Bruce Fans Get Five-Song Ep, Documentary

For Bruce Springsteen fans, last week’s release of a video documentary about his E Street Band’s last reunion is more reason to believe.

But the true bonus is the inclusion of a five-song EP that has two previously unreleased tracks, along with alternate versions of songs that appeared on his “Greatest Hits” album.

Springsteen fans will thus have an early excuse to do some holiday shopping, either for themselves or for fellow diehards. The price is a bargain, too - the 90-minute documentary and limited-edition EP cost $19.98 together. That’s usually the price of a video.

The previously unreleased songs are a treat. “Without You” is a snazzy love song with old-school, street-corner harmonies from the band: “Monday, I go to work/ Tuesday, I can’t find my shirt/ Wednesday, I’m feeling blue, I’m helpless, darling, without you.” The other new song, “High Hopes” by Tim Scott, is given a sizzling New Orleans workup with accordion and organ.

The rest of the EP consists of hotter versions of three of the newer tracks on the “Greatest Hits” disc. “Blood Brothers” is the revelation, with an a cappella intro and a bolder, guitar-ripping rock arrangement as Springsteen sings, “We swore until we died that we’d always be blood brothers.”

Then comes the ballad of female mystery, “Secret Garden,” with a soaring string arrangement on the third verse; and “Murder Incorporated,” an R&B rocker done live at Tramps in New York, with Jonathan Demme directing the concert video. The E Street Band really tears it up, especially saxophonist Clarence Clemons, who earlier on the video says, “It’s driving me nuts in the head” because he wants so much to play with the band again.

The documentary, “Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band: Blood Brothers,” contains these songs and more. It originally aired on the Disney Channel in March. What makes it special is the behind-the-scenes look at Springsteen’s creative process. He’s shown with a guitar teaching the songs to band members (who dutifully write down chord progressions) and debating embellishments with coproducers Jon Landau (his manager) and Chuck Plotkin.

The documentary jumps around too much between songs, but the camaraderie in the band is vividly drawn. They all laugh about how Springsteen gave them just four days’ notice to convene, but naturally they dropped what they were doing to come. The group also holds a birthday party for Clemons. Someone yells, “Happy 21st,” to which Clemons replies, “Yeah, I’m legal now, man.”

The cameras follow the group through each take. The first version of “Blood Brothers” is ragged because they’re all overeager, but later Springsteen praises them by saying, “Everybody’s playing spectacularly.” His three children are also in the studio and Springsteen ducks out one afternoon to take them to see the film “Beauty and the Beast.”

The release, of course, will fuel more hopes of an E Street Band tour. Why not - they all seem to be getting along so well. No one has said anything officially, though, since Springsteen is now out with his “Ghost of Tom Joad” solo tour. But you know that these rumors will gather steam.