There was a time when nobody besides Manfred Mann really bothered to cover Bruce Springsteen songs. It was in the bleak character studies of 1982's Nebraska that he reaffirmed himself as a literate everyman steeped in the tradition of John Steinbeck and Flannery O'Connor, Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan. And that's the side of Springsteen that clearly appeals to Johnny Cash, Los Lobos, Hank Williams III, and the dozen other artists who participate in this remake of 'Nebraska'. Chrissie Hynde, Ani DiFranco, and Deana Carter all deliver haunting performances, but as far as the menfolk go, the album's most striking covers are "bonus" tracks that were recorded for but not released on 'Nebraska': "I'm on Fire" sounds even creepier with Cash's craggy vocal; Raul Malo (Mavericks) brings out the pop sheen of "Downbound Train"; and "Wages of Sin," in the hands of Damien Jurado and Rose Thomas, shows Springsteen can be just as depressing as your favorite emo idol. All of which makes this a fine companion to the original recording. 2000 release