Remembering When Bruce Springsteen Released Two New and Entirely Different Studio Albums on the Same Day in 1992

Great artists have to follow their instincts, even if it takes them away from what attracted fans to them in the first place. Bruce Springsteen made just such a move in 1992. That’s when he released two completely distinct albums on the same day.

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Neither of the albums featured his longtime backing band. That fact aggravated some of his longtime fans. Although by no means his finest LPs, those two albums nonetheless represent a road that Springsteen felt he needed to take at the time.

Peak Boss

Bruce Springsteen’s reputation in the music world was close to unassailable throughout most of the 80s. Long a critical darling, he had added serious commercial clout with the 1984 album Born In The U.S.A. The record-setting tour that followed it just solidified his standing.

Springsteen’s hot streak continued with the 1987 album Tunnel Of Love. While not the sales juggernaut its predecessor was, it still did quite well. Critics hailed it as a searing portrayal of the pitfalls of romance. As it turned out, the authenticity of the material likely came from first-hand experience.

In 1988, a year after Tunnel Of Love was dedicated to her and three years after they were married, actress Julianne Phillips filed for divorce from Springsteen. Springsteen’s relationship with future wife Patti Scialfa was already underway by that time. Tabloid revelations made that clear. But the upheaval was only beginning.

Stepping Off E Street

In 1989, Bruce Springsteen made the decision to break up The E Street Band. The bulk of the group had shared his breakthrough success with Born To Run in 1975 and had been with him ever since. Deciding he needed new creative challenges apart from the band, he called each member to let them know of his decision.

Aside from starting a family with Scialfa, Springsteen mostly lay low for a few years before the announcement came that he was ready to release new music. Fans rejoiced when they found out he was delivering two albums on the same day. But Human Touch and Lucky Town didn’t necessarily satisfy the demand for his music in the manner fans wanted.

Human Touch found Springsteen recording with a new core of studio musicians (although he invited E Street keyboardist Roy Bittan back into the fold) on a set of boisterous, R&B-laden tracks. Meanwhile, Lucky Town featured Springsteen in more of a DIY mode, playing most of the instruments himself on the moody record.

Double the Surprise

Critical reaction was mixed, even as the albums did big business. Of the two, Lucky Town holds together much better, thanks to stronger songs and simpler renderings. Human Touch often gets lost somewhere between Bruce Springsteen’s personal reflections and grating arrangements.

On the subsequent tour, Springsteen took the so-called “Other Band” out on the road, much to the chagrin of some of his diehard fans. (Again, we say “some,” since the shows were generally sold out.) Occasional boos greeted him when he mentioned on stage his recent move from New Jersey to Los Angeles.

Human Touch and Lucky Town remain the odd ducks in Springsteen’s catalog. If nothing else, they seem to have refocused him. By the end of the decade, he was back with the E Street Band, ready to enter a new millennium of standout music.

Photo by Neal Preston