Some of you have been patiently waiting for this, and patience is nothing if not a virtue, so prepare to be rewarded. This week’s Bootleg City is THREE discs of Bruce.

Last time around, Malchus the Great took us back to 1978; this time, he’s treating us to the 11/26/96 Asbury Park stop on Springsteen’s Tom Joad tour. A nice study in contrasts, eh?

How about the show? Well, I’ll let Malchus tell you about it:

:one for the ages. This is the type of “unplugged” gig we all expected back in ’92 (not the crappy gig we got with all of those studio musicians). On top of Springsteen being in top form, there are backup musicians on stage to add some flavor to the songs. Patti provides some harmony vocals. Danny gives a couple tunes his magic touch. And Soozie Tyrell. Soozie, Soozie, Soozie. Her violin is glorious, bringing an aching beauty to every song she’s a part of (in particular a soaring solo during “Racing in the Street”). As an added bonus, Vini “Mad Dog” Lopez is there. And see if you can tell the moment Little Steven walks on stage.

This show is stellar. More important, the confidence Bruce gained from those final shows would carry over to his most recent “Devils” tour (in which he performed not only on guitar, but pump organ, banjo, piano and ukulele).

Disc Three consists of performances from other nights on the tour. Enjoy, friends, and make sure you tip a hat in Malchus’ direction!

Intro
For You
It’s Hard to Be a Saint in the City
Atlantic City
Straight Time
Tougher Than the Rest
Darkness on the Edge of Town
Johnny 99
All That Heaven Will Allow
Wild Billy’s Circus Story
Red Headed Woman
Two Hearts
When You’re Alone
Shut out the Light
Born in the U.S.A.
The Ghost of Tom Joad

Intro
Sinaloa Cowboys
The Line
Racing in the Street
Across the Border
I Don’t Wanna Go Home
Spirit in the Night
Rosalita
This Hard Land
4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)

Intro
Long Time Comin’
The River
The Hitter
Two Hearts
Independence Day
Working on the Highway
I Wanna Marry You
Spirit in the Night
Rosalita
4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)
If I Should Fall Behind
Stop Prop 209

Bootleg City, Music

About the Author

Jeff Giles

Jeff Giles is the founder and editor-in-chief of Popdose and Dadnabbit, as well as an entertainment writer whose work can be seen at Rotten Tomatoes and a number of other sites. Hey, why not follow him at Twitter while you're at it?

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