After pondering this for the last 25 years (approximately) I’ve finally come to the conclusion that Nebraska is my favorite Bruce album. Of course Born to Run, and Darkness on the Edge of Town were considered, but in the end, I continue to be amazed at Nebraska. Maybe no individual song moves me like Thunder Road, Jungleland, or even Candy’s Room, but as an entire album, it works better than any other.
The thematic qualities (usage of “sir” for example) and the relationship between the songs (the opposite, but near-identical State Trooper and Open All Night) make up a near perfect body of work.
I didn’t love it when it first came out, but over the years it has grown on me with incredible power. Nothing I enjoy more (from music) than the opportunity to sit in a dark room, enjoy a glass of good bourbon, and listen to this masterpiece.
So, the question is, do you like Nebraska? If yes, how much, compared to his more popular stuff?
Did you know that Born in the U.S.A. (the song) was recorded during those sessions? I heard that track (which obviously never made it on the album) on a radio show recently; can’t for the life of me remember where.
I had heard that, yes. In a different arrangement, which I’ve seen live, it makes sense. IMO, it’s a much more powerful song when slowed down, and done acoustically.
I’ve been seeing The Boss in concert for over 30 years now, and Nebraska was and is one of my favorites.
The title song, “Johnny 99”, and “Atlantic City” are among my faves on the album.
I’d still like to hear “Electric Nebraska”, the version of the album he did with the E Street band, just to compare. But I suspect he released the right version.
I’d rate the album up there with “Greetings”, “Darkness”, and “Magic”. But a bit below “Born to Run”, “The River”, and “Born in the USA”.
Nebraska is so powerful to be because it is so artistically different from the albums that sandwich it (**The River ** and Born in the USA). It takes a brave man to go completely away from what led to his success, and yet still succeed.
I like it, but it isn’t my favorite. That honor still belongs to The River. Although it’s Live In New York City that is getting all the play around here.
I love it. Every single song is wonderful, and Atlantic City is definitely one of my top five Bruce songs ever.
If I had to rate albums, maybe something like this -
Greetings
Darkness on the Edge of Town
Born To Run
Nebraska
Born in the USA
Magic
The River
Devils & Dust
The Rising
The Seeger Sessions
And then everything else - Tunnel of Love, Human Touch, etc.
Sort of lapsed Boss fan here, listened to all his stuff up to about the Tunnel of Love. Nebraska is a great album for sure. I always thought Born to Run was pretty much the Daddy though, by some distance.
If I listened to all his stuff today, I think it would be albums like Nebraska that would stand out. I’ve gone off the horn sound you hear running through a lot of his songs; just Bruce and a guitar would be more my taste nowadays. I should slap Born to Run on later today and see how it sounds (not listened to it in a long, long time).
I think this is one of those “What’s your favorite Seinfeld espisode?” questions (how can you even have a favorite when they’re all so damn good). How life’s been going in the last 6 months determines which is my favorite at any one time. That being said, I can’t believe noone has mentioned The Wild album. Rosalita?!
OK, I’ll put The Wild in between The Rising and The Seeger Sessions. It’s a short album, but packs a punch with Rosalita, Incident, Sandy, and The E Street Shuffle.
And I agree, it’s hard to pick a favorite, it was hard to rank them, and my favorite also changes depending on life and my mood…
The studio version of Born in the USA from the Nebraska sessions ended up on that big Tracks compilation that Bruce released about ten years ago.
I read once (can’t remember where) that Nebraska was the Bruce album that non-Bruce fans loved. It’s a great album. I think Atlantic City is his best song.
As someone who always hated The Boss as a child I heard Nebraska for the first time a couple years ago and discovered that I really liked him alot. I also really dig Ghost of Tom Joad and, less so, Devils and Dust. Nebraska has a veyr raw sound to it, as if it was recorded in a single take from beginning to end. Great album.
