Along with the forthcoming release of The Promise, here’s another collection of lost/previously unreleased Bruce Springsteen music to add to your collection. The Ties That Bind was to be the Jersey rocker’s fifth studio album, but after deciding it was “too pop”, he scrapped the sessions in favor of the darker 1980 classic, The River. And while the material originally intended for The Ties That Bind did ultimately make its way onto The River, some serious reworking had to be carried out beforehand.

As Guitars101 notes, the 10 tracks intended for The Ties That Bind featured “greater ambiance” and a “warmer, more intimate sound,” which Springsteen said “seemed inadequate” for where he was in his career. Guitara101 points to “The Price You Pay” as one of the best examples:

“Greater separation between the acoustic guitar (left channel) and electric guitar (right channel) and improved sound on Max Weinberg’s snare and cymbals, not to mention the alternate third verse, make for a new aural experience. Furthermore, the E Street Band flat-out nailed this song on the first take.”

Compliments of Guitars101, you can download the album’s original masters here. Also, for comparison sake, we included both The Ties That Bind and The River’s version of “The Price You Pay” below. The tracklist also follows.

Check Out:
“The Price You Pay” (The Ties That Bind Version)

“The Price You Pay” (The River Version)

The Ties That Bind Tracklist:
01. The Ties That Bind (3:37)
02. Cindy (2:28)
03. Hungry Heart (3:28)
04. Stolen Car (4:33)
05. To Be True (3:54) – aka “Be True”
06. The River (4:54)
07. You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch) (2:12)
08. The Price You Pay (5:51)
09. I Wanna Marry You (3:31)
10. Loose Ends (4:08)