18 Tracks - Springsteen, Bruce (CD 1999)

For those of us who are true Bruce Springsteen fans (being from New Jersey is a plus!), this album is a must have. If you are not ready to buy the entire box set, this is a good sampler. The two songs that make this a must have are "The Fever" and "The Promise". "Fever" is a wonderful example of a song from Bruce and the band that dives into a slightly different genre than usual, with a delightful blues-sy feel. It is quite long and features Clarence Clemons (need I say more?).
The reason for buying this record is "The Promise", Bruce's follow-up to "Thunder Road." A song that has floated around for sometime, fans were upset that it wasn't included on the Box Set "Tracks". Bruce was unhappy with existing recordings of the song, and so, in 1999 he went back into the studio to record it. It's just Bruce on the piano, and his angst is apparent in his sorrowful voice as he follows up the the exuberance and promise of "Thunder Road."