'' is a "heartland folk" album by
Bruce Springsteen , released in
1982 (see
1982 In Music ). The album was a critical success in spite of a lukewarm public reception.
Springsteen had recorded the album in a studio with a full band and then decided not to release it, instead submitting his demo tape of the same songs, recorded at home on a
4-track Cassette recorder. The album consists only of
Acoustic Guitar ,
Electric Guitar ("Open All Night"),
Harmonica , and Springsteen's
Voice .
The album begins with "
Nebraska ", a
First-person Narrative by a
Serial Killer , and ends with "Reason to Believe", a complex narration that renders its title phrase into contemptuous sarcasm. The remaining songs are largely of the same gloom-laden tone, although "Open All Night," a
Chuck Berry -style lone guitar rave-up, does manage a dose of defiant, humming-towards-the-gallows exuberance.
''Nebraska'' peaked at #3 on
Billboard 's Pop Albums chart. ''Nebraska'' ended up being one of the most well-reviewed records in his catalog, and Springsteen returned to recapture the sound and feel of it on later recordings such as ''
The Ghost Of Tom Joad '' and ''
Devils & Dust ''.
A
Music Video was produced for the song "
Atlantic City "; it featured stark, black and white images of the city, which had not yet undergone its later transformation, and was still rather bleak and depressed.
Springsteen fans have long speculated whether Springsteen's full-band recording of the album, nicknamed ''Electric Nebraska'', will ever surface. Somewhat different band arrangements of most of these songs were heard on the 1984-1985 Born in the U.S.A. Tour and have been played in various guises ever since.
#"
Nebraska " – 4:32
#"
Atlantic City " – 4:00
#"Mansion on the Hill" – 4:08
#"Johnny 99" – 3:43
#"Highway Patrolman" – 5:40
#"State Trooper" – 3:17
#"Used Cars" – 3:10
#"
Open All Night " – 2:58
#"My Father's House" – 5:07
#"Reason to Believe" – 4:10
All songs written by Bruce Springsteen.
- Mike Batlin – Engineer
- David Michael Kennedy – Photography
- Dennis King – mastering
- Andrea Klein – design
