A monolith of 70's music, this is Springsteen's attempt at summarizing everything that was good and pure about the previous two decades of American rock 'n' roll. "Thunder Road" alone spikes a tap deep into half a century of post-war American folk and teenage mythology, with its casual references to Roy Orbison, Robert Mitchum films, prom-night fantasies, country porches, dusty beach roads and adolescent "Leader of the Pack" ghosts.

It's a very calculated album, though, and I confess that this premeditation hurts it when compared to the more spontaneous "noble savage" vibe of The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle. Some of the music on here is actually rather generic for Springsteen during this era: "Night" is Boss-by-the-numbers, seemingly written as a means to a conceptual end, and "She's The One" fails to deliver on the promise of its Bo Diddley necromancy. (Try to check it out live, however...the performances from Springsteen's 1978 tour, with "Mona" interpolated, finally pull it off.)

As proof of how naked and daring Springsteen's stylized ambitions were on Born To Run, realize that "Jungleland" -- with its star-crossed "Magic Rat" and "Barefoot Girl," musical gangs full of kids who "flash guitars just like switchblades," and midnight shoot-out leaving the hero dead while the Girl mourns -- is nothing more than a goofy 1974 rewrite of that hoary Broadway chestnut West Side Story.

And as proof of how well he managed to pull all this off?...well, why don't you just admit that most of y'all have been hearing this song for more than 30 years now without making that connection. Pretty good job, I'd say. But still, Born To Run is too consciously artifical in its construction to rank as Bruce's best. On later albums, the seams, joints and bolts of his assembly didn't show nearly as much. On earlier ones, the act of creation was more organic. I can't remotely conceive of anyone being disappointed if they buy this album (for god's sake please do it...it's much more than just the two radio hits), but it's not his finest work.

It's almost impossible to write an adequate review of "Born to Run", because so much has been written about it, ultimately you'll just be echoing others' sentiments. You can try to find different ways of wording it, but in the end you're just heaping more praise upon an album that is universally considered a masterpiece.

Not that you'll get any argument from me on that front. If the perfect album is impossible to create, than BTR is a close as it's going to get. Why? Because it transcends being simply music. This truly is a cinematic album, like a soundtrack to a movie never made, except that the album IS the movie. It really draws you in that way. You don't listen to BTR, you experience it. Yes, it's THAT good.

From the gentle opening of "Thunder Road" (which just may be the greatest rock song of all time) to the pure exhilaration of "Night" and the title track, to Springsteen's tortured howl that ends "Jungleland" and the album, every note is perfect. There's not one line that doesn't fit. Every song is just plain great, nothing even comes close to filler. There's no way to really explain it if you haven't listened; It all just fits perfectly. Because Springsteen knew this was a make-or-break album, there's an unmistakable air of actual meaning behind everything sung here. Just incredible.

Some (if not most) Springsteen albums are made to be listened to under specific conditions. I mean, you wouldn't take "Nebraska" in the CD player as you cruise on a Summer day, would you? Some work fine in the car, but others you need to just sit back and 'feel' (indeed, every album of his should be listened to this way, save for "Human Touch", which is strictly background music). BTR is perfect no matter how you listen to it. Sit back and let "She's the One" and the haunting "Meeting Across the River" strike you right in the heart, or drive down main street while "Tenth Avenue Freeze Out" plays. Driving at night with "Night" and then "Backstreets" as your background music is positively electrifying; I know from first-hand experience.

BTR is sort of a transitional album in that it combines some of the romanticism of Springsteen's first two albums with tales of loss and despair that would come to the forefront on "Darkness on the Edge of Town" and beyond. "Thunder Road", "Night", the title track, and even "Tenth Avenue Freeze Out" all rely on youthful hope and nighttime redemption; the need to get out of whatever situation these characters find themselves in and try to find something, anything better. But where there's some optimism in those songs, "Backstreets" "Meeting Across the River", and "Jungleland" all point to dashed dreams, dead-ends, and even death. Springsteen employed a method where each side of the original vinyl would begin hopeful, and end in despair (an effect that is sadly lost in the CD translation). "Darkness..." would use this method, albeit with a much darker undercurrent.

In the end, it's hard to find any fault in "Born to Run". It's one of those rare albums that garnered monumental hype, and managed to completely live up to it, if not surpass it. Only the aforementioned "Darkness on the Edge of Town" comes close. No doubt about it, this is the greatest album ever made.

Born to Run is the album that started Bruce Springsteen to the fame he enjoys now.
The album has a raw charm, but it is a kick back to the Rock of the 50's and 60's.
Bruce at one time wanted to become a premier guitarist but realized his efforts were in vain. He decided to concentrate on writing and performing instead. In time he has become one of the very best writers in Rock.
This is his signature album (arguably with Born in the USA).
If you like Bruce Springsteen this album is a must.

In his ever expanding writing style to desribe the plight of the everday working man, his desparate need to create a hit record turns out one of the best albums of rock and roll and the best part is that you can hear his desparation through the singing. During the time of disco and progressive rock, it seemed as if rock would never be able to return to its roots, but Springsteen combined a big band sound or his own version of the 'wall of sound' with complex yet straight forward lyrics about escape for a better future. No better is this displayed than in the album opener, "Thunder Road," which serves as an invitation to the listeners to escape with the singer and Mary on that "dusty beach road."

Every song on this album has its own niche. Clarence Clemons has his part on nearly every song that adds a certain amount of texture to each track. Roy Bittan's piano work is legendary especially for the song, "Jungleland," perhaps the greatest story song ever told about living on the streets. The album does provide an escape for the listener to delve into the stories of gangs rumbling in the street and tales of love lost and found.

Bruce is really quite inovative, if you look at him in the history of music. Who sound like Bruce, and came before Bruce? Not much, maybe a few Phil Spector creations, but thats it. And, quite simply, he rocks harder then most. I'd say only the Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix can rock harder. Every song here is an all time classic, each a mini story told with the perfect accompiament. Every instrument in the entire CD sounds fantastic, streched to its highest potental. One of the best, a top ten for me.