Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. | The Wild, Innocent & E Street Shuffle | Born To Run | Darkness On The Edge Of Town | The River | Nebraska | Born In The U.S.A. | Tunnel Of Love | Human Touch | Lucky Town | Greatest Hits | The Ghost Of Tom Joad | Tracks | The Rising | The Essential | Devils & Dust | We Shall Overcome | Magic | Working On A Dream | The Promise | Wrecking Ball | High Hopes | The Ties That Bind | Chapter And Verse | Western Stars | Letter To You | Only The Strong Survive | Best Of
Early Band Years | Collaborations | Soundtracks
Commercially Released: April 25, 2005 (April 26, 2005 in the US)
Label: Columbia
Produced* by Bruce Springsteen, Chuck Plotkin, Brendan O'Brien
Recorded by Nick Didia, Toby Scott, assisted by Tom Tapley, Billy Bowers, Karl Egsieker at Thrill Hill East
and Thrill Hill West (1996 - 2004), Horns at Southern Tracks Studios (2004), Strings at Masterphonics Studios (2004)
Mixed* by Brendan O'Brien, Toby Scott
Mastered by Bob Ludwig
Design by Dave Bett, Michelle Holme, Chris Austopchuk
Photography by Anton Corbijn
Horn and string arrangements by Eddie Horst* "All The Way Home" and "Long Time Comin'" produced by Springsteen-Plotkin-O’Brien. "Matamoros Banks", "Leah", "Black Cowboys" and "Jesus Was An Only Son" mixed by Toby Scott.
Overview
Springsteen completed The Rising tour in early October 2003. He then took a few months break, performing only a handful of guest appearances during this period. Sessions for the Devils & Dust album were very low-key and spanned about a six-month period, from March thru August 2004. Indications are that all recording was completed (except for mixing and string/horn overdubs) prior to Springsteen undertaking the Vote For Change mini-tour (September - November 2004). However, the final mixes for the Devils & Dust material weren’t completed until January 2005.
Three of the compositions on the album were known to fans for many years beforehand because they had been performed at concerts. However shortly before Devils & Dust was released Springsteen mentioned to Jon Parales of the New York Times that nearly all the songs on the album were recorded by him sometime during the 1995 to 1997 era (probably mostly during the Ghost Of Tom Joad Tour or immediately after, but the exact dates are not known), but later said that he did not want to issue another acoustic album so soon after The Ghost Of Tom Joad. Springsteen has noted that he didn’t want to see these songs “fall through the cracks”. He hasn't given an itemized background of each composition on the album, although this info may come to light with time. One composition (“All The Way Home”) dates from as far back as 1990. The only composition on the album that has been positively confirmed as having been written after The Rising sessions (early 2002) is the title track, "Devils & Dust". Bruce has described the Devils & Dust album as a thematic sequel to the Ghost Of Tom Joad album. Others have noted that these songs could potentially have constituted part of a fifth disc in the Tracks box set.
These are not 100% re-recordings of older Springsteen compositions made from scratch in 2004. Rather it appears that producer Brendan O’Brien was called into service to enhance, embellish and/or otherwise spice up and flavor whatever core recordings Springsteen had already made. The album's liner notes do not delve into the kind of exacting session detail that's needed to unravel some of the timeline and overdubbing mysteries. There is, however, enough telltale tidbits in the liner notes and in comments by those involved in the sessions to deduce that parts of nearly all of these recordings had been in the vaults, in varying stages of completion, for seven or eight years.
Released
| # | Song Title | Running Time | Release |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | DEVILS & DUST 1 | 4:58 | DEVILS / 2005 single |
| 2. | ALL THE WAY HOME | 3:38 | DEVILS / 2005 single |
| 3. | RENO 1 | 4:08 | DEVILS |
| 4. | LONG TIME COMIN' 1 | 4:17 | DEVILS |
| 5. | BLACK COWBOYS | 4:08 | DEVILS |
| 6. | MARIA'S BED | 5:35 | DEVILS |
| 7. | SILVER PALOMINO | 3:22 | DEVILS |
| 8. | JESUS WAS AN ONLY SON | 2:54 | DEVILS |
| 9. | LEAH | 3:31 | DEVILS |
| 10. | THE HITTER | 5:53 | DEVILS |
| 11. | ALL I'M THINKIN' ABOUT 1 | 4:22 | DEVILS |
| 12. | MATAMOROS BANKS 1 | 4:20 | DEVILS |
Total Running Time: 50:51
1: These studio recordings, also come in a video live version with the bonus-package.
These were filmed live by director Danny Clinch in February 2005 in New Jersey.
Additional Recording
| Song Title | Running Time | Release |
|---|---|---|
| CODE OF SILENCE | 4:08 | GUEST: GOODLIFE |
| CAN'T TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS | 4:19 | GUEST: BACKIN20 |
Details
| Song Title | Running Time | Release |
|---|
| ALL I'M THINKIN' ABOUT | 4:22 | DEVILS |
Note: Song written in 1997. The core recording (which may date from 1997–98) is Springsteen solo, on all instruments (vocals, guitar, keyboards and drums). Background harmonies (Patti Scialfa, Soozie Tyrell and Lisa Lowell) may also date from the original sessions. The bass (Brendan O’Brien) was added in 2004.
| ALL THE WAY HOME - V1 | 3:54 | GUEST: BETTERDAYS / 1991 promo |
| ALL THE WAY HOME - V2 | 3:38 | DEVILS |
Note: Written sometime in 1990 or early 1991. Springsteen donated the song to Southside Johnny, and Bruce took part in the July 1991 recording session in New York that produced Southside's cover version. At least Springsteen's parts were recorded in mid-1991 at Sigma Sound Studios in New York City, NY. Bruce re-recorded the song in 2004 and released it on the Devils & Dust album. Photographs of a draft sampler indicate that a version of the song was considered for Tracks.
| BLACK COWBOYS | 4:08 | DEVILS |
Note: This appears to have originally been a Springsteen solo recording, with Bruce handling vocals, guitar, keyboards and percussion. Further percussion has been added (Steve Jordan), as well as bass (Brendan O’Brien) and strings (Nashville String Machine). Horns (Brice Andrus, Donald Strand, Susan Welty, and Thomas Witte) added in Atlanta.
| CAN'T TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS - V1 | uncirculating | |
| CAN'T TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS - V2 | 4:19 | GUEST: BACKIN20 |
Note: Gary U.S. Bonds and Laurie Anderson sent a tape of their composition "Can't Teach An Old Dog New Tricks" to Springsteen, requesting he contribute to Gary's album Back In 20. In response, Springsteen recorded guitar and vocal tracks in a Protools session on November 19, 2003, at his home studio in Colts Neck, NJ. The completed track, released June 1, 2004 on Back In 20, also featured harmonica by Southside Johnny Lyon.
| CODE OF SILENCE - V1 | uncirculating | |
| CODE OF SILENCE - V2 | 4:08 | GUEST: GOODLIFE |
Note: Co-written by Bruce Springsteen and [Grushecky] during December 1997 and January 1998. Springsteen premiered the song live on June 12, 2000 with the E Street Band, and another version recorded on June 29 was released on The Essential Bruce Springsteen in 2003. Bruce and Joe recorded a studio version together at Thrill Hill Recording, New Jersey, released on the Joe Grushecky album A Good Life in July 2006.
| DEVILS & DUST | 4:58 | DEVILS / ESSENTIAL: 2015 |
Note: Song written in mid-2003 (first known from appearances at soundchecks in April 2003) and the only song on Devils & Dust positively verified to have been composed after 2001. Springsteen handles vocals, guitar and keyboards, with Brendan O'Brien on bass and Steve Jordan on drums. The strings (Nashville String Machine) and horns (Susan Welty and Thomas Witte) were added later. Recorded at Thrill Hill Recording, Los Angeles & New Jersey with additional recording at Southern Tracks Recording, Atlanta, GA. Strings recorded at Masterphonics, Nashville, TN, Mixed at Southern Tracks, additional Mix at Thrill Hill Recording Los Angeles.
| IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS THAT COUNT | uncirculating |
Note: Song written in 1995 and recorded for The Ghost Of Tom Joad - but not used. Bruce performed it live on the Ghost Of Tom Joad Tour. The song was revamped for Devils & Dust and was almost issued on the album as the 13th track. At this point it is the only known outtake from the 2004 sessions, although others likely exist.
| JESUS WAS AN ONLY SON | 2:54 | DEVILS |
Note: Springsteen solo, on multiple instruments. The background harmonies (Scialfa-Tyrell-Lowell) were added to the recording later.
| LEAH | 3:31 | DEVILS |
Note: Springsteen solo, on multiple instruments. The trumpet overdub is courtesy of Mark Pender.
| LONG TIME COMIN' - V1 | uncirculating | |
| LONG TIME COMIN' - V2 | 4:17 | DEVILS / ESSENTIAL: 2015 / CHAPTER / BESTOF |
Note: Written by Bruce in the summer or early autumn of 1996 while on the Ghost Of Tom Joad Tour and premiered live on October 16, 1996. The Devils & Dust recording is a hybrid of two sessions quite some years apart. The basic track (V1) with Danny Federici, Marty Rifkin, Soozie Tyrell and Patti Scialfa emanates from 1997 or 1998 and was cut at Thrill Hill West, Beverly Hills. CA. It was recorded by Toby Scott and produced by Springsteen and Chuck Plotkin. The drums (Steve Jordan) and bass guitar (Brendan O’Brien) were added to the mix in 2004, at Masterphonics, Nashville, Tennessee, and Southern Tracks Recording, Atlanta, Georgia, which is the likely reason why this released version is credited as a Springsteen-Plotkin-O'Brien production, and issued on Devils & Dust.
An early Tracks six-CD sample set from June 1998 indicates that "Long Time Comin'" was considered for Tracks, but ultimately rejected. It's highly likely that this is V1, perhaps with some additional overdubs to complete the song. The sample set listed the song as "version 2", indicating there may have been a "version 1" that had already been rejected. This could have been V1 without overdubs, or an even earlier recording we are unaware of.
| MARIA'S BED | 5:35 | DEVILS |
Note: It is unknown if the composition dates from the 1990s or from 2003–4. Shares several lines of lyrics with "Further On (Up the Road)" (written in 1999–2000). Springsteen handles vocals, guitar and keyboards, with Brendan O'Brien on bass, Steve Jordan on drums, and Soozie Tyrell on violin. Background vocals are Scialfa-Tyrell.
| MATAMOROS BANKS | 4:20 | DEVILS |
Note: Springsteen solo, on multiple instruments. The strings (the Nashville String Machine) were recorded in Nashville in 2004 and added onto the core recording.
| RENO | 4:08 | DEVILS |
Note: The core recording (which may date from 1997–98) is Springsteen solo, on all instruments (vocals, guitar, keyboards, and tambourine). The strings (Nashville String Machine) and horns (Brice Andrus, Donald Strand, Susan Welty, and Thomas Witte) were recorded and added in 2004.
| SILVER PALOMINO | 3:22 | DEVILS |
Note: The core recording is Springsteen solo, on all instruments (vocals, guitar, keyboards, and percussion). The strings (Nashville String Machine) were recorded in Nashville in 2004 and added to the core recording in Atlanta.
| THE HITTER - V1 | uncirculating | |
| THE HITTER - V2 | 5:53 | DEVILS |
Note: Written by Bruce in the autumn of 1996 while on the Ghost Of Tom Joad Tour and premiered live on November 13, 1996. Recorded during studio sessions in 1998 (this version does not circulate). Re-recorded in 2004 and released on Devils & Dust. The core recording (which may date from 1997–98) is Springsteen solo, on all instruments (vocals, guitar, keyboards, and percussion). The strings (Nashville String Machine) and horns (Brice Andrus, Donald Strand, Susan Welty, and Thomas Witte) were recorded and added in 2004.
Possible D&D-era Songs
In June 2006 five songs were registered with the US Copyright Office.
These songs are:
- All God's Children
- Faithless
- God Sent You
- Goin' To California
- Where You Goin'?
No concrete information is known about these songs, but it is likely they were recorded solo, at Thrill Hill East (Bruce's home studio) sometime between the end of the Devils & Dust tour in November 2005 and the start of rehearsals for the Seeger Sessions tour in March 2006. All five songs remain unreleased.
Disclaimer | © 1996 - 2025 | Brucebase
