The Ghost of Tom Joad

The Ghost of Tom Joad
Studio album by Bruce Springsteen
Released	November 21, 1995
Recorded	March–September 1995 Thrill Hill Recording
Genre	Heartland rock, folk rock, Americana
Length	50:16
Label	Columbia
Producer	Bruce Springsteen, Chuck Plotkin
Bruce Springsteen chronology
Greatest Songs (1995) The Ghost of Tom Joad (1995) Blood Brothers (1996)

This article is about the album. For the song, see The Ghost of Tom Joad (song).

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. Musically and lyrically reminiscent of Springsteen's 1982 critically acclaimed album Nebraska, The Ghost of Tom Joad received mostly favorable reviews. Mikal Gilmore of Rolling Stone called it "Springsteen's best album in ten years," and considered it "among the bravest work that anyone has given us this decade." However, it reached only #11 on the Billboard 200, breaking a string of eight consecutive Top 5 studio albums in the U.S for Springsteen.

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

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	link
Robert Christgau
Rolling Stone	link
This table needs to be expanded using prose. See the guideline for more information.

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

Personnel

• Bruce Springsteen – bass, guitar, keyboards, harmonica, vocals, producer
• Danny Federici – accordion, keyboards
• Gary Mallaber – drums
• Garry Tallent – bass
• Soozie Tyrell – violin, background vocals
• Patti Scialfa – background vocals
• Toby Scott – engineer
• Greg Goldman – recording assistant
• Terry Magovern – research
• Sandra Choron – art direction
• Eric Dinyer – cover art
• Pam Springsteen – interior photographs

External links

• Album Review at the Rolling Stone
• Review at EW.com
• Album audio and lyrics
• Springsteen.com/lyrics/y/youngstown.php Youngstown -- Lyrics and detailed info at SpringsteenLyrics.com
• Highway 29 -- Lyrics and detailed info at SpringsteenLyrics.com