Classic album: Bruce Springsteen – Born To Run

Like a fine wine, Born To Run has aged beautifully. The seminal Bruce Springsteen album – a record with such raw, visceral, emotion and beauty that never fails to impact on those who hear it. Bruce described the feeling on Born To Run as one of an endless summer night, where all the different stories were simultaneously occurring. Stories of people struggling to grow up, trying to make it and deal with all the mess that life throws up. A working class hero, Springsteen’s work is never contrived and every song feels like it has been written as if it were his last – a dedication that is only true of very few musicians.

Presented with such outstanding lyricism, it’s easy to overlook the level of song-writing and attention to detail evident on the album. The amount of time slaved over this record is astonishing. Weeks were spent just getting the drum sound right with Bruce pushing the limits of what was sonically possible to capture on record. The cinematic, Phil Spector-esque walls of sound give the album unmatched levels of life and soul.

Born To Run wasn’t a collection of songs that someone knocked up to meet output demands. Few albums have the emotive and evocative qualities that this album inspires. With songs like ‘Thunder Road’, ‘Born To Run’ and ‘Jungleland’, it’s no surprise they call Bruce “The Boss”. With the sad passing of The Big Man last year, the E Street Band has lost a defining past of its sound but with a new album due next month, there’s no stopping the force that is Bruce Springsteen.

Born To Run on Spotify

Bruce Springsteen – Born To Run