7. Bruce Springsteen – The Promise
Normally, b-side albums don’t make my year-end lists. But The Promise isn’t really a b-side collection; it’s more like a lost album – 21 songs recorded between Born to Run and Darkness on the Edge of Town. It collects almost three albums worth of material.
The Promise isn’t just demo versions and outtakes either; these are brand new songs. What’s amazing is not only how much The Boss recorded and didn’t use, but how good the discards are. Songs like “Rendezvous” and “Ain’t Good Enough for You” sound like instant classics.
It’s been 30 years since Bruce recorded these, but nothing sounds dated. The Promise was definitely worth the wait.
