately decided against its release, feeling the lyrics lacked depth and sensing a growing disconnect with his audience. Now, that 10-track album is finally emerging from the vault.
Other albums in the collection include “Faithless,” originally composed for an abandoned film project; “Somewhere North of Nashville,” a country-inspired record; “Inyo,” which delves into themes of Mexican culture and the U.S.-Mexico border; and “Twilight Hours,” an orchestral, traditional-pop exploration. “Perfect World” stands apart as the only album in the set that wasn’t originally conceived as a single project but rather assembled from various recordings.
“The Lost Albums were full records, some of them even to the point of being mixed and not released,” Springsteen, now 75, stated.
The release follows 1998’s “Tracks,” a four-disc compilation of outtakes, B-sides, and demos, including the raw solo version of “Born in the U.S.A.” With “Tracks II: The Lost Albums,” Springsteen offers fans a deeper look into his creative process and the music that, until now, had remained unheard.