The Boss’s Vault: Ranking the Seven “Lost” Albums of Bruce Springsteen’s Tracks II

Bruce Springsteen’s massive new archival release, Tracks II: The Lost Albums, is an unprecedented gift to his diehard audience. Compiling 83 songs—74 of which had never been heard before—the box set serves as an essential sonic bridge, filling in the creative gaps between the iconic LPs released between 1983 and 2018. These are not merely throwaways; they are fully recorded, and in some cases, mastered projects that The Boss chose to set aside, offering a raw, unfiltered look into his ever-evolving muse. From a surprising detour into country-western honky-tonk to a crucial connective tissue between the folk isolation of Nebraska and the stadium roar of Born in the U.S.A., this collection demands a deep dive. Entertainment Weekly takes on the herculean task of ranking the seven distinct “lost” albums within this treasure trove, charting Springsteen’s journey through genres and decades while revealing which abandoned projects are truly the most essential listening.

1. LA Garage Sessions ’83: The Essential Missing Link

Earning the top spot is the most crucial entry in the entire collection: LA Garage Sessions ’83. Despite its bland title, this album offers the essential connective tissue between the stark, haunted folk of 1982’s Nebraska and the colossal, stadium-rock anthems of 1984’s Born In the U.S.A.

The album provides a unified context for tracks that fans have often heard in fragmented forms over the years, allowing them to chart Springsteen’s evolution in real time. It even includes an alternate version of the classic “My Hometown.” The sessions are a powerhouse of hidden gems, featuring the Beach Boys-esque harmonies of “Don’t Back Down,” the playful energy reminiscent of U.S.A.’s “Darlington County” in “Don’t Back Down on Our Love,” and the haunting, acoustic DNA shared with Nebraska tracks like “Johnny 99” in “Black Mountain Ballad.” This album is vital for any diehard fan seeking to fully understand the Boss’s monumental leap during this pivotal period.

2. Somewhere North of Nashville: A Country-Western Detour

Surprisingly recorded concurrently with the sparse, acoustic recordings for 1995’s The Ghost of Tom Joad, Somewhere North of Nashville stands out as a joyous and compelling detour into honky-tonk and country music. The album suggests that Springsteen has a genuine, unrealized gift for the genre, a fact that is now happily revealed in this box set.

The album features stirring pedal-steel guitar that imbues the tracks with a yearning, melancholy sound. Highlights include the lilting ballad “Under a Big Sky,” which tells a lonesome tale of a man realizing he’s ruined his most important relationships. In sharp contrast is the “filthiest song” The Boss has ever written, “Detail Man,” a forceful track full of overt, lascivious sex appeal that perfectly channels the energy of 1981’s “Cadillac Ranch.” This album is lauded for showcasing a playful, unexpected side of Springsteen’s versatility, making its long-ago shelving feel like a musical tragedy now corrected.

3. Streets of Philadelphia Sessions: The Synth Experiment

Stemming from the same period that produced the 1994 Oscar-winning song “Streets of Philadelphia,” this collection of tracks is defined by Springsteen’s willingness to experiment with the popular production tools of the early 1990s. The album is drenched in the aural textures of drum machines and synthesizers.

The opening track, “Blind Spot,” is classic early-nineties Springsteen, featuring a looping bass line and lyrics that speak to the “inevitable failure of a relationship,” similar in theme to 1987’s “Brilliant Disguise.” Other tracks, like “One Beautiful Morning,” veer toward the warmer rock sound of 1992’s Lucky Town, playing with the familiar religious themes often found in Springsteen’s work, including talk of a resurrection that echoes lyrics from 2002’s The Rising. These sessions offer an engaging snapshot of a period where Springsteen explored polished, modern sounds while maintaining his signature lyrical focus on broken bonds and spiritual seeking.

4. Perfect World: A Collection of Lost Gems

Unlike the other six projects, Perfect World was not originally conceived as a cohesive album but is instead a sampling of powerful tracks collected from various points in Springsteen’s career. This very lack of a unifying vision is what places it squarely in the middle of the ranking, even while it boasts some of the box set’s absolute strongest songs.

The track “The Great Depression,” which was cut from consideration for 2012’s Wrecking Ball, is noted for its blending of folksy traditions with rock & roll, a sound perfectly aligning with Wrecking Ball tracks like “Shackled and Drawn.” Its inclusion now is considered a fortunate rescue. Furthermore, the driving rock song “Rain in the River,” written back in 1994, is highlighted as possibly the single track in the entire 83-song collection that fans are most eager to hear performed live with the full force of the E Street Band.

5. Inyo: A Reflective Homage to the West

Inyo was largely written in the mid-1990s while Springsteen was on the road for the solo acoustic tour supporting The Ghost of Tom Joad. Much like Joad and Western Stars, it is a spare, reflective record that pays homage to the landscape of California and the American West.

The album illuminates Springsteen’s versatility by exploring genre shifts while maintaining his thematic focus on wandering men in wide-open spaces. It presages his later work by implementing mariachi music, most beautifully realized in “The Lost Charro,” a romantic ballad about the traditions of the Mexican cowboy. Another irresistible track is “When I Build My Beautiful House,” featuring exquisite finger-picking that further highlights the album’s Spanish influence. The record offers a quiet, introspective journey that complements the mood of his other stripped-down, geographically focused albums.

The Final Two: Unique and Uneven Journeys

Rounding out the collection are two projects that, while interesting, are deemed the most incomplete or uneven, placing them at the bottom of the list.

Twilight Hours (ranked #6) is a quieter record from 2010 and 2011, where Springsteen experiments outside his usual rock wheelhouse, leaning toward a crooner vibe. The album is recognized for the noir-worthy storytelling in “Lonely Town,” which evokes images of a cocked fedora and a glass of whiskey, and the 1960s Burt Bacharach-style horns in “Follow the Sun.” Despite these highlights, the album is marked by an uneven quality as Springsteen tests new styles.

Finally, Faithless (ranked #7) is deemed the most incomplete. Commissioned for a “spiritual Western” film that never materialized, these tracks were recorded in 2005-2006 and feel the most adrift without their intended visual accompaniment. It offers a true departure, notably through several beautiful instrumentals, a rarity for the lyric-driven artist. Its standout track, “Let Me Ride,” a plaintive ballad with rich choral harmonies, is reminiscent of the live-show favorite “Land of Hope and Dreams.”