Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band: Bruce Springsteen (vocals, guitar); Nils Lofgren, Patti Scialfa (guitar, background vocals); Clarence Clemons (saxophone, percussion); Roy Bittan (piano, synthesizer); Danny Federici (organ, synthesizer); Garry Tallent (bass); Max Weinberg (drums).

Additional personnel: Mario Cruz (tenor saxophone); Eddie Manion (baritone saxophone); Mark Pender, Michael Spengler (trumpet); Richard Rosenberg (trombone).

Producers: Bruce Springsteen, Jon Landau, Chuck Plotkin.

Recorded live at the L.A. Sports Arena, Los Angeles, California on April 27, 1988; The Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan on March 28, 1988; Stockholm, Sweden on July 3, 1988.

Digitally remastered by Bob Ludwig and Brian Lee (Gateway Mastering Studios, Portland, Maine).

Personnel: Bruce Springsteen (vocals, guitar); Nils Lofgren, Patti Scialfa (vocals, guitar); Clarence Clemons (saxophone, percussion); Mario Cruz (tenor saxophone); Edward Manion (baritone saxophone); Michael Spengler, Mark Pender (trumpet); Richie Rosenberg (trombone); Roy Bittan (piano, synthesizer); Danny Federici (organ, synthesizer); Max Weinberg (drums, snare drum).

Audio Mixer: Bob Clearmountain.

Audio Remasterers: Bob Ludwig; Brian Lee.

Recording information: Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI (03/28/1988-07/03/1988); L.A. Sports Arena (03/28/1988-07/03/1988); Stockholm, Sweden (03/28/1988-07/03/1988).

Photographer: Neal Preston.

Culled from recordings of Bruce Springsteen's spring 1988 Tunnel of Love tour, Chimes of Freedom is a four-track EP that initially was released as a benefit for Amnesty International, appearing as he joined the fall 1988 Human Rights Now! tour. It was recorded and released quickly, easily qualifying as the speediest project Springsteen has ever completed. Unfortunately, it occasionally feels a little slapdash, but it's hard to criticize a four-song live charity EP for being haphazardly assembled, since that's in its nature. Nevertheless, Chimes of Freedom is a little unsatisfying, even though it's a good, brief sampler of the Boss live circa Tunnel of Love. And that's part of the problem. Tunnel of Love had a slicker production than a normal Springsteen record, featuring synths scattered throughout the record. Those arrangements were preserved on the live version of "Tougher Than the Rest," one of the best songs from the record, and it turns a little mushy in an arena setting. Similarly, the title track has its chiming opening refrain played on synths, and consequently it sounds a little stiff and dated. These faults are balanced by the remaining two cuts, the first released version of the excellent "Be True" and a reworking of "Born to Run" as an acoustic ballad. "Born to Run" has considerable power in this stripped-down setting, and "Be True" teems with life, pointing out how stiff its cousins sound on Chimes of Freedom. Neither of these tracks are major contributions to Springsteen's catalog, but they're nice additions for the die-hard fans who will be picking up the EP anyway. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

This four-song live EP presents Springsteen in post-world-conquering mode. The Boss had already retreated from the grandeur of BORN IN THE U.S.A. with the more understated, personal TUNNEL OF LOVE. The aesthetic of the latter is represented by the opening cut "Tougher Than the Rest," a declaration of Bruce's willingness to put his nose to the relationship grindstone.

The debt to Bob Dylan that was owed since Bruce's very first album is paid off with this disc's centerpiece, a stately, passionate rendition of Dylan's "Chimes of Freedom," which gains in patriotic significance due its performance just before the 4th of July 1988. Conversely, the usually majestic "Born to Run" is presented here in a low-key, solo acoustic version that wouldn't have sounded out of place on NEBRASKA. With songs representative of the different periods in Springsteen's development, CHIMES OF FREEDOM is a snapshot that captures a vital and intriguing moment in the Boss's career.