Sound is imperative to the story of “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere.” The Scott Cooper film, based on Warren Zanes’ book about the making of Bruce Springsteen’s “Nebraska” and “Born in the USA,” ...

What you hear first is the hiss, the high frequency “sshhh” produced by analog magnetic tape recordings. It is less sound than the ghost of sound, an unpitched hum at the top of the audio spectrum.

A new 37-track boxed set released alongside a biopic tracking the making of his 1982 album underscores how sometimes a musician’s first recording is the right one. By Jon Pareles Demo-itis. That’s the ...