Twenty years ago, Bruce Springsteen was approached by a filmmaker about creating the soundtrack to a “spiritual Western” called Faithless that had yet to be filmed. He began penning material for it at the conclusion of the Devils and Dust tour in late 2005, and wound up with 11 songs, including four instrumentals. But the movie never went into production, the songs were placed in the vault, and not even the most devoted Springsteen fan that ever existed.
The complete Faithless soundtrack is finally coming out June 27 as one of the seven discs on Tracks II: The Lost Albums, and the title track was shared with fans on Thursday. (The movie remains unmade, and the filmmaker behind it remains unknown.) “This was a really unusual collection of songs,” Springsteen says in a statement, noting that he wrote the songs at his home in Florida over a period of just two weeks, even though the movie was little more than an idea at that point. “You could recognize details and maybe a character or two. But for the most part, I just wrote atmospheric music that I thought would fit.”
The album is largely a solo project, but there are appearances by Patti Scialfa, producer Ron Aniello, E Street Band violist Soozie Tryell, and longtime background singers Lisa Lowell, Curtis King, Jr., Michelle Moore, and Ada Dyer. Springsteen and Scialfa’s two sons, Sam Springsteen and Evan Springsteen, also contributed to the album.
“Faithless” is the third Tracks II: The Lost Albums track that Springsteen has unveiled over the past three weeks. He’s also shared “Rain in the River” from his late 1990s/early 2000s LP Perfect World, and “Blind Spot” from his infamous shelved 1994 “drum loop” album, which is now known as Streets of Philadelphia Sessions.
“The Lost Albums were full records, some of them even to the point of being mixed and not released,” Springsteen said in a statement when the project was announced. “I’ve played this music to myself and often close friends for years now. I’m glad you’ll get a chance to finally hear them. I hope you enjoy them.”
Springsteen’s last live appearance took place on April 26 when he joined Smokey Robinson, John Fogerty, Tom Morello, Jackson Browne, Nils Lofgren, Darlene Love, and Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul for an incredible night of music at the third annual American Music Honors at Monmouth University. On May 14, he kicks off a European stadium tour in Manchester, England. It wraps up July 3 in Milan, Italy.
