A Guide to Springsteen’s Archive Series [Part 1]

Back in 2014, Bruce Springsteen okayed the idea for his live shows performed over the years to be released, something that fans had been clamouring for him to do for a long time. Live releases had been a rarity for Springsteen, with less than twenty live performances officially released between 1986 and 2013. Since the Archive Series was introduced there have been 93 shows officially released (not to forget the 150+ from 2014, 2016/17 and 2023, too), with plenty more still to come. The purpose of this guide is to let you know about the shows released so far, and to highlight the positive and negative aspects of them, to give a definitive idea of what you need to listen to, and what you can give a miss.
I’ll be looking at the releases in chronological order from the year they were performed, and in this first part of the guide, I’ll be talking about the releases from 1975 – 1985.

18^th October, 1975 – West Hollywood, CA – The Roxy

The first release of a show from 1975 since February 2015 gives listeners a perfect blend of Springsteen’s earliest hits, Born to Run classics and sublime covers that can be heard in the finest of audio quality thanks to John Altschiller’s perfect mix. Springsteen and The E Street Band are on top form with great performances of “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” and a slower “The E Street Shuffle” – the latter having Sam Cooke’s “Havin’ a Party” interpolated. While I can understand the trepidation from some fans about this one being under two hours and having only fourteen songs played, that concern proves to be trivial as this is essentially a must-have based on the covers of Carole King’s “Goin’ Back” and Jackie DeShannon’s “When You Walk in the Room” alone. When comparing this alongside Upper Darby below and the famed Hammersmith Odeon show, this is the one to have.

For a more detailed review of this show.

Rating: 9.75/10

24^th November, 1975 – London, UK – Hammersmith Odeon

Fourteen years after the famed first night in Hammersmith Odeon (and the show that opened to the door to a potential Archive Series) was released, Bruce Springsteen’s most stressful night finally gets the second half of its story. And it’s an all-timer. Without the pressures that came with night one, Springsteen and The E Street Band play much looser and with more freedom, and it has great results. A longer show – especially for 1975 – with twenty-two songs coming in at two and a half hours, this one features perfect performances of “Lost in the Flood”, “Pretty Flamingo” and “4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)” amongst many others, highlighting a man and his band who hadn’t even come close to their peak yet, playing like they’d hit it years ago.

You can read a full review of this show here.

Rating: 10/10

12^th December, 1975 – Greenvale, NY – C.W. Post Dome

As far as this blog is concerned, I may have made it difficult for the next 1975 release to follow Hammersmith due to every song being a recommended stand out, and while I can’t say the same for this show, it very well stands up as an outstanding follow-up release. Yes, the setlist appears to be similar, but Greenvale 1975 is so much more. Providing a fascinating look at the continuing evolution of Springsteen and the E Street Band on a landmark tour, their growing confidence in every show is evident for the entirety of this night’s two hours and nineteen minutes; from those we’ve heard previously in The Roxy and Hammersmith, to the setlist debuts and newer additions in “It’s My Life” and “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” (the latter you’ve been hearing for years on the radio!). It’s apt that this one opens with that intimate “Thunder Road”, because this is really a show about taking risks, and that’s stressed even in performances such as “For You” that see Bruce altering his vocal approach simply to see what works and what doesn’t.

You can read a review of this entire show here.

Rating: 9.75/10

31^st December, 1975 – Upper Darby, PA – Tower Theatre

As great as The Roxy and Hammersmith are, that doesn’t negate the quality of the New Year’s Eve show that also sounds like it was recorded yesterday, thanks to the work of Toby Scott and Adam Ayan. This is an excellent show that gives the listener a perfect glimpse into the Born to Run era, filled with the youthful hopes and dreams – as evident in the performances of “She’s the One”, “Born to Run” and “It’s Hard to be a Saint in the City” – that made the album and tour such a success. This show also benefits from the storytelling aspect, with haunting and hilarious tales woven into covers of The Animals’ “It’s My Life” and Manfred Mann’s “Pretty Flamingo”, and they’re a great example of what sets E Street Band shows so far apart from many others.

Read about this show in more detail here. 

Rating: 8/10

 7^th February, 1977 – Albany, NY (Palace Theatre) & 8^th February, 1977 – Rochester, NY (Auditorium Theatre)

Acquired from soundboard recordings, these two “never before heard” releases from the obscure 1977 “Lawsuit Tour” provides an insight as to what The E Street Band were up to in-between the famed Born to Run and Darkness tours, with glimpses of what was to come in the next year through an early performance of “Something in the Night” alongside Darkness outtakes, “The Promise”, “Rendezvous” and “Action in the Streets”, the first ever performance of the latter.
Unfortunately, the quality of these two shows is affected by the sound issues coming from cuts in specific songs: Albany features incomplete versions of “Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)” and “Born to Run”, while Rochester suffers with incomplete performances of “Something in the Night”, “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” and “The Promise.”
The silver lining here, of course, is that while these performances are incomplete on one show, you can hear the full performances on the other.
I’d suggest if you’re torn between downloading one or the other, go for Albany, as  “Rosie” and “Born to Run” are available on many other archive releases, whereas there aren’t many versions of “Something in the Night” and “The Promise.”

You can read my complete write-up of these two concerts here.

• Albany Rating: 6.75/10
• Rochester Rating: 6.5/10

1^st July, 1978 – Berkeley, CA – Berkeley Community Theatre

After Nugs released the final anticipated Darkness radio broadcast from Atlanta in October 2020, fans began wondering what would be next from Springsteen’s most revered tour, and if there’d be any surprises to come. The first ’78 release to follow was certainly a surprise. The second night from Berkeley had been circulating in impressive quality for many years, unfortunately it was a only a small soundboard portion of the show, and what was missing from it nobody knew for certain, as for forty-three years the complete setlist of the show was unknown. Now released in full, July 1st, 1978 may appear to be a typical night of the tour, but no Darkness show, no Springsteen show is ever truly identical, and this reiterates that in the little moments, such as “The Promised Land” lacking an extended harmonica intro, and the big moments, particularity the performance of “The Promise”, which is gorgeous if not bleak and highlighted by an additional verse never played again after July 1978. This isn’t the best show from the tour, but it’s a Darkness show, and that’s all that matters.

You can read an extended review of this show here.

Rating: 8/10

7^th July, 1978 – West Hollywood, CA – The Roxy

The twenty-ninth release from the series to mark the fortieth anniversary of the show, the release of The Roxy ’78 makes the famed bootleg recording of the legendary KMET radio broadcast redundant, and provides an excellent three hour listening experience of one of the many celebrated Darkness tour shows, where alongside the drum-pounding and guitar-shredding music, the best example of Springsteen the storyteller is now evident on a ’78 show release.
The show’s audio quality is stunning, and in contrast to previous recordings this actually allows you to feel like a member of the audience. It’s one of best sounding ’78 releases, though not quite on the level of Passaic. The only downside is that there are a couple of moments where you can hear microphone feedback – this is nothing that will ruin the show, but it’s worth being wary of if you’re listening to the release loudly through earphones.
The Roxy show is perfectly balanced in regards to songs played, with plenty from the Darkness album. Highlights include the album’s title track and “Racing in the Street”, alongside a plethora of covers such as Buddy Holly’s “Rave On” and Elvis’ “Heartbreak Hotel”, which is a notable improvement from the bootleg. Classics from the first three Springsteen albums, and some debuts from the yet-to-be-released River album, also feature, with the now definitive, complete version of “Backstreets” featuring the “Sad Eyes” interlude finally available after the infamous editing on the Live 75 – 85 box-set.
If you’re a diehard Springsteen fan or someone wanting an idea why the ’78 shows are so famed, this is a show you need to hear.

For more about this show, read here.

Rating: 9.5/10

9^th August, 1978 – Cleveland, OH – The Agora

The famously revered Agora show of the summer of 1978 was a long-awaited Holy Grail of releases from Springsteen fans, and fittingly, it was one of the first shows released from the Archive back in 2014. The show epitomizes the Darkness tour, with outstanding performances of Darkness tour classics such as “Factory”, “Racing in the Street”, “Growin’ Up” and “Backstreets”. The only downside to this one is that the audio quality is hardly different from that on the radio broadcast bootlegs fans had been listening to for years whilst awaiting an official release.
This show is obviously worth downloading for the historical value, but if you’re hoping to experience Springsteen’s greatest tour in the finest audio quality possible, you’re better off giving this a miss in favour of Passaic ’78.

Read about this concert in more detail here. 

Rating: 7/10

19^th September, 1978 – Passaic, NJ – Capitol Theatre

When I wrote the piece for the second show of the three night stand in the Capitol Theatre, that you can read below, in June 2018, I didn’t have it in mind that it would be bettered just over a year later. Now, I’m not going to criticise the 20^th September show, because as you can see beneath it’s truly fantastic. It’s just not the Pièce De Résistance of Springsteen’s live career. What the 19^th September, 1978 show offers is the finest first set you’ll ever hear as a Springsteen fan, the most magical versions of “Racing in the Street” from 1978 and of “Thunder Road” in general. Including more Darkness tracks such as the rare “Streets of Fire” and the Darkness Tour staple “Prove It All Night”, they show just how amazing the guitar, piano and organ playing was in ’78 and along with the sublime versions of “She’s The One” and “Backstreets”, there was no doubt in my mind about breaking my rating scale for it after listening, as for as great as the rest of the Archive Series releases are, they don’t touch this one.

FOR MORE ON SPRINGSTEEN’S GREATEST LIVE SHOW

Rating: 10.25

20^th September, 1978 – Passaic, NJ – Capitol Theatre

In stark contrast to The Agora show, the audio quality on this release of another of Springsteen’s greatest shows is arguably the measuring stick to which all other archive releases will be compared. Similarly to the 1975 Upper Darby release, this show sounds like it was recorded yesterday. It perfectly conveys everything needed to admire and appreciate the Darkness tour the way it deserves to be listened to.
The quality of the audio would be redundant if it wasn’t for the quality of the actual show. The second of three nights in the Capitol Theatre is Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band at their very best, three hours of arguably the best 22 song set you’re ever likely to hear. Many of the core Darkness tour songs featured on the Agora release are present here alongside outstanding renditions of songs from Springsteen’s first three albums – the trifecta from WIESS of “Kitty’s Back”, “Incident on 57th Street” and “Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)” steal the show – as well as two songs that would find themselves on The River album two years later in “Independence Day” and “Point Blank.” The show is filled with highlights, with the only shame being that Darkness tour favourites “Racing in the Street” and “Backstreets” weren’t performed on the night, but their absence isn’t enough to bring this show down.
This is a must-have for any Springsteen fan.

TO READ MORE ABOUT THIS SHOW

Rating: 10/10

21^st September, 1978 – Passaic, NJ – Capitol Theatre

December 2017 saw the release of Bob Clearmountain’s measuring stick mix of September 20th; September 2019 saw the rating scale-breaking release of the Pièce De Résistance, September 19th; and now in March 2024 the 1978 Passaic trilogy is complete. Having had those two shows on rotation for the last several years, it can be safely said that September 21st speaks for itself, but if you’re curious, this show that bears a setlist similar to its two predecessors is most certainly not identical. Adding four more songs to the thirty that had been played across the previous two nights, the performances of “High School Confidential,” “Sweet Little Sixteen,” “The Fever” and “Quarter to Three” more than make up for a small lyrical stumble in “Racing in the Street” – which admittedly thrives afterward – and that’s not to forget the songs that had already featured. With more shining versions of “Prove It All Night,” “Because the Night,” “Incident on 57th Street” and “Born to Run,” while this show doesn’t see a performance better than the Piéce De Résistance, or a mix superior to Jon Altschiller’s for night two, it delights as an essential addition to the Live Archive Series. 

You can read my review of night three in the Capitol Theatre here.

Rating: 9/10

30^th September, 1978 – Atlanta, GA – Fox Theatre

The fifth and final radio broadcast from the Darkness Tour brings a great sense of completion, as well as a mighty feeling of excitement given what this show has to offer. Highlighted by arguably the greatest ever performances of “Prove It All Night” and “Backstreets”, Atlanta also gifts us an Archive Series first in an instrumental cover of James Brown’s “Night Train” – which nicely connects this release to the first Archive Series release: Apollo 2012. Standing out in addition to these are brilliant versions of “Racing in the Street” and “She’s The One” – the latter preceded by “Not Fade Away” and “Gloria”, and all of it can be heard in stunning audio quality, a much needed upgrade to the weather affected bootlegs fans had been playing over the last forty-two years.

You can read about this show in full here!

Rating: 9.7/10

1^st October, 1978 – Atlanta, GA – Fox Theatre

Where Atlanta night one was hindered by weather interference until its release with crystal clear audio in the Archive Series, Atlanta night two – a show many were unsure was even recorded – suffered from never being available to enjoy in full. While fans could listen to its release and hear masterful readings of The Rolling Stones’ “The Last Time,” The Animals’ “It’s My Life” and Springsteen own songs: “Badlands,” “Prove It All Night” and “Jungleland” to name a few, what followed the latter was a mystery. Now thanks to the Archive Series we can enjoy the first set and the second half, in particular a stunning WIESS trio of “Kitty’s Back,” “Incident on 57th Street” and “Rosalita,” an otherworldly “Because the Night,” and two rip-roaring renditions of the “Detroit Medley” and “Quarter to Three,” which end the initially scheduled final show of ’78 in sublime fashion. A rare gem, this is what fans from the Archive Series from the very start.

You can read an extended review of this release here.

Rating: 10/10

8^th December, 1978 – Houston, TX – The Summit

Released to raise funds for the MusiCares® Hurricane Relief Fund following Hurricane Harvey in August 2017, this show that had been previously released on DVD gives fans a chance to focus more so on the music itself without the ‘distractions’ of what Springsteen and The E Street Band are doing onstage. While it pales in comparison to the aforementioned Passaic shows, both audio and performance-wise, this night in The Summit is sequenced excellently with two unique themes being explored in the first and second sets. Additionally, this one offers amazing performances of “Prove It All Night”, “The Fever” and “Because The Night”, alongside unique, early performances of “Independence Day”, “The Ties That Bind” and “Point Blank”, which would find themselves on The River two years later. It’s not perfect, but it’s Springsteen and The E Street Band in 1978 – what else could we ask for?

Check out my full review of the show here!

 Rating: 7.4/10

15^th December, 1978 – San Fransisco, CA – Winterland

Another Darkness Tour radio broadcast, another all-time great Springsteen show. Winterland is one that fans have been wanting to be released for forty-one years now and many have considered it to be the Holy Grail of live Springsteen. It can’t be disputed that it’s in the conversation either. While the setlist isn’t too dissimilar to other Darkness shows, the performance level from Springsteen and The E Street Band in this one, for my money, comes close to the Piece De Resistance that is Passaic night one, with “Darkness on the Edge of Town”, “Prove It All Night” and “Backstreets” standing out as possible Archive Series bests.

READ AN EXTENDED WRITE-UP OF WINTERLAND NIGHT ONE HERE.

Rating: 9.75/10

16^th December, 1978 – San Fransisco, CA – Winterland

This one might not have been on the radio, but it’s another Darkness Tour show that has Springsteen and The E Street Band playing like they’ve (still) got something to prove. Likewise with the show above, there’s twenty-five songs played, and while there’s only four changes – “Good Rocking Tonight” opening, “Rendezvous” played instead of “Streets of Fire”, “Independence Day” in the “Factory” slot and “It’s Hard to be a Saint in the City” opening the second set in favour of “The Ties That Bind” – there’s plenty to love and “Saint” is the pick of that particular bunch. This one’s also got a peculiar “Backstreets” for the tour with no lengthy interlude in the middle, which might be just for you if you’re just wanting songs the way they were originally penned, and a “Racing in the Street” that both suffers and flourishes because of Bruce momentarily forgetting the words to the chorus. Moments like that and an all round performance that isn’t quite to the standards of the previous night stop it from being as good, but when you hear Bruce’s singing on songs such as “The Promised Land” and “Born to Run”, you’ll be having the time of your life regardless.

CHECK OUT MY REVIEW OF THE FULL SHOW HERE.

Rating: 8.5/10

21^st September 1979 + 22^nd September 1979, New York, NY – Madison Square Garden

As of July 2021, No Nukes 1979 is no longer available to download on Bruce’s Live site, but you can read my review of The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concerts live album here and check out my review of the film here.

Released as the 2018 Christmas special, the two performances from Madison Square Garden for the No Nukes concert presented by the Musicians United for Safe Energy (M.U.S.E) not only gives fans an opportunity to experience Springsteen and The E Street Band post Darkness and pre-River, but a chance to hear a rare combination of rousing Darkness tracks, Springsteen’s live warhorses and early previews of River album material. In particular, the first two live performances of “The River”. Additionally this features splendid covers of “Stay” featuring additional vocals from Jackson Browne, Rosemary Butler and Tom Petty, “Detroit Medley” showcasing The E Street Band at a time when they were arguably on their finest form and a performance of “Quarter to Three” that has been revered for over forty years. While these two shows are very similar in setlist and last for less than ninety minutes, they’re really worth checking out.

To read an extended review of No Nukes 1979, check out my New from the Springsteen archive post.

Rating: 8.75/10

5^th November, 1980 – Tempe, AZ – ASU Activity Center

Unlike the rest of the shows available on http://live.brucespringsteen.net, this doesn’t really qualify as a true archive release due to the fact there are only 10 songs featured in comparison to the 32 songs performed on the night of the show. These 10 songs are the performances not recorded and included on the official DVD release included in The Ties That Bind: The River Collection.
Initially a free download, this sample of the great Tempe show now costs $7.95, so my suggestion would be to hesitate from buying in the event of the full show being released in the future. There’s nothing wrong with any of the songs included here, but out of context they fail to truly captivate the listener.

For a review of the full show from Tempe, check out my retro review.

Rating: N/A

28^th December, 1980 – Uniondale, NY – Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum

The final piece of the Nassau Coliseum jigsaw puzzle, night one has been labelled as “the other night”, but if it isn’t a stupendous showcase of Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Van Zandt and the rest of the E Street Band. Often overshadowed by the two that followed it and under-appreciated because of a misstep at the start of the opening song that is now removed, this is the Magnificent Seven playing on top form and it feels grand. We’re inclined to look at this as part one of a trilogy, and consequently will understate the River defining feel akin to Tempe that it exudes, but after being stunned by terrific versions of “Prove It All Night”, “Who’ll Stop The Rain?” and “Point Blank” and “Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)”, it’s easy enough for us to forget about what show is better than which and just get lost in the magic of Bruce and the Band at the top of their game on The River Tour.

You can read a full review of this concert here.

Rating: 9/10

29^th December, 1980 – Uniondale, NY – Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum

While it might have three songs less and run at 3hrs34 in comparison to the show below’s 3hrs42, the second show from the Nassau stand is a jewel in the crown of Springsteen fans invested in the Archive Series. Highlighted by the quintessential “Incident on 57th Street” into “Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)”, this marathon show has just about everything a Springsteen fan could desire from one of his greatest tours. Featuring thirteen tracks from The River album, including sublime versions of “Hungry Heart”, “Point Blank”, “The Ties That Bind” and “The River” – with an intro where Roy Bittan plays Ennio Morricone’s theme for “Once Upon a Time in the West” – as well as back-catalogue live staples and rarities, I’d strongly advise checking this one out.

To read about this show in more detail, click here.

Rating: 9.25/10

31^st December, 1980 – Uniondale, NY – Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum

At one point the longest show of Springsteen’s career, the New Year’s Eve show from Nassau (like above) contains everything you need to hear from The River Tour of 1980.
Lively River era rockers such as “Out in the Street”, “Two Hearts” and “Ramrod” are complemented and contrasted by the album’s bleak material such as “Fade Away”, “Wreck on the Highway” and the stunning changed version of “The Price You Pay.” With material spanning the last ten years scattered throughout, powerful performances of “Who’ll Stop the Rain” and “This Land is Your Land” are a great indicator of Springsteen’s mindset at the time and a glimpse of the political themes he would explore in the future.
Around two and a half hours into the show is the New Year’s countdown where River outtake “Held Up Without a Gun”, covers “In the Midnight Hour” and “Auld Lang Syne” bring the audience, and the listener into 1981 for the final portion of the show, which lasts over an hour. With 38 songs totalling up to a near-four hour-long show, there is plenty here to enjoy. It’s a classic show that all hardcore fans need to hear, and a perfect introduction for new fans to a multitude of songs in the Springsteen catalogue.

This show was remixed and re-released in July 2019, meaning this show that I initially had no issues with the audio of can now be heard with sound quality that the initial release pales in comparison to. This fresher sound brings performances of “Racing in the Street”, “This Land is Your Land”, “The Price You Pay” and more to life with vibrancy they simply didn’t have for the last four years. Though I had no qualms with the sound, I always felt the show wasn’t as special as it’s been made out to be, despite the thirty-eight songs and 3hr40min run-time, so I felt a rating of 8.75/10 was fair. I’ve decided to revise this show’s rating to 9.25/10, and while this is the same rating as the December 29^th show, I truly feel that by themselves they only tell half a story, and that they need to be heard back-to-back for a greater listening experience.

You can read my full review of the remixed marathon show here.

Rating: 9.25/10

4^th June, 1981 – London, UK – Wembley Arena

Taking a similar shape to June 5th below where it concerns several of the songs featured, as the eightieth unique concert released in the Archive Series it serves as an additional reminder that no Springsteen concert is truly identical. Whether it was in the songs played, the vocals and instrumentals within them or the structuring of the setlist, every night of the Wembley 1981 stand had something unique to it – that’s without considering the quality of performance either – and that is very apparent on June 4th; a concert that shines thanks to great versions of “Jackson Cage”, “Badlands”, “Sherry Darling” and “Racing in the Street”, and these are just four songs elevated by incredible vocals, harmonies, added instrumentals and expressions. A contrast to the following night with Bruce full of energy, it’s rather that fitting he jokingly cites exhaustion and calls for a doctor in a brilliant “Detroit Medley” to end of the show, as this was surely his reality over the next couple of days, such is the effort put into giving Wembley Arena everything he has!

You can read an extended review of this concert here.

Rating: 10/10

5^th June, 1981 – London, UK – Wembley Arena

The first official release from 1981 and the thirtieth release from the Archive is an excellent example of Springsteen and The E Street Band at their very best.
There’s a fantastic blend of famed Springsteen tracks from the first six years of his career, twelve River album tracks and a plethora of covers all brilliantly performed, leaving you questioning why this relatively unknown show isn’t as famed as The Roxy and Passaic.
For a show recorded in 1981, you’ll be amazed at just how great this sounds on the ears, as everything from Bruce’s vocals to the intricacies of instrumentals from The E Street Band members can be heard in the finest of audio quality. Each and every one of Springsteen and his Band members shine over the course of this near-three hour show. There are few downsides amongst many highlights. While some may be critical of the decision to fill in the unrecorded last ninety-five seconds of “Detroit Medley” with audio from a fan’s bootleg recording, others may be thankful that this section of the show has been included to provide a full version of one of Springsteen’s greatest live songs, and also optimistic that this move has increased the chances of many other not fully recorded shows being released in all their glory. Additionally, the biggest lowlight of the show for me is the version of “Follow That Dream” that is much changed from the perfect cover Springsteen would perform from 1984-onwards, but what is a downside to me may be nirvana for others.
Regarding the feeling of nirvana, that’s something you’re likely to experience when listening to the rest of this thirty-one song set; classics like “The Promised Land”, “The River” and “Thunder Road” are stunning, while covers such as “Who’ll Stop the Rain” and “Jole Blon” leave you thinking they’re the definitive versions.
This is a show that should be listened to as soon as possible.

For a more in-depth review of what’s great about this show, check out my New from the Springsteen Archive review.

Rating: 10/10

9^th July, 1981 – East Rutherford, NJ – Brendan Byrne Arena

Returning from a massive European Tour as homecoming heroes, Springsteen and The E Street Band deliver one of the finest shows of the entire River Tour. Featuring sublime versions of “Trapped”, “The Ties That Bind” and a “Jersey Girl” that’s so good, Springsteen selected it to end his legendary Live 1975-85 box set. While there are drawbacks in how “Racing in the Street” sounds off and Danny Federici’s organ is often distant in mix, don’t let that turn you away from this stellar release where Springsteen continues to explore his changing worldview with Elvis Presley inspired performances of “Follow That Dream” and “Johnny Bye-Bye” and Vietnam driven renditions of “Who’ll Stop the Rain” and “Badlands”.

To read about this concert in more detail, you can check out my extended review here!

Rating: 8.8/10

5^th August, 1984 – East Rutherford, NJ – Brendan Byrne Arena

The first show to be released from the 1984-85 Born in the USA World Tour took many fans by surprise. Never deemed to be an all-time great, the first of ten consecutive shows at the Brendan Byrne Arena combines stunning performances of Nebraska and BITUSA album tracks alongside an array of songs befitting Springsteen’s return to New Jersey. What stands out here are the excellent vocals of Patti Scialfa during “Out in the Street”, the greatest performance of “Highway Patrolman”, and the homecoming theme that is notable through emotional performances of “Used Cars”, “My Hometown”, “Bobby Jean”, the incredible cover of Tom Waits’ “Jersey Girl”, and further emphasised with fun stories from Springsteen about his youth in “Glory Days” and “Growin’ Up.”
The only downside to this particular release is that it bears many similarities to the next show to be released from 1984, and in regards to emotional resonance and historical context, it pales in comparison.

You can read about the full show here.

Rating: 8.25/10

6^th August, 1984 – East Rutherford, NJ – Brendan Byrne Arena

Unsurprisingly similar in setlist to the opening night above – and also the final night below- there are more than enough unique tracks featured on this one to make it a fresh listening experience in comparison. Whether it’s the riveting renditions of “Open All Night”, “I’m a Rocker” and “Street Fighting Man”, or the staggeringly great and powerful “Racing in the Street”. For a year where Springsteen and The E Street Band played well over one hundred gigs, another release from a stand where we’ve already had two releases can be frustrating. Unfortunately, it’s been said that there were only four shows from this year recorded in multi-track and they all happened to be from the Brendan Byrne Arena, and while that doesn’t rule out Bruce Inc. having soundboard recordings in that vault, at the moment this is the only chance we’ll get to hear the likes of “Open All Night”, “Racing in the Street” and “Street Fighting Man” from this tour in the best possible quality.

You can read about this full show here.

Rating: 9.1/10

19^th August, 1984 – East Rutherford, NJ – Brendan Byrne Arena

Seven years after August 5th, 1984 was released, the Live Archive Series concludes its look back at the Meadowlands stand in the summer of 1984 – and the year outright, wrapping it up by showing us how quickly Springsteen and the E Street Band found their footing after August 5th and 6th, before the “Last Great Show” twenty-four hours later. Blending brand new Born in the U.S.A. favourites with a wide variety of setlist staples and back catalogue essentials, there’s something for every fan across these three hours, fifteen minutes, enough to leave you unconcerned about how similar the setlist is to previous 1984 releases. It isn’t entirely the same, of course, thanks to great readings of “Reason to Believe,” “My Father’s House” and “Racing in the Street” that stand out most, with the likes of “Growin’ Up,” “Darkness on the Edge of Town” and “Cadillac Ranch” not far behind them. Each song is highlighted by the remarkable vocals, instrumentals and chemistry of Bruce and the Band at their highest point.

You can read my full review of night nine in the Brendan Byrne in August 1984 here.

20^th August, 1984 – East Rutherford, NJ – Brendan Byrne Arena

When Bruce Springsteen opens a show claiming “Tonight’s the night!“, it’s a clear indication that there’s something special ahead, and this night is the epitome of special. With the theme of brotherhood prevalent throughout, from Bruce’s story about his band mates during “Glory Days” to his monologue about New Jersey preceding “My Hometown”, it’s blatantly apparent after an hour in that this is a show full of emotion.
The contributions of the Miami Horns during “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” increase the jovial tone that follows an excellent “Cadillac Ranch”, but “Tenth’s” context of being about Clarence Clemons and The E Street Band becomes interesting with a heart-rending, but at the same time, jubilant “No Surrender” being performed next, dedicated to Little Steven who had left The E Street Band prior to the BITUSA World Tour beginning, but would return for this very night to perform two songs with Bruce: “Two Hearts” and “Drift Away”. The first says it all, that “two hearts are better than one“, while the second – one of the greatest moments in Springsteen’s career – is triumphant, with the Miami Horns again adding to that jovial feeling while Bruce and Stevie pour their hearts out to one another.
Words can do this show little justice. It’s one for the ages, and thanks to the Archive Series it can finally be heard the way it was performed on that summer night in 1984.

More can be read about this show here.

Rating: 9.5/10

22^nd August, 1985 – East Rutherford, NJ – Giants Stadium

The fourth night of six in the home of the Dallas Cowboys sees Springsteen and the E Street Band continue their titan tour in celebratory fashion to an eager New Jersey audience. Featuring fantastic versions of ten songs from Born in the U.S.A., this night highlights the heavy hitters such as the title track and “Downbound Train”, the liberating thrills like “I’m Goin’ Down” and “Working on the Highway”, and the emotional gut-punchers, “Bobby Jean” and “My Hometown”. It doesn’t stop there either, as a variety of career spanning songs add to the joyous feel, with seven tracks from The River emphasising exactly what an E Street Band should feel like. That makes the special guest appearance of Little Stevie Van Zandt for six encore delights all the more significant, and Stevie contributes heartily to inspired renditions of “Two Hearts”, “Jersey Girl” and “Sherry Darling”. This night may appear similar in setlist to the one below, but no show is ever truly the same, and the unique nuances in “Ramrod” and “Sherry” exemplify that.

You can read my full review of this concert release here.

Rating: 9/10

27^th September, 1985 – Los Angeles, CA – Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

Showcasing Springsteen and The E Street Band at the greatest height of their popularity, this Nils Lofgren inspired show is the first of a final four-show stand on the Born in the U.S.A. World Tour. Featuring ten of the twelve songs from the tour’s respective album – “I’m Goin’ Down” and “Downbound Train” stand out – as well as a couple of studio outtakes in the form of “Seeds”, “Stand On It” and “Janey Don’t You Lose Heart”, there’s plenty of BITUSA to delve into on this one. Alongside those are tremendous covers of “Trapped”, “This Land is Your Land” and Springsteen’s live debut of “War” following an excellent and emotional extended version of “The River”. When comparing this to the two BITUSA World Tour shows above, I have no reservations in saying this one blows them out of the water.

READ ABOUT THIS SHOW IN MORE DETAIL

Rating: 9.75/10

All of these shows can be found on http://live.brucespringsteen.net if you’re interested in listening to them.

Part 2 available here.

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