Bruce Springsteen’s Atlantic City (Electric Nebraska): Noir Goes Technicolor

First off, I love Nebraska and think it’s Bruce Springsteen’s best record and best writing. I pre-ordered the Nebraska ’82 vinyl boxset as soon as possible and often hug it before going to bed. I love Nebraska. I just want that all out of the way so you can put this review in context. I have listened to Electric Nebraska a couple of times (an album review coming next week) and I think the track that is the most interesting to compare to the original is probably the most well known track…Atlantic City. This track is the Technicolor version of music where black and white noir is drenched in reds, blues and greens.

Technicolor was around in many different versions from around 1915 up to the late 50s. Essentially, you would film in black and white and a number of strips would play in the Technicolor projector and light would be refracted through a prism to turn movies like The Wizard of Oz into the vibrant yellow brick road. That is a quick, and probably largely incorrect, overview of Technicolor…but it gives you the vibe of taking Nebraska and going electric. This black and white record was bathed in colourful bass, drums, guitar and keyboard. The question is, will it turn into the beautiful Emerald City….or noisy colourful blob?

The best part of the original Atlantic City is that it sounds like a man’s confession on his deathbed. His attempt to get ahead after a series of losses appears to be spinning out of control in America’s dark underbelly. You can hear the regret in his voice, but he’s in too deep now and will probably not make it out of this one. This song exemplifies the beautiful and emotive dark storytelling of the record and is a standout. Atlantic City is not the neon and bright lights it may seem, but a landscape full of sadness, despair and violence. The acoustic nature of the track gives it an intimate personal vibe that really heightens the song’s themes…it sounds like Springsteen himself is confessing his sins to you before doing one last job.

The version of Atlantic City on Electric Nebraska takes those haunting notes and dips them in rainbow paint and lights them on fire. Now, I think the original Atlantic City is a perfect song…so could the Electric Nebraska version top that? Well, it’s not better, but different. The E Street band on this track is tight and has some real Born to Run energy with driving percussion and raw guitar riffs. This gives the track a rock/punk power missing from the original version. Springsteen’s vocal also takes on a new power as he belts out verses and “woos!” that resonate in your chest. The original track has a darkness and finality to it, while this electric version has Bruce yelling in defiance at fate itself. The raw energy of his vocal and the backing vocals is intoxicating and you want to join him in yelling at the stars.

The version of Atlantic City on Electric Nebraska is an excellent song and really highlights the differences between the two records. The original Nebraska’s dark noir environment is iconic and inspired countless artists over the decades…it is a pioneering and timeless record. Interestingly, tracks on Electric Nebraska do not detract from the original record, but add to its greatness. Listening to both versions gives you a wholistic view of the track and is a really cool experience. I’m so happy that we got to experience this record and I will be sure to listen to it hundreds of more times.

Listen to Atlantic City (Electric Nebraska)