“Tucson Train” is the third and latest single from the upcoming Springsteen solo record “Western Stars,” and it’s a laid-back take on Western swing with lots of appeal. There’s horns, strings and hints of a Duane Eddy-style guitar for good measure.
This train cuts through the Western terrain in a cloud of dust and dreams.
The Thom Zimny-directed video features the Boss, Patti Scialfa and some of the players on “Tucson Train” laying down the track in a hall adorned with folksy paintings. It’s kind of what would happen if the Boss played your county fair. That’s Gunnar Olsen, an ace studio man, on drums and Rachel Drehmann, a member of Genghis Barbie, on French horn in a cowboy hat.
That’s Curt Ramm, who often plays with the Boss, next to Drehmann in the video. He plays on numerous “Western Stars” tracks, including “Tucson Train.”
“Western Stars,” due June 14, comes from “inspiration in part from the Southern California pop records of the late-’60s and early-’70s,” according to press materials. Ron Aniello and Springsteen are the producers.
Springsteen said there is a visual accompaniment to the album, and this video seems to speak to that.
“We also shot a backstage film, in which we filmed the whole recording process from start to finish at my house,” Springsteen told the Italian news outlet, la Repubblica. “The album contains many small narratives set in the American West.”
The two previous singles from “Western Stars” are “There Goes My Miracle” and “Hello Sunshine.” The Boss’ social media has been chock-full of Springsteen portraits and Western landscape pics by rock star photog Danny Clinch of Toms River as of late.
Springsteen will record a new E Street Band album in the fall and tour with the band after that, he said to la Repubblica.