25th August - Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run

Artist - Album: Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run
Released: 25th August 1975
Sounds like: The need to break away

Last night I read Douglas Adams' introduction to the final, unfinished novel of legendary wordsmith P.G. Wodehouse. In it, Adams delighted in retelling his favourite Wodehouse quotes such as "the Duke's moustache was rising and falling like seaweed on ebb tide" and "ice formed on the butler's upper slopes". How very refined. Hidden away on my Facebook profile are the Eighteen year old me's list of favourite quotes. In there, amongst those from The Princess Bride and Father Ted ("its like a big tide of jam coming towards us, but jam made out of old women!"), is the opening line of this album - "the screen door slams, Mary's dress sways, like a vision she dances across the porch as the radio plays". It may not quite be literary genius, but Springsteen expertly sets the scene of young heroes attempting to drive away from the rut of their working class existence.

Born to Run is chock full of lines about escaping the downtrodden, small town life, each delivered in the Boss' trademark air punching, fist clenching style. The music is almost Meatloaf-esque in it's drama and theatricality. 'Thunder Road' and the title track are stone cold classics, but every single song here is downright brilliant, from the near-Northern Soul 'Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out' to the skittering, lovelorn 'She's the One'.

Eight anthems make up the album that made Springsteen a star, and the record still stands as the pinnacle of his wonderul career. I can't explain it as eloquently as Adams could for Wodehouse but, rest assured, I really do love this album.

Analbumaday... rating: 10/10

1. Thunder Road - 4:49
2. Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out - 3:11
3. Night - 3:00
4. Backstreets - 6:30
5. Born to Run - 4:31
6. She's the One - 4:30
7. Meeting Across the River - 3:18
8. Jungleland - 9:34

Listen to 'She's the One': www.youtube.com/watch?v=vw-e8GNxqKM

Also released on 25th August:

1988: Metallica - ...And Justice for All

Also released on 25th August:

1998: Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

Also released on 25th August:

1998: Elliott Smith - XO