All That Heaven Will Allow

All That Heaven Will Allow is track #3 on Springsteen's TUNNEL OF LOVE album. Released in 1987, the Tunnel album (and tour) showed a grown-up Springsteen, singing about things like marriage, divorce, kids, etc. He sounded like he had stopped running and did some surrendering along the way. I enjoy the album and this song, even if it is "mature" Bruce. The Tunnel tour was a bit of an oddity - it was a rapid departure from the tours that came before and the ones that would come after. Really, there's been no other tour like it. For the first time ever, the traditional stage setup had been altered. Piano-player Roy Bittan and organist Danny Federici had swapped places on stage. Saxophonist Clarence Clemons was on the opposite side as well. This might not seem like much but psychologically, it was a jarring adjustment for the relocated band members. Also, a 5 or 6 piece horn section toured with them, and provided some strong backup vocals as well. The setlists on this tour were by far the most static of any tour before or since. I have been known to attend multiple shows on one tour because you never know what you're going to get, but if I was old enough to see a show on the Tunnel tour, it would not have been necessary to see more than one. In addition to the songs staying the same, the band wore the same outfit every night, and there was pre-written bits of dialogue and speeches written by Bruce that were repeated verbatim night to night. It was the most choreographed E Street Band show ever. I have a soundboard bootleg from this tour, but honestly, haven't gotten around to listening to it except for the couple of tracks I've put up here so far.

The Tunnel album was recorded with the E Street Band, but for the first time ever, not all of them were together. They all came in and laid down their parts individually. It was very piecemeal. This was the last tour before Bruce would fire them and hire a new band. I am slightly fascinated with the tour for all the reasons I mentioned above, but it really did seem like Bruce had one foot out the door.

If you have 11 1/2 minutes to spare, below is a performance of ATHWA from the 1988 Tunnel tour. It's made me want to finally put this show on CDs and listen to it.



The song has only been played about 14 times since the Tunnel tour. It didn't reappear in a setlist until 8 years later, for one show only on his solo acoustic tour in support of the GHOST OF TOM JOAD album. It got 8 plays in 2005, on his solo tour in support of the DEVILS AND DUST album. Below is a performance from that tour.



I have recorded the entire NEBRASKA album on my 16-track. I think TUNNEL OF LOVE will be the next one I do.