BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN - Born to Run 1975

1975 - I was living in a 2-bedroom rented house in Auckland, New Zealand with a biker and his girlfriend. I'd just bought an Old English Sheepdog puppy. I was working for a plumbing company doing their job sheets and accounts. I really couldn't have been further from 'Thunder Road' or the 'Backstreets' or 'Jungleland' if I'd tried. The one thing that connected me was this album. 

Springsteen has said that he wanted 'Born to Run' to sound like "Roy Orbison singing Bob Dylan, produced by Phil Spector". Aiming for the 'wall of sound' the title track, opening Side 2, certainly achieves that. From the first rolling drum break the music is full and in-your-face. To get there you've already listened to almost 18 minutes on Side 1 of raw Springsteen matching his voice to the power of magical saxophonist Clarence Clemons.

Historically though, the first recording of the song 'Born to Run' was made by Allan Clarke of the British group the Hollies, but its release was delayed until after Springsteen's own version. 

In 1984 Frankie Goes to Hollywood did a great version of 'Born to Run' on their 'Welcome to the Pleasuredome'.

After listening endlessly to this album I went back and bought an earlier work - Springsteen's debut album 'Greetings From Asbury Park' from 1973. It contained a hastily added 'Blinded by the Light' which to me is the best track on the album and subsequently became a no.1 for Manfred Mann.

The album cover of 'Born to Run' taken by Eric Meola is one of rocks most recognizable images. (quote) - "After a day of posing – Bruce under a fire escape, Bruce tuning a radio, Bruce with a guitar – and some 900 frames of film, a moment of serendipity saw Springsteen lean against his sideman in a wholly natural but instantly iconic ‘buddy’ pose. “That one just sort of popped,” Meola recalls." - (unquote).

I don't need to add my favourite or a video link to a YouTube version - you can do a search. Everybody knows most of the songs on this album and each has their own go-to track.

A classic in every sense of the word.