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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 |
| THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER | 2:49 | 2004 single |
Details
| Song Title | Running Time | Release |
|---|
| ALL I'M THINKIN' ABOUT V1a | uncirculating | |
| ALL I'M THINKIN' ABOUT V1b | 4:22 | DEVILS |
Note: Song reportedly written in 1997. The core recording (which likely dates from that period) is Springsteen solo, on all instruments (vocals, guitar, keyboards and drums). The bass (Brendan O'Brien) and possibly the backing vocals were added in 2004. Mixed by Brendan O'Brien.
| ALL THE WAY HOME - V1 | 3:54 | GUEST: BETTERDAYS / 1991 promo |
| ALL THE WAY HOME - V2a | uncirculating | |
| ALL THE WAY HOME - V2b | 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 recorded his own version of the song in a dramatically different arrangement during the "daytime sessions" during the recording of The Ghost Of Tom Joad; it was presumably that version which was long-listed for Tracks. This recording provided the base track for the version released in 2005 on Devils & Dust. Brendan O'Brien (bass, tambora, sitar, electric sarangi) and Steve Jordan (drums) recorded their parts in 2004; the album version was mixed by Brendan O'Brien at Southern Tracks.
| BLACK COWBOYS V1a | uncirculating | |
| BLACK COWBOYS V1b | 4:08 | DEVILS |
Note: "Black Cowboys" originated as a solo recording cut in September 1997 at Boxwood Studio, Colts Neck, NJ, with Bruce handling vocals, guitar, keyboards and percussion. In 2004, further percussion was 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. The strings and horns are arranged by Eddie Horst; the mix is by Toby Scott.
| 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 Joe Grushecky around December 1997/January 1998. Grushecky sent Bruce an initial draft by long-distance fax after being asked if he was working on anything that might suit an E Street Band type arrangement; Bruce supposedly kept Grushecky's chorus while changing the chords and tweaking the verses. Springsteen premiered the song live on June 12, 2000 with the E Street Band, and another version recorded on June 29 during the same stand was released on The Essential Bruce Springsteen in 2003. It's uncertain if a Springsteen studio version was ever attempted. Grushecky later recorded a studio version of his own (V2) for his 2006 album A Good Life; the primary recording for the session took place in Studio L in Weirton, WV, but Bruce recorded his parts separately as overdubs at Thrill Hill East, Rumson, New Jersey, around February 2006, with Toby Scott as engineer.
| DEVILS & DUST V1 | uncirculating | |
| DEVILS & DUST V2a | uncirculating | |
| DEVILS & DUST V2b | 4:58 | DEVILS / ESSENTIAL: 2015 |
| DEVILS & DUST V2c | 5:11 | 2005 video mix |
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. A rock-style studio demo was supposedly attempted at some point (V1); the released version is based on a solo acoustic demo (V2a) that, according to Brendan O'Brien, they "went back and basically redid everything." On the released take, Springsteen handles vocals, guitar and keyboards, with Brendan O'Brien on bass and Steve Jordan on drums (which include both live drums and loops). The strings (Nashville String Machine) and horns (Susan Welty and Thomas Witte) were arranged by Eddie Horst and were added later as overdubs. Most likely recorded March–August 2004, probably at Thrill Hill East, Rumson, NJ, with additional recording at Southern Tracks Recording, Atlanta, GA. Strings were recorded separately at Masterphonics, Nashville, TN. Mixed by Brendan O'Brien at Southern Tracks. V2c is the version used for the commercially released video – it is the same base recording as V2b, but features an alternate ("live") Springsteen vocal and a somewhat different mix.
| JESUS WAS AN ONLY SON | 2:54 | DEVILS |
Note: Springsteen solo, on all instruments; it's not certain when the core recording was completed. The background harmonies (Scialfa-Tyrell-Lowell) were later overdubs. Mixed by Toby Scott.
| LEAH V1a | uncirculating | |
| LEAH V1b | 3:31 | DEVILS |
Note: "Leah" was recorded solo, with Springsteen on all instruments, in June 1996 at one of Bruce's home studios. Mark Pender's trumpet part was recorded separately and overdubbed later, most likely in 2004. Patti Scialfa's backing vocals are uncredited but clearly audible. Mixed by Toby Scott.
| LONG TIME COMIN' - V1 | uncirculating | |
| LONG TIME COMIN' - V2a | uncirculating | |
| LONG TIME COMIN' - V2b | 4:17 | DEVILS / ESSENTIAL: 2015 / CHAPTER / BESTOF |
Note: Recorded during sessions for The Ghost Of Tom Joad in spring/summer 1995 at Thrill Hill West, Beverly Hills, "Long Time Comin'" was premiered live on October 16, 1996 and performed 35 times on the Joad Tour. 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 V2a, 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. The Devils & Dust release uses the 1995 recording, featuring Danny Federici, Marty Rifkin, Soozie Tyrell and Patti Scialfa, as its base track. It was recorded by Toby Scott and produced by Springsteen and Chuck Plotkin. Drums (Steve Jordan) and bass guitar (Brendan O’Brien) were added to the mix in 2004; additional production and mixing was completed by O'Brien at Southern Tracks Recording, Atlanta.
| MARIA'S BED | 5:35 | DEVILS |
Note: It is unknown if "Maria's Bed" dates from the 1990s or from 2003–4, although its substantial lyrical overlap with with "Further On (Up the Road)" (written in 1999–2000) my indicate a pre-Rising composition date. Brendan O'Brien recalls that it was the first song he and Steve Jordan recorded with Springsteen; it's no known if these were overdubs or if they trio recorded a base track from scratch. Mixed by O'Brien.
| MATAMOROS BANKS V1a | uncirculating | |
| MATAMOROS BANKS V1b | 4:20 | DEVILS |
Note: The base track for "Matamoros Banks" was recorded in September 1996 at Boxwood Studio, Colts Neck, NJ by Springsteen solo, on multiple instruments. The Eddie Horst-arranged strings (the Nashville String Machine) were recorded at Masterphonics, Nashville, TN in 2004 and overdubbed onto the core recording. Mixed by Toby Scott.
| RENO V1a | uncirculating | |
| RENO V1b | 4:08 | DEVILS |
Note: The song was first recorded during studio sessions in June 1996. Completed in 2004 and released on Devils & Dust. The core track (which is most likely the '90s recording) 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. Mixed by Brendan O'Brien at Southern Tracks.
| SILVER PALOMINO V1a | uncirculating | |
| SILVER PALOMINO V1b | 3:22 | DEVILS |
Note: "Silver Palomino" was inspired by the September 4, 1996 death of Fiona Williams-Chappel (who had been Bruce's stylist and whose children were friends with his) at age 37, leaving behind two young boys (Bruce’s liner notes read: "A mother dies, leaving her young son to come to terms with the loss. In remembrance of Fiona Chappel, for her sons Tyler and Oliver." The song was presumably written sometime shortly after, and the solo base track was probably recorded in 1997. The strings (Nashville String Machine) were arranged by Eddie Horst and recorded at Masterphonics, Nashville in 2004 and overdubbed onto the core recording in Atlanta. Mixed by Brendan O'Brien.
| THE HITTER - V1a | uncirculating | |
| THE HITTER - V1b | 5:53 | DEVILS |
Note: Written by Bruce while on the Ghost Of Tom Joad Tour and recorded solo in the studio in June 1996, "The Hitter" premiered live on November 13, 1996. In 2004, strings (recorded at Masterphonics, Nashville) and horns (recorded at Southern Tracks, Atlanta), both arranged by Eddie Horst, were recorded and overdubbed onto the original recording for release on Devils & Dust. Mixed by Brendan O'Brien.
| THE LITTLE THINGS - V1a | uncirculating | |
| THE LITTLE THINGS - V1b | 3:26 | TRACKSII |
| THE LITTLE THINGS - V2a | uncirculating | |
| THE LITTLE THINGS - V2b | uncirculating |
Note: "The Little Things" was first recorded some time in 1994 at Thrill Hill West Stone Canyon, with Springsteen on all instruments (V1a). Around late summer of that year, it was decided to add further instrumentation to the track, and Zack Alford (drums) and Tommy Sims (bass) recorded overdubs at A&M Studios, Hollywood in September or November (V1b).
In 1995, the song was purportedly re-recorded for The Ghost Of Tom Joad (V2a), but was not used. Bruce performed the song live extensively on the Ghost Of Tom Joad Tour as "It's The Little Things That Count", even on official Nugs releases. When Bruce returned to his mid-'90s material for Devils & Dust, a revamped version of the track (V2b) was seriously considered and almost issued on the album as an additional thirteenth and closing track.
| THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER | 2:49 | 2004 single |
Note: Springsteen recorded this solo 12-string acoustic guitar instrumental rendition of the American national anthem some time in 2004 and released it as a streaming-only single through his website.
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 songs, except for Faithless, remain unreleased.
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