Born To Run

bruce sings like he has marbles in his mouth. this sucks. the piano sucks. lame. saxophone is lame. rock and roll for geriatrics

“The screen door slams/Mary’s dress waves” This will always be a magic album for me. The way everything builds to the climax of Born to Run and then the denouement that follows is perfectly sequenced and a testament to Springsteen’s talent as a storyteller. It’s hard to pick a favourite, but this time around, “Backstreets” was the one that grabbed me the most.

Anyone who does not vote 5 stars on this masterpiece is a Communist and needs to be dealt with accordingly.

Where to begin..... I'm not insightful or smart enough to explain the deeper meanings of the album and why it resonates. My best attempt is to say that it manages to convey most, if not all, of the elements that get buzz my mind: the difficult marriage between hope & despair, the desire to belong to something and finding beauty in the ordinary. Favourite track: Jungleland

More expansive and cinematic than I was expecting, and I'm pretty familiar with the singles off this album. The saxophone is arguably the lead instrument here, and there are some jazzy moments where it and the keyboardist can really shine. Bruce's lyrics are excellent and invoke a "working class" urgency: inspirational-via-the-gallows, a bleak sort of joy.

Overall good -- Kinda sexy, but a little annoying. Like me :)

Always been pretty indifferent about Springsteen. Never hated his music nor really got into his stuff either. I'd heard the hits from this album, but the stand out tracks for me were "Meeting Across the River" and "Jungleland." I feel like The Boss and the E-Street band aren't really exploring any new musical ideas composition wise, other than some bomb-ass sax. Its Springsteen's writing and storytelling that has made him such an American staple, and I felt those two tracks really let his writing shine. Being aligned so strongly with 'MURICA is kind of what kept me from getting into him, but his songs are very much proletariat anthems. I guess that's what you get for saying USA a bunch of times in a song. Overall a pretty enjoyable listen, but there's nothing calling me back.

I love this album's big sound. It's simply one of the most passionate albums I've ever heard. I would say it was raw passion except that you can tell the album was very carefully crafted - channeling that passion into a thing of beauty - striking a near perfect balance. Springsteen displays more authentic passion on this album than many artists seem to be able to muster in their entire careers. I have tried, but can't seem to get into, Springsteen's first two albums, and I think alot of it has to do with the lyrics. On this album, while going for a bigger sound musically, he chose to go in a more refined direction lyrically, foregoing his more cryptic Dylanesque approach of the first two albums for something more direct and heartfelt than intellectual, and it makes all the difference. Though you definitely can hear the Dylan influence throughout, especially in songs like Jungleland, I think this is where Springsteen really comes into his own and becomes "The Boss." This is one for the ages. Coincidentally, I just listened to this on vinyl the other day with the family. It's in pretty regular rotation in our house and everyone enjoys it.

Sounded like Meatloaf. Not as good.

A lot of people, whose opinions I respect, love Bruce Springsteen in general and this album in particular. It really resonates for them, but it doesn't for me. I understand that it is meaningful and moving etc, but it leaves me a little 'meh'. I think it is, for me, a bit overworked, production wise. Springsteen is successful in his emulation of Phil Spector, but you can hear how hard they worked at it (and they did work hard). Maybe I need more grit and spontaneity for it to ring true as convincing rock and roll? I need a bit more. I listened through, but, honestly, it washes over me every time and I am unmoved. The saxophone solo at the end of Jungleland is highly regarded by many, but it is just so cheesy! I get that people need cheese. People want music that wears its heart on its sleeve, full of big emotions that they can relate to. There are plenty of records like that that I truly love. But the key to unlocking that love is that you to make a personal connection to the music, and I don't have that with Springsteen. It doesn't have a place in my personal history, despite Born the USA being massive when I was a teenager. I've never been an unemployed steel worker in a dead-end town, ground down by the American dream, looking for a way out of my hometown in a fast car and my girl by my side, the romance of escape, etc etc. And neither has Bruce. As he himself admits, "I'm Mr Born To Run. I currently live ten minutes from my home town." (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1xDzgob1JI) He is singing his _father's_ life, and does so powerfully. Watching his Broadway show on Netflix suggests that he is highly aware of the irony of who he is and what he does, and approaches those contradictions thoughtfully and sensitively. And his fan base certainly feel the honesty in his performance. But _I_ feel like I am buying into some form of rock snob working-class roleplay when I listen to Springsteen. _I_ feel inauthentic when I listen to it. I don't know why I don't connect with it, I just don't. That's probably more on me than him. That said, you can always trust a man with a Telecaster.

Gotta hand it to the boss for being cool. This is a fun album but it does seem a bit long even at 40min, just cause every song is almost identical. It's a good song though. 3/5.

The obvious, boring choice for my favorite album of his, but I can’t lie to myself. I don’t want to say it’s not close, because I do love Darkness and Wild Innocent, but I simply don’t have a remotely negative thing to say about Born to Run. I think it’s a perfect album. 5 of its 8 songs are some of my favorite Springsteen songs ever, and the other 3 are no slouches, either. Front to back, it is a masterclass of killer songwriting, and exuberant performances. And, I think similarly to the album before it, a bit of a singular work in Bruce’s catalog. You’ve basically got the classic E Street lineup in place now (Stevie Van Zandt isn’t fully in the fold yet, but he contributes a couple vocal parts and helps with the horn arrangement on “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out”), but it kind of exists in this world halfway in between the straightforward heartland rock that they’ll become known for and the jazzier arrangements of the first two albums, and Bruce’s songwriting exists in that in between as well. And for me, that’s the ultimate sweet spot. I love Bruce, and I love what he was tapping into on his first couple of records, and I love a lot of what he’s done over the last 45 years, but Born to Run is quite easily the pinnacle for me. He was so hungry to succeed; he is the quintessential “I don’t have any other options” kind of musician, he had to make sure this worked out for him, and you hear that hunger in every single song. I don’t think his voice has ever sounded more passionate than it does on Born to Run. That voice really drives every song; regardless of what tempo these songs are, they always feel like they’re propulsing forward. There’s such an incredible movement to this record. And as desperate as you can tell he is, he still takes the time to basically write a love letter to the music that speaks to him the most. You can hear shades of Orbison in his voice, you get the Bo Diddley and Buddy Holly influences in “She’s the One”, the Stax-style horns on “Tenth-Avenue Freeze Out”, obviously the shades of Dylan and Van Morrison in the lyrics. He throws it all into this blender and it still comes out sounding like nothing that came before it. I think it sounds so original, and still so fresh today. Overflowing with creativity and emotion and power. A total masterpiece in my book, an easy 5 stars, and my favorite Bruce Springsteen album. 5/5

Sometimes an artist is so fully flooded with inspiration that everything they touch turns to gold. Bob had it with Blonde on Blonde, Van with Astral Weeks, the Boss has it here.

Very chill, good bboomer vibes, listen to again

- Thunder Road - greatest song of all time by a considerable distance - Tenth Avenue Freeze Out - an absolute bop - Night - one of the more forgettable tracks but would be the standout on most other records on this list - Backstreets - Up there with Thunder Road and Born To Run. 3rd best track on the album. Bruce at his very best. Born To Run - Lovely stuff She's The One - was never that arsed about this before but it's fucking class Meeting Across The River - skippable Jungleland - The bollocks

I definitely get why it’s popular, but it honestly just doesn’t I much for me.

Not a big Springsteen fan, but I remember when this came out. I checked it out from the library and listened on repeat--especially the first side. Thunder Road is genius even if it does have that awful line "you ain't a beauty but hey you're alright." You gotta give it to anyone who inspires a cocktail, in this case Screen Door Slam, a bourbon-based aperol concoction.

Is it possible to both acknowledge something as a classic and also not like it? The big production sound and overwrought singing are not for me. I generally I prefer my rock n roll with too much guitar and not enough piano but this LP is very much the other way around. And whoever is playing piano should have been asked to record all of their tracks with a closed fist. Their constant arpeggios are distracting and irritating. Feels like this record might have inspired Meatloaf's sound. Born to run into the bat out of Hell. Anyway, I would rather hear Patti Smith or even Manfred Mann do this material.

Nr. 42/1001 Thunder Road 4/5 Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out 5/5 Night 4/5 Backstreets 5/5 Born to Run 5/5 She's the One 4/5 Meeting Across the River 5/5 Jungleland 5/5 Average: 4,5 Just a great rock album. Awesome song-building and use of classical instruments. This is now my best rated album and my first five star album taking over from 2112 - Rush (4,25)

Never been a big follower of the boss, and I’m shocked never to have listened to this album end to end. He’s got a lot to say and does it well. Extremely good album across all tracks. Gonna buy this one on vinyl.

Where's the option for 6 stars?

Sounds like America

The Boss- his breakthrough commercially with this one. Once I get over the cheesy'ness of the saxophone (*note- not this album's fault, the saxophone just got done to death in the 80's) and the "Meat Loaf" similarities (I don't like Meat Loaf) this is a fine album, a lot of it didn't grab me but I've never been a steel worker and I've never chased the American dream . But I am giving the Boss an extra point for being a massive Trump hater.

I really can’t get over his voice which is wild cause it’s never this big an issue for me. Dude sounds like he’s taking the hardest shit of his life like 80% of the time. Otherwise the band and lyrics are solid (2.5/5)

So saxy I mistook it for Meatloaf.

He isn't bad but to me was never the icon everyone considered him. A reliable rocker but never really had that swing. Could probably have profited from listening to Mink DeVille back in the day.

The definitive mom and dad rock album of my early childhood. Those margaritaville guitar+piano riffs and blerguevuederbadoo vocals bring back so many memories. I can practically smell the old carpet. But I recently learned that The Boss is Tom Morello's rock n roll hero, so I'll try to listen to the album in its pure context. 1975. Watergate. Vietnam. Khmer Rouge. Thatcher. Jahova's Witness Armageddon. Turns out Springsteen was a counter-culture revolutionary? These lyrics are deep, almost like beat-scene poetry. Anti-war, anti-capital. Backstreets is about a secret gay teen love affair? Did our parents catch all this, or did they just hear big jams and Elvis-adjacent jibber-singing? I'm into it.

Bruce’s most epic album. Comic book imagery fused with potent 60s rock n roll operatics. A bi-curious vampire bit this album and it turned into Meat Loaf’s Bat Out of Hell a couple years later.

Alright, here we have the first album from The Boss to achieve mainstream success. I gather that it was a rather lengthy process to perfect his sound during the recording sessions. Hell, six months were spent working on just the title track. Suffice it to say, all that hard work paid off in dividends. Born to Run contains some high-caliber piano-driven rock tunes, where Bruce was able to capture the essence of working class people trying to find their escape. Credit is due to him and the E Street Band for crafting and producing some true bangers on this album, and not just the singles. Even deep cuts like “Backstreets”, “She’s the One” and the 9-minute closer “Jungleland” prove to be exceptionally constructed with a sound that’s timeless. If you haven’t already, give Born to Run a chance. I get not everyone’s fond of Springsteen’s music, but if there was at least one that deserves its place on this list, it would be this one.

Although, at times, Springsteen flirts with histrionic and melodramatic motifs in his music via a maximalist sound which risks drowning out any subtlety and poetry in the lyrics (and there is poetry here, but it's almost as if the smart kid in class has to hide it for fear of being laughed at) this is an American classic, chrome wheeled and fuel injected by a great band of talented musicians and Bruce's musings on growing up poor and hard in the city. The Great American Novel in musical form, Springsteen conjures up romantic images of highways, motorbikes, picking up your sweetheart to a Wall of Sound in homage to The Ronette's Be My Baby and the Shangri La's Leader of the Pack ('Look out! Look out! Look out! Look out!').

🖤 Favourite Song: Thunder Road 🖤

Quite simply one of the greatest albums of all-time with some of Springsteen's most evocative lyrics. Best track: Thunder Road

Show a little faith there's magic in the night You ain't a beauty but hey you're alright Oh and that's alright with me. What a classic

If America dissolved as a country, playing a Bruce Springsteen album for people of the next empire would be a good way to show them what normal America was like in 1973. Nothing special but very special all at once. Like your mom’s meatloaf, everyone thinks you’re crazy for saying it’s amazing but it just hits the spot.

Classic album. Good album.

banger

Bruce Springsteen is a bit like Bob Dylan for me, in that I think other artists’ covers of his songs are sometimes better than the originals. Specifically, on this record, Thunder Road. There’s a fantastic cover by Tortoise and Bonnie “Prince” Billy from their 2006 covers record, The Brave and the Bold. It takes the original, slows it down and adds a sense of haunting menace that I think suits the lyrics a bit better than the jittery, uptempo original found here. I’m from New Jersey, so I am well aware of how heretical it is to even think that, never mind express it “in public”, but it is a really, really great cover. It takes the song in a new direction while remaining true to the original. By giving the song a little space to breathe, the impact of the lyrics is a little greater and the outro of the song in that version, just…wow. It’s one of my favorite covers ever and I recommend you check it out when you’re done with this record. (Since it appears to only be available on YouTube, here’s the link: https://youtu.be/c5Yyo4zGKiA?si=4QEAEVYVDSLtJRZw ) I know this is “the” Bruce album for most people and it’s really great, but as I’ve gone through this list, I’ve found “Darkness at the Edge of Town” and “Nebraska” to be his most enjoyable and would consider them to be high-water marks.

ROOOLL DOWN THE WINDOW AND LET THE WIND BLOW BACK YOUR HAIIRRRR THE NIGHTS BUSTING OPEN THESE TWO LANES WILL TAKE US AAAANYWHEEERE WE GOT ONE LAST CHANCE TO MAKE IT REAL, TO TRADE IN THESE WINGS ON SOME WHEELLLSS

I wondered when we'd get this album, so the wait is over. I've never been a huge Springsteen fan (of his music, that is, as I really respect his career and perspectives), but it's hard to ignore how iconic this album has been for him. It's also remarkable how familiar so many songs on this album are--I think the only ones I didn't recognize were "Backstreets" and "Meeting across the river" (although the familiar-sounding-ness could also be because he doesn't have the biggest range). It's also interesting to read that Springsteen agonized over the production of this album, requiring many many (many) takes to get everything to sound just right, given that he's a notorious lyric mumbler and it appears *nobody* really knows whether Mary's dress sways or waves.... I kind of wish I didn't have 4 more Springsteen ahead of me in this collection, but it's hard to fault the inclusion of this one.

The lyrics are okay, and yeah, he's got good rocky energy.

I do think Bruce Springsteen is a pretty decent songwriter. He captures the sort of restless angst of living in a small town. His characters and approach to stories in his songs reminds of like a juvenile Raymond Carver. The actual music is quite over produced though. It would be better off toning down the Phil Spector wall of sound approach and taking out a few instruments. Also his voice is quite garbled and makes understanding his lyrics much harder

I like this one. Wasn't amazing to me but I get it for sure. 3 stars

6/10 1st up, I hate sax. 2nd, the songs are so earnest, so pained, so overwrought. It's exhausting. At times they are like they are from a musical, where everything has to accommodate the lyrics, and be damned the tune and the song structure. But it is obviously still a great album, with some brilliant songs.

I don't hate the Boss. He usually has a few stone classics his albums, but I can't really think of him in terms of "albums", only songs I dearly love. And this has a few. With the stone classics, you get a real sense of rock n roll without bullshit, and lyrics that are among the best ever laid down. With the rest, you get a real sense of bullshit rock n roll, with lyrics Bon Jovi could have shit out. In all cases, the album cuts are poor stand-ins for the live performances. Even the shitty ones become epic. This begs the question: why not just put out live albums. The Live at the Hammersmith 75 set is a much better representation of this songs. That reading of "Thunder Road" almost makes the rest of the show unnecessary--unit the rest of the show, of course. Bruce does look hunky cute on the cover though.

Solid album with the title track being a standout. Very anthemic at points with moments of gentle introspection. Springsteen is a master of championing the ‘everyday’ man. An enjoyable listen.

I’m supposed to like The Boss. I do not like The Boss.

Think this is my 3rd Springsteen album and i feel like i confidently say i dont care for his music

There is some tunefulness but the vocals are like a roaring punch of constipation and when they cease, the sax comes in and sounds even more like it needs a shite. I don't get it.

there is a reason that there are only about 5 bruce songs that everyone knows - its because the rest of them are shit.

extremely goated. so good

Legendary. One of those unmitigated classics that lives up to its billing. Every song is special. It’s not my favorite Bruce album, but it’d still be impossible to improve upon. “Jungletown” alone would make this a 5. It’s a soaring rock achievement.

Absolute classic, cannot recommend it enough. Lush sounding, with drive and stunning lyrics. A meticulously crafted masterpiece.

Perfect record. I mean come on.

I had a great time with this album, 39 minutes went by in no time and showed me to a bunch of new songs by an artist I’ve been meaning to listen to more of. 5 Stars 3rd of January day but listened to fully on the 4th of January

I already know this easy 5 stars classic album It was top class

He could have never put out another album and coasted on "greatest hits" tours based solely on this one for the rest of his career. Isn't it a wonderful world that that's not what happened?

It's Bruce. Classic, 1975 Bruce. Bruce and the E Street Shuffle making music together - with their backs against the wall trying to find the magic after their first two albums didn't quite reach the expected level of success. Musicians in the band were changed out. Struggles with the label. And then Born to Run is created and starts to take off.

mi segundo fav de bruce, pero objetivamente lo mejor de su carrera

yoooooo ive never heard this one 6000 times before

Great album

Easily one of the best albums of the decad

This was one of the first albums I’ve listened to, and it took a while to grow on me at first, but it's risen to be one of my favorite albums of all time. I think most of this comes down to the production style: by emulating Phil Spector's whole "Wall of Sound thing, it really differentiates this album from a lot of similar works. During this listen especially, I really realized how orchestral it makes it sound, like a symphony almost. I heard at one point that Springsteen wanted this album to sound like "Roy Orbison singing Bob Dylan lyrics, with Phil Spector producing". While his lyrics aren't quite as good as Dylan's, and his singing is certainly not near the level of Orbison, I think that this production exceeds Spector's in a lot of ways. I'd even go as far to say that this is one of the best-produced albums of all time, although I'm not sure how much of that is just due to how good the E-Street Band is. In terms of songwriting, I like the contrast between the more energetic and fun songs like Thunder Road and Born to Run with the slower, more epic ones like Backstreets and Jungleland. This listen, I also really appreciated Meeting Across the River more than usual, but a lot of that has to do with the trumpeter on that track. Favorite Track: Jungleland

It still sounds huge, and every song except Across the River is great. Five fucking stars.

Specter’s Wall of Sound meets Orbison’s voice meets Dylan’s lyricism— all a little bit hyperbolic but still a great capsule summary for this RnR masterpiece.

4.5 stars This is probably a 5 star album based on its historical significance and relevance at the time that it came out. There are just other albums that I prefer more in the Springsteen discography. Not his best work, lyrically, but sonically, it's fantastic.

Still not my favourite Bruce album, but damn it is so good. I think Thunder Road/Jungleland is probably my favourite album opener/combo of all time. Every song is a classic on here.

Classic Springsteen stuff, but also some excellent harmonies and background work on slower songs. I was surprised.

This is one of my favorite albums ever, and mostly because while there are a lot of great songs, it’s an almost perfect example of what an LP album should be - both record sides’ sequence, dynamics and story arc fit with the physical experience and limitations of a vinyl record. Not to mention Thunder Road being this amazing crescendoing pop song that does so without even verses or a chorus and it seems to do so effortlessly. I could go on - just the turns of phrase used, the imagery, the concept and delivery is so beautifully executed.

One of my favourite Springsteen albums. Ballads, straight rock, epics…what’s not to love. Have this one in my collection.

Oh, a porch and a glass of contemplative whiskey. A cigar, perhaps. Your wife sitting beside you, both of you in your late forties. The land is flat, the sun is setting in oranges and pinks and you are happy. 10/10 - Never expected to enjoy Springsteen to this degree, but maybe that's my youth speaking. Will listen again.

A classic

Quintessential Springsteen. Don’t think I’ve ever listened to the album straight through and it was definitely worth it. Thunder Road and Jungleland made me look up piano tutorials to see if I could tackle them. Probably not.

one of the best of all time

that's what i'm talking about that's why he's the mvp that's why he's the goat Favorite track: Thunder Road/Jungleland

In my early twenties I went out one summer night to a semi-popular bar in Hampton Bays. Bar was packed, jumping, with a live band. Moments into being there, they went into “Tenth Avenue Freeze Out.” This moment stays with me thirty years later because it epitomizes some of what makes The Boss and his Band so timeless: they created a party you are always invited to. Anyway, the iconic status of Springsteen and this album doesn’t need defending. It’s musical storytelling, maybe the best there is, but the brilliance of it is that the music itself always matches the mood. It’s like rock Broadway without the need for a stage. This album, the peak of his artistic power, is one of the best albums ever made.

This album is a gem. A museum piece of Americana. Stories of youth, love, desperation and hope. Superb musicianship and storytelling, this should be in your top 100.

I watched Springsteen at the old Wembley Stadium on Saturday 6th July 1985. No support group, they played both halves, about 4 hours, I was pretty impressed at the value for money. I have listened to this album so many time over the decades, its always been a favourite. Each track stands alone, combined is just beautiful. My favourite tracks, Thunder Road, Meeting Across the River, and the last track Jungleland, all are story telling in themselves. Will often just play the last two tracks. This is in my top ten tracks of all time. GW

Springsteen has earned his place in the rock pantheon. Born to run will day in your ears for days, Jungleland will burrow into your soul... can you make it through the whole song without tears? Then, you're stronger than me.

Bruuuuuuuuuuce 👍

yes

The Boss. G D right.

The Boss! Great album!

Peak Bruce. Magnificent

Sure

A classic, funky and sometimes jazzy album. Love it, can turn it on anytime.

So fresh. The lyrics, the songs, the performances. Shout out to Jungleland for being awesome.

Bara titelspåret gör det till en klassiker. Ståpäls varje gång. På topp tio listan över låtar i historien. Men det finns många fler fina spår. Femma

Like this review to instantly be transported to the Jersey Shore

This album doesn't grip me as much as Born in the USA, but the saxophone and piano on here are so crisp and the storytelling is so on point. I haven't appreciated this album enough before. Really good shit.

10/10

Another classic Springsteen album. The arena-rockers are all here, but there's really something to be said for songs like Meeting Across the River. Hard for me to add anything else; this is a rock classic in my household.

Absolute peak

Amazing, such good piano

Always in the conversation for Bruce’s best. Total classic

Back when there were musicians and song writers.

In my top 25 best albums of all time!

Not much to say about this one. What an accomplishment

An all time great album. Sounds as good today as when the heard it for the very first time 50 years ago. There is emotion throughout. The sax is killer. Hard to believe he created this when he was only 25. Every song contributes to the final masterpiece that it is.

Simply a masterpiece. Not my personal favorite Springsteen album but an amazing piece of art. The sound the achieved here is absolutely humongous and it’s often hard for me to tell which instrument is doing which part. Thunder road, tenth avenue freeze out, jungle land, backstreets, and born to run on the same album? My God. Easy 5.

Nostalgia is probably playing a factor here as Bruce and this album in particular were played a lot in my house growing up but this was the first time for me actually sitting down and listening to it all the way through.