I think the first album I got with a special bonus track was R.E.M's "Eponymous" Best Of collection, which didn't have the version of "Radio Free Europe" that we were all used to. It had the "original Hib-Tone" single mix---a kind of lost, alternate version. It was an interesting artifact.
In the years since, the interesting artifacts have taken over. Now, any album of any renown eventually gets remastered and reissued, with a host of (sometimes dubious) bonus material.
In fact, this year, R.E.M. reissued "Fables Of The Reconstruction." The remastered original album sounds great! But am I really ever going to listen to that second disc, which contains the not-quite-realized demo versions of all the songs on the record? Nah.
But we do have a thirst for this stuff. Our "Behind The Music" desires must be satiated.
So when a truly BIG album gets reissued, it doesn't just come with a remixed track, or even a bonus disc. It comes with a live concert and a whole dern movie!
The making of "Darkness On The Edge Of Town" was a pretty tumultuous time for Bruce Springsteen, and it was at an interesting crux in his career.
So this Fall, he's getting the full treatment. A documentary! 2 concert DVDs! 21 unreleased songs! Never! Before! Seen! Footage!
Bruce has never been known for keeping it short, has he?
The package isn't out until later this fall (though you can pre-order it from Amazon), but one of the Never! Before! Released! tracks is available for streaming.
Check it out. Does it merit the hoopla? Or is it just a relic from the attic?
Couldn't get the song to play, but the video looks AWESOME!
ReplyDeleteTim, I made an edit to the code. Try it now.
ReplyDeleteWith the premiere of the documentary film The Promise: The Darkness On The Edge Of Town Story, fans will get their first taste of what will appear on the forthcoming box-set reissue of Darkness on the Edge of Town. The six-disc set will include a remastered version of the album, a DVD of the documentary The Promise, two discs of previously unheard outtakes, and a full concert performance from 1978.
ReplyDeleteFans hungry for additional Darkness-era material should check out The Light in Darkness, a book packed with never-before-published photographs and first-hand tales of Bruce’s legendary 1978 tour and the recording of Darkness on the Edge of Town. The limited-edition book brings together fans; music critics and professional photographers, providing a multi-perspective look at this classic Springsteen record. check out: thelightindarkness.com
Awesome song!!
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