Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run

Bruce Springsteen – Born to Run
Columbia, 1975
Acquired: Love Garden, Used, 2006
Price: $5

Last spring Jenny had a couple of her friends from New York staying with us and one of them got the words BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN tattooed across her side while she was here. It was the coolest tattoo I've ever seen. It stretched from her front torso to her back in what looked like someone's handwriting. While I do not personally understand this undying devotion that people have for the Boss, I guess I can see how some might become...obsessed. I don't know what it is, a generational gap maybe, but I think my life would be OK if this record was not in it. Right now it sounds like someone doing a Bruce Springsteen impression. “Thunder Road” doesn't hit me like it used to, and while “Born the Run” sounds mostly the same, the “Strap your hands across my engines” line really annoys me. It always has, but especially now. And 80s sax solos pepper the landscape. Yet, it's a requirement to like Bruce Springsteen, and you MUST deem Born to Run a masterpiece or there is something wrong with you. It's fine, and I guess if I look at it in terms of popular music in the mid 70s I can see how some people might think this was the best thing ever, but now, I'm sorry Bruce, but it sounds cheesy. Certain parts of certain songs succeed, and I like them in spite of this, and I never realized how epicly awesome “Jungleland” was, and it might be my favorite song on the record now. Well, the first half at least. But I can't imagine a time when I'm going to NEED to listen to Bruce. My parents might, and maybe I'm being short sighted, brash even but I honestly think this record sounds dated. Sorry, dads of the world. If it's any concession I'm sure what I like now will be dated in thirty-five years too.