This is an album of outtakes from the recording sessions that produced Darkness on the Edge of Town and The River. Some of the selections present early versions of material later revised by Springsteen, but only two of these songs have ever been released legitimately: "Rendezvous" was done by Greg Kihn, and "Hearts of Stone" by Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes. The album begins with "I Wanna Be Where the Bands Are" and "White Lies," two powerful rockers that would have been strong selections on The River; "Rendezvous," a catchy pop song, may have been too light for Springsteen's concept for the Darkness album, but it's also wonderful. "Hearts of Stone," reportedly considered as a possible title song for the album that became Darkness, is the same track used for the Southside Johnny version, but with different solos and, of course, with a Springsteen vocal. One of the reasons Springsteen is irresistible to bootleggers is that he is always willing to sacrifice a great song if it doesn't fit onto an album, and those great songs just collect dust unless albums like this are spirited out to the public. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide