The Ghost of Tom Joad

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The Ghost of Tom Joad
The Ghost of Tom Joad cover
Studio album by Bruce Springsteen
Released November 21, 1995
Recorded March–September 1995
Genre Rock, Folk
Length 50:16
Label Columbia
Producer Bruce Springsteen, Chuck Plotkin
Professional reviews
Bruce Springsteen chronology
Greatest Hits
(1995)
The Ghost of Tom Joad
(1995)
Blood Brothers
(1996)

The Ghost of Tom Joad is the eleventh studio album by Bruce Springsteen, released in 1995 (see 1995 in music). The album was recorded and mixed at Thrill Hill during the spring and summer of 1995.

The album is mainly backed by acoustic guitar work and the lyrics on many of the tracks are a somber reflection of life in the mid-1990s in America and Mexico. Tom Joad is the protagonist of John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath. Springsteen has commented that he was first inspired by John Ford's film of the novel.

The title track of this album has been covered by Rage Against the Machine and Junip.

The album's release was followed by Springsteen's solo acoustic Ghost of Tom Joad Tour.

[edit] Track listing

All songs were written by Bruce Springsteen.

  1. "The Ghost of Tom Joad" – 4:23
  2. "Straight Time" – 3:25
  3. "Highway 29" – 3:39
  4. "Youngstown" – 3:52
  5. "Sinaloa Cowboys" – 3:51
  6. "The Line" – 5:14
  7. "Balboa Park" – 3:19
  8. "Dry Lightning" – 3:30
  9. "The New Timer" – 5:45
  10. "Across the Border" – 5:24
  11. "Galveston Bay" – 5:04
  12. "My Best Was Never Good Enough" – 2:00


A live version of the song "The Ghost of Tom Joad" was recently played, featuring Tom Morello playing backup guitar

[edit] Personnel

  • Bruce Springsteen – bass, guitar, keyboards, harmonica, vocals, producer
  • Marty Rifkin – steel guitar
  • Danny Federici – accordion, keyboards
  • Gary Mallaber – drums
  • Garry Tallent – bass
  • Jennifer Condos – bass
  • Jim Hanson – bass
  • Soozie Tyrell – violin, background vocals
  • Patti Scialfa – background vocals
  • Lisa Lowell – background vocals
  • Toby Scott – engineer
  • Anton S. Trees - assistant engineer
  • Greg Goldman – recording assistant
  • Terry Magovern – research
  • Sandra Choron – art direction
  • Alexander Vitlin - stills photographer
  • Eric Dinyer – cover art
  • Pam Springsteen – interior photographs

[edit] External links