Roll of the Dice: Bless My Soul

I’ve got a treat for you today.

It’s kind of like two treats, actually, because any Bruce Springsteen Band performance is a delight in and of itself.

(Yeah, I know you’re tired of me gushing over Bruce’s short-lived, pre-label BSB era, but I can’t help it: I dig that bluesy, funky, sound that Bruce and the boys never quite captured the same way before or since.)

But even if you’ve heard today’s song before, I’m pretty certain you’ve never heard it like this.

A couple of distant, muddy performances of Bruce’s original song “Bless My Soul” have been available on bootlegs and YouTube for years, but they’re not exactly pleasing to the ear. This version, however, is from a bright, uncirculating soundboard recording from February 25, 1972 that will make you feel like the boys are playing just a few feet in front of you.

Do yourself a favor and take nine minutes out of your day to enjoy the opening song from this fifty-year-old Bruce Springsteen Band show.

Despite the remarkable sound clarity, Bruce’s diction is too lazy for us to make out most of the lyrics. (All circulating versions of “Bless My Soul” have this problem.) But don’t let that disappoint you: I’m confident the lyrics are irrelevant to this particular song.

“Bless My Soul” is a band showcase, designed to establish their sound and spotlight the talents of the individual members, all of whom get a chance to shine and are acknowledged by name: Steve Van Zandt, Garry Tallent, Dave Sancious, and “Crazy Vince” Lopez. (Bruce would come up with a better nickname soon.)

Of particular delight is the middle section (skip to the five-minute mark if you must), where Springsteen and Sancious duke it out with their respective instruments. The musical separation is crystal clear, allowing us to admire their talent and interplay in a way we rarely get from a recording this old.

If you enjoyed this track, stay tuned for more Bruce Springsteen Band performances through the summer. (And if not, don’t worry: modern programming resumes on Monday.)

Bless My Soul
First performed: November 13, 1971 (Asbury Park, NJ)
Last performed: February 26, 1972  (Richmond, VA)

Looking for your favorite Bruce song? Check our full index here. New entries every week!