Not only one of the best albums in Bruce's very high quality repertoire, but one of the greatest albums in the history of rock music. That's no lie. From start to finish it never ceases to amaze and to stir the soul with visceral power.
Yeah, I confess it's been a long, long time since I last played Born to Run. It was one of those albums that was etched in my memory to the point where I didn't think I needed to hear it again to appreciate it (I'm the same way with the Beatles...I just know everything they did back and forth). And indeed I found myself singing along to the majority of it, remembering lyrics that most people would have forgotten had they waited so long to listen again. But I've got to say that with the passage of time and advancing of years, I came away from today's listening with a new-found respect for it.
It is as close to a flawless record as you can get and still be considered a rock album. And it is a rock record, there is no doubt about it. From the obsession with cars to the burning desire to run away from a stagnant existence, from the Bo Diddley drum pounding in "She's the One" to the wall-of-sound in "Night" and the title track, from the bonding and then betrayal in "Backstreets" to the Stax/Volt horn section in "10th Avenue Freeze-Out"...and let's not forget that reference to Roy Orbison that kicks off "Thunder Road".
Speaking of which, have you ever heard an end-piece section of a song that conjures the road and freedom like the one here? Clarence Clemons finally shows his stuff and it's only a foretaste of the grand, majestic solo he lays down in "Jungleland".
Bruce lets out his now famous wordless moan, towards the end of "Backstreets", and it brings out the goosebumps, like he's already said all that needs be said, that the repetition of "Hiding in the backstreets" has reached a saturation point and all he can do is howl at the moon, devastated by the anguish of losing a very close friend. It was at that point that I turned my stereo up to wall-shaking levels, which turned out to be quite appropriate as the beginning strains of "Born To Run" rattled my speakers.
I have to confess that initially I was going to choose "Night" as one of my four favorite tracks on the album. I think "Night" is one of the overlooked gems here. Definitely as worthy of being a single as "Born To Run" was. But when I heard that glockenspiel and that Telecaster guitar and the driving rhythm section, then Bruce's voice (of which I cannot find a proper accolade), I knew I had to include this masterpiece.
But seriously, "Night" is a helluva song, musically and lyrically (it's also another one on which the Big Man really shines).
I liked "Meeting Across the River" a lot more than I used to. When I was young I had no idea that this was about the anticipation of a major drug deal and how the narrator is deluded into thinking that what comes of it will change his life and the lives of those in his close circle of friends. Call me naive, I was just never into that scene in those days. Now that I'm a bit more aware I can hear the subtle nuances of the lyrics and the vocal performance. Nice arrangement, too, quite unlike anything else on the album.
Anyhoo, I could go on jabbering about this album all day. I'm gonna let someone else sing it's praises now.
5 Stars
Favorite Tracks: "Thunder Road", "Backstreets", "Born To Run", "Jungleland"
Least Favorite Track: "She's The One"
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