Bruce Springsteen - Western Stars (2 LP)

Product specifications

Details

Album

Western Stars

Artist

Bruce Springsteen

LP release year

2019

Album release date

June 14, 2019

Label

Sony Records Int'l

EAN

4547366409895

Available

Yes

Product information

Format

LP

Quantity

2 piece(s)

Type

Limited Edition

Mono or stereo

Stereo

Duration

50 min

Tracks

13 tracks

Color

Blue

EAN

EAN

4547366409895

Other

Limited Edition

Yes

Country

Japan

Box set

No

Remastered

No

Reissue

No

• Skips in Chasin' Wild Horses

  5 out of 5 stars
  waznod29August 8, 2025United States🇺🇸

  I preordered this from Barnes and Noble...initially, the album sounded fantastic until I got to the first track on side C, "Chasin' Wild Horses." There were 2 awful skips in it. I returned it to a nearby Barnes and Noble and swapped it out. Much to my disappointment, the same song on Side C had 2 skips in it...AGAIN. Has anyone else encountered this issue? And yes, this is indeed a clear vinyl pressing with VERY minimal blue and white swirls. It looks nothing like the preorder picture did at all. Just to inform everyone, my 5 star rating is for the album itself...not the so-so pressing.

• Bruce's Missed Mark

  2 out of 5 stars
  Zukzols945July 23, 2025United States🇺🇸

  June 19th. I'm typically a big fan of Bruce's laid-back, solo work, but this album didn't quite hit the mark for me on first listen. It's less folksy than his other stuff. More dramatic with orchestral elements and overly polished. Gives off a California, Eagles kind of feel. A few tracks might grow on me. 2 out of 5.

• Disappointing Springsteen Album

  2 out of 5 stars
  Figdnjk693July 19, 2025United States🇺🇸

  I must admit, I'm struggling to connect with this album. I'm usually a big Springsteen fan, but this one feels a bit flat to me. The overall vibe and the horns just aren't doing it for me. Even after multiple listens, nothing really stands out. I was hoping for something along the lines of "Devils and Dust" or "Nebraska," but it's not even close. The vinyl was fine until the last song, then there were quite a few pops and some strange noises. From the barcode, it seems I got the American version from Amazon instead of the European one, and I'm in the UK. I was really taken in by all the early positive reviews, but this album just isn't for me. I think I'll probably send it back and grab "Tunnel of Love" instead. The songwriting on that is fantastic, and I never get tired of listening to it.

• Springsteen's Pop Masterpiece

  5 out of 5 stars
  BilTaadtaqJune 22, 2025United Kingdom🇬🇧

  This is a fantastic vinyl pressing, with top-notch mastering, and it's a solid Springsteen album-- though it's quite different from his earlier work-- it's got a clear pop feel, with a full string section and expansive arrangements. In my view, artists should explore new directions, and this album, I think, is a hit. It's the best he's put out in ages...

• Springsteen's Disappointing Western Stars

  2 out of 5 stars
  jvziifzuuhuMay 18, 2025United States🇺🇸

  Initially, I assumed Springsteen was crafting something similar to his iconic "Nebraska," but unfortunately, that wasn't the case. Aside from tracks like "Tucson Train," "Western Stars," and "Sleepy Joe's Cafe," there was little reminiscent of the artist who reshaped my world back in the early '70s. To say this is a new sound for Springsteen would be an understatement; nearly every song is adorned with string arrangements that seem to mask his struggle to develop and sustain a song on his own. And yes, critics are already praising "Western Stars," calling it "An album that evokes the enthusiasm and carefreeness of days gone by." But I'm left wondering, which bygone days are they referring to? Others claim the record is, "Gorgeous, consistently absorbing, one of the most character-driven albums of Springsteen's career." Well, that's just not accurate. What is true is that the orchestral string arrangements subtly echo the sounds of Glen Campbell, Harry Nilsson, Burt Bacharach, and Roy Orbison from the '60s and '70s. That said, much like those artists, this album lacks cohesion. "Western Stars" feels like Springsteen had a tough time writing it, as if he felt obligated to deliver an album but ended up with something unclear, uncertain, and uncharacteristic. The album's title has a double meaning, referring not only to celestial bodies but also, in the title track, to an aging actor from old Western films who now struggles to make ends meet by appearing in commercials and enjoying the fact that people buy him drinks because he was once killed by John Wayne in a B-grade movie. In other words, he's like the ex-high school baseball player from "Glory Days." This isn't an anthem album; it's not even a rock album. It's an album about Springsteen's glory days, yet he lacks the courage to admit it. Instead, he shifts from rock to pseudo-country, partly telling his story through imaginary characters that hold no relevance to me or Bruce's life. It would have been far more glorious to create an honest album about himself growing older, where his journey feels less sure, his stance less certain, and the fractured image of the once-greatest man in music challenged to write even a single good song with authentic emotional honesty. That's why this collection of songs feels so disjointed, lacking any sense of cohesiveness beyond the orchestral elements that tie them together. Just listen; the sonic elements here are certainly beautiful, like a highly polished rodeo belt-buckle, but they're juxtaposed with a fine thread of emotional sorrow that runs through all these ghost-filled numbers, suggesting a tiredness beyond description. This isn't a cozy album; it's designed to tug at your heartstrings, one of the easiest and most disingenuous types of songs one can write. "Western Stars" is all so pleasant, so stylish, all so grown-up, and unremarkably filled with pleading refrains. Of course, the Mamas & Papas did this sort of thing on "California Dreamin'," and Brian Wilson laid it all out on "In My Room," where those songs had you singing along, remembered them, they were crystal in their vision and insight, but not here. I can't remember even one number from this album, and it just finished playing. Hey, I haven't really enjoyed most of Springsteen's later albums, where I've taken the songs I like the best, added them to an ever-growing collection, and have a grouping of numbers that resonates best for me. It's hard to hear this album; it's equally hard to realize that Springsteen, at nearly 70, still can't bring about an authentic autobiographical song about the waning of his years, the coursing of his life, or look back on those years and aspirations and set them to musical verse. "Western Stars" will never be a gem; you'll play it once, then play it again to make sure you heard it right the first time, then never play it again. And you know, if my words don't ring true for you, then I'm sincerely happy for you, man, 'cause you've got something to cling to, while I'm left dancing in the dark. At the Springsteen store, you can cop the vinyl, a double-disc set pressed to 180-gram blue wax. Review by Jenell Kesler