On September 3, Bruce Springsteen released his latest album, “Chapter and Verse.” The CD is a companion to his autobiography, “Born to Run,” which was released four days after the album release. The album features five songs that were previously unreleased as well as some of Springsteen’s biggest hits.
The CD is a compilation of Springsteen’s musical, pairing major hits like “Born in the USA” and “Born to Run” with five unreleased songs. The album release came after his highly successful tour, where he played to sold-out venues and broke records for playing for four hours at his Philadelphia shows. The album spans from his bands he performed with as a teenager to his solo work with the E Street Band. The CD is chronological, taking the listener on a journey through Springsteen’s career.
The first two songs on the 18-track CD were from his early career with his band, The Castiles. The audio on these tracks is a bit scratchy at points, which transports the listener back to records and a lack of audio editing. They also allow fans to hear Springsteen as a teenager and compare his sound to what it has become later in his career.
The next song features Bruce Springsteen in Steel Mill, another band from his early career. The audio is a bit clearer on this track than the first two, but it is not perfect. The song is similar to that of his work with The Castiles, but it still shows a progression to more mature vocals and song subjects.
From there, the album goes into two more unreleased songs, but they are from Springsteen’s solo career. The audio is clearer than the previous tracks and his voice sounds more like it is today. These songs sound almost like the first few songs on the album in terms of style, but they resemble his own style.
The rest of the songs are songs that appeared on other records and CDs. These sound more professional in terms of editing, with the songs sounding clearer than his earlier songs. They are more of the style that Springsteen is known for
All of the songs tell a story, making the album relatable. The songs from his early bands gives an insight to his early music, an insight that many fans do not get from their favorite musicians too frequently. The hits bring back memories of hearing the songs for the first time.
This album is perfect for new listeners and old fans alike. Those who have been fans for a while can appreciate the unreleased material and go back to when they heard Springsteen’s music for the first time. Newer fans have the ability to hear the hits while being able to examine Springsteen’s musical progression through the years.
The CD is available in physical form wherever CDs are sold and is available digitally through iTunes and similar services. Many places have the book and CD packaged as a set, allowing people to get both for the full experience.