Dead Man's Town: A Tribute to Born in the U.S.A.

by Dead Man's Town: A Tribute To Born In U.S.A. / Var

Overview

When Bruce Springsteen's album Born in the U.S.A. was released in the summer of 1984, it became an immediate smash hit and confirmed Springsteen's status as one of the biggest and most important stars in American rock. But it was also a widely misunderstood work, especially the title song, embraced by many as a patriotic celebration of America when it was in fact a bitter condemnation by Springsteen of how his nation betrayed the soldiers who returned from Vietnam with few options and little hope. The messages of the songs were sometimes hard to hear through the bombast of the performances (Springsteen uses bombast to better advantage than practically any musician of his generation) and the polish of the production (especially the sharp report of the drums and the layers of keyboards), so producers (and avowed Springsteen fans) Logan Rogers and Evan Schlansky decided to give the songs of Born in the U.S.A. a new spin by inviting a handful of contemporary roots rock artists to cover them in their own styles. On Dead Man's Town: A Tribute to Born in the U.S.A., the performers strip the songs down to their basics, letting acoustic instruments carry the bulk of the melodies and putting the lyrics up front. Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires' interpretation of "Born in the U.S.A." (inspired by an arrangement Springsteen has used in his acoustic performances) kicks off the album on an impressive note, making the song just as dark and tragic as it was meant to be. And there are several other exceptional performances on board, such as Justin Townes Earle's mournful "Glory Days," which truly sounds like the musings of a man stuck in a midlife crisis; Low's tense and atmospheric take on "I'm on Fire"; Joe Pug's gutsy if minimal version of "Downbound Train"; and Quaker City Nighthawks' "Darlington County," which treats the tune like a loose-limbed shaggy-dog story. ~ Mark Deming

Product Details

Release Date:	06/14/2024
Label:	Lightning Rod Recs
UPC:	0843563174272
Rank:	119819

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Apache Relay   Primary Artist
Quaker City Night Hawks   Primary Artist
Low   Primary Artist
Blitzen Trapper   Primary Artist
North Mississippi Allstars   Primary Artist
Nicole Atkins   Primary Artist
Ryan Culwell   Primary Artist,Vocals,Guitar (Acoustic)
Justin Townes Earle   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
Trampled by Turtles   Primary Artist
Holly Williams   Primary Artist
Amanda Shires   Primary Artist,Violin
Joe Pug   Primary Artist,Piano,Vocals
Jason Isbell   Primary Artist,Vocals,Guitar (Acoustic)
Kellen Wenrich   Bass,Celeste,Keyboards,Mellotron,Guitar (Acoustic)
Steve Smith   Drums,Percussion
Jim Spake   Saxophone
Mimi Parker   Vocals
Dave Cobb   Percussion
Alan Sparhawk   Vocals,Guitar (Baritone)
Neilson Hubbard   Bass,Keyboards
Kris Donegan   Guitar (Electric)
Scott Thompson   Trumpet
Steve Garrington   Piano
Shontelle Norman   Vocals
Michael Ford Jr.   Piano,Vocals,Floor Tom,Tambourine,Drums (Snare),Guitar (Acoustic)
Michael Harris   Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Brett Moore   Mandolin,Guitar (Acoustic)
Sharisse Norman   Vocals
Ben Ford   Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Quaker City Night Hawks   Producer
Davey Horne   Musician
Evan Schlansky   Liner Notes,Executive Producer
Kelsey Butterworth   Producer
Tim Pannella   Engineer
Bob Mitchell   Producer
Brad Blackwood   Mastering
Cody Dickinson   Performer
Luther Dickinson   Performer
Erik Romero   Engineer
Logan Rogers   Executive Producer
North Mississippi Allstars   Producer
Nicole Atkins   Producer
Bruce Springsteen   Composer
Jared Samuel   Musician
Justin Townes Earle   Producer
Dave Cobb   Producer
Eric Earley   Producer
Alan Sparhawk   Producer
Adam Bednarik   Engineer,Producer
Neilson Hubbard   Producer
Trampled by Turtles   Producer
Lightnin' Malcolm   Performer
Chris Kro   Design,Art Direction
Ryan McHugh   Mixing,Musician,Producer
Matt Scheussler   Producer
Beau Bedford   Producer