This album was purchased new after its late September 1982 release and for a 17-year old who'd heard familiar Springsteen songs like "Hungry Heart," "Born to Run," and a raft of other popular songs on the radio, the experience of listening to this lo-fi and reflective recording was truly a bracing experience, especially after the follow-up, Born in the U.S.A., rocketed to massive sales in 1984.
Those were the only two Springsteen albums in the collection until recently when The Wild, The Innocent and the E Street Shuffle, Born to Run and The River were acquired and a new appreciation for his music garnered. Still, there's something distinctive about Nebraska that still makes it a favorite more than four decades later. Simply put, it's the raw emotion and directness of the music and lyrics that reaches this blogger in a way his other recordings, great as they are, do not. Moreover, it stood out amid the music that was produced during that period, when synthesizers and drum machines rose to prominence and Springsteen and his acoustic guitar were a total contrast.
It's hard to choose particular tunes as stand-outs because Nebraska feels like a unified suite of songs or something of a song cycle, though it certainly was not designed that way. The title track is about a pair of teen serial killers and is haunting and unforgettable, while "Atlantic City" tells of a desperate man inviting his girlfriend to join him in the resort town (where the President lost a bundle in a failed casino project) as he contemplates working for the mob. "Highway Patrolman" is a compelling tale of an officer who allows his troubled brother to escape after he chases him following another committed crime.
"My Father's House" is about a failed attempt at reconciliation between a father and son and, while dour, is very affecting and "Reason to Believe" ends the record with some glimmers of hope. It bears remembering that American was in a long period of economic recession, even as Ronald Reagan's election two years prior was a conservative promise to renew the nation's financial prosperity. Additionally, the fact that Springsteen recorded this on a basic four-track recorder in his bedroom had a profound influence on other musicians, even as he archived electric E Street Band renditions.
Nebraska was a bold statement, a gutsy move from a major rock star and, more importantly, an impressive artistic achievement. Born in the U.S.A. is a great album and propelled Springsteen to the highest echelons of the music world and some of the songs were kin of its predecessor, but, for this listener, Nebraska is a more compelling recording, revealing, intensely immersive and quietly, but insistently penetrating and powerful. In these times, it also seems very relevant and especially meaningful.