Expansive reissue of Bruce Springsteen’s ‘The River’ coming Dec. 4

Bruce Springsteen enthusiasts will be able to explore his 1980 double album “The River” in greater depth than ever soon with the release of a new four-CD/three-DVD (or two Blu-ray discs) set “The Ties That Bind: The River Collection” due Dec. 4.

Taking a similar approach to the 2010 box set “The Promise” that culled outtakes, alternate takes, rejected songs and other material related to 1978’s “Darkness on the Edge of Town,” “The Ties That Bind” will include “a wealth of unreleased, unheard music, long-rumored but never seen before concert footage from 1980, and a brand new documentary about ‘The River.’”

Two CDs include the original double album, a third CD features the single-disc version of “The River” that Springsteen first considered releasing as the follow-up to “Darkness,” but then rejected. A fourth CD includes the outtakes and other extras. In all the CDs contain 52 tracks.

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In addition to the documentary on one of the DVDs, a second disc includes a full concert performance from “The River” tour shot in Tempe, Ariz., in 1980, and newly edited by Thom Zimny, who was worked with Springsteen on several other film and video projects. It also comes with a 148-page 10-inch-by-12-inch book with photos from the sessions, and a new essay by writer Mikal Gilmore.

The physical set with DVDs is available on Amazon for $119.98 and the Blu-ray is priced at $129.98. The digital version will be available for download on iTunes for $89.98.

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