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Happy Birthday Bruce Springsteen: Born To Run Is Still The Best Album I Ever Heard

by Andrew Vaughan
23 September 2013 21 Comments

The Boss turns 64 today, and 38 years since it's initial release his breakthrough album will always be the greatest thing I ever heard...

I was a proper Grammar School kid when I was growing up. Rugby Union and music was my life. Of course being a Grammar School boy music was taken deadly serious. Serious boys in seriously bad clothes listening to serious music.

Led Zep, Sabbath, Gentle Giant, Yes, Tangerine Dream and ELP were some of the artists that made up the regular playlist in the sixth form common room and at the school disco.

Yet away in the corner there was a small gang of us that liked Bowie, Roxy, Cockney Rebel, Mott and all things Glam.

The Bowie Freaks, the Roxy Boys, the ones that liked bands “that couldn’t play”. Pop bands, poseurs, puffs…

Sat in the corner listening to these art school boys from the big city. From there we got into Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground, Charles Bukowski and Jack Kerouac. Charles Baudelaire and Jacques Brel. Basically anybody that Messrs Bowie, Ferry, Harley or Hunter name checked.

However those Grand Masters of Glam were all huge Bob Dylan fans and once we knew that and discovered Mr Zimmerman then there was no looking back.

Lyrics were dissected, meanings meandered over and his back catalogue snapped up.

Then somewhere, somewhere out in the ether a buzz developed about a kid from New Jersey. The inkies – the NME, Sounds and Melody Maker - were getting excited about this kid from New Jersey. This kid called Bruce Springsteen. “The Future of Rock and Roll”

Even now when I hear the title track I’m back home. Messing about with my mates playing snooker in our front room. Or with my girlfriend at the time. When we were young and innocent - if not wild.

We simply had to have a piece of this and it was Roy Hurst’s Record Stall in the market that took my £2.28 for the latest album by this kid from New Jersey. I had no idea what I was buying and, in all honestly, there wasn’t the same excitement I’d have on the bus back after buying the latest Bowie album on the day of release but it was a reasonably excited seventeen-year-old that took the vinyl from the amazing stark black and white sleeve and placed it on the family radiogram. A reasonably excited seventeen-year-old that looked at the lyrics, sat back and…

“The screen door slams, Mary’s dress waves. Like a vision she dances across the porch as the radio plays, Roy Orbison singing for the lonely.”

And so begins the (now) classic Born to Run album by Bruce Springsteen and wow!

I’m blown away - eight songs beginning with the awesome Thunder Road and ending with the epic ten minute Jungleland. The album is credited to Bruce himself but he’s just one part of a truly marvelous record. The E Street Band is fantastic with Clarence Clemons’ saxophone never sounding better. The album takes you deep into New Jersey. Blue Collar romances, gang warfare and gorgeous love songs. Oh and the brilliant title track itself. Like most people that bought this album I went back, bought his earlier albums and have been with him ever since. And it is those first three albums that now shine. Sure Springsteen continues to deliver the goods but he has never been as relevant or as cool as he was between 1973 and 1976.

The first two albums Greetings from Asbury Park NJ and The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle were both released in 1973 (in January and September respectively) and introduced the world to Bruce Springsteen and to his world of New Jersey. The songs are steeped in the street, the characters that inhibit them and the love, loss and shenanigans that went on (on) the mean streets of NJ.

From the nostalgic Growin’ Up, the glorious Lost in The Flood and story of suicide in For You on Greetings - to the love of the waitress Sandy, the lust of Rosalita and the burlesque of Wild Billy’s Circus Story on Wild, Springsteen and the E Street band blow us away.

If he were just another singer-songwriter then his love of Bob Dylan would have meant he was merely another copyist. But he added soul and funk and 50s rock and roll. And whilst Dylan was/is cynical and browbeaten Springsteen is exuberant, passionate and optimistic. There is always a way off the streets and by Born to Run he is moving away. He is on the open road, with his mates in tow on their way to fame and fortune.

Then somewhere, somewhere out in the ether a buzz developed about a kid from New Jersey. The inkies – the NME, Sounds and Melody Maker - were getting excited about this kid from New Jersey. This kid called Bruce Springsteen

But it’s that first introduction that still blows my mind. The introduction to Thunder Road, the album and Bruce. Through the funk of Tenth Avenue Freeze Out, the dangerous beauty of Meeting Across the River, the grandeur of Jungleland and of course the title track.

Even now when I hear the title track I’m back home. Messing about with my mates playing snooker in our front room. Or with my girlfriend at the time. When we were young and innocent - if not wild.

Sat on the sofa singing: “Wendy let me in I wanna be your friend I want to guard your dreams and visions”

Back then when I was seventeen and Growin’ up – no longer a Bowie Freak or a Roxy Boy - and she was sixteen and she looked up to me and I held her hand and talked about literature and music and looked into eyes. Back then, eh. Back in our small village when we talked about going to London and fulfilling our dreams. How I was going to write for the NME and she was going to be a doctor or a dentist or an accountant. But an accountant with soul. When we had so many dreams. When we had so many fucking dreams…

A few years later we were both in London. Just good friends, going our separate ways. Bruce had moved onwards and upwards.

We’d all moved on but such is the power of music that even though I’ve followed Bruce’s career, seen him live a few times and bought pretty much everything he’s released nothing has the power of Born to Run. I’ve been privileged to see hundreds of bands and bought thousands of records. Seen everybody from The Clash to Bob Marley, Tom Waits to Nina Simone yet nothing moves me quite the same as those first lines of Thunder Road when I’m transported back to the small village I grew up in with my mates and my girlfriend. Listening to the greatest record I’ve ever heard. All of us with so many dreams. So many fucking dreams…

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image descriptionCOMMENTS

Joe Mardon 8:06 pm, 8-Apr-2011

Brilliant. The album and your piece about it. Bruce was handed down to me from my dad, and no family party was, or still is, complete without Bruce. Seen the E Street Band a few times, and was lucky enough to be at the old Giants Stadium to see him in his home town. Far too many people dont get Bruce. He's the greatest, and Born to Run is his finest moment. Cheers.

2starsonmeshirt 11:33 pm, 8-Apr-2011

Spot on mate.who else could write songs about work,pregnancy,Mexican immigrants,supermarkets,his broken relationship with his father,cars,falling in and out of love,dreams,prostitution,religion,weddings,hope,movie stars the list just goes on.Not being content with being a great writer then goes and puts the mother of all rock bands together,then puts on marathon tours all over the world where his legions of fans whatever their naked tongue join in with can only be described as near a religious experience as you can probably get.He performs each show as though its his last.Even now in his 60s puts on performances that most acts can only dream about. Yes I know he's not for everyone,and thats good it wouldnt be right to find that that we all like the same thing.I just hope you get as much joy out of your favourite as I have had out of Bruce. Mister,I ain't a boy,no I'm a man And I believe in the promised land.

fatboy grim 12:09 pm, 9-Apr-2011

lovely article, ta for that.

SteveMBrit 10:58 am, 11-Apr-2011

Really nice article. My experience was similar. I'd heard the single from a tinny Japanese speaker in my mates' car and read a bit about him from the NME, MM & Sounds. The starkness of the cover helped me make the buying decision, and the first few tinkling notes of Roy Bittan's piano on 'Thunder Road' sealed the deal. Like you, over the next few weeks I went back to the record store and hunted up 'Greetings' and the 'E Street Shuffle'. Hard to believe it's over 35 years ago. Now instead of living in a provincial Manchester suburb, I live in a rural agricultural town in the southern plains of America, but all I need is to hear those first few bars and 'A screen door slams..' and I'm transported 35 years and half way around the world. Beautiful....

Stuart Roy Clarke 1:05 pm, 14-Apr-2011

My brother broke with feeding me my Mott The Hoople fascination Xmas'75 to give me this rumbling great howl from across the pond. Cue BORN TO RUN. I was 14. Not just a song, a poem to recite most days.

Realist 4:48 pm, 2-May-2011

Thunder Road. For me, it's the best song ever written.

Scott Brady 9:15 am, 19-Jun-2011

Saw the band at Edinburgh's Playhouse during 'The River' tour - best ever, by a long, long way. These guys actually cared about entertainment, and you knew that they had lived through what they were playing.

BigRed1 9:29 am, 19-Jun-2011

Can't believe Clem has gone. What a player, what a showman... Its a very sad day for all lovers of great music and great performers. Makes me feel priviliged knowing I heard and saw him at his very best. RIP Big Man

David Slater 9:39 am, 19-Jun-2011

My first year at Uni, away from a small country town, I heard about this New Jersey guy, who was a great singer, had never heard a song but went along with a group to his first out door concert in Melbourne, Asutralia. They played for 4 or 5 hours and stopped only because the last trains were waiting to leave. One of the best memories I have as a teenager was Clarence on one end of the stage glistening in sweat going up and down playing his sax with Bruce on the other side doing the same. It was my first rock concert and I have been a Springsteen fan ever since. May he rest in peace, his memory will live on.

Shelley 10:59 am, 19-Jun-2011

Brilliant piece. Thunder Road....ahhh

FrankFisher 11:54 am, 19-Jun-2011

Went to see a great local band last night - RoughTwist - featuring two guys on sax and a blistering hard rock sound. I must have been watching as he died. They wouldn't be there if it wasn't for Clarence and Bruce. Hell, I'm not even sure I would be. I think Thunder road saved my teenage life too. The last time I saw the E Street Band CC didnt' look well, was hobbling round the stage, but still hammered the music out. Thanks CC.

Foz 4:40 pm, 19-Jun-2011

Best Xmas song ever is Santa Claus Is Coming to Town by Brucie and the ESB, a live recording with an awesome sax solo from Clarence. I'm not the biggest fan of The Boss, but this is the business. Cheers Clarence, RIP big man.

mike jeffery 4:49 pm, 19-Jun-2011

i was lucky enough to be there from greetings, and been all over the place to see them what a trip it has been , we lost danny and now the big man what a very sad day, it will never be the same , r.i.p big man

luiginter 5:09 pm, 22-Jun-2011

great words. I subscribe all of them!. Born to run best album ever; Jungleland best Clarence performance. RIP Big Man

Niall 3:11 pm, 24-Jun-2011

This week has been odd. I've been sitting in work in a good mood most days and then am suddenly moved to check the Springsteen website to see if any updates (ie Springsteen's obituary) have been made, instantly resetting my mood to depressed. Reading this brilliantly written piece has done exactly that again. Warm heart with a tear in my eye. I think the mark of a Springsteen fan is being able to sing Thunder Road acapella without breaking stride. No mean feat but a favourite pasttime. I don't know if he can carry on the band now and being honest I don't know if I'd want him to. "All I know is I woke up this morning and something big was gone". Sadness.

Darren 10:13 pm, 26-Jun-2011

I find Springsteen's work with the E Street Band incredibly bland to be honest. I've recently listened to, and been pretty impressed by, some of his more 'stripped down' albums eg Nebraska and Tom Joad, but I think all the E Street gubbins ruins what could be decent songs.

Lee Mahady 1:50 pm, 23-Sep-2011

The Boss is and always will be the greatest musician of all time. Born To Run is the greatest album of all time and I can say I had the privilege of hearing the late great Clarence Clemons blast out that legendary Jungleland solo in Dublin. couldn't believe the first and only time I've had the privilege of seeing The Boss live I got to bear witness to all of the greatest songs. even got to hear American Skin, which I couldn't believe. The Boss is the greatest. thats it

Matthew Hyde 2:36 pm, 23-Sep-2011

Fantastic article, and you're spot on about Thunder Road (which I've blogged about at http://tinyurl.com/3pkcehw ) - it's a gorgeous song and every time I hear it, it reminds me of old dreams...

Owen Blackhurst 8:21 pm, 23-Sep-2011

As a kid, Springsteen to me meant standing out of my Dad's sunroof with Born In The Usa blasting, me and our kid still know all of the words to Darlington County.... over the last few years I've dipped in and out, loved Devils and Dust but he's always been an odd song artist to me. I've listened to this album about 8 times today, which is testament to the writing. Enjoyed both immensely

sandy 4:46 pm, 10-Apr-2013

Very nice article, cheers bud!

Hannah Burgers and Bruce 3:57 pm, 23-Sep-2013

Ahhh yes. Born To Run was the album that got me into Springsteen, having been introduced to it by my dad. The more I play it, the better it gets! www.burgersandbruce.com

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