Reviews (page 10 of 15)
An unstoppable roar this one. Not my fave but the energy of a performer capturing his full voice in the studio is undeniable.
Awesome
El maldito jefe
AH oui le Boss , du plaisir !
My first thought was that this was what Bat Out of Hell was a parody of. Turns out there’s some truth to that!
Disco esencial. No hay más que decir. Darle al play dejarse llevar por el jefe y su banda. Otros discos de 1975: Down by the Jetty de Dr. Feelgood, debut de AC/DC, Physical Graffiti de Led Zeppelin, Wish you were here de Pink Floyd, That's the Way of the World de Earth, Wind and Fire, Young Americans de D. Bowie, Dressed to Kill de kiss, Rubycon de Tangerine Dream, ABBA de ABBA, Diamonds & Rust de Joan Baez, Zuma y Tonight's the Night de Neil Young, Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy de Elton John, Main Coruse de Bee Gees, KC and the Sunshine Band de KC and the Sunshine Band, Love to Love You Baby de Donna Summer, Another Green World de Brian Eno, Ommadawn de Mike Oldfield, Radio-Activity de Kraftwerk, Horses de Patti Smith, A Night at the Opera de Queen, Crisis? What Crisis? de Supertramp, el directo de Bob Marley...
The Boss! Always better with The E Street Band
Yeah, no shit it's good.
This is maybe shameful but I don’t think I listened to enough Bruce growing up to really like this a lot. I’m sorry E
Snjór úti og BTR á fóninum. Veturinn er mættur og ég fílaða. Platan er nottla meistarastykki. Einstaklega gott sound og heildarmyndin er til staðar. Bossinn er með þetta. 5.5 stjörnur.
Þvílík plata, þvílíkur gleðidagur. Allt geggjuð lög hvert á sinn hátt, frábærir textar. Klassííkerar sem eru flestir enn stór hluti af tónleikaprógrammi hans. 50 stjórastjörnur.
I’ve never been a Bruce fan but this album has the most incredible raw energy I totally get it.
Didn't enjoy it. Obviously the title track is alright but I didn't like the rest.
Overrated
Surprisingly good time! First pass didn't really do much for me but being in the right mood helps so much. This album is great! 4.5, but if I had to round, possibly down to a 4
9/10. Bruce Springsteen captures a feeling of americana in this album. Born to run is my favorite song in it, but the whole album is very complete and definitely will stand the test of time.
Entirely forgettable. The only remarkable thing, maybe, is that this was published in 1975, not 1985.
I've never been able to get into Springsteen - on some tracks I find the wall of sound a bit overwhelming, and on others I can't take the melodramatic lyrics seriously. Like others have said, I understand why people like him but he's not for me.
A classic.
Gotta admit, this is pretty fun.
Good, but a lot of the songs sound very similar.
Love that sax
bien sympa !
OK
Hell yeah
Backstreets is the stand out for me, but the tracklist is solid from front to back. The piano riff on Jungleland reminds me a lot of Tiny Dancer, but it’s still a great song. I don’t think this is Springsteen’s best but it’s definitely a classic.
..0
I like some Springsteen songs in isolation. The electric guitar and saxophone combo is wicked (see Sam Fender). But his voice is a bit grating when you get a whole album's worth in one go - like being shouted at by an old smoker
Truly one of the best ever. Just a start to finish masterpiece.
Classic. Already loved this album, a nice walk down memory lane.
Amazing. Simply amazing.
I enjoyed the upbeat nature of this album
Album 547 of 1001 Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run (1975) Rating : 5 / 5 Another great one from Bruce. I'm partial to him, so there is that. Some tracks are stronger than others but the album, as a whole, is a great listen. Vocals are strong, good guitar work, a slamming sax solo...and as always, great songwriting.
Decent album. Hard to understand his voice and lyrics.
7.5 Bruce is either talking or yelling. Nothing in between.
Who doesn't love The Boss? Great album!!
Thunder Road - 4/10 The harmonica in the beginning scared me a lil bit Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out - 4.5/10 Getting whiplash from last album. Night - 5/10 the drums are promising in the beginning. This one is more upbeat and optimistic. Backstreets - 6/10 Pianos remind of another song but idr Born to Run - 6/10 It's giving sims music. its the sparkles. She's the One - 5/10 Meeting Across the River - 6/10 ooh this one is kinda romantic. i think its the trumpet. Jungleland - 6/10 another sims song? Overall: 5.3/10
lots of good tracks, couldn't really follow the "story" due to the mumbly singing style Standout: Thunder Road
I assume the choads who don't give this a 5 like Radiohead.
Used to like Bruce until he went crazy lib
I liked this more than I expected. I’ve never really cared for what I’d heard from Springsteen but I’d also not listened to a full album. There’s some really good stuff on here. His voice is still not my favorite but it didn’t entirely hinder my enjoyment of this album.
🤮
Album starts with harmonica - straight to gaol. I just don't get the love for Bruce Springsteen at all, maybe its a generational and location thing? I don't find his music engaging - very bland rock to my ears Death to harmonicas
Exactly what I expected and probably better than that. May listen again.
Appreciate the artist. I never got into the music
The only Boss who never disappoints ;-)
Nja, låten Born to run är ju okej. Annars är det mest trist.
Day 1 Backstreets is really cool. Same goes for Thunder Road. Really dig the vibe. She’s the one is also really nice. The album ends on Jungleland. It is a good written piece. A good ending to a pretty awesome album. 3.5/5
Thunder Road kicks of this album with nostalgia and heart. The title track is one of the greatest songs ever written. Just a great album throughout.
It didn't really do much for me. It would probably take more listens to really appreciate the songs because they were so dense with story telling.
Is there a weak song on here? Maybe one - is there a brilliant track? At least four. The title track alone gets it a five.
I’m just not a Springsteen fan beyond Philadelphia. Born to run had good potential but when he started singing I was no longer into it.
This was so much better than Born in the U.S.A. to me. A lot more rock ballad and actually feels like it brings something unique to the music scene from the mid 70s. I quite liked Meeting Across the River and Tenth Avenue Freeze Out.
Listenable. Might be better with further listens. Not many songs that catch the attention. A bit dreary. Tenth-Avenue Freeze out highlight of the album
Samey and repetitive in places
Not really a Springsteen guy but this had some highs I wasn't expecting. Not bad but not amazing to me.
bupe.. buce springsteen. vasta viides albumi. sad. pitäisi olla jo toistakymmentä tässä vaiheessa huoh. tämä nyt oli tämmönen joo.. hyviä ralleja väähän heikompia rallauita.. brupe pringsteens.... uljas... uljas ori... stallioni... kyrpä kuin leijona+hirvi-hybridillä... mahtavat uljaat pallit + jämäkkä pitkä pippeli kuin punapuu keskellä ruohopeltoa... wonderfull stuff bure... joskus täytyy lopettaa hälinä ja prkl kuunnella... unohdettu miten kuunnella prkl... PRKL.... pistää saatana vihaksi nykyään... mitä varten me täällä ollaan.... telluksella tallustelemassa... ruce... ymmärtää tätä elämää vähän enemmän kuin ehk sinä ootko miettiny sitä? listen... born to run
Thunder Road played at my father-in-law's funeral and really impeded my ability to listen to this album without crying. Bruce crushes it though.
the boss, great
Not the best of Springsteen...
I hate listening to songs that mention running, streets, roads, etc when I am running My brother has been doing this, and I tried once before, but I nearly had a nervous breakdown trying to figure out my real feelings about the joshua tree, so I started over, and I decided I would do the project on days I run for longer than 30 minutes So I wake up in the morning like let's goooo and what does it serve me? Born to Run, which is wall to wall ROADS, STREETS, BACKSTREETS, BORN TO RUN BABY BUT I really liked it and I had a good time, and listening to born to run while I was running felt lame still but also cool I can't remember if I listened to this before. I think the only Bruce album I have listened to all the way through might be darkness on the edge of town.
I love the ideas here, it's musically so fun and I love the piano and saxophone in this and of course there are some all-time classic songs on this, but tbh I am not that into him. I think it's the vocals they do not really do much for me. Like I want to like him more but I do not. ah well. will continue to scream-sing along to born to run when it comes up on my driving playlist and ignore most of the rest of this album
Great poetry and a perfect blend of excitement, emotion, and chill. I feel that amusement park in his memories, I feel that longing for the road, I feel that need for freedom. You can’t fake these things.
Almost all of the songs sound a lot like "Born to Run" so I was going to dock this some points, but then I realized I really like "Born to Run" so I'm not mad about that.
Good
I like the vibe of the music, but I don’t care for Springsteen’s vocals so much. They’re not bad, per-say, but nothing that’s gonna stick in my head. No skips, but nothing I’d return to either. All the songs sound the same, and exactly like I’d imagine a parody of Bruce Springsteen would sound too. A filler album. 3/5
I mean... its springsteen. Not really my bag, but I can see why people love it.
Rather listen to meatloaf
I feel like I *should* like Springsteen but I don't, really. 2.375
Begeistert mich nicht.
An album so good and so definitive that Bruce has been ping-ponging back and forth between trying never to make a second Born to Run and always trying to make a second Born to Run. Pretty good problem to have, tbh.
There's gotta be a German word for the rush of excitement the opening riff of "Born to Run" makes you feel, right?
Nice. Not my fave album of all time, but I enjoyed it.
it's ok
3.2 decent, no more
Every song sounds like I’m in a romcom and he just came running back to meet me on the train platform right before I leave to tell me he can’t live without me and I fall into his arms and now we’re making out and it’s fading to black and the credits are rolling…
Bad
3 estrelas
It was OK, seems the cords and saxophone arrangements became synonymous with his Christmas hit but the hardworking but broke machismo is a little dated.
Not for me.
If only he could sing decently, I would've given it a solid 4. Instrumentally it's so good, be it the beautiful piano throughout, the bittersweet guitar riffs or jazzy and soulful horns and saxophones. There is classic rock and roll energy as well as tender moments.The sax solo in Jungleland is such an emotional ride.(And the album should've ended with that. But the song stretches on to end with his typical croaking). Lyrics are great too. But his vocals and lack of melody in his singing are a big downer for me.And I'm not a purist when it comes to voice. I love Bob Dylan and Kurt Cobain. But they sound self aware. Springsteen's voice just doesn't strike the same chord. Is it an acquired taste? Will it grow on me? Album cover is so cool though. Favorites: Thunder road, Backstreets, Born to Run, She's the one,
Classic Rock n Roll
Damn, have we heard a lot of this a thousand times? Would hold up a thousand times again. If you're sick of the title track, the rest of the album will pleasantly remind you why you liked it so much in the first place.
Still great. Listening to the full album for first time in years, I was surprised by the strength of piano throughout the album. One often thinks of Springteen as guitar and horns.
Deliciously short and so very Bruce!
This album is brilliant. The only blemish, for me, is "Meeting Across The River." It just doesn't capture the magic that every other song on the album does. From the sprawling "Jungleland" to the Bo Diddly "She's The One" to all the classics. Springsteen was on fire — lots of joy, lots of muscle, great story songs, killer performances. The E-Street Band is as fired up as he is.
I'm never going to be a Bruce fan, but you gotta give credit where it's due: The man brought the goods on this album. The title track is a masterclass in writing—not even how to write a song, but how to use action verbs to make a story sing. This isn't a 5 for me only because the rest of the album doesn't speak to me personally. Also, there were a couple of tunes where I felt like the arrangements overwhelmed the material. Shoutout to Clarence Clemmons, though. His playing throughout was tremendous but it was especially epic on Jungleland.
It’s hard to listen fresh when an album is so iconic and seared in your brain. I started out really disliking Bruce Springsteen. Raised in podunk South Jersey where everyone loved Bruce, I took any action to rage against the status quo. When I hit college that changed. When I heard Andre sing Bruce I was able to appreciate the brilliance again.
Brilliant stuff
Ok
Not my type of music. Couldn’t finish it
Strong voice, well produced. Still don't like it. 2,3.
### **"Born to Run" by Bruce Springsteen: An In-Depth Review** "Born to Run," Bruce Springsteen's third studio album, released in August 1975, represents a pivotal moment in the artist's career. It propelled him from being a critically acclaimed but commercially modest singer-songwriter into a full-fledged rock icon. The album's combination of ambitious lyricism, layered production, and thematic depth helped to shape the trajectory of rock music in the late 1970s. In this review, we'll explore the album's key components, including its lyrics, music, production, themes, and overall influence on the genre. --- ### **Lyrics** The lyrics on "Born to Run" are among the most celebrated in rock history. Springsteen, often referred to as "The Boss," captures the spirit of youthful yearning, rebellion, and the quest for freedom with poetic eloquence. The album is filled with vivid, cinematic imagery that brings to life the struggles and dreams of working-class America. 1. **"Thunder Road"** opens the album with the line, "The screen door slams, Mary's dress waves," immediately creating a sense of place and character. Springsteen's use of vernacular language makes the listener feel like a participant in a narrative rather than a distant observer. The lyrics tell a story of escape, of two people desperate to break free from the constraints of their small-town lives, filled with romantic yearning and a sense of urgency. 2. **"Born to Run,"** the title track, is an anthem for those seeking something greater. It encapsulates a longing for liberation, with lines like "Tramps like us, baby, we were born to run." The song captures the essence of the American dream, seen through the eyes of those on the margins. 3. **"Jungleland,"** the album’s epic closer, paints a vivid picture of urban struggle, telling a tale of love, crime, and shattered dreams in a city landscape. With its complex characters and richly detailed setting, it stands as one of Springsteen's finest lyrical achievements. **Pros of the Lyrics:** - Springsteen's writing is deeply empathetic and connects with a wide audience, blending the personal with the universal. - The album's lyrics are packed with metaphors and references that evoke a sense of place, time, and emotion, making them both specific and timeless. **Cons of the Lyrics:** - For some, the lyrics may come off as overly earnest or sentimental, relying heavily on idealized notions of freedom and escape that may seem naïve or dated to contemporary listeners. - The narrative style can occasionally feel sprawling and unwieldy, with some songs containing dense imagery that might overwhelm casual listeners. ### **Music** Musically, "Born to Run" is ambitious, combining rock, folk, jazz, and even orchestral elements to create a sound that is both expansive and intimate. 1. **Arrangements and Instrumentation:** The album features the full power of the E Street Band, with its layered arrangements and diverse instrumentation. Clarence Clemons’ saxophone solos add a soulful, dynamic element, especially on tracks like "Jungleland" and "Thunder Road." Roy Bittan's piano work provides a melodic backbone throughout the album, while the guitars of Springsteen and Steven Van Zandt are powerful yet restrained, adding texture rather than overwhelming the compositions. 2. **Melodic Complexity:** Songs like "Backstreets" and "Meeting Across the River" showcase Springsteen’s ability to construct complex, multi-part melodies that build tension and release, mirroring the emotional arcs of the lyrics. The title track "Born to Run" is a rock anthem that combines a wall of sound with a driving rhythm section and catchy hooks, designed to be played loud and felt deeply. 3. **Dynamic Range:** There is a considerable dynamic range across the album. From the quieter, more contemplative moments on "Meeting Across the River," with its jazz-influenced arrangement and haunting trumpet, to the full-throttle rock and roll of "Born to Run," the album covers a broad spectrum of moods and styles. **Pros of the Music:** - The album is musically diverse, blending different genres into a cohesive rock sound that feels fresh and expansive. - The use of the E Street Band's talents allows for a richness in sound, creating memorable hooks and engaging musical narratives. **Cons of the Music:** - Some critics argue that the "Wall of Sound" production style can feel overwhelming or cluttered, with too many layers competing for attention. - A few of the songs, such as "Night" and "She's the One," while energetic, do not break new ground musically and can feel formulaic compared to other tracks on the album. ### **Production** The production of "Born to Run" was notoriously arduous. Springsteen and co-producer Jon Landau worked painstakingly to create the album’s distinctive sound, which aimed to evoke the grandeur of Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound while still retaining a rock and roll edge. 1. **Sound Design:** The production creates a dense, textured sound that is lush but not overproduced. Each instrument is given space to shine, from Clemons' saxophone to Bittan's piano to Springsteen's own guitar work. The album was recorded using multiple layers of sound, often with numerous takes to achieve the desired effect. 2. **Mixing and Mastering:** The mixing of the album is notable for its complexity. There is a constant interplay between instruments, with some moments featuring a subtle interplay of sounds, while others present a full-throated blast of music. The mastering emphasizes a clean but powerful sound, allowing the album's many elements to be heard distinctly while maintaining a cohesive sonic landscape. 3. **Use of Studio Techniques:** Techniques like overdubbing and reverb are used extensively to create a sense of space and depth. For example, on "Thunder Road," the use of harmonica, piano, and saxophone gives the track a layered feel that unfolds gradually, creating a journey-like listening experience. **Pros of the Production:** - The production gives the album a timeless, almost cinematic quality, enhancing the storytelling aspect of Springsteen's lyrics. - The balance of clarity and complexity allows for an engaging listening experience that reveals new details upon repeated listens. **Cons of the Production:** - The long recording process led to moments where the production can seem overly labored, losing some of the raw energy that defined Springsteen's earlier work. - Some listeners might find the production too polished or slick, preferring the grittier sound of Springsteen's other albums. ### **Themes** The themes of "Born to Run" revolve around escape, redemption, and the pursuit of a better life. It is an album that captures the essence of the American dream but also reflects its complexities and contradictions. 1. **Youth and Escape:** "Born to Run" explores the theme of escape from a confining environment. In "Thunder Road" and "Born to Run," the characters are constantly on the move, searching for something more meaningful beyond their current circumstances. 2. **Dreams and Disillusionment:** The album does not shy away from the harsh realities of life. Songs like "Backstreets" and "Meeting Across the River" explore themes of betrayal, disillusionment, and the consequences of choices made in pursuit of dreams. There is a persistent tension between hope and despair, a recognition that the quest for freedom is fraught with obstacles. 3. **Urban Landscape:** The city is a recurring motif throughout the album, serving as both a setting and a character. It represents both the promise and the peril of modern life, a place where dreams can be made or shattered. **Pros of the Themes:** - The thematic depth gives the album a literary quality, making it more than just a collection of songs but rather a cohesive artistic statement. - The themes are universal and relatable, appealing to a wide audience across different demographics and generations. **Cons of the Themes:** - The recurring theme of escape can feel redundant across multiple tracks, potentially limiting the album's narrative range. - Some might argue that the focus on youthful yearning and rebellion lacks nuance, favoring grandiosity over subtlety. ### **Influence and Legacy** "Born to Run" has had a profound influence on rock music and popular culture. It cemented Springsteen's status as a major force in the music industry and set the stage for his subsequent success. 1. **Impact on Rock Music:** The album influenced countless artists with its blend of rock, folk, and soul elements. It helped to rejuvenate the rock genre during a time when it was being challenged by punk and disco, showing that rock could still be a powerful and relevant medium for storytelling and social commentary. 2. **Cultural Significance:** "Born to Run" became a touchstone for American culture, embodying themes of freedom, rebellion, and the pursuit of the American dream. It is frequently cited in discussions of the greatest albums of all time, and its songs have been covered by numerous artists, further solidifying its place in the pantheon of rock music. 3. **Springsteen’s Career:** For Springsteen, "Born to Run" was both a breakout and a defining moment. It established him as an artist with something significant to say and with the ability to reach a broad audience, paving the way for his future success with albums like "Darkness on the Edge of Town" and "The River." **Pros of the Influence:** - The album’s influence extends beyond music, contributing to broader discussions about the American experience and the power of storytelling through song. - It remains a relevant and powerful piece of work that continues to inspire new generations of artists and listeners. **Cons of the Influence:** - Its iconic status might overshadow other albums in Springsteen's discography that are equally deserving of attention. - The album’s reputation can sometimes create unrealistic expectations for first-time listeners, who may not immediately connect with its style or themes. ### **Conclusion** "Born to Run" is a landmark album that showcases Bruce Springsteen at the height of his creative powers. Its rich lyrics, dynamic music, and layered production combine to create a work that is both timeless and specific, capturing the hopes and dreams of a generation while resonating with listeners across time. While some may critique its production choices or find its themes overly romantic, the album's influence and legacy in rock music are undeniable. It remains a quintessential example of how music can articulate the complexities of life, making it a classic that continues to be celebrated nearly half a century after its release.
Meh. Another 3 stars for this guy. Alternating between shouting and mumbling, the boss sounds like he needs to eat more fibre.
10/10. Masterpiece, front to back. Thunder Road is one of the best songs ever written.
I think you should always listen to a Bruce Springsteen album twice before making a decision about it. It turns out that I love this album a lot more upon the second listen. I have always been put off by his use of major mode as the setting for such insightful, sometimes dark, lyrics about human grit. But I'm learning that maybe minor mode is the easy way out. Maybe saying those things along with that quintessential E Street Band joyful saxophone lick is actually a way to inject some optimism into the darkness. All I can say is, after listening to the boss I always feel a lot cooler.
fav tracks: thunder road, born to run, jungle land star rating could increase on subsequent listens
boring asf 5/10
Me rehúso a edcuchar más bruce springsteen. 0/10
Still not a Bruce guy, though Born to Run is a banger.
Not bad
This is one of my personal ten or so favorite albums of all time, so it’s an obvious 5 stars from me. I can’t add much that hasn’t already been said, but for my money it has at least two of the greatest songs ever recorded (Thunder Road and Born to Run, and Jungleland has an argument too). For all its superlatives, from Clemens’ perfect sax solos to the meticulous “wall of sound” production, the greatest attribute of the album is Bruce’s songwriting. It’s a masterclass of storytelling through song: if you’re not moved to take on the world by Thunder Road or Born To Run, moved to smile by Tenth Avenue Freezeout, or moved close to tears by Backstreets and Jungleland, check if you’re alive. Bruce has had at least 3 masterpieces, arguably more like 6, but in my opinion this will always be his best. It’s on the short list for greatest rock album of all time, and arguably the best record ever produced in America.
A few good songs. Not totally into it, but not bad.
Love the wall of sound. The lyrics are repetitive, but the instrumentation (sax and trumpet) and energy is fantabulous.
okay I'm convinced. I listened to it twice. I still don't really care for "Thunder Road". I actually liked "Meeting Across the River". That + "Jungleland" (also rly good) is what made me want to start over and give it another listen. Also. Is there some kind of musical property that makes something feel nostalgic even though you weren't there? Or do we all just think heartland rock is nostalgic because it's what our parents listened to while being nostalgic? Nostalgiception.
A fine album, not my genre.
Thunder Road Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out Backstreets Born to Run She's the One Meeting Across the River Jungleland
Born to Run is a masterpiece of modern music, and arguably just one of Bruce Springsteen's masterpieces. This is the third of his albums, and the first to find significant commercial success. With Born to Run, his third album, Springsteen displayed the range of talents that have made him one of the most influential figures in modern music. Springsteen voices earnest narratives in his lyrics, and tells vivid stories about the day-to-day challenges of life. His compelling stories suit his rich, expressive voice. He's supported by the E-Street Band, with strong keys and and even stronger saxophone player. Their guitar and piano centered, R&B based rock became one of the central elements of modern popular music.
I want to be more into this, but I can't get behind it. It's no doubt a good album that has stood the test of time and produced many radio hits, but it isn't for me. I thought it was musically lame, besides the sax.
Maybe my favorite from Springsteen. Solid album with excellent storytelling
Springsteen’s voice is a minus, Clemon’s playing is a plus, hit or miss tracks
Surprisingly good boomer music. No bad songs, Born to Run is a bop
this album and the one prior to it were headache inducing
Bruce has never really been my taste in music, but there's no denying the talent or how influential his early work was.
Incredibly passionate and theatrical music about things that I neither know about nor care to learn.
Springsteen. THE MF GOAT. That's all.
Classic American rock.
The Boss and the E street band. What else is necessary for the perfect album?
I am not really a Bruce fan.. he seems overplayed and over rated. I grew up in NJ, while he became "BRUCE" - there was some growing pains, but I gave to say, this is a really rounded album. The lyrics are still personal and deep, good music, and great sax from The Big Man. regrets that I have to give it a 5. Credit fue.
Loved
Not too shabby Bossman
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
every time i see brace for springsteen and bored dylan i kinda wanna automatically skip it, i dont get the appeal at all. clearly he is super acomplished and all, but how, its just lame singersmongwriter ahhhh NNN
Good stuff.
Not many bangers or hits.
Yhden kuuntelun perusteella ihan passelia. Pitää kuunnella uudestaan paremmalla ajalla.
Masterpiece
Spruce Bringsteen
Avoided The Boss because I used to be a classic rock hater but started listening mid-pandemic and have been a huge fan since. Now I’m a hater of all of the modern day bruce-alikes.
This album is good and I am a fan of the boss but knowing his contemporary context really puts the whole proletariat rock thing into perspective and makes these albums all a bit less believable
Everyone who’s seen Springsteen says he’s the ultimate showman. I will never find out personally because I don’t like his music. At all.
Bruce brings me some joy and a lot of nostalgia, but even though I’ve listened to him basically my whole life, I’d still consider myself a casual fan. Born To Run is his second album with the E Street Band and probably his definitive statement with that group - it’s a representation of that point when everything about them was on fire. So you can definitely feel that magic on some levels, but as is usually the case with me and the Boss, his songwriting doesn’t check all of my boxes. I enjoy it when artists get a little more whimsical and freewheeling with their imaginations.
Short but sweet, love his voice. Favourites were backstreets and jungleland - getting into 70s rock?
Noteworthy songs - 808080808 Magical Dream - Kinda catchy synth, but the rest is bland. Ancodia - Good background noise. Cobra Bora - Actually kind of cool, reminds me of Bomberman Hero. Pacific 202 - N64 vibes, but melody isn't great. Donkey Doctor - Nothing too special, weird ending. 808080808 - Really cool beginning. A little slow in the middle but stays interesting enough. Sunrise - Nothing remarkable. The Fat Shadow - Eerie. Very short.
I mean come on
We’re running out tonight to case the promised land.
No thanks.
There’s something about the big, carousing sound of Springsteen’s style that is exhausting to me. It’s too much. I feel like I need to do a lot of drinking to keep up. Dylan gives me the same sensation. Tracks like 10th Avenue, Born to Run, and Meeting Across the River work better than the rest. I respect the talent on display here, but this is overall loud to me. Like Meatloaf with much, much better songwriting.
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.
BRUCIE! Beautiful 8/10
3.5★. This thing is trying to make me a Springsteen fan, and, despite the rough first impression he made on me with Nebraska, it's kind of working... This one's not quite on the level of Darkness on the Edge of Town, but it's a thoroughly good album with some great highlights. Love the saxophones.
The lyrics are okay, and yeah, he's got good rocky energy.
Gear: Focal Clear (ZMFed) Artwork: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Mix: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Musik: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Wertung: 🤷♂️🤷♂️/5 (inkl. +1 für "Born to Run")
mumbly, dramatic, yelly, saxophoney. Never got the man's appeal. I still don't.
I have learned that I enjoy a single Bruce Springsteen song from time to time but an entire album is just too much for me.
Not for me. It's like rock for people who don't like rock. I only gave it a 2 because Born to Run is a great song.
A masterpiece from the boss
One of the best albums of all time One of the best openers and best closers in Thunder Road and Jungleland. Everything in between is superb too
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.
I know many find him iconic but I’ve never been able to get into Bruce. I think it’s the singing… the way he sings, closer to talking than melodic, makes many of his songs sound similar. I hear some good piano, the themes of the sings are sometimes interesting lyrically. I don’t think it is BAD, just not hearing the masterpiece that many others do.
I swear every song here sounds exactly the same. Not a single thing that makes any of them particularly unique or distinctive. All just super patriotic sounding stuff your racist uncle listens to.
Hardly earth shattering
Don't like the boss very much.
me when America me when guitar me when ambient trumpet thing
It was alright
Classic. Every song. One of the top 20 complete albums.
My 4th Springsteen album on this list. How many are there going to be? Still not a fan
Born to Run might genuinely be the best song of all time
Just not the biggest fan of "the boss"
Dad rock supreme. Springsteen seems like he'd be a cool dude to have a beer with. He's definitely an iconic rocker from back in the day. I just don't really like his music that much. I can appreciate that his band is fabulous, I actually do like his voice, I just don't connect with any of his music really at all. I'd heard this album a few times before, but not in years. It's a fun album but not one that I would ever really put on to listen to. Great sax, seems a little ahead of the 'cheesy 80s sax' that was in everything for a while. Good bass too. Favorite song was Jungleland - it sort of played a bit like a song from a Broadway show. I think my favorite thing about this album is actually the Telecaster on the cover, would love to have that bad boy. But the album is fine, just not really to my taste. 3/5
Do people actually like this stuff?
The song “born to run” was on as Biden announced he was dropping out well done universe
i really enjoyed it, there were a lot of different elements of different instruments, it was like a a mix of rock and folk music that i really like
Still great
Cmon. Obviously.
4.5/5
I can not remember whether or not I listened to Born to Run in full (60% positive that I did), so for shits & giggles I put on something I’m 100% sure I’ve never heard before: The Wild, The Innocent & the E Street Shuffle (1973). Though slightly rougher-edged, it has a lot of the exuberant performance & anthemic choruses as heard in, say, the song “Born to Run”. Now about the *album* Born to Run: Let me be clear. I think my favourite Springsteen is the arena rock that is Born in the USA (unless I'm depressed, then it's Nebraska). However, I do love this album quite a lot. "Thunder Road" never used to be a song I really cared for, until a year or two back where something switched and now it's basically a never-skip. Unless classic rock radio kills it again. HL: "Thunder Road", "Night", "Backstreets", "Jungleland", "Meeting Across the River", the title track July 20, 2024
ok boomer
Never been a super fan of Springsteen so I did a look work looking into this one and it really moved up this rating. Still not my fav, he has a little too much macho facade for me, but his lyrics really are deep and meaningful to the white working class poor experience. He wants love, to get out of his town and working class life, but feels stuck and knows he can only give so much to live up to the macho lifestyle. He also discuss the complicated return of working class young men from Vietnam. This experience did not make me a Bruce Tramp, but I do see why this album is influential and appreciate what he created.
The emotions run deep in this album, and so do the layers of sound. I kinda love Bruce and the storytelling in his songs. There’s a comforting nostalgia to his style of rock and roll. I dig it!
Amazing
Love the music on this album, even though I don’t really connect with Springsteen’s lyrics.
It was good. I like running. Perhaps I wasn't born for it, but I live for it currently.
I enjoyed this album, but not quite as much as I was hoping given how much I like the song.
First time listening to this artist
❤️
I was kinda busy yesterday and was worried I wasn’t going to have time to listen to an album, so I was desperately hoping it was going to be an album I was already familiar with. And I got probably my favorite album of all time lol. An album I’m likely listened more to than any other! Two Boss albums in three days!!! I’m loving it!!!
Fuck it, 5 stars You had me at "Roy Orbison sing for the lonely" I'll never be a Bruce kind of guy. I'll never refer to him as "The Boss" (I mean I don't dispute it, I just won't use that term), and I'm not going to pay a fuck ton of money to see him live. But this album is a Got Damn masterpiece, I'll tell you what
The springboard of an epic career which was cemented with this 70s masterpiece.
just so-so for me. Never cared for his voice.
Favourite track was by far Thunder Road, great album and my first in this journey (albeit a re-listen). Still holds up as a great album
Sure. It was never my favorite, but I get it. Not bad.
Everything is right objectively, but I find myself not really caring for almost anything Bruce Springsteen. It’s all a bit too polished and bombastic for me.
FUCK YES!!!! BRUCIE BABIEEE
I despise Springstein, but have to admit this album is BIG and FUN, and produced expertly. His best work by far
this really came out in 1975? i had no idea - i mean, the title track was still getting pretty regular airplay 10 years later. after the 80s, i'd kinda written off the boss, but sometime in the 90s, i remember seeing a clip about making the video for the song streets of philadelphia, and that really changed my mind about him. for anyone who didn't live through the 80s and 90s, it's hard to convey the pervading fear that was AIDS - the movie philadelphia was kind of a huge moment in cultural understanding of the disease. at the time, homosexuality, especially male homosexuality, was still largely looked down on (there are always exceptions, of course), and the disease itself was a death sentence. i mean that literally: in that time, if you were diagnosed with HIV, it was only a matter of time until it developed into AIDS, and once that happened, it was only a matter of time until you died. no survivors, only people who hadn't died of it yet. so when the movie came out, it was a huge deal - and when tom hanks got the oscar for his role in it, his wearing a red ribbon to the awards show got a lot of attention, and marked a (perhaps small, but real) cultural turning point. springsteen did the soundtrack album for the movie, which is how we got here. so, in the video, he's walking down a literal street in philly, only he refused to lip-sync for it - he insisted on recording his vocals live, for real, as he walked. so the production team gave him an earpiece to hear the playback, and they hid a for-the-time tiny mic in the scarf he was wearing, and his vocal track, at least in the video, was actually him singing for real as he walked. i honestly don't know why that made such an impression, but it really did - it wasn't an artist just being a dink, yelling about being given the wrong brand of water on set or whatever, it was this guy, who's always been the working-class hero, insisting on maintaining the integrity of his work, and resisting all the forces trying to get him to take shortcuts, even - and maybe especially - where they fundamentally don't matter. but it mattered to him, and for whatever reason, i really respected that. still do. somewhere in the early 2000s, he released an album of pete seeger songs - the wife and i listened to that cd in the car until it was so scratched up it wouldn't play anymore - and the way that album was made (in a small room in his farm out in the middle of wherever jersey, with minimal production and even less editing - you can hear him calling out key changes) was more proof to me that he's the real deal and i was wrong about him being just a cardboard cutout of a musician. uhh...also, this album was pretty good. nice to hear what turns out to be some much earlier material from him, for sure.
Heartland rock. Pretty good but thought a lot of the piano made this album incredibly goofy. Jungleland was fun. 3/5.
God plade, den kom dog aldrig helt op at ringe. Men absolut en lyttevenlig plade
Bruce er Bruce. Men Bruce er også fed nok som han nu er.
Saxofon og klaver kan være fedt (se: Tom Waits). Bruce Springsteen kan også være fedt (se: Nebraska). Desværre er måden “The Boss” bruger sax & piano (keyboard?) på hans optempo numre ikke noget der tiltaler mig. Bag alt musikken skulle der gemme sig nogle fine skildringer af amerikanske liv, jeg kommer bare aldrig ind til historierne fordi musikken fylder så meget (læs: forstyrrer) i billedet.
I'm not a huge Springsteen fan, but I like some of his songs, I get his appeal, and I recognize his songwriting chops. I find he's most appealing to me ion album form, rather than individual tracks. This is a fantastic album. Just sometimes, the tracks are a little ... over the top. Like Jungleland. It wants to be epic, and apparently it is to many Boss fans, but to me, it's just a little ... too much. Didn't quite nail it. Anyway, solid 4/5. Probably 4.5/5 but damn it, we can't do that.
The boomers are right.
85/100
Start was just okay with Thunder Road. I appreciate he’s not yelling as much on this one as he did in Born in The USA. It’s overall somewhat enjoyable but not stand out to me. At points cheesy and boring. I did not like Backstreets.
eight perfect songs. a masterpiece
I don't think I will ever understand the praise of Bruce completely. To me, this is the most meats and potatoes or dad rock you can get. It's extremely unexciting to me, even the most popular song of the album 'Born To Run' just passes me by without any real emotion. And the same goes for the rest of the songs.
I really, really like "Thunder Road". It is one of my favourite songs to play on the piano, and I've liked it ever since I heard it at around 17. A highlight of my concert experiences was when me and my dad saw Bruce Springsteen and he closed with an acoustic version of "Thunder Road". This album contains other tracks though. They hold a high standard, the backing band is great and you can tell how much time has gone i to the songwriting and production. It does feel a bit too polished and formulatic at times. Each songs is not as big heavy hitters as can be found on for example "Born in the U.S.A.". It finishes just shy of a 5 for me. A very strong 4 star.
Excruciating almost perfection.
This album is perfect
Before: baby we were born to ruuuuun After: hwoah!
Absolutely fantastic 6/5
Solid album. Good mix of African rhythms and American southern rock/pop.
Good album.
Tenth avenue is a fav of mine, and Born to Run is still relevant today. The rest of the album just isn't at the same level.
Born To Run sounds like a musical or rock opera. The writing is Dylanesque and beautifully poetic in a relatable blue collar tone. As a complete album it gets redundant and tiresome but each song is strong on its own. This album isn’t a masterpiece and I’m not sure why it gets lauded as one. 3.5
6.5/10, Sony earpods, maybe worth a relisten with over ear. Felt samey but listenable.
really has a vibe of 70-80s America, but it's not my cup of tea. skip skip rock&roll, mb a bit of rural America vibes too
Good - bit samey?
S.C.C. (Stone Cold Classic)
All time classic, one of the most evocative albums ever written with unreal lyrics. Bruce's best
This was one of his better albums.
Annoying voice, good music though. Last track is fantastic.
Actually quite liked this. It wasn't as rocky as I expected which was nice
I enjoyed it a fair bit, feels much more positive and optimistic than Darkness At The Edge of Town. Also, it's a simple album cover, but it has a timeless quality to it, for something made 50 years ago it looks like it could've been shot yesterday.
Meh
It was not horrible but I don’t think I want to hear any more Bruce Springsteen before I die.
Under 200 albums in and this is the 4th Springsteen album. I understand why this one is on the list but 4 Springsteen albums seems like overkill. The songs on this album are so melodramatic and he’s just yelling about New Jersey and muscle cars. No thanks.
✅ babby beyonce. those girls sure do love each other
There are artists and albums that you have to be a grown-up to listen to. This is one those albums. You'll appreciate it more as a mature person.
I would really like to not like this. I mean, who wants somebody else to appoint themselves "the boss"? Pretty presumptive, yes? But, I like it. Despite my nature for antiauthoritarianism, this still resonates with me. I feel unclean.
I've got to be honest - I've been mixing up "Born to Run" and "Born in the USA" for like 30 years...
A nearly perfect album
If this isn't 5 Stars I don't know what is.
Amazing.
Not bad, never really got this far with the boss
Great album, huge fan of the Boss
Crack band. Crack songs. Springsteen is the best of the post Dylan songwriters. Shut up he is. Ah, what would you know? Born to Run is an anthem - a song that unites in its criticisms of American capitalism. Springsteen understands that the system could work but it’s been taken over by crooks, by shysters, by scammers. The everyday worker gets screwed. You can run. You can’t hide. There is redemption out there somewhere. There must be. There has to be. He puts all this in a vista that is mythic in its vision. It’s an America of small towns. Of broken dreams. Of disappointment. But in there is a little hope. And that’s the magic of it. Growing up I got Springsteen. The cars. The long endless roads. The dying towns where once was promise but now was despair. Central West NSW could be Wisconsin. Or Tennessee. Or Virginia. Sheer poetry, wrapped in Dylan, Motown, The Who, Woody Guthrie, Nashville and Pete Seeger. And a crack band. Did I mention the band? PS - that telecaster is why I play a telecaster.
Epic feel good music. His stories capture the jearning , the love, the pain , dilemmas and pain of youth and transitions, and yet also the hope, struggles and shares passion and anthems like ever have. He found a way to pump a whole crowd and he hasn't stopped. A gift a talent and always a joy. (He is a stadium filler and anthem singer and made songs if the generation for decades, he speaks to us, Plus his range and abilities show best on other epic albums Nebraska and Ghost of tom Joad, arguably)
Screen door slams. Mary's dress waves. Like a vision she dance across the porch as the radio plays. Roy Orbison is singing to the lonely, hey that's me and I want you only. Now that there is a perfect history of post war America. It's all there, the dream of American exceptionalism placed in its proper working class setting, the screen door slammed and a radio played. It had to be the Big O didn't it? It had to be the Big O, perfect. I was 12 when this came out and it hit me between the eyes, my sister and her friends used to dance to Born to Run it was that kind of record, sheer joy. Meeting Across the River, scary, sad chilling. The aforementioned Thunder Road, just brilliant. Wendy let me in, Mary's dress waved, cars waiting in the driveway of the mansions of glory. The Spectorish production, it's all piano too, interesting when you play it now, not so much guitar more piano and horns galore, the big man come on! Girls comb their hair in the rear view mirrors as Bruce drives away leaving Jersey for ever. But here's the thing, like Fogerty Bruce borrows every thing American to craft songs that speak of the American experience. And the rest of us can just stop and listen and wish we were born in that place where you grow up and walk in the sun. He never equalled this. Who cares.
The first Springsteen album I owned was his second release, The Wild, The Innocent & The E-Street Shuffle(1973), which I bought from the Australian Record Club. It’s still my favourite. I then bought his first album, Greetings From Asbury Park(1973), also from the A.R.C. I loved it almost as much. Then came the big wait for the follow-up, which was Born To Run(1975). I was in my last year at Newcastle Uni, sharing a unit in Charlestown with three mates, & I bought it the moment it was locally released from a record bar in Charlestown. He had me from the opening lines of Thunder Road : “The screen door slams, Mary's dress sways Like a vision she dances across the porch as the radio plays Roy Orbison singing for the lonely Hey that's me and I want you only”. Listening to Springsteen’s lyrics on these early albums is a bit like watching The Sopranos (how ironic that future Soprano actor Steve Van Zandt would join Springsteen’s band soon after this album hit) or even The Jets in West Side Story. Tenth Avenue Freeze Out, Jungleland, Meeting Across The River - I still love these songs. This is still a great album to play.
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 the Phil Spector Wall of Sound, 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.
His singing voice grew on me. Favorite song is “Night.”
yeah alright
Great album!
Un clásico, muy bueno
Album. Not my favourite Springsteen album but still pretty good after all these years.
Top
Why make hour long meh albums when you can make a 40 minute perfect album
This is my first time listening to Bruce Springsteen... I mean consciously choosing to listen to Bruce rather than hearing it through cultural osmosis. I never realised he was leaning on another person on the cover! Who's elbow and bum is that?! I recognise "Thunder Road" as a title. Was it in that Nick Hornby book? ...Yes, I've just checked. It was the second chapter in "31 Songs," a book about... 31 songs, that I read when I was much younger. Apart from that, I recognise "Born To Run" of course. But that's it. Okay, let's press play! ...Oh. It sounds like Meatloaf.
Classic!!
Too epic for me
Classic Bruce.
Some of the reviews on this made me question whether some people even like music or not. This is a masterpiece for me, pure passion from front to back. No weak tracks but 'Jungleland' especially is just genius, that song could be twice the length and I would still ask for more.
Not for me. I can not for the life of me understand how this guy is so loved.
Born to Run is such a goddamn good song. By far the best song on the album. Thunder Road and Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out are solid. And if you're into the usual Springsteen story songs, you probably love this whole thing. I'm about four-fifths of the way there.
Strip away the lyrics, strip away the wounded machismo of Springsteen's voice and 'Thunder Road' could be a Ronette's track. 'Tenth Avenue Freeze Out' could easily have Solomon Burke crooning and moaning over the top of it. 'Night' brings Meat Loaf to mind, with its sweeping, piano-led arrangement. And so forth. Which is to say, that there is a old school, almost conservative bent to the music on 'Born To Run' - it mostly looks backwards, but when it does serve as a harbinger of music to come, it points towards that most theatrical and archly classic performer, Marvin Lee Aday. But of course, you shouldn't strip away the lyrics - but there again, the subject matter is an elevated take on 'Teen Angel' and its ilk. Very good stuff, but nothing new under the sun. I never realised how twinkly the E Street Band were at this point. I kept waiting for 'Jungleland' to burst into an Elton John track, or perhaps the theme music from Cheers.
boring
Bruce seems like really likable guy, which makes me like his music. I usually have to listen to something more than once before I fully get it or fall in love but I’m definitely going to listen to this one again.
One continuous anthemic blast, not much variation but does what it does well.
Listening to backstreets and the feeling is so nostalgic. Like I'm trying to remember the memories yet letting them go all for once. Just finished the whole album, wnted to saviour each and every moment therefore didn't give real time review of each song. The instruments of this album is just out of world experience. Give it a listen.
God I cannot stand Springsteen
The Bruce is loose!
Amazing album wish my live experience wasn't so bad. Would love to give him another shot.
Nice
great albums of hits
Good
After 800+ days of not getting that much Springsteen, we’ve now had three albums in about a month. I feel like I may have been a little harsh on the previous two (Nebraska and The Rising) but they really weren’t his strongest moments. Born to Run, on the other hand? An absolute masterpiece
Good enjoyable rock, which has helped shape American rock over the 70/80s. No bad songs, highlights Thunder Road and Born to Run 4/5
sorry boss, I can’t get into it.
One of Springsteen's Biggest and arguably his best this album is jammed full of some of his biggest songs, Thunder Road, Born To Run, Backstreets, Tenth Avenue Freeze Out are all fantastic and classic Bruce Springsteen Greatest Hits. But it's Jungleland that stands out for me the closing track is pure Springsteen story telling at its best but it's "The Big Man" Clarence Clemmons that steals the show with that beautiful Sax solo.
Masterpiece. 5
4.5 Not a huge fan of running, but this album is great!
Never gotten the appeal of Bruce... This is better than that album The Rising though, as at least I could listen to this one. Still just not for me. Meh
Enjoyed this.
Pretty good, not really my kind of music but definitely good songs.
Meh. I don’t get it, it’s think I missed this generation.
One of the easiest 5's I've given out lately. I was familiar with his hits but never listened to an album before. Both the music and the lyrics are fantastic; I loved every song
Thunder Road, Backstreets, Jungleland, and the title track - one album with 4 all-time classics. She’s the One and 10th Avenue are no slouches either. I don’t often go all the way through for a listen, but this one has been on my heavy rotation for decades. Hats off to the Lead Man!
Slice of America A story telling wonder Grit and class combo
Bruce is so iconic. Every song was so relaxing
I think with Springsteen you have to have been there when this came out or something, because I do not get the appeal of Springsteen's song writing. The way he cobbles together lyrics makes it feel like a jumbled mess to me, and his vocals make him sound confused 90% of the time. I found myself not at all invested in his stories but instead asking myself if ol Bruce even knows what he is rambling about. Did he just get lost in an ally one day and then he came up with this album? That could be, because I'm not getting any serious emotional weight behind these lyrics. This album's sound, musically, is as if Springsteen said "ok everyone just solo however you want and I'll mumble these lyrics over it". And they all said "great idea". I can't imagine the nightmare of mixing this in the studio also. It's a mess.
I love the titular song and can tell it’s a fantastic album but can’t really say I was in the mood for it
Springsteen's greatest achievement. Heartland Rock will never produce something as enchanting as Born to Run. The density of the production reveals a new instrument every time I re-listen. This time around, the bass play from Gary Tallent blew me away. It’s positioned wonderfully in the mix and often serves as the songs’ melodic core (very similar to Eric Judy of Modest Mouse). Get some good headphones and really listen for it on Backstreets and Born To Run especially. Two theses bookend this album: in Thunder Road screen doors slam, dresses wave, and the protagonist abandons his hometown in the lonely cool of dawn. In Jungleland we find our hero trapped in The City, his own dreams gunning him down. Thunder Road gives us The Man too big for his upbringing. A headstrong man of dreams, ambitions, and style. Jungleland tears that apart. Along the way, from Thunder Road in Hometown, USA to the mythical city akin to a jungle, the Man learns the price of his ambition. He fights in shootouts on Tenth Avenue. He works all day to meet his girl and ignites the highway at night. He spends summers getting wasted with her, trying and failing to hide his past from her and his love from rival street gangs. He despairs that he isn't anything special, that he'll never be like the heroes on the screen. But still, he's different, he was born to run, he's found The One. Until he goes across the river, to the Jungleland. He does worse and worse things, and loses himself in that city he thought would make his own. And then the city claims him for itself. What did he really escape from? Where was he born to run? Was losing it all worthwhile? I don’t know. Neither does Bruce. As he writes at the end of Jungleland, the poets aren’t the ones suffering the consequences of what they’re writing about. The characters in their stories are who suffers. Tonight in Jungleland, someones dreams will die alongside them. This album is the closest we as the poets will ever get to knowing what that feels like. While we stand back and let it all be. “A screen door slams. Mary your dress waves...” “There were ghosts in the eyes of all the boys you sent away...” “So Mary climb in. It's a town full of losers and I'm pulling out of here to win!” “At night sometimes it seemed you could hear that whole damn city crying.” “Baby this town rips the bones from your back. It's a death trap. It's a suicide rap.” “The highways jammed with broken heroes on a last chance power drive” “Someday girl, I don't know when, we're gonna get to that place where we really wanna go and we'll walk in the sun...” “The midnight gangs assembled and picked a rendezvous for the night. They’ll meet ‘neath that giant Exxon sign that brings this fair city light. Man there’s an opera out on the Turnpike. There’s a ballet being fought in the alley...” “Beneath the city two hearts beat...”
Nice
Singing sounds forced.
8/10
Great
Okay okay okay, I know this is like lower-common-denominator classic rock that is appeal to the masses and doesn't necessarily have the most interesting concepts, but something about the feeling of listening to it just makes me feel like I need to eat a plate of fried chicken and run through the city with an American flag. It conjures an image of America with total freedom and bliss which of course isn't the case at any point, but can't we pretend for just these 39 minutes? 8/10
This is one of those albums that I gave a chance to it because a girlfriend loved it. Glad I did. Lyrics and music bring back some great memories.
Bruce brucing around. What a guy. NJ native. Grumbling and mumbling like the best of them. Jabs aside. It’s undeniable how great of a song writer he is. This is an album that will probably grow on me over time
Bruce Springsteen returns with Born To Run and for me its one of those albums that mostly shines throughout the back half. The songs on the front half were all decent but a bit too similar sounding to each other but the back half did have some genuinely beautiful sounding moments and the songs there felt like they had their own identity and were not all too similar to each other. I think this album is better than Darkness On The Edge Of Town since i feel like i can remember the back half songs here better than all of the songs on that album. This album is quite good Best Song: Meeting Across the River Worst Song: Backstreets
It sounds incredibly similar to Billy Joel for like basically the whole album, with the simple yet effective melodies and the soloistic piano parts. It’s a solid album, really.
# 232 : Bruce Springsteen's one of those guys I don't see what all the hype is about. I've always been pretty indifferent about Springsteen. Never hated his music nor really got into his stuff either. Some nice epic and emotional stuff, but I found it a little boring with too much saxa-ma-phone :-D. Best track on this : Born To Run
Absolute classic. Written so brilliantly. Incredible production too
Five stars just because 1) Bruce Springsteen and 2) "Born to Run". Simple and short.
bruce sounds like he's singing and pooping at the same time
Thunder Road - 3 Tenth Avenue - 3 Night - 3 Backstreets - 3 Born to Run - 3 She's the One - 3 Meeting Across the River - 3 Jungleland - 3 All the songs are the same. Music is fine and his voice is okay. Fat 3.
Thunder road - 3.7 Tenth avenue - 3 Night - 3.2 Backstreets - 2.7 Born to run - 4 She's the one - 3 Meeting across the river - 2.5 Jungle land- 3 3.14 A way more enjoyable experience than I would have expected. Born to run and thunder road are BOPs
06/06/24 S Tier—————————5 Born To Run A Tier—————————4 Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out Thunder Road B Tier—————————3 Jungleland Night Backstreets Meeting Across the River She’s the One C Tier—————————2 D Tier—————————1
Born To Run by BS Thursday 6/6/2024 9:20 A Tier————————— Tenth Avenue Freeze Out Born to Run Thunder Road B Tier————————— Meeting Across the River C Tier————————— Night Backstreets She’s the One Jungleland
Ich wusste nichts, was Bruce Springsteen für Stücke gemacht hat. Bin ganz begeistert Meeting across the river ist zum Beispiel ein Stück mit dem ich nicht gerechnet hätte. Ebenso Jungleland
Well, isn’t this an amazing gem.
A few good songs, but nothing more than middle-ground in my opinion. I know people regard it as a classic, but it's just not really for me.
This album makes me feel like I’m riding my bike through the streets as a kid in summer in the early 80’s!
First: my, what a sound. Never have I heard such punchy sounds, tingly triangles and walloping saxophones. Second: this LP is much older than me, but I still feel that strong independent spirit - not in the "indie rock" sense, but in the "grit that built America" sense. Everything is played with bombast, and the Boss is top hoss. Tracks: "Tenth Avenue Freeze Out", "Jungleland"
Not a big fan of Bruce Springsteen i did like this album though but its just not for me
Too slow
50,000,000 fist-pumping Middle-aged East Coast white guys can’t be wrong! Earnestness, poverty, and broken dreams never sounded quite so sexy.
Bruuuuuuce! Long may The Boss run!
Cool dude, just not my type of songs. Generational voice, but quite average sound.