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Commercially Released: March 6, 2012
Produced by Ron Aniello and Bruce Springsteen
Recorded by Ron Aniello and Toby Scott, assisted by Rob Lebret, Clif Norrell and Ross Petersen
at Stone Hill Studio, Very Loud House Studio and MSR Studio B
Mixed by Bob Clearmountain assisted by Brandon Duncan at Mix This!
Mastered by Bob Ludwig at Gateway Mastering
Designed by Michelle Holme and Dave Bett
Photography by Danny Clinch and Jo LopezOverview
Following the conclusion of 2009's Working On A Dream Tour, Springsteen started to work on new material. It appears that "We Take Care Of Our Own" was among the earliest of the new songs to be written, in late 2009 / early 2010. "Shacked And Drawn" and "Rocky Ground" followed soon after. Springsteen has said that these three songs "came along for almost a gospel album package I was thinking about." Bruce has indicated that he wrote 30-40 songs in this period.
Initially, his focus was on solo material; "just me and a guitar singing these songs", as Bruce put it. The subject matter of these songs was similar to the overall tone of Wrecking Ball - greed, corruption and the current state of America. In January 2011 he started to work with producer Ron Aniello and the focus moved away from a solo album: "Then Ron brought a large library of sound that allowed me to explore – like maybe a hip-hop drum loop or country-blues stomp loop. The actual drums came later. There was no preconceived set of instruments that needed to be used, I could go anywhere, do anything, use anything. It was very wide open." While the album utilises loops, all the instruments are real - there are no computer generated instruments on the album.
Unlike the previous two albums that were recorded with the E Street Band, Wrecking Ball features an extensive list of guest musicians. In fact, there are only three songs that feature the E Street Band - "Wrecking Ball", "Land Of Hope And Dreams" and the bonus track "American Land". The rest see Springsteen and Aniello accompanied by Sessions Band members, choirs, strings and horns. Roy Bittan and Garry Tallent do not appear at all, and Steve Van Zandt only lends vocals to two tracks. At present it is unclear exactly how and when the album was recorded, hopefully this will become clearer in the future. Aniello has said that four songs were cut from the album. "American Man" is likely one of these, "American Skin (41 Shots)" may be another, so at least two titles remain unidentified.
Please note that Ron Aniello has stated that the album credits are "a mess", and any errors will be fixed for future re-issues.
The information below is based on the current album credits and, as such, will contain the same errors.Released
| # | Song Title | Running Time | Release |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | WE TAKE CARE OF OUR OWN | 3:53 | WRECKING |
| 2. | EASY MONEY | 3:36 | WRECKING |
| 3. | SHACKLED AND DRAWN | 3:46 | WRECKING |
| 4. | JACK OF ALL TRADES | 5:59 | WRECKING |
| 5. | DEATH TO MY HOMETOWN | 3:28 | WRECKING |
| 6. | THIS DEPRESSION | 4:07 | WRECKING |
| 7. | WRECKING BALL | 5:49 | WRECKING |
| 8. | YOU'VE GOT IT | 3:48 | WRECKING |
| 9. | ROCKY GROUND | 4:40 | WRECKING |
| 10. | LAND OF HOPE AND DREAMS | 6:58 | WRECKING |
| 11. | WE ARE ALIVE | 5:36 | WRECKING |
| 12. | SWALLOWED UP (IN THE BELLY OF THE WHALE) (1) | 5:35 | WRECKING |
| 13. | AMERICAN LAND (1) | 4:25 | WRECKING |
Total Running Time: 1:01:29
1: These studio recordings tracks come with the bonus-package.
Additional Recordings
| Song Title | Running Time | Release |
|---|---|---|
| THE GREAT DEPRESSION | 3:47 | TRACKSII |
| RAIN IN THE RIVER | 3:12 | TRACKSII / TRACKSII: LF / 2025 single |
| THE GREAT DEPRESSION | 3:47 | TRACKSII |
| IF I COULD ONLY BE YOUR LOVER | 5:21 | TRACKSII |
| PERFECT WORLD | 3:37 | TRACKSII |
Details
| Song Title | Running Time | Release |
|---|
| AMERICAN LAND - V1 | uncirculating | |
| AMERICAN LAND - V2 | uncirculating | |
| AMERICAN LAND - V3a | uncirculating | |
| AMERICAN LAND - V3b | 4:25 | WRECKING |
Note: V1 recorded on January 21, 2006 at the third of the three Seeger Sessions. Bruce recorded another version (V2), this time solo, at his home studio sometime later in 2006. Both studio versions remain unreleased. Written by Springsteen and inspired by the song "He Lies In The American Land" (a Slovakian worker's poem later adapted and set to music by Pete Seeger). A live version (the debut performance, recorded June 22, 2006 in New York City) was issued as a bonus track on the American Land CD edition of WSO in October 2006. V3 was recorded at Stone Hill Studio in spring 2011; the base track was recorded live with Max Weinberg (drums), Ron Aniello (bass), and Charles Giordano (keyboards), and then completed with various overdubs. It was included as a bonus track with some editions of the 2012 album Wrecking Ball.
| AMERICAN MAN | N/A | uncirculating |
Note: In an interview, producer Ron Aniello has stated that "American Man" was the title of a song recorded for the album. However, it did not make the final cut. This is the only known outtake from Wrecking Ball, although many others likely exist.
| AMERICAN SKIN (41 SHOTS) - V1 | 5:13 | SA / 2001 promo |
| AMERICAN SKIN (41 SHOTS) - V2 | uncirculating | |
| AMERICAN SKIN (41 SHOTS) - V3 | 7:24 | HOPES |
Note: Written by Springsteen during the spring of 2000 and soundchecked several times in April and May of 2000 before it was premiered live on June 4, 2000 in Atlanta. "American Skin (41 Shots)" was inspired by the February 1999 police shooting of Amadou Diallo in New York City. Springsteen recorded V1, or at least a new vocal, at The Hit Factory, New York City on March 2, 2001. It appears that this recording utilizes the backing music (with a slightly altered mix) from the live version recorded on July 1, 2000 at Madison Square Garden and officially released on Live In New York City. Produced by Springsteen and Chuck Plotkin, it was released on a promotion-only single in June 2001.
Ron Aniello revealed in a December 2013 interview with Rolling Stone that the song was also recorded during the Wrecking Ball recording sessions (V2), but ultimately was not used. "We did try a track of that," he said, "but it wasn't really an outtake." V3 was recorded in 2013 and features Tom Morello on guitar. "His presence made a big, big difference," Springsteen said. "He obviously brings those things to great life and deepens them and deepens the characters." The base track of this version was recorded prior to the March 2013 Australia leg without Bruce present by Aniello, Morello, and Max Weinberg in a Los Angeles studio, playing to a track of Bruce's vocal and rhythm guitar from a live performance. Morello completed his solo separately from his California home studio, Veritas Studio in Los Angeles; a huge number of overdubs, including backward piano, backward guitar, Steve Van Zandt’s guitar played through a rotating Leslie speaker, drum loops, synths, and percussion, were recorded separately at various points. "I did that [solo] in my home studio and Bruce seemed to like that very much," Morello told Andy Greene in a January 2014 interview for Rolling Stone. "That song to me was the most challenging one. It was also the first one I did. Normally I'll go in there and tinker with a song a bit and try to capture inspiration and see if the world likes it or not. But that song just didn't come together for me. I went back to it a couple of times, and I'm glad that I did because at the end of the day I was really pleased with how the guitar solo and the rhythm stuff came out. But that one felt like it was work. I had to really work on that one." The final result was issued on High Hopes in 2014.
| DEATH TO MY HOMETOWN - V1a | uncirculating | |
| DEATH TO MY HOMETOWN - V1b | 3:28 | WRECKING |
Note: "Death To My Hometown" was written in February 2011, with Springsteen writing the song over "The Last Words Of Copernicus", an old folk hymn performed by The Sacred Harp Singers and recorded by Alan Lomax in 1959. Ron Aniello chopped up the recording for use as a sample in the final track. A base track was recorded at Stone Hill Studio in February 2011 and subsequently completed with various overdubs. Released as a single on May 7, 2012.
| EASY MONEY - V1a | uncirculating | |
| EASY MONEY - V1b | 3:36 | WRECKING |
Note: Driving home some time in February 2011, Bruce had the idea for "Easy Money"; he quickly completed the song and, on February 14, brought it to Stone Hill Studio, Colts Neck, NJ, where he had been working with Ron Aniello on unrelated material. They cut a base track that day; the song kicked off a spur of new writing and quickly initiated what became the Wrecking Ball sessions. Overdubs were completed there over the following several months.
| IF I COULD ONLY BE YOUR LOVER - V1a | uncirculating | |
| IF I COULD ONLY BE YOUR LOVER - V1b | 5:21 | TRACKSII |
Note: A demo for "If I Could Only Be Your Lover" was completed with Ron Aniello at Stone Hill Studio around early 2011; the song was considered for Wrecking Ball but, according to Springsteen, "wasn't political enough." Some elements, including Max Weinberg's drums, were overdubbed later, either in 2011 or 2018.
| JACK OF ALL TRADES - V1a | uncirculating | |
| JACK OF ALL TRADES - V1b | 5:59 | WRECKING |
Note: "Jack Of All Trades" was "written in a fury" in 2009; Bruce cut the base track for the album version around February 2011 at Stone Hill Studio, and completed the song with overdubs at some point in the months following. Tom Morello originally recorded a "frenetic" solo remotely, but Bruce called him to Stone Hill Studio to record something "more elegant." The strings were recorded separately at MSR Studio B in New York City.
| LAND OF HOPE AND DREAMS - V1 | uncirculating | |
| LAND OF HOPE AND DREAMS - V2a | uncirculating | |
| LAND OF HOPE AND DREAMS - V2b | 6:58 | WRECKING |
Note: Written by Bruce sometime in 1998 or early 1999, "Land Of Hope And Dreams" was premiered live with the E Street Band on March 18, 1999 and performed at every show of the 1999–2000 Reunion Tour, including the live version released on the Live In New York City package. The song is an inversion of the gospel song "This Train", also drawing on Curtis Mayfield's "People Get Ready" (which was interpolated into many later live versions and the studio version V2). The (Springsteen-composed) mandolin riff is borrowed from Joe Grushecky's "Labor Of Love".
A studio version was likely attempted with the E Street Band during March 2001 sessions at the Hit Factory (V1), but has never circulated. The song was cut again, in a new arrangement featuring the "People Get Ready" coda, for Wrecking Ball. The base track (V2a) was cut around February 2011 at Stone Hill Studio, with overdubs recorded later to complete the song. Clarence Clemons died before he was able to record the planned saxophone part; Ron Aniello reconstructed the saxophone solo from an earlier live performance, bringing Bruce to tears the first time he played it for him.
| PERFECT WORLD - V1a | uncirculating | |
| PERFECT WORLD - V1b | 3:37 | TRACKSII |
Note: "Perfect World" was recorded with Ron Aniello at Stone Hill Studio around early 2011; the song was considered for Wrecking Ball. Some elements, including Max Weinberg's drums, were overdubbed later, either in 2011 or 2018. A recording by John Mellencamp was the first version of the song released, on his 2023 album Orpheus Descending (Bruce does not appear on the track).
| RAIN IN THE RIVER - V1 | uncirculating | |
| RAIN IN THE RIVER - V2 | 3:12 | TRACKSII / TRACKSII: LF / 2025 single |
Note: "Rain In The River" was written in late 1994 and originally conceived as part of the Streets Of Philadelphia Sessions group of material. Bruce determined that it didn't fit and set it aside. He returned to the song around 2011, when it was considered for Wrecking Ball; the released version, for which Toby Scott (who parted company with Springsteen in November 2017) is credited as recording engineer, likely dates from the Stone Hill Studio sessions around that time.
| ROCKY GROUND - V1a | uncirculating | |
| ROCKY GROUND - V1b | 4:40 | WRECKING |
| ROCKY GROUND - V1c - Modern Mix | 3:22 | 2012 single |
Note: "Rocky Ground" dates to around 2010, originally intended for a gospel film project. Bruce decided to repurpose the song for Wrecking Ball, recording a base track with Ron Aniello around February 2011 at Stone Hill Studio and completing the song via overdubs at some point over the subsequent months. According to the credits, the recording samples the Congregation Of The Church Of God In Christ's version of the traditional gospel song "I'm A Soldier In The Army Of The Lord", recorded by Alan Lomax in 1942, though the audio is hard to match. V1c is the "modern mix," produced by Ron Aniello and Matthew Koma and released on Springsteen's official website in June, 2012.
| SHACKLED AND DRAWN - V1a | uncirculating | |
| SHACKLED AND DRAWN - V1b | 3:46 | WRECKING |
Note: "Shackled And Drawn" dates to around 2010, originally intended for a gospel film project. Bruce decided to repurpose the song for Wrecking Ball, recording a base track with Ron Aniello around February 2011 at Stone Hill Studio and completing the song via overdubs at some point over the subsequent months. The recording samples Lyn Collins's 1972 song "Me And My Baby Got Our Own Thing Going", with vocals re-recorded by Cindy Mizelle.
| SWALLOWED UP (IN THE BELLY OF THE WHALE) - V1a | uncirculating | |
| SWALLOWED UP (IN THE BELLY OF THE WHALE) - V1b | 5:35 | WRECKING |
Note: "Swallowed Up (In The Belly Of The Whale)" was recorded at Stone Hill Studio, most likely around February 2011, with various overdubs to complete the song recorded later. Included as a bonus track with some editions of Wrecking Ball.
| THE GREAT DEPRESSION - V1a | uncirculating | |
| THE GREAT DEPRESSION - V1b | 3:47 | TRACKSII |
Note: A demo for "The Great Depression" was completed with Ron Aniello at Stone Hill Studio around early 2011, alongside the early Western Stars/Twilight Hours material; the song was considered for Wrecking Ball. Some elements, including Max Weinberg's drums, were overdubbed later, either in 2011 or 2018.
| THIS DEPRESSION - V1a | uncirculating | |
| THIS DEPRESSION - V1b | 4:07 | WRECKING |
Note: "This Depression" was written in February 2011, with Bruce recording the base track that month at Stone Hill Studio and completing the song with overdubs in the months following.
| WE ARE ALIVE - V1 | uncirculating | |
| WE ARE ALIVE - V2 | uncirculating | |
| WE ARE ALIVE - V3 | 5:36 | WRECKING |
Note: "We Are Alive" was among the last songs written for Wrecking Ball, some time in spring 2011. According to Ron Aniello, at least two alternate versions were attempted, including the punkish version that Max Weinberg, in an interview with Dave Marsh prior to the Apollo show in March 2012, compared to the Ramones (V1). The released version (V3) was recorded at Stone Hill Studio (likely through a version of the the base track/overdubs process used for the rest of the album). The song's prominent horn riff is adapted from Johnny Cash's "Ring Of Fire".
| WE TAKE CARE OF OUR OWN - V1a | uncirculating | |
| WE TAKE CARE OF OUR OWN - V1b | 3:53 | WRECKING / ESSENTIAL: 2015 / BESTOF |
Note: "We Take Care Of Our Own" was released digitally as the first single from Wrecking Ball on January 19, 2012. It was the first song written for the album, dating to late 2009 or early 2010; the base track for the album version was recorded around February 15, 2011 at Stone Hill Studio and completed there over the next several months. Strings were recorded separately at MSR Studio B in New York City, NY, and overdubbed. The song's opening guitar lick was adapted from Bruce's then-unreleased "Mary Mary".
| WRECKING BALL - V1a | uncirculating | |
| WRECKING BALL - V1b | 5:49 | WRECKING / CHAPTER |
Note: Written in September 2009 as a tribute to the soon-to-be-demolished Giants Stadium and premiered there on September 30, 2009. The studio version was recorded in early 2011; unlike most of the Wrecking Ball album, it was tracked live, with Max Weinberg on drums, Ron Aniello on bass, and Charles Giordano on keyboards. This took place either at Very Loud House Studio, Woodland Hills, CA, or at Stone Hill Studio. The song was completed with various overdubs; the strings were recorded separately, at MSR Studio B in New York City.
| YOU'VE GOT IT - V1a | uncirculating | |
| YOU'VE GOT IT - V1b | 3:48 | WRECKING |
Note: Most likely written in February 2011, with a base track recorded at Stone Hill Studio and various overdubs to complete the song recorded later.
Possible Wrecking-era Songs
The following titles emanate from 2010-2018 period, based on Ron Aniello's statement on his Instagram: "started in 2010… finished in 2014… finished again in 2018. Sometimes it takes a minute…". all titles can be linked to the release of Western Stars
| Song Title | Running Time | Release |
|---|
| CHASIN' WILD HORSES - Demo | uncirculating | |
| CHASIN' WILD HORSES | 5:03 | WESTERN |
Note: A demo of "Chasin' Wild Horses" was first recorded in 2010 at Stone Hill Studio, Colts Neck, New Jersey. Completed by Ron Aniello and Springsteen over a period of several years, ending early 2019, as stated by Ron Aniello on his Instagram: "started in 2010… finished in 2014… finished again in 2018. Sometimes it takes a minute…"
| DRIVE FAST (THE STUNTMAN) - Demo | uncirculating | |
| DRIVE FAST (THE STUNTMAN) | 4:16 | WESTERN |
Note: A demo of "Drive Fast (The Stuntman)" was first recorded in 2010 at Stone Hill Studio, Colts Neck, New Jersey. Completed by Ron Aniello and Springsteen over a period of several years, ending early 2019, as stated by Ron Aniello on his Instagram: "started in 2010… finished in 2014… finished again in 2018. Sometimes it takes a minute…"
| HELLO SUNSHINE - Demo | uncirculating | |
| HELLO SUNSHINE | 3:56 | WESTERN / BESTOF / 2019 single |
Note: A demo of "Hello Sunshine" was most likely recorded 2010 at Stone Hill Studio, Colts Neck, New Jersey. Completed by Ron Aniello and Springsteen over a period of several years, ending early 2019, as stated by Ron Aniello on his Instagram: "started in 2010… finished in 2014… finished again in 2018. Sometimes it takes a minute…"
| HITCH HIKIN' - V1 | uncirculating | |
| HITCH HIKIN' - V2 | 3:37 | WESTERN |
Note: V1 of "Hitch Hikin'" was recorded on October 20, 2010, at Stone Hill Studio, Colts Neck, New Jersey. Completed by Ron Aniello and Springsteen over a period of several years, ending early 2019, as stated by Ron Aniello on his Instagram: "started in 2010… finished in 2014… finished again in 2018. Sometimes it takes a minute…"
| MOONLIGHT MOTEL - Demo | uncirculating | |
| MOONLIGHT MOTEL | 4:16 | WESTERN |
Note: A demo of "Moonlight Motel" was most likely recorded 2010 at Stone Hill Studio, Colts Neck, New Jersey. Completed by Ron Aniello and Springsteen over a period of several years, ending early 2019, as stated by Ron Aniello on his Instagram: "started in 2010… finished in 2014… finished again in 2018. Sometimes it takes a minute…"
| SLEEPY JOE'S CAFÉ - V1 | uncirculating | |
| SLEEPY JOE'S CAFÉ - V2 | 3:14 | WESTERN |
Note: A demo of "Sleepy Joe's Cafe" was most likely recorded 2010 at Stone Hill Studio, Colts Neck, New Jersey. Completed by Ron Aniello and Springsteen over a period of several years, ending early 2019, as stated by Ron Aniello on his Instagram: "started in 2010… finished in 2014… finished again in 2018. Sometimes it takes a minute…" Various elements were recorded separately and overdubbed; Lenny Castro’s part was recorded at Ocean Way Studios. Various drum parts were recorded for the song, including takes by Matt Chamberlain and Steve Jordan; a version by Gunnar Olsen, recorded at Stone Hill Studio in 2014, was ultimately chosen.
| STONES - Demo | uncirculating | |
| STONES | 4:44 | WESTERN |
Notes: A demo of "Stones" was recorded in 2010 at Stone Hill Studio, Colts Neck, New Jersey. Completed by Ron Aniello and Springsteen over a period of several years, ending early 2019, as stated by Ron Aniello on his Instagram: "started in 2010… finished in 2014… finished again in 2018. Sometimes it takes a minute…"
| SUNDOWN - Demo | uncirculating | |
| SUNDOWN | 3:17 | WESTERN |
Notes: A demo of "Sundown" was recorded in 2010 at Stone Hill Studio, Colts Neck, New Jersey. Completed by Ron Aniello and Springsteen over a period of several years, ending early 2019, as stated by Ron Aniello on his Instagram: "started in 2010… finished in 2014… finished again in 2018. Sometimes it takes a minute…"
| THE WAYFARER - V1 | uncirculating | |
| THE WAYFARER - V2 | uncirculating | |
| THE WAYFARER - V3 | 4:18 | WESTERN |
Note: "The Wayfarer" was recorded on March 18, 2010 at Stone Hill Studio, Colts Neck, New Jersey. Engineer Toby Scott recorded two complete versions, adding a few bars at the end of V2. V3 was completed by Ron Aniello and Springsteen over a period of several years, ending early 2019.
| THERE GOES MY MIRACLE - Demo | uncirculating | |
| THERE GOES MY MIRACLE | 4:05 | WESTERN / 2019 single |
Note: A demo of "There Goes My Miracle" was recorded in 2010 at Stone Hill Studio, Colts Neck, New Jersey. Completed by Ron Aniello and Springsteen over a period of several years, ending early 2019, as stated by Ron Aniello on his Instagram: "started in 2010… finished in 2014… finished again in 2018. Sometimes it takes a minute…"
| TUCSON TRAIN - V1 | uncirculating | |
| TUCSON TRAIN - V2 | 3:31 | WESTERN / 2019 single |
Note: "Tucson Train" was recorded October 2, 2012, at Stone Hill Studio, Colts Neck, New Jersey. A lyric transcription was completed for its appearance on a proposed release of Western Stars in 2015, but those plans were cancelled. The track was completed by Ron Aniello and Bruce Springsteen, and released in 2019.
| WESTERN STARS - V1 | uncirculating | |
| WESTERN STARS - V2 | 4:41 | WESTERN / 2019 single |
Note: A demo of "Western Stars" was recorded most likely in 2010 at Stone Hill Studio, Colts Neck, New Jersey. Completed by Ron Aniello and Springsteen over a period of several years, ending early 2019, as stated by Ron Aniello on his Instagram: "started in 2010… finished in 2014… finished again in 2018. Sometimes it takes a minute…" Various additional parts were recorded separately and overdubbed as part of this process; Lenny Castro's percussion was recorded at Ocean Way Recording in Los Angeles.
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