As everyone else has pointed out, there are three 'new' tracks here unavailable anywhere else. This has led many to accuse Bruce of ripping off his fans (with many recalling a similar sentiment surrounding the "Greatest Hits" CD from 1995, which was also padded out with 4 'new' tracks).

It's a real shame the three tracks were not included in the box set (there's more than enough room on each of the four discs on "Tracks"), but Bruce did not have any sinister motive saving them for this sampler CD. One thing to consider was that Springsteen's people were rushed to complete this set. According to a detailed article in Mix Magazine, Springsteen, Landau, and his team of engineers were working at their own pace when Sony got wind that the project was under way. All of a sudden, a huge marketing campaign was begun and a three-month timetable landed on Springsteen's lap. An insane amount of coordination and work was done to meet the deadline. At one point, they had roughly 120 to 130 tracks in consideration, eventually whittled down to 66, and I wouldn't be surprised if the rush had some impact on their decision-making.

When the box set finally came out, many, including Charlie Rose who interviewed Springsteen on his own show regarding "Tracks," asked about "The Fever" and "The Promise." Springsteen said that "The Fever" was never one of his favorites, and as much as he liked "The Promise," none of the recordings did it justice (none of this was new information or a big secret to longtime Springsteen fans). Well, the complaints were universal, and since there was already talk of a one disc sampler for the budget-minded fan (which eventually became "18 Tracks"), Springsteen thought he could use that disc as a way of appeasing fans. So, his engineers retrieved and remixed "The Fever" for CD release, and because he was never satisfied with the old recordings, went back into the studio and recorded a solo, piano rendition of "The Promise" in 1999 (months after "Tracks" was already released). How "Trouble River" figured into the mix, I'm not sure, but he was set on putting two new tracks on the disc, so why not a third?

Of course, lots of fans already picked up the box set the month it came out, so even though Bruce was sympathetic to what he heard afterwards, you can understand why so many would still cry rip-off. But, 1) again, Bruce didn't do this to squeeze money out of his fans, he did it because he was trying to appease them. 2) you'll notice on Amazon, ebay, and many other sites that "18 Tracks" used goes for a paltry few dollars, the price of a CD single or a 45, so time has righted things for those who have yet to buy it.

As for the 15 cuts taken from the box set, they aren't the 15 best. I actually like all of them, but "Thundercrack," "Roulette," "Shut Out The Light," and "The Wish" among others are more essential than "Where the Bands Are," "I Wanna Be with You," "Lion's Den," and "Part Man, Part Monkey."

Unless you're strapped for cash, go for the box set. For those who have the box set and are considering buying this for the new material, don't pay full price, get a cheap, used copy, they should be easy to find.

Let's face it: five CD's of outtakes and b-sides (the Tracks box set) is a bit much for all but us hard-core Bruce fans. 18 Tracks, on the other hand, is a more bite-sized near masterpiece. With a couple of exceptions (I'd name Seaside Bar Song and Trouble River as the two) the songs all work, and some of them rank with Bruce's best. The Promise is manna from heaven; My Love Will Not Let You Down was a highlight of the 1999-2000 tour, and Where the Bands Are has become my 5 year old's favorite Bruce song. Worth buying for even the casual Springsteen fan. Hardcore fans have to have it.

I feel that there is a great need for some balance in the AMAZON reviews of this compilation. The major complaint seems to be that "the fever" and "the promise" were simply added to the single disc in order to get Bruce fans to shell out for another cd. Allow me to add another perspective, could it be that the decision to add these cuts was based on Bruce having listened to his fans, who were quite vocal in their disappointment that they were ommitted from the box-set? Rather than sell-out, I see this action as that of an artist attempting to meet the needs of his audience. Let me further address his controversial decision to re-record The Promise. The reason Bruce gave for not originally releasing this cut on the box-set was that he could not find a version that he was pleased with. In that light, I find his decision to re-record the cut as further proof of his strong dedication to his art and audience.

It pains me to be critical of Bruce Springsteen, a man whose music has provided me with years of enjoyment, and whose album releases are of consistent high quality... but I have a bone to pick. In the wake of the _Tracks_ box set, it made lots of sense to put some of the highlights out on a single disc, aiming at the more casual fan. It was downright two-faced, however, to withhold two of the most desirable rarites in his catalog ("The Fever", "The Promise") deliberately, in the hopes of rooking fans who'd bought the box into buying this disc as well. And record companies wonder why cd burners are so popular(!)... well, let me tell you - if you happen to already own those two songs from elsewhere (through the secondary market, perchance), hang onto 'em, because these aren't the versions you fell in love with, anyway. "The Promise" is a new recording (good, but not great), and "The Fever" has been stripped of its smoky jazz-club ambience and given a really incongruous re-mix (ugh). "Trouble River" isn't even worth mentioning. I suspect manager Jon Landau was the mastermind behind all of this, but since Bruce put his name on it, he gets the rap here.

I wish I could call this an isolated incident, but it's starting to look more like a pattern. With the recent release of _The Essential Bruce Springsteen_, Bruce has pulled the trick once again, asking devoted fans to shell out for two discs worth of material they already own, just to get a third disc with a few more rarities (like "Trapped" and "Viva Las Vegas", both withheld from the _Tracks_ releases). Maybe Bruce needs to take a look at his labelmates from the opposite coast, Pearl Jam (a true fan's band, if such a thing exists anywhere). They have recently put out a beautiful two-disc set of rarities, b-sides, and previously-unheards that is not only well thought-out and generously stuffed, but reasonably priced, to boot (or in this case, to beat the boots). Methinks Bruce could learn a thing or two from those guys.

At first, it might seem like this is a noble premise - a briefer edition of the "Tracks" box set containing its highlights so that those on a more modest budget can have access to some of these songs. Then, it turns out, that there are two cuts here not on the "Tracks" cd. So now, fans who have already purchased the pricey box set have two choices - forgo the much sought after two cuts on this collection, of shell out top dollar to millionaire Bruce for what amounts to a single's worth of otherwise unavailable material. So much for Bruce being the champion of the working man.