How Bruce Springsteen Perfected Rock n' Roll

Imagery courtesy of Getty

[HanzsKlopek]

Love this album ...
"Barefoot girl sitting on the hood of a Dodge
Drinking warm beer in the soft summer rain"
Amazing imagery of an era, of a place, of an age. This is a timeless classic.

[ThatFaceMelter]

If you ever doubt why Springsteen is one of the greatest live acts of all time, out of the numerous shows I could point you to, for me it's '75 Hammersmith Odeon. Seriously one of the greatest live films you'll ever see and displays Springsteen's tenacity as a performer and the true power of the E Street Band. Saw him in Atlanta this year and it was one of the greatest shows I've ever seen.

[mysterbear]

So, in 1975, fresh out of the Marines, and unemployed, I bought Born to Run (at the nice price) and listened to it, maybe 30 times in a row. And in the midst of all this listening, it occurred to me I was listening to Rock-n-Roll in its purest, most unvarnished form. I thought, “This guy has cracked some kinda code, distilled the art form, but never reduced it to empty gestures and cliches.” But I never knew why or how he did it, till listening to your thing, man. Thanks.

[limeymcfrog]

I think you’re missing a huge ingredient - SOUL! Specifically Otis Redding and/or Wilson Pickett. 10th Avenue Freeze Out is one of the best songs on that album and it wouldn’t be the same without it… and that is a straight up soul song.

[Brandon-yiws]

I feel like we are long over due on a Jim Croce video, his lyricism, storytelling and sound are too good to be forgotten about :)

[georgeiypep]

Why I think that Springsteen is my favourite live performer is due to a lot of reasons:

One..the main reason is being 'the songs'...I mean, that's why we love him as an artist, his songs resonate to us in such a beautiful way and that we get to listen to these songs performed live..

Two..in my opinion, his acoustic versions of his songs are sometimes 'emotionally louder' than the live band versions...I mean, when its just him, his guitar and his harmonica, the feeling is just...no words to describe it... Some of the fans were really surprised that he plays the piano so good as well...All of the songs of Born To Run were written on piano...

Three...He does great live covers of other artists songs.. such as Chimes of Freedom, Purple Rain, Who'll Stop The Rain to name a few..

Four...now this is what really makes Springsteen special, he can take a song of his, and give you a completely new and refreshing arrangement of that song, sometimes in a different key, and its like you're hearing a completely new song for the first time..for example, during the Sessions Band Tour, the new arrangements on Atlantic City, Highway Patrolman and Further On (Up The Road) were simply amazing

Five..You get a freakin' THREE HOUR'

Six...Even though you paid money to see Bruce Springsteen, each and every member of the E Street Band is an artist, who The Boss has selected personally, and they individually provide you with the best entertainment with their skills!!!

Seven..Well, this is personal...I mean, he's one of the greatest artists of our current generation...from whatever info, one can gather from the internet and sources, he seems to be a very very humble family man and one of the nicest in the industry. There isn't much dirt on him as compared to a lot of his peers..

[robjgolde]

Bruce’s run of albums between Born to Run and Born in the USA is unmatched. Yeah he’s made great albums before and after then, but it was just classic after classic during that time.
Also, its nuts to me that he was just 25/26 when he wrote, recorded and released this album.

[baritony]

Billy Joel's "The Stranger" was the churning point in his career. And a helluva' an album to stew on.

[marvinbohme]

Springsteen is one of the most charismatic figures in music history and one of the most prolific songwriters you'll ever find in rock music.
I would still consider "Born in the U.S.A." as my favorite of his, just because I have a long-holding relationship with it since my childhood and seeing it as his most cohesive.

And still, "Nebraska", "Darkness on the Edge of Town', "Born to Run", "Tunnel of Love" and "The River" are just an adventure to experience. Can't recommend his music high enough.

[lukejones]

Got to go see the boss in concert this year, what an absolute

[exexalien]

A couple more ingredients: some Bo Diddley ("She's the One" even uses the "Bo Diddley beat") and 70's soul, specifically Al Green (most prevalent on "Tenth Avenue Freeze Out"). But the important thing is that watching this video prompted me to give Born to Run an uninterrupted listen, headphones on and laying down with my eyes closed, for the first time in probably decades. And also because of this video, might do the same with Highway 61 Revisited later. What a great start to the weekend, thank you!

[HPB]

Unpopular opinion: I think ‘Tunnel of Love’ is his masterpiece. Say what you will about the 80s production (it sounds very 80s), but I think that’s where his songwriting abilities hit their peak. The depth of emotion in those songs is almost unmatched. I honestly think it’s his ‘Blood on the Tracks.’

[_germanikus_]

I just saw him live and it was absolutely incredible. Not only his Songs and energy on stage, but also his Storytelling. When he told a story about the passing of the only other surviving member of his first band, 80000 people went completely silent and listened to every word he said. I have never seen that anywhere else.

[somefairpoints]

Yesterday I went to a Springsteen concert in Germany. Probably the best concert I've been to so far.

[gerrymessier]

I'm in my sixties. I grew up in New Jersey in the 60's and 70's and Springsteen's first 3 albums best encapsulate what it was like growing in Jersey at that time

[alecl]

Born To Run is my second favorite album of all time behind Songs in the Key of Life. That’s been the case since I saw him perform the album live in its entirety in 2009. I would put the last 3 minutes of Jungleland up against just about anything in the rock canon.

Born to Run balances imaginative limitlessness and Earthbound realism better than nearly any other album I can reference. As one of my most listened albums ever, it can serve as comfort music or provide a necessary spark.

I’ve adored Born to Run since my freshman year of highschool so I will always appreciate when this record gets its flowers. Excellent breakdown.

[chriskelly]

Those of us in DC listening to WHFS in the summer of 1975 knew the album was coming, and one night while working at the ice cream parlor with the speakers in the back I heard DJ Weasel announce that he had the title song, Born to Run. Then he played it. It was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard and it remains for me the best song ever written. Weeks later I introduced Springsteen to Colorado and soon after that kicked off Sprinsteenology with a paper about Springsteen submitted in my college English class. Springsteen's summer 1975 concerts at Carter Barron in DC (about 4, 000 seats) remain the best concerts I have ever seen.

[RockandRollWoman]

Mad respect to The Boss for his music and for talking about his experience with severe depression in his autobiography. I'm sure it has helped others to know that they are not alone, and that it's ok to ask for help.

[johnjohnson]

Great video!! I love Bruce! Also got to see your face after all these years. Thank you for letting me see the man who has brought me much joy. ❤

[aaronexists]

I’ve been waiting for this video for the 4 or 5 years I’ve been watching this channel. Born to run means so much to me in so many ways, and it’s absolutely gorgeous in every sense of the word. I will say it’s actually best eaten sitting alone at home with it on vinyl, screaming every word.