Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band continue their Philadelphia finale with seven more performances from the Land of Hope and Dreams American Tour, including “Youngstown”, “Murder Incorporated” and “American Skin (41 Shots)”.
by Paul Cashmere
Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band have released the second instalment of the Philadelphia Freedom Cut, extending the official film of the Land of Hope and Dreams American Tour finale with seven more songs from the May 30 Philadelphia performance. The newly released footage includes “The Promised Land”, “Two Hearts”, “Hungry Heart”, “Youngstown”, “Murder Incorporated”, “American Skin (41 Shots)” and “Long Walk Home”, continuing the presentation of a concert that was filmed in its entirety.
Part 2 follows the first seven songs released on September 10. The Philadelphia Freedom Cut is planned as a four-part presentation of the complete show, giving fans the opportunity to see the finale unfold through a sequence of official performances rather than a conventional highlights package.
The first instalment opened with four Springsteen songs, “Born In The U.S.A.”, “Death To My Hometown”, “No Surrender” and “Darkness on the Edge of Town”, alongside The Temptations-era Motown protest song “War” and The Clash’s “Clampdown”.
The second chapter moves deeper into the Springsteen catalogue. “The Promised Land”, “Two Hearts” and “Hungry Heart” bring three established concert staples together before the set turns towards darker material with “Youngstown”, “Murder Incorporated” and “American Skin (41 Shots)”. “Long Walk Home” then closes the seven-song sequence.
“American Skin (41 Shots)” remains one of Springsteen’s most politically charged songs. Written in response to the 2000 police shooting of Amadou Diallo in New York, the song has remained part of Springsteen’s live repertoire in different forms. Its inclusion in the Philadelphia footage places one of the more confrontational moments of his catalogue alongside songs that have become central to his live performances.
“Long Walk Home”, meanwhile, comes from Springsteen’s 2007 album Magic and has taken on an established role in his later live sets. The song’s inclusion provides a link between the current E Street Band era and the catalogue Springsteen has continued to revisit throughout his touring career.
The Philadelphia performance also featured an expanded stage lineup. The E Street Band for the tour consisted of Roy Bittan, Nils Lofgren, Garry Tallent, Stevie Van Zandt and Max Weinberg, joined by Soozie Tyrell, Jake Clemons and Charlie Giordano.
The band was further expanded by The E Street Horns and Percussion, featuring Anthony Almonte, Barry Danielian, Eddie Manion, Ozzie Melendez and Curt Ramm, along with The E Street Choir, featuring Ada Dyer, Curtis King, Lisa Lowell and Michelle Moore.
Tom Morello also performed with Springsteen and The E Street Band at each of the tour’s 20 shows as a special guest. His participation adds another dimension to the Philadelphia footage, although the first two Philadelphia Freedom Cut instalments have focused on the broader E Street Band performance rather than positioning Morello as the central feature.
The concert film is directed by Chris Hilson and Thom Zimny, with Zimny and Sam Shapiro handling the edit. Bruce Springsteen, Jon Landau, Zimny and Adrienne Gerard are credited as producers. Jon Altschiller mixed the sound, with John Cooper recording the performance, while Jeff Ravitz and Todd Ricci handled lighting design.
The project has been released in memory of Dave Marsh, the influential American music writer and longtime Springsteen associate. Marsh’s connection to Springsteen’s work extended across decades, making the dedication a significant part of the Philadelphia Freedom Cut’s presentation.
With two of the four planned instalments now released, the Philadelphia finale remains a concert film being revealed progressively rather than all at once. The May 30 performance was captured in its entirety, leaving another two chapters of Springsteen and The E Street Band’s Philadelphia show still to be presented.
The seven songs in Part 2 are all written by Springsteen, with publishing credited to Eldridge Publishing Co. and Sony Pop Music Publishing (GMR).
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