Born In The U.S.A.

This is the 4th Springsteen album I have gotten out of 70, 2nd this week. After listening to the album I ate at a McDonalds, read a Ronald Reagan biography and punch a commie in the dick. MERICA!

Never have I so thoroughly enjoyed a guy who sounds eternally constipated essentially screaming about how much life sucks. And that'll probably never happen again.

nice, and for every idiot that reads this, born in the usa is not a mindless patriotic song. "Cover me" surprisingly nice song

Springsteen has better albums than Born in the USA, but I don't know if he has a better collection of songs. What it might lack in cohesiveness or consistent tone, it more than makes up for in the fact that every single track is a classic. You could pick which songs would be the singles just by throwing darts at the tracklist. There is no filler, no song that you want to skip, just 45 straight minutes of beautiful music.

This wins the "Better than Eric Clapton" award.

Boring as fuck

I had more respect for Bruce before listening to this. He's an okay songwriter and an awful musician. This sounds like music that was made for children.

Why are you yelling? You’re hurting my ears. His voice is not appealing. He’s flat all the time. All his melodies sound the same.

You know, I've listened to this album many times, and I'm struck today by the fact that this is possibly the most upbeat-downbeat album I've ever heard. Yeah, the anthems are there, they're full of energy and they still feel great to listen to. But dig in and listen, this is some dark stuff. It's more polished and has more of a pop sensibility than The River or Nebraska, but it takes you on the same kind of downbound journey. There's humor, pathos, slow burning passion, oppressive sadness, joy, regret. Somehow it all lives together here in this perfect little package. That's an incredibly rare thing and Springsteen makes it all seem so effortless. I was 13 years old when this album came out, so I couldn't relate to a lot of these songs at the time. Almost 40 years on, Springsteen is now one of my absolute favorite artists. I listen to him every day, and the depth of this album grows for me every time I hear it. Fave Songs (All songs, from most to least favorite): I'm on Fire, I'm Goin' Down, Born in the USA, Dancing in the Dark, Downbound Train, Darlington County, Cover Me, Working on the Highway, No Surrender, Glory Days, My Hometown, Bobby Jean. It's actually hard to rank these. I have clear favorites in my mind, but as each song comes up, I change my mind and have a new favorite. This is that kind of album.

i know this album is iconic or whatever but it didn't make a huge impact on me. the lyrics painted a sad story about a crumbling America that had failed its people, which like, i can definitely get on board with, but the actual music just didn't really hit me beyond the surface level. i think i liked born to run more. favorites: born in the USA, cover me, dancing in the dark

Introspective and passionate yet accessible and polished. Bruce Springsteen is an intelligent artist!

Ultimate dad rock with a small dose of cirngey good ol' boy lyricism. Good tunes though, nothing great, but good.

I do love the almost bitter and wounded anthems and pedestrian portrayals of moving on despite everyday burdens and finding solace and joy in music. My hometown is heartbreakingly beautiful. I love when he says things like “there was nothin you could do” it’s a real concession to the sense of being lost and beaten down that is hard to see expressed in music now unless it is an almost comic portrayal of self obsessed misery.

So I’d previously had a bias toward Born to Run between the two, but listening to this again reminded me of how many great hits & what a consistent feel this one has. Really good

Interestingly the worst part of this are the hit singles.

I gave the other Springsteen's 1. So I guess this is my favourite Springsteen album

I truly disliked this. There is no musicality and it’s basically him yelling throughout most of the album.

Great album, Bruce is able to pull off just about anything. Fast paced upbeat songs as well as slower, sad pieces, it always sounds like he was born to do exactly this. A album which contains half of his greatest hits has to be a 5 star rsting

Another fantastic album. every song is a great track that can be appreciated for either its uplifting backing track or it's hidden lyrical depth. This is just a really good album. 4.8/5 stars.

I'm from Jersey, so I'm legally obligated to give this a 5. (Kidding.) Aside from the somewhat cheesy, dated production, this is a great batch of songs. Tracks like "No Surrender" and "Dancing In the Dark" are classics, and even got me singing along. Favorite tracks: "No Surrender", "Bobby Jean", "Glory Days"

you shouldn't be proud to be American

Nothing can touch Born to Run. But lord are there some great tracks on this one. I think this album is amazing, and yet I also think it has become over rated. Darkness on the Edge of Town and Born to Run are appropriately rated. This one, somehow as good as it is, is elevated in some circles as THE Springsteen album. It is not, but it is great. And yet it is still 5 stars.

Masterpiece. Bruce is a treasure and must be protected at all costs

Continuing to confuse Republicans for over 40 years.

Oh, boy. I can barely stomach early Springsteen. And it's all downhill once you get past Darkness On The Edge of Town. The Boss, my ass.I'll give Springsteen credit for one thing: he doesn't approach this material tentatively. The martial, strident, echoey drums and the droning plastic synths of the title cut are a perfect fit for Springsteen's shout singing. I know the lyrics are critical, but I don't care. I can't get past how vile this is. I prefer Joe Piscopo's version. At least it's funny. Things don't approve as the album goes along. Humorless, strident, lacking any subtlety or nuance whatsoever, fully buying into his own myth, Born in the USA is unbearable.

Out of all the albums we've listened to so far, this one definitely has the most recognizable radio hits, and it's easy to understand why. The production is very triumphant, even if the lyrics are critical of American life. It's probably why "Born in the USA", a Vietnam War protest song that focuses on mistreated veterans, is still played at Republican Party rallies to this day. It's a strangely enticing combination of combining sentimentality and frustration with the reality of the American Dream. Fav Tracks: My Hometown, I'm Goin' Down, No Surrender, Born in the USA, Working on the Highway Rating: 4.5/5

I feel like a 60-year-old dad and it's great. Born in the USA is a classic, but a little too worn for me. I'm on Fire was Still nice, and refreshingly relaxed. The whole album is a fucking vibe I don't know what to say. I don't think it does anything particularly special, it just does everything well. No surrender/Glory Days are probably my favorites. Not perfect, but enjoyable as all hell, will be revisiting this, 7/8.

The ultimate blue collar album. Most of Springsteen’s biggest hits are here, and a lot of good stuff in between. I’m On Fire is a big highlight, and who doesn’t know Dancing in the Dark? Not a big Bruce fan but this whole album is probably his most listenable.

Billy Joel’s country cousin, better than I thought but still not a fan

yikes!

It always frustrated me that folks lumped the title track in the same category as "God Bless The USA" and such, when it's actually an indictment. I grew up with this album, and even listening with older, wiser ears...I still find it great. The melodies and the songcraft still solid. I get that his voice and his style may not be for everyone, and the sound of it all is full-on 80s stadium rock This album gave voice to a certain disillusioned, working class, segment of the population. Unfortunately,I suspect it will be looked upon today as a segment that is not as important as others, and just needs to shut up. And that's misguided.

Classic. American. Undercurrents run deep. Surface is red white and blue.

I'm probably not going to come back to listen to this album again. It is undeniable to me though, that this is one solid rock album cover to cover. Not my preference, but I'll give Born In The USA my salute.

First time I’ve listened to it. I already knew Born in the USA and Dancing in the Dark, which I love, but I wasn’t much of a fan. Now that I’ve listened to the album, I understand why people love Bruce, it’s an amazing one!

Fucking love this album. Buzzing it popped up as I don't listen to it often. 1. Born In The USA - ironically this is the track that put me off Springsteen for so many years, assuming he was a boring dad rock patriot berk. Couldn't have been more wrong 8/10 2. Cover Me - One of his all time classics 9/10 3. Darlington County - It's very cheesey but good fun 7/10 4. Working On The Highway - As above. Chorus is v catchy 6.5/10 5. Downbound Train - A welcome change back to more classic Springsteen vibes with lyrics that paint a picture 9/10 6. I'm On Fire - Noncey lyrics, always found it a tad over-rated but it's v good 8/10 7. No Surrender - a stone cold banger 10/10 8. Bobby Jean - Best track on the album and top 5 overall, fucking love it. Especially as it's written about Steve van Zandt leaving the band <3 10/10 9. I'm Going Down - Another classic 10/10 10. Glory Days - Another in the good kind of cheesey category 8/10 11. Dancing In The Dark - Not enough guitar for me but it's incredible 9.5/10 12. My Hometown - A perfect ending 9/10

Re-listening for the generator (4 or 5 times). Pop-accessible rock at an apotheosis. Bruce and the E Street Band bat a thousand here. Down your drink whenever Clarence Clemons brings the house down. - “Born in the U.S.A.”, one of the famously misunderstood songs, blaring its chorus to obfuscate its restless subversion to the inattentive listener as the protagonist laments losing brothers at Khe Sanh and returning from hellacious Vietnam to find he’s been cast aside back home. - Bruce searches for a ride-or-die lady to back him up on “Cover Me”, followed by a sneaky favorite one-two combo in “Darlington County” and “Working on the Highway”, a little c’est la vie levity driving south down the coast before the album makes another emotional turn south. - The turn south is taken on the ode to loss “Downbound Train” and the electrically charged ode to lust “I’m on Fire” before a fiery defiance is gained on “No Surrender”, and discarded on the halfway-lamentation “Bobby Jean” discussing an old friend pulling an Irish exit. - Finally, the album points north to open the third act with an amazingly peppy look at a failing relationship and a protagonist crashing and burning when attempting to make moves on his partner, “I’m Goin’ Down”. Hey, maybe he should try that! - We’ve all got ‘em, and the E Streeters converge to describe a universal experience in “Glory Days”, jaw-jackin about the good old days. Hopefully the real glory days are yet to come; in the immortal words of Tony Soprano “‘remember when’ is the lowest form of conversation’”. - The synthesizer’s finest hour: “Dancing in the Dark”. One of my all-time favorites, the unshakeable rhythm never ceases to please, and the relentlessly relatable lyrics never fail to get a rueful yet defiant grin outta me. - We close with the meditative “My Hometown”, another set of unfortunately relatable lyrics. The author roams around his hometown, both as a son and as a father, pondering the neighborhood through trials and tribulations. (This author's hometown was permanently wounded by 90's American gov't budget cuts, from which it has settled into a slow decline. A particularly poignant closer.) Hell of an album here. Springsteen and the E Street Band take you on a joyride that feels like it’s 40/60 joy/ride relentlessly cruising down the freeway, down the boulevard, down the block; contemplating our perpetual restlessness with the windows rolled down, roaming about our territory observing a boisterously observant, seasonably warm Fourth of July. 10/10

A timeless classic.

Born in the U.S.A. is undoubtedly iconic, but it didn’t resonate with me as deeply as it has with others. The lyrics are brilliant—Springsteen paints a raw, unflinching picture of a fractured, working-class America, full of broken dreams and quiet despair. But musically, it doesn’t quite hit the same emotional depths. Compared to Born to Run, this feels more polished, more designed for radio, and a bit less cohesive as an album. There are standouts, though. I’m on Fire is hauntingly beautiful in its simplicity, while Dancing in the Dark is irresistibly catchy, synth-heavy in the best way. The title track is thunderous, packed with righteous anger, but its relentless repetition can wear thin—by the end, I’m ready to move on. The production, full of 80s synths and drum machines, feels dated now, and it sands down some of the grit that makes Springsteen’s storytelling so powerful. Tracks like Downbound Train and Working on the Highway suffer the most from this. That said, Springsteen’s ability to write songs that dig into real, often ugly truths about life is undeniable. Even if the album feels more like a collection of singles than a cohesive journey, the intelligence and passion behind it still shine through. It’s a good record, but for me, Born to Run will always be the one that truly captures Springsteen’s magic.

This one had me reliving the Glory Days, when I was Dancing In the Dark.

When Darkness on the Edge of Town was generated for me last year, I wrote about how even though I’ve lived in New Jersey for nearly 40 years of my life, I never really payed much attention to Springsteen, almost to the point of actively avoiding his music. Well, Darkness blew me away and I gained a new appreciation for Bruce, but I decided to keep that mindset sort of intact and would only listen to another Springsteen album once it got generated here. So here we are, Springsteen album #2. To say I’ve never heard this album before would be a lie, or at least a half-truth. I was born in 1981, by the time this record was released I was 3 and by the time I was four or five, I have memories of the songs from this record being played by family friends and neighbors or on the radio. It was, in 1980’s New Jersey, kind of the ultimate Fourth of July barbecue record, even if a lot of people didn’t really grasp what the title track was actually about - my five year old self obviously included. Like I said in my review of Darkness, Bruce Springsteen, in this state, is inescapable. It’s just a fact of life here. So my rating here might be tainted by a touch of nostalgia or regional bias, you can decide. Where Darkness at the Edge of Town has an aggressive and sometimes outright pessimistic tone, Springsteen seems to have dialed back those qualities a bit on Born the USA. It’s certainly more musically upbeat in a lot of places, even if lyrically Bruce remains grounded and in tune with his caustic wit. I don’t think this record reaches the heights of Darkness at the Edge of Town, though it’s clearly more polished, streamlined and accessible. I suspect that i might end up finding more enjoyment from his records where he is a little more pessimistic and aggressive with his music and lyrical approach, though there are moments of that here, like on Cover Me, which was probably my favorite of the songs that I didn’t already know/forgot about. Because of that, I’m looking forward to the day that Nebraska gets generated here.

1984? You kidding me, right? Damn, I'm old. Total hit factory for Bruce; well written music that is hard to beat for pure American Rock n' Roll! Can't miss, track 1 - 12. I'm a little Bruce'd out, but if you are not familiar - please listen!

https://youtu.be/nEXVLPcvksM

Not much dif from rap: way of life songs, reflective more than influential. Don't think anyone stepped into that life because of BS. Songs are fairly invariable--same beat, same timing. Same elements also in Snoop Dog but a different life. He's good at what he does but I was never a fan. I'm on fire stood out, but the rest was pretty much all alike.

BITUSA has two standouts for me: title song and Dancing in the Dark. Not sure what to make of the rest, apart from I'm On Fire, which isn't far behind. I've had this record for a couple of years and usually skip through the rest, repelled by the high budget Shakin' Stevens vibe (I prefer my nostalgia middle budget). It's a bit much. Listening to the rest today, they're mostly fine, but I can understand why tB prefers Nebraska.

What will become of this album, when the last few trucks become self driving?

нахуй нам не нужна ваша версия Газманова, нам своей достаточно

It was cool

The singles are enjoyable enough Downbound Train is alright too, pretty boring overall. I just think he's quite dull and really only appeals to certain types of straight laced Americans which is fine but he's not for me im afraid. Monica danced nicely though and it's nice to see Silvio get some time away from the Bada Bing.

🦅🇺🇸🦅🇺🇸🦅

Terrible. Weirdly paedophilic, racist, too story telling esque for me. Potential with riffs and voice but ruined with the subject of the songs. Very 80s and movie sound track vibes.

I'm going to start with Pete Seeger. Bruce made a Seeger tribute album in 2006 and it is fantastic, his rework of Seeger's songs is astounding considering how wooden and uninspiring Seeger's work is (see Michael Gray's entry on him in the Dylan encyclopaedia). I note that Seeger record as everything swung into Bruce's favour, his limited voice and sometimes grating hokey enthusiasm all clicked. And, importantly, he didn't write any of the tunes. I don't know what to think when it comes to Bruce. While on one level I get it, on another I find his mega popularity unfathomable. I wonder about the way mass media guides us towards pluralist ignorance, is this a 20th/21st century phenomenon? Je ne sais quoi my arse Bruce. I love Born to Run, love it to death but I was 12 in 1975 so it's part of my rites of passage soundtrack. Darkness, good record, Nebraska has some great moments and then there's this. He toured this record in 85 and I saw him at the Ent Cent and was massively underwhelmed by the whole thing. I think there are two problems; firstly he's backed by a very unimaginative bar band, they are good but they are and will always be the kind of guys who played as Chuck Berry's pick up band. Secondly, bar a few absolute gems, Bruce is not a very good songwriter. I reminded of Roy and HG's joke about David Williamson, he had six great plays in him, the problem is he wrote 20. Ditto Bruce, he had one maybe two shots in the locker, and he fired a thousand. Most of these songs are awful, and I mean awful, as follows: Born in the USA/Cover Me/Darlington/Working on the Highway/No Surrender/Bobby Jean (I mean seriously, fuck off Bruce)/I'm Going Down/ Glory Days (see Bobby Jean)/Dancing in the Dark ("I get up in the evening and I ain't got nothing to say, I go to bed feeling the same way" thanks for sharing Bruce, we're kind of tired and bored with you too) . He's lamenting boring stories of glory days when his most of career is telling the same boring stories, oy vey! Downbound Train has a good riff, and you can hear the drums, but again those lyrics...you stink Bruce. My Hometown, ah c'mon enough already with the corn, corn dog. I'm on Fire is a fine song, here he shows what he is sometimes capable of, fine words, a great atmosphere and...good grief...an interesting arrangement. This record is shithouse, really, really shithouse. It gets a point for I'm on Fire.

I can't stand Bruce Springsteen

Nope, just can't do it. I am allergic to this bloke

Bruce is bad. You know this. (Besides that one song about Atlantic City)

I just don't get the fascination with Springsteen. With the notable exception of Nebraska, it all just seems like simplistic, cheer-along-US-rawk. Lyrically more interesting than the music, this album is utterly uninteresting and cringe-worthy.

This made no impression on me whatsoever

I'm just not a fan of Bruce Springsteen.

Holy shitfuck, I hate his voice. Plus, Darlington County is just Born In The USA with different words. It's literally 2 tracks later!! Shameless. Fav new track: I'm Goin' Down as it was the most ridiculous.

Not for me

Never cared for this album, not in the redneck context nor the anti-war context.

Couldn’t get through it, but I did try

sucks.

Yeah still not a fan. Cheesy cringey vocals and lyrics. Boring instrumentation. I just can't see the appeal.

I was not in fact born in the U.S.A. Think this album was alright, except for the focus on wanting to get with young girls and asking if their dad was around...that shit was weird. Might have to get Chris Hansen on the next project. On a more serious note I think a lot of this album is for a targeted demo and I'm just not that. It does a lot of story telling about experiences that said demo would go through (idk Im guessing, again I'm not said demo). And because of that being the style and the content I'm just not going to connect with much of it. There were some Jammers though, Favourite tracks: Born in the USA, I'm Goin' Down, and Glory Days (which surprisingly had some depth to it and prlly was the track I could "understand" the best)

no me va

This album had a time and place. It’s place is no longer on my playlists or shelf. Patriotism is hard

God, what a great album. Such a great blending of pop rock. The hit singles from this album are some of the most famous rock songs, but the other songs on the album are about as good.

If those MAGA American exceptionalists only knew...

American classic

This annoying but feels good to listen to

At first, I felt like I didn’t really understand a lot of the hype around Bruce, but I finally listened to this album all the way through. It really is a masterpiece, definitely one of my top surprises from this project. Every song is enjoyable, I feel like I could just sit and listen all the way through. There’s no way it’s coincidence that it came on my list around the Fourth of July either. Five stars easily.

Classic

I think born to run was maybe better (title track is def better) and I gave that a 4 but I like this so im giving it a 5. Also, I love I'm on Fire.

Springsteen gravely voice over mostly ballads. Was a great album

Surprisingly good. Great song writing. Classic rock energy.

5/5. Bruce is the best storyteller and the songs just rock. So many iconic hits.

Amazing

Great!

5 stars! A lot of hits! Most of the non-hits more than good enough!

feel rather nostalgic about bruce springsteen, my parents love him and always played him growing, im on fire is lovely

I not really a fan of Bruce. Not really sure why. Maybe his political views or maybe some things he’s done outside of music. Not really sure. But I have never really dived into any of his albums. But I have to say this is an awesome record. From beginning to end.

9/10 Absolute stonker of an album. Near perfection of the heartfelt, good ol' boy American rock. After having Born to Run earlier this month, I didn't have high expectations, but where that album is almost musical theatre, this is proper songs keeping to the right side of overwrought, heart bursting emotion. Every song is good, a few are great. Well done Bruce.

Heard this a million times and it's one of my favorites. Some days, it's my favorite Bruce album. Some of my very favorite Springsteen songs here -- "I'm On Fire", "No Surrender", "I'm Goin' Down", "Dancing in the Dark", and what's probably the most underrated Bruce song for me, "Bobby Jean". A heartland rock classic. 5 stars.

When a red hat meant you were a real American.

Sincerely surprised by how much I enjoyed and related to this album

I posted a review and it’s not here? What happened?

Better than ever before since the jackass in chief is in a pissing war so he can bathe his face in yellow pee.

Absolute classic. I love Springsteen, and there are timeless songs on this. This marked the beginning of his transition from his "bar band era" to his "troubadour era." The results are fantastic, even if some of the songs don't resonate as much as the others.

Absolutely brilliant. Love it, and will continue to love it for all of time. Brings back so many memories for me.

This is a fucking classic! Must have in every collection!

10/10 Album cover 9/10

10

I get the sense that the real Bruce heads don’t love this one quite as much because of how overexposed it is but I could be wrong. And as a more casual fan, I love it. Just an insane track list from top to bottom. Title track is beautifully 80s, I’m on Fire is haunting, Glory Days is Glory Days. And we’ve got I’m Goin’ Down, which is probably in my top 20 favorite songs.

What a massive record. There's enough here to be a greatest hits album all by itself. Born in the USA may be the most misunderstood rock song ever. A very poppy-sounding Dancin' in the Dark covers up great lyrics. I'm on Fire burns slowly with passion. My Hometown is a sentimental retelling of the past while looking forward. There is something that everyone can love on this record. My personal favorite is No Surrender.

A masterpiece. On this album Bruce is able to put searing class and political commentary into tight and catchy pop songs. Every single song on this album is fantastic and I don’t understand how they chose which ones would be singles (I guess it makes it easier when you choose almost all of them). The title track is just a searing indictment of the US government after the Vietnam war and somehow he is able to tell full stories in under 5 minutes a track. Favorites: I’m going down, cover me, born in the usa. He was always political you morons, you just weren’t listening.

All out power American Classic Rock. Got to see him in concert last year, a legend

Masterpiece. One of the all time greats

His most commercial sounding album, and no the anthems are not what they on the surface appear, Americans sure have a strange relationship with patriotism. For all the polish and radio friendliness Bruce layered on the songs it still contains that downbeat story of hopelessness, desperation and small victories in the land of the free. Prefer how he did it on the River but still a great album. 5 Star

A solid outing by the boss. I really appreciate the old school rock and roll meets '80s production. This is peak Bruce pop writing

I realized as I was listening to this album that I don’t think I have ever listened to it as an album. I know that is sacrilege, and in my listening group, even more so. Not a bad track, and listening in order was an even better experience.