jeremy's Reviews > Deliver Me from Nowhere: The Making of Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska

no sound of a crowd, just ghosts and anxious murmurs.

springsteen’s nebraska may well be the most singular work of his career, and, in many ways, is the skeleton key to his entire catalog. the record is an enormous achievement, as stark and haunting today, over forty years after its fabled release. deliver me from nowhere, written by former del fuego guitarist, nyu professor, and tom petty biography warren zanes, chronicles the making of bruce’s 1982 album (recorded onto cassette using only a 4-track). with access to the artist himself and the (surprisingly unchanged) colts neck, new jersey farmhouse where it was recorded, deliver me from nowhere is as much a historical account as it is an impassioned encomium. for the most ardent of fans, a good bit of the book may not offer much newness beyond specific anecdotes, but overall zanes did an excellent job capturing the album’s origins, zeitgeist, recording details, and legacy.

rough home demos. mastered at a low level. no singles. first track is about a serial killer. no tour or press. if you could make a list of the things a record company does not want to hear…