The S4L Boxset of the Year 2015: The Ties That Bind - The River Collection

The S4L Boxset of the Year 2015 was only ever going to have one winner.

Ever since Springsteen released the Darkness Boxset rumours abounded that a Boxset for The River was in the works and finally back in October this year, a day before the 35th Anniversary of the release of The River album it was announced that it would be released on December 4th.

I had even speculated a year prior to the annoucement what might be on the set and apart from a few things I was almost correct!

It was great seeing what could have been the album had it been released in 1979 as just a single album. I've had a bootleg of this for years and have always really liked it, especially the Rockabilly version of You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch) and the fact that Loose End was included to begin with.

Also good was seeing that songs that had been previously issued on the Tracks Boxset that were recorded during the making of The River are all brought together in one place (the 4th CD of the set. There's a number of my favourite Bruce tunes included in that little lot (Take 'Em As They Come, Roulette, Where The Bands Are, and Restless Nights).

The Crown Jewel of the Boxset has to be The Live Show from Tempe, Arizona filmed on 5th November 1980. And of course there are after little extras like the Note book with Springsteen's written words and a book with many unseen photos and the story of the making of The River Album.

Tonight on BBC4  (for viewers in the UK) you can get a chance to watch The Ties That Bind Documentary and the Tempe Show from 11pm. Set your recording devices so you don't miss it.

 

The Ties That Bind: The River Collection Track List
CD 1
The River - Record One (Remastered)
1. "The Ties That Bind"
2. "Sherry Darling"
3. "Jackson Cage"
4. "Two Hearts"
5. "Independence Day"
6. "Hungry Heart"
7. "Out In The Street"
8. "Crush On You"
9. "You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)"
10. "I Wanna Marry You"
11. "The River"

CD 2
The River - Record Two (Remastered)
1. "Point Blank"
2. "Cadillac Ranch"
3. "I'm A Rocker"
4. "Fade Away"
5. "Stolen Car"
6. "Ramrod"
7. "The Price You Pay"
8. "Drive All Night"
9. "Wreck On The Highway"

CD 3
The River: Single Album
1. "The Ties That Bind"
2. "Cindy"                     
3. "Hungry Heart"         
4. "Stolen Car" (Vs. 1)            
5. "Be True"
6. "The River"
7. "You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)" (Vs. 1)
8. "The Price You Pay" 
9. "I Wanna Marry You"
10. "Loose End"

CD 4
The River: Outtakes
Record One
1. "Meet Me in the City"
2. "The Man Who Got Away"  
3. "Little White Lies" 
4. "The Time That Never Was"          
5. "Night Fire"
6. "Whitetown"  
7. "Chain Lightning"   
8. "Party Lights"  
9. "Paradise By The "C""
10. "Stray Bullet"  
11. "Mr. Outside"          

Record Two
12. "Roulette" 
13. "Restless Nights"
14. "Where The Bands Are"
15. "Dollhouse"
16. "Living On The Edge Of The World"          
17. "Take 'em As They Come"
18. "Ricky Wants A Man Of Her Own"
19. "I Wanna Be With You"
20. "Mary Lou"
21. "Held Up Without a Gun"
22. "From Small Things (Big Things One Day Come)"

DVD 1
The Ties That Bind (Documentary)

DVD 2
The River Tour, Tempe 1980
Concert – Part 1
1. "Born to Run"
2. "Prove It All Night"
3. "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out"
4. "Jackson Cage"
5. "Two Hearts"
6. "The Promised Land"
7. "Out in the Street"
8. "The River"
9. "Badlands"
10. "Thunder Road"
11. "No Money Down"
12. "Cadillac Ranch"
13. "Hungry Heart"
14. "Fire"
15. "Sherry Darling"
16. "I Wanna Marry You"
17. "Crush on You"
18. "Ramrod"
19. "You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)"

DVD 3
The River Tour, Tempe 1980
Concert – Part 2
1. "Drive All Night"
2. "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)"
3. "I'm A Rocker"
4. "Jungleland"
5. "Detroit Medley"
6. "Where The Bands Are (Credits)"

BONUS: The River Tour Rehearsals
- Ramrod
- Cadillac Ranch
- Fire
- Crush On You
- Sherry Darling

Now that The River Boxset is out I guess we can now get the rumour mill running for either a Nebraska Boxset or a Born in the U.S.A. Boxset to come next!