Light of Day - A Tribute to Bruce Springsteen is finally getting an official release in the UK on March 14th courtesy of Revolver Records. In a statement the company, who is distributed by Universal, says that they are proud to be associated with the album which features Nils Lofgren, Elvis Costello, Dion, Jason Ringenberg, Jesse malin, Joe Ely, Willie Nile, Gary Lucas and many more. Read more

   

According to Backstreets, the new Bruce album will be more than just a regular CD. Just as Born in the USA was one of the first albums to be released on CD, Bruce will also be a pioneer for the dual disc format which combines a CD with a DVD. One side will be playable in normal CD players while the other side will be a DVD. The DVD side will feature the audio in 5.1 channel surround sound and in 2-channel stereo as well as a film special by Danny Clinch, "capturing Springsteen at work". The best thing is, the dual disc will not be a special limited edition release. It will be the regular release. There will also be a limited edition with "a deluxe accordion-style package with bonus photographs and unique, song-specific elements for each of the CD's 12 tracks" in the same vein as the special edition of The Rising. The final cover artwork has yet to be revealed, but it will probably not vary too much from the picture above, which, again according to Backstreets, comes from an official Sony buyway. Read the whole Backstreets article, which also has information on the missing 13th track. Read more

   

The first details about the upcoming tour are starting to emerge. According to the usual reliable source the first stage of tour is going to begin at the same day as Devils & Dust is released, April 26, in New Jersey. It will include approximately 52 days including 15 in major European cities such as London, Paris, and Stockholm. The American dates will also focus on major cities. Boston, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Los Angeles and Columbus, OH, are mentioned, but with 40 North American shows, smaller markets are also likely to be on the tour itinerary for 2005. As reported earlier, the beginning will see Bruce solo perhaps along with a couple of E Streeters, but the plan is still to have it evolve into a full-band tour in 2006, which will probably also see a more full-blown world tour. Read more

   

According to the Associated Press, Bruce Springsteen will induct U2 into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in March. If true he will return the favor from 1999 when Bono did the same thing for him. The ceremony will take place March 14 in New York, and a highlights show will be televised March 19 on VH1. Read more

   

According to a usually reliable source the Springsteen camp is debating whether to include a 13th song on the new album, Devil & Dust. The song is allegedly of a nature that would require a parental advisory label. Bruce Springsteen himself is trying to convince Sony and possibly his management that the song is needed on the album, but the first official word leaves it out (see below). Read more

   

The rumored album is now no longer just rumored. Today a press release was issued on www.brucespringsteen.net with the basic information. The album will be called Devils and Dust and it will be released on April 26 as reported here earlier. Read the complete press release. Also read this short interview with Springsteen on Newsday. Read more

   

More than a year after its release Bruce won a Grammy for "Code of Silence" in the Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance category. The song appears on the bonus disc of the Essential Bruce Springsteen and is a rather obscure choice. It was co-written with Joe Grushecky and first performed live by Bruce in 2000 during the Reunion Tour where the version on Essential was culled from. Bruce wasn't present at the Grammy Awards show and the award was handed out before the live broadcast. Read more

   

A tracklist of the alleged upcoming album has surfaced on message boards. This is not unusual when a new album is rumored, but usually they are made by wise-asses who want to see how many people they can fool. But this one differs from the pattern in that none other than Backstreets.com mentions some of the same song titles in their new album alert story, and Backstreets usually doesn't publish anything that they haven't verified. The song list looks as follows:

• Devils and Dust
• All the Way Home
• Long Time Coming
• The Hitter
• All I'm Thinkin' About
• Reno
• Black Cowboys
• Maria's Bed
• Silver Palomino
• Jesus Was an Only Son
• Leah
• Matamoros Bank

The album's title will be Devils and Dust and the whole thing will allegedly be released on April 26. According to someone who claims to have heard some of the tracks it wil be very countryish with banjo and steel guitar on at least some of the songs. The first four of the titles have appeared before. "Devils and Dust" was rehearsed in soundcheck on the Reunion Tour and before the Vote For Change Tour, "All the Way Home" is the same song, but in a different arrangement, as the one Bruce gave to Southside Johnny in 1991 and that they have performed live together on a few occassions, "Long Time Coming" was performed live several times during the solo acoustic tour in 1996-97 where it was a fan favorite, and "The Hitter" was performed live once on the same tour. The E Street Band involvement is there, but don't expect a full-E Street Band effort. Read more

   

Monmouth University in New Jersey is planning no less than a two-day Bruce Springsteen conference. The conference is billed Glory Days: a Bruce Springsteen Symposium and will take place on September 9 and 10. According to the Asbury Park Press tentative subjects to be discussed include "Springsteen and American Folklore," "Springsteen and Critical Theory," "Springsteen and Musicianship," "Springsteen and Dylan's American Dreamscapes" and "Springsteen and Rock 'n' Roll Iconography." Anyone with an interest in these topics is invited, but you may want to leave your headband and muscle shirt at home. Read more on Monmouth University's official website. Read more

   

While still nothing is certain more and more signs indicate that 2005 will be a busy year for Bruce. The latest from the rumor mill has Max Weinberg asking for time off from the Conan O'Brien show this summer to tour with the band. We'll just have to wait and see if there's any substance to this. Read more