RUMOR CONTROL: There are a lot of...

RUMOR CONTROL: There are a lot of rumors about the upcoming Springsteen album. To debunk a few: No, it’s not a country album. No, it doesn’t feature lots of guest musicians. Yes, the E Street Band does play on the album.

How do these rumors get started, anyway? According to an insider in the Springsteen camp, a few session players did work on the album, including a country musician who apparently told “everyone in the world” that he had played on the record. That led to speculation that it was a country album and that it featured lots of guest players. The irony is that he won’t appear on the album after all: His part was cut.

The rumor mill has been especially active because CBS has been so low-key about the album. The press release announcing “Tunnel of Love” was just two sentences long. And they weren’t even long sentences.

Why the mystery? CBS is probably just trying to avoid a replay of the hype and inflated expectations that surrounded Springsteen’s five-record live album last year. That boxed set sold very well but was labeled a “platinum turkey” by at least one publication because it didn’t sell out.

“Tunnel of Love” has been described as an album of love songs, which is at least close to the mark. Insiders say the songs deal with personal relationships rather than the social concerns of “Born in the U.S.A.”