At long last, I finally managed to get this set, which I’ve been waiting to hear for some time. It does NOT disappoint. I’m really a novice of this artist’s work, warned straight out, so I’m a bit blown away. The live show at the Hammersmith is killer. These guys have an interplay that is beyond impressive. The whole band is some kind of crazy organism in perfect homeostasis.

I'm late to the Springsteen affair. Too young to get the whole 'new Dylan' hype, too late for anything else. I was 13 when ‘Born in the USA’ was released, and outside of the obvious catchiness of Dancing in the Dark, it was lost on me. Nor did I get any of his early work. Flash forward years later and even when I was twenty-something, I still couldn't relate. I honestly questioned myself and my obviously hyperenamoured opinion of music knowledge.

Why the fuck is/was this guy so popular and/or relevant?

It took years for me to appreciate Springsteen because I evidently needed the years, despite the fact I grew up several of the dying, nowhere towns he seemed to sing about so many songs. His music seems to resonate with an older version of me. When I was 13, I couldn't relate to what he sang on 'The River'. It was garbage. Now, it seems like a parable.

I've heard only nearly all of his 70s albums through borrows and listens. I haven’t had the luxury to sit through them all from start to finish. Except Born to Run. I notice the aforementioned themes even more so on this work, despite the fact he was in his early twenties when he wrote the album. That alone is fucking crazy. I’m not going to further wax philosophic on Born to Run, which has been done enough. I’ll save for the praise for the Hammersmith Concert. Stunning. If you're a fan, pick up this set.

I'm hoping Sandy Claws comes through with this for me.

me too.

must. show. restraint.

For me this would mean someone knowing or caring enough to take the time to realize this would be a good gift for me. So, I guess I'll burn it from Bloor in January

Looks amazing, though.

Dumpjack, it took 2-3 of my closest friends who are music fiends constantly telling me about BRUUUUCE!! for me to get it. And then it took that 75-85 Box Set and a car ride long enough to listen to it all the way through before I REALLY understood.

This is pretty much my Bruce timeline as well. It's true that Springsteen wasn't a mega star back then, but I seem to remember that he got the cover of Time magazine when Born To Run was released (though I might be wrong about that) - he was always expected to become a major star. My Boss turning point was The River. I was hugely disappointed in that album. It seemed like a retread and oversimplification of everything that I'd loved about Born To Run and Darkness On The Edge Of Town. Then Born In The USA confirmed that his days of casual magic had ended - and he was ready to settle into professionalism. Nothing wrong with that, really - a guy's gotta survive - but earnest songwriting just can't compete with boundless energy and wild ambition.

If I remember correctly, Bruce was the first person to appear on the cover of Time and Newsweek the same week.

Need to hear that live set. I'll have to grab it from you sometime over the holidays.

Getting this for xmas.

Dumpjack--I follow the same lines as you do. It was relevant to me in hs, or even as a kid. I could care less about "the boss". It wasn't until I guess sophomore yr of college that I heard Born To Run at a party and was kinda intrigued. I went out and bought a fairly beat up copy of the vinyl and wore it down. I think my awakening was definitely Nebraska. By far my favorite of his albums. At that bought I had to go out and buy every one his albums. Now one of my musical idols.

Blasphemy. The first disc of The River is as good as anything Bruce has ever put out and I am a staunch fan of 70's Springsteen. To wit: Greetings was the Bruce album that got me into him big time.

But Born In The USA, aside from the title track, is a reall really good record. I know that it is easy to hate on some of the songs because they were pounded and pounded and pounded by FM radio but songs like "I'm Goin Down" and "Darlington County" are soooo great. And if you don't like "Downbound Train", then you just don't like Springsteen.

And I could go into the beauty of the more popular songs, but sometimes it's pointless to argue with a wall.

Also, I know that the indie pick is always Nebraska.... I like that album fine but it can't hold Born In The USA's jock. Sorry kids.

Sonny Guns weeps tonight.

What because pitchfork said it or something? Thats bunk. Just like when people say Pinkerton is their favorite Weezer album, Exile is the best Stones, or Revolver is the best Beatles. Makes no sense. I'm going to stand up because I have a feeling it was kinda directed at me, and say I'm going to see your "always the pick" and raise you, your answer is the typical answer given by an indie knowitall

And, lo & be damned! Xmas came early today, in the form of the postman with a delivery from my secret santa on another forum I haunt- Da Box Set Is Now Mine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If he wasn't in Birmingham, and if wasn't a he, I'd kiss him on the mouth. There will be many beers consumed tonight, with the big Polk SDA's wailing The Boss.

Amen.

Born To Run courses through my bloodstream.

That probably has something to do with:
A) A gas leak near you
B) Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
C) THE MASSIVE DUMB

despite its bizarre, dated production, its a fookin great rekkid. The songs, as always, stand on their own.

And Rads, reassess The River.

His 80s output is arguably better than his 70s. I think Tunnel Of Love is his most interesting album because it actually seems to be about him and comes across totally authentic. Totally different from his staple romanticizing stories. He's great at that, of course, but instead of repeating himself at least he evolved/matured into something different. And also a nice minimalist sound rather than big instrumental whomp. After that though he seemed to just suddenly 'lose it' not unlike what happened to Bowie. It's like a stock market crash--nobody sees it coming and then THUD! Around the same time, Elvis Costello was riding high too and I don't think too many people thought he'd fall off the way he did either. Even Neil Young went on walkabout at about that age. It's just incredible how it happens.

Actually had nothing to do with you bro. You are just starting to post enough to warrant me to irrationally insult you.

Born in the USA is a crazy-ass song to be a massive single. It's two chords, has all sorts of bum notes, has a pretty depressing theme, and an out-of-control drum frenzy at the end. Apart from the keyboard tones, it completely unlike the other top stuff of its day: I remember Culture Club being big guns then.

Everyone has it memorized now, but it's a freaky, freaky track. Same with I'm On Fire. Huge smash; weird fucking song.

For me, Born to Run is the best rock and roll track ever recorded. And get this: it has ALL the chords in it. That whole album is perfect, and I am salivating to hear it remastered at Christmas. I'd love to see the first two get cleaned-up as well. But I don't know if they're salvageable - they were recorded in a pretty primitive studio on the cheap. It's criminal how thin those records sound. The songs are so good.

What I hear of Dancing in the Dark is that Landau and some company goons were worried that they didn't have a lead-off hit (!) for USA, so the Boss fucking grabs a guitar and cranks that shit out on the spot. It's a great song - regardless of the dated Roy Bittan key patches.

A band I used to play in (with Busty and Squirgle) covered "Dancin" without keys (sort of a pop/punk style) It was shocking how fucking bubblegum the song was just by upping the tempo and not having the keys----indeed we were laughing our asses off the first time we ran through it---it was just too much.

We covered a bunch of other Bruce songs in that group as well, most notably "Atlantic City" and "I'm On Fire". You appreciate a lot of his shit more when you play it live.

Message keeps getting clearer
Radio's on and I'm moving 'round the place
I check my look in the mirror
I wanna change my clothes, my hair, my face
Man, I ain't getting nowhere just living in a dump like this
There's something happening somewhere
Baby I just know that there is

The beauty is him letting us know that the desire for change, moving on, leaving, running away and trying to find something better is something we all feel at some point.

And the Born in the USA is just flat out brilliant. Max just takes it home.

Yail mentioned the Live 75-85 box set, which was like 5 LP's, I remember. This is what flipped my Springsteen switch as well. I remember hearing him (my dad is a huge fan) but never really getting him until hearing Thunder Road, Growing Up, etc. live (the version of The River on there still gives me chills).

The man took the poetry of Dylan, always a little narcissistic, and set it to a true inner-city, working-class beat. The outward expression of the songs conveys cars, women, rock and roll, but you always knew there was something deeper than that. I think his best album is Darkness On The Edge Of Town, and the tribute to him put out last year (Light Of Day) is spot-on.

I would rank the Springsteen-ology thusly

1 - Darkness
2 - Live 1975-1985
3 - Born To Run
4 - The River
5 - Nebraska
6 - Tunnel Of Love (Im a sap, I know. It shows maturity)
7 - Born In The USA
8 - The Rising
9 - The Rest, still better than most everything else.

Just my $0.02

There is a great article in one of the mags (Paste, Filter, Im not sure) that gives the history on Born To Run. Fucking fantastic stuff. I salivate every time I hear anything from that disc.

That's why I used the " ". No, I know you meant no offense. Just thought maybe it might get another lively discussion going.

It was actually LooGAr that mentioned the live set (chalk up another one for reading comprehension ); I've got that set on vinyl as well---save one of the records (stupid fucking repo, sometimes you gotta take what you get) and it is just amazing.

BUT. Let us not sleep on the Live In New York City that came out a couple years ago. I will admit that I am guilty of hyperbole from time to time but forget that: THIS MAY BE THE BEST LIVE ALBUM, EVER. There, I said it. I've been holding that in for a while. The first disc of that album is a freaking DOCUMENT people. PM for a YSI at your own risk if you havent heard it.

I was gonna do my list but the GA/GA Tech game is coming back on....