In anticipation of watching the new Springsteen movie, I figured I should listen to the album that it’s about.

I had to double-check my records from a couple of years ago when I tried to watch movies I hadn’t seen and listen to albums I had never listened to but meant to…and sure enough I did not listen to ‘Nebraska’ that year, so that confirmed for me it was not an album I had listened to in my life.

There’s a familiarity to ‘Nebraska’, which I’ll get back to in a second.

I knew Atlantic City because probably the first Bruce Springsteen album of any kind that I ever got was the ‘Greatest Hits’ album and Atlantic City is on there.

Not my favorite Springsteen song…though I like it better in the context of this album, if that makes any sense.

I have a friend who’s a huge Springsteen fan. If something Springsteen comes up somewhere I text him about that, if something Billy Joel comes up he texts me about that. Earlier this year we were in touch about the Billy Joel doc.

So I asked him his thoughts on the movie and by the way I don’t remember him talking much about ‘Nebraska’, what are his thoughts on that album.

He told me he wasn’t a huge fan of either, (less so the movie) but the music in the movie was very good. And he likes ‘Nebraska’ OK, but isn’t a huge fan of it. You know, in the way someone has a favorite artist and there’s some stuff you just don’t love the way you love others.

Anyway, I shared that I noticed on ‘Nebraska’ towards the end of the album in a couple of different songs he sings “deliver me from nowhere,” which is the title of the movie. (So now I know where that came from.)

And there are hints of I’m Going Down in Open All Night, which I thought was interesting. AND in that song he also says “wee wee hours,” which is a line in Human Touch.

My friend didn’t comment on these things. I can only hope the movie addresses all of them.

I’m kidding.

But I guess it’s kind of a transitional album? I don’t know. My friend also told me there’s a big boxed set that also has a song that became Working on the Highway. So maybe that does prove my point.

Anyway, I won’t be listening to a ‘Nebraska’ boxed set, unless the movie really makes me interested in doing so.

And despite my friend’s review, I’m still looking forward to watching the movie.

I’m glad I have a little more musical background knowledge heading into it.