Human Touch

Human Touch
Studio album by
Bruce Springsteen
ReleasedMarch 27, 1992
RecordedSeptember 1989 – March 1991
StudiosA&M
Soundworks West
Ocean Way Recording
Westlake Recording Studios
Record Plant (Los Angeles)
Genres
Length58:49
LabelColumbia
ProducersBruce Springsteen, Jon Landau, Chuck Plotkin, Roy Bittan
Bruce Springsteen chronology
Chimes of Freedom
(1988)		 Human Touch
(1992)		 Lucky Town
(1992)
Singles from Human Touch
  1. "Human Touch"
    Released: March 1992
  2. "57 Channels (And Nothin' On)"
    Released: June 1992
  3. "Roll of the Dice"
    Released: November 1992 (Japan)

Human Touch is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen. The album was released on March 27, 1992, the same day as Lucky Town. It was the more popular of the two albums, peaking at number two on the US Billboard 200 chart. Its lead single, "Human Touch" (released as a double A-side single with Lucky Town's "Better Days"), peaked at number one on the Mainstream Rock chart and number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100. Human Touch has since been certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of over one million copies in the US, and it was nominated for Best Rock Vocal Performance at the 1993 Grammy Awards.

Background

Shortly after Springsteen disbanded the E Street Band in October 1989, pianist Roy Bittan played three instrumental tracks he had written for Springsteen: "Roll of the Dice", "Real World", and "Trouble in Paradise". Springsteen later added lyrics to the compositions and liked them enough to begin writing and recording additional material. With the E Street Band dissolved—aside from Bittan, who played keyboards and co-produced the album—Springsteen assembled a group of studio musicians in Los Angeles, primarily utilizing bassist Randy Jackson and drummer Jeff Porcaro. A diverse group of background vocalists contributed to the project, including Sam Moore, Bobby Hatfield, and Bobby King. Ultimately, approximately 25 songs were recorded, though the exact number remains unknown.

The album was initially scheduled for a spring or summer 1991 release, after being pushed back from early 1991, but production was halted when Springsteen began recording Lucky Town later that year. Springsteen ultimately decided to release both albums on the same day, resulting in Human Touch debuting on March 27, 1992—more than two years after the project commenced.

Springsteen asked Porcaro to join the touring band for the subsequent promotional tour, but Porcaro declined due to prior commitments with his own band, Toto. Porcaro died of a heart attack a few months later while working in his garden.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStar
Chicago TribuneStar
Christgau's Consumer Guide(1-star Honorable Mention)
Entertainment WeeklyB−
NME5/10
Pitchfork5.8/10
Rolling StoneStarStarStarStar
Tom HullB−

Human Touch debuted and peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, selling 246,000 copies during its first week. The album was met with generally mixed reviews. Rolling Stone awarded it four stars, noting that the songs "explore the movement from disenchanted isolation to a willingness to risk love and its attendant traumas again." The review also stated that the title track "stands among Springsteen's best work." Conversely, Bill Wyman of The Chicago Reader gave the album a harsh review, calling it "the worst piece of [expletive] you can imagine coming from a talent on Springsteen's level." Out of the album's 14 tracks, Wyman found only "one passable Springsteen song, 'The Long Goodbye.' The lyrics don't make much sense...but it has a bruising musical onslaught that covers up a lot."

Although his initial review was more favorable, Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune later wrote that "in retrospect, Human Touch tried to re-create the stadium-rocking aura of an E Street album, with session musicians unsuccessfully replacing the road-tested band." AllMusic retrospectively described the album as "generic pop" and "his first that didn't at least aspire to greatness."

The album is generally unpopular among Springsteen's fanbase, and in 2012, it was ranked last among his discography by the online magazine Nerve. Addressing the cool reception of Human Touch and Lucky Town among fans, Springsteen remarked: "I tried it [writing happy songs] in the early '90s and it didn't work; the public didn't like it."

Track listing

All music and lyrics by Bruce Springsteen, except where noted

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Human Touch" 6:31
2."Soul Driver" 4:39
3."57 Channels (And Nothin' On)" 2:28
4."Cross My Heart"
3:51
5."Gloria's Eyes" 3:46
6."With Every Wish" 4:39
7."Roll of the Dice"
4:17
8."Real World"
  • Springsteen
  • Bittan
5:26
9."All or Nothin' at All" 3:23
10."Man's Job" 4:37
11."I Wish I Were Blind" 4:48
12."The Long Goodbye" 3:30
13."Real Man" 4:33
14."Pony Boy"Traditional, arrangement and additional lyrics by Springsteen2:14

Unreleased outtakes

Springsteen's first album without the E Street Band generated numerous outtakes, many of which were later released. A cover of "Viva Las Vegas" was issued as a B-side and included on The Essential Bruce Springsteen; "Chicken Lips and Lizard Hips" appeared on a children's compilation album; and "30 Days Out" served as another B-side. "Part Man, Part Monkey"—a track originally recorded during the Tunnel of Love sessions and performed on that tour—was re-recorded and released as a B-side and on Tracks. Other outtakes included on Tracks include "Trouble In Paradise", "Sad Eyes", "Leavin' Train", "Seven Angels", "My Lover Man", "When the Lights Go Out", "Over the Rise", "Goin' Cali", and "Loose Change". "Trouble River" was subsequently released on 18 Tracks. Springsteen also recorded "Red-Headed Woman", a live version of which eventually appeared on the MTV Unplugged album. Additionally, he recorded "Secret Garden", which was later re-worked with the reunited E Street Band in 1995 for Greatest Hits, and "All the Way Home", a song Springsteen gave to Southside Johnny that he would not release himself until 2005's Devils & Dust.

  • "Red Headed Woman"
  • "Secret Garden"
  • "All the Way Home"

Personnel

Additional musicians

Technical:

Singles

Year Single Peak chart positions
US US Main US AC UK IRE GER SWI AUT NOR SWE NZ AUS NL
1992 "Human Touch"[A] 16 1 8 11 4 15 4 19 1 4 12 17 3
"57 Channels (And Nothin' On)" 68 6 — 32 26 — — — 9 32 – — 39

Singles were released in both U.S. and UK/Europe, unless otherwise indicated:

  • A^ Charted as double A-Side with "Better Days" when released in the United States.

Charts

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) Platinum 70,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria) Gold 25,000*
Canada (Music Canada) 2× Platinum 200,000^
Finland (Musiikkituottajat) Gold 35,627
Germany (BVMI) Gold 250,000^
Japan (RIAJ) Gold 116,000
New Zealand (RMNZ) Gold 7,500^
Norway (IFPI Norway) Gold 25,000*
Spain (Promusicae) Platinum 100,000^
Sweden (GLF) Platinum 100,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) Platinum 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA) Platinum 1,168,000

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ↑ "Advertisement". Music Week. March 28, 1992. p. 3.
  2. 1 2 Kot, Greg (February 26, 1995). "Born Again". The Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on November 29, 2020. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 Human Touch at AllMusic
  4. ↑ Molanphy, Chris (July 16, 2021). "Tramps Like Us Edition". Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia (Podcast). Slate. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  5. ↑ Hung, Steffen. "Bruce Springsteen - Human Touch". Hitparade.ch. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  6. ↑ "Gold & Platinum". Riaa.com. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  7. ↑ "Bruce Springsteen". Grammy Awards. November 23, 2020. Archived from the original on April 6, 2019. Retrieved February 14, 2018.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Bruce Springsteen – Human Touch/Lucky Town – Album Review". AbsolutePunk.net. March 31, 1992. Archived from the original on August 23, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  9. ↑ Kot, Greg (January 25, 2009). "Springsteen's latest effort a 'Dream' deflated". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on November 29, 2020. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  10. ↑ Christgau, Robert (2000). "Bruce Springsteen". Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. Macmillan Publishers. p. 294. ISBN 0312245602. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
  11. ↑ Browne, David (April 3, 1992). "Human Touch Review". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on May 24, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
  12. ↑ Bailie, Stuart; Staunton, Terry (March 11, 1995). "Ace of boss". New Musical Express. pp. 54–55.
  13. ↑ Sodomsky, Sam (May 19, 2018). "Tunnel of Love / Chimes of Freedom EP / Human Touch / Lucky Town / In Concert/MTV Plugged / The Ghost of Tom Joad / Blood Brothers EP". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 4, 2025.
  14. ↑ DeCurtis, Anthony (April 3, 1992). "Human Touch | Album Reviews". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
  15. ↑ Hull, Tom (October 29, 2016). "Streamnotes (October 2016)". Tom Hull - on the Web. Archived from the original on July 4, 2020. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  16. ↑ "Billboard". August 17, 2002. Archived from the original on August 23, 2023. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  17. ↑ Wyman, Bill (April 9, 1992). "Double drivel". The Chicago Reader. Archived from the original on November 12, 2015. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
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  26. ↑ "European Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 17. April 25, 1992. p. 25 – via World Radio History.
  27. ↑ "InfoDisc : Tous les Albums classés par Artiste > Choisir Un Artiste Dans la Liste" (in French). infodisc.fr. Archived from the original on May 6, 2013. Retrieved May 1, 2014.Note: user must select 'Bruce SPRINGSTEEN' from drop-down
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  30. ↑ "マドンナ、洋楽女性初の快挙 アルバム2作同時初登場TOP10" [Madonna's two albums simultaneously enter the top-10]. oricon.co.jp (in Japanese). Oricon Style. April 3, 2012. Archived from the original on November 11, 2013. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
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  32. ↑ "norwegiancharts.com Bruce Springsteen – Human Touch". Hung Medien. VG-lista. Archived from the original (ASP) on December 4, 2013. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
  33. ↑ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
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  38. ↑
    • Zimbabwe. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: albums chart book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
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  46. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Bruce Springsteen – Human Touch". Music Canada. Retrieved April 4, 2012.
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  49. ↑ "Japanese album certifications – ブルース・スプリングスティーン – ヒューマン・タッチ" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Select 1992年4月 on the drop-down menu
  50. ↑ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
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