Point Blank

POINT BLANK - V1 1:00 LMEC1
POINT BLANK - V2 - take 3 5:39 DROC1 / RO
POINT BLANK - V3 - take 9 5:50 DROC1 / RO
POINT BLANK - V4 - take 11 5:20 DROC1 / RO
POINT BLANK - V5 - take 12 5:17 DROC1 / RO / ATMF
POINT BLANK - V6 5:59 RIVER

Note: Initially written in early 1978 after the conclusion of the Darkness sessions, and completed during the early stages of the Darkness Tour. Bruce confirmed in a 1978 interview that "Point Blank" was composed during the soundcheck at the Music Hall in Boston in late May. Unfortunately, there were no studio sessions at this time, so no recordings exist. Premiered live at The Roxy Theatre in Hollywood on July 7, 1978 and played regularly once the song returned to the setlist two months later. Both the lyrics and arrangement used on the Darkness Tour are quite different to the final take on The River.

V1 is an acoustic demo from around January–June 1979 and consists of harmonies and guitar practice. V2–V5 are takes 3, 9, 11, and 12 respectively, all recorded on the same night at the Power Station on May 29 and 30, 1979. These four takes feature a completely different, faster, rocking arrangement with alternative lyrics to both the 1978 live versions and the eventual River release. The mid-section includes a searing guitar solo. When Springsteen performed "Point Blank" in 1995 during the Solo Acoustic Tour, he used an arrangement that was clearly inspired by the abandoned rock version. V6, the final arrangement, contains a new second verse taken from the opening section of "Party Lights", as well as a newly written, extended narrative middle section. It was recorded some months later, possibly on August 23 and 25, 1979, or February 16, 1980.

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