#401

I was really young at the time but even in the UK I remember Bruce being a big deal - his concerts getting onto the news etc. Reagan using Born in the USA at his rallies might have been part of it too.

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#402

I laughed at Bruce’s reasoning for the cover:

“We took a lot of different types of pictures, and in the end, the picture of my ass looked better than the picture of my face”

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#403

My stock opinion (and possibly Hot Take?) on this one is that Side B massively > Side A. Been a minute since I’ve listened to it all the way through, though.

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#404

There are only two songs I love on side A, and those are the bookends, whereas side B is pretty much wall-to-wall awesome songs, so I think this is probably my PoV on this, too.

#405

I’m very familiar with all the songs on this, but it’s been a long time since I listened to the album as a whole, in order.

#406

Like so many others, this is where I got on board the Springsteen train. I was maybe eleven, and loved Dancing In The Dark when I heard it on the radio or Top Of The Pops. A friend of my dad’s was an existing fan, and he taped me the Born In The USA album, and filled side 2 of the tape with a selection of songs from Born To Run, Darkness and The River. It’s been long lost now, but that orange BASF C90 was my constant companion for years, and almost always in my walkman. I can still picture the handwriting on the inlay, and that one tape kicked off what has turned out to be my longest and most enduring musical relationship. BITUSA isn’t his best album, it’s not even in his top five best albums, but it’s probably the one I’ve got the deepest connection to. I love it unreservedly, 80s bombast and all.

The title track is such a potent mix of angry lyrics and anthemic music, Darlington County and Working On The Highway are great party tracks, then Downbound Train and I’m On Fire were probably the first ‘adult’ songs I could ever appreciate. I think as a kid my absolute favourite was No Surrender. It’s a massive adrenaline rush, promising endless summer nights and rebellion that still makes my heart soar a little bit when I hear it now. Bobby Jean is another fantastic song, one that takes on a new meaning when you realise (several years later in my case) that’s a goodbye and good luck to Steve Van Zandt. Buon viaggio , mio fratello. Goin’ Down is one of the only two forgettable songs on the record (the other is Cover Me), but then what a home run of an ending with Glory Days and Dancing In The Dark into My Hometown, which now I’m older and got a girl of my own, might well be my favourite song on the record.

The USA part of the title is so apt, because the album as a whole gave the barely adolescent me a mental picture of a mythic America, in the same way the Stephen King books I was reading at the time did. I didn’t know what a state trooper was, didn’t know a Chevy from a Ford but it all painted such a vivid picture inside my little head that I fell in love with the country a little bit right there and then. I don’t think it’s even that great an exaggeration to say that the controversy over the title track and the lyrics to Downbound Train and My Hometown did a lot to form my political leanings. (And while we’re on that misinterpretation of Born In The USA, take a look at the cover again. Is he just stood in front of the flag, or is he pissing on it? I wouldn’t commit to that last reading, but I do like the ambiguity and the possibility)

It was a good time to discover Bruce, as his profile skyrocketed and he was suddenly everywhere. I pored over magazine articles and learnt the names of all the E Street Band in the way other kids might have memorised their favourite football team. I’ve got strong memories of a BBC2 special that went out one evening, with David Hepworth interviewing Bruce and a succession of amazing archive clips like the Rosalita that was posted upthread. The one I remember most was a live clip from the No Nukes benefit shows of the band tearing through something abut a devil with a blue dress. I only ever saw it once, but it’s burnt into my brain. The film of those shows is being officially released later this year. I’m going to buy that Bluray as soon as it comes out, sit down in front of the telly with a beer, and when what I now know is the Detroit Medley comes on, somewhere deep inside a twelve year old boy is going to be grinning his little head off.

tl;dr: I like it.

15 Likes
#407

Just checked the track list on Wikipedia and have to correct myself slightly:

Everything from I’m On Fire onwards is gold. Downbound Train is fine, as is the title track. So it’s just that 3 song run from Cover Me to Working On The Highway that brings the whole thing down for me somewhat. I just find them such a slog.

1 Like
#408

I actually much prefer Side A on this album. Stuff like Darlington County and Working on the Highway feels like what I wish The River had sounded like more - the production is beefier and the songs have more of an irresisitible momentum.
Not so keen at all on the likes of No Surrender or Glory Days. Definitely used to get to the end of ‘I’m On Fire’ and think ‘all downhill from here’…On that note, I love how for all the radio-friendly anthemics on this album, ‘I’m On Fire’ - a fairly desolate track with no chorus - is one of the most enduring ones played on radio or in terms of streaming stats.

Recently heard this cover.

#409

Another thing I love about this album is how it’s closer in tone (cynical, despondent) to Nebraska than it appears on the surface. The lyrics on eg Glory Days are brutal and merciless.

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#410

Absolutely. Several of the songs are holdovers from his burst of songwriting around ‘Nebraska’ (BITUSA and Downbound Train, specifically) Although one of the last songs to be written for the record (at the request of his manager who said there wasn’t a ‘hit’), Dancing in The Dark is a really dark song set to triumphant music.

Glory Days even had an entire verse cut, mentioning the struggles of his father, as it cut a little too close to the bone.

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#411

They released 7 singles from this album, more than half of the entire tracklist. Hit city! Also, bear in mind that Dancing In The Dark, one of his biggest and most successful songs ever, was literally written overnight and by request:

“After Jon Landau convinced Springsteen that the album needed a single. According to Glory Days, Springsteen was not impressed with Landau’s approach. “Look,” he snarled, “I’ve written 70 songs. You want another one, you write it.” After blowing off some steam, Springsteen came in the next day with the entire song written.”

I also read somewhere that I’m On Fire was recorded in a lunchbreak, which is why it only features Bruce, the drummer and the keyboard player. Amazing scenes.

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#412

FYI, I found the clip on YouTube and it is a fascinating watch (and very much a product of its time!)

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#413

Coincidentally, the archive series has just released a show from this tour:

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#414

Yeah, might give this a listen actually.

#415

'kin hell man, the setlists he was able to bring out at this point in his career. No fat on that at all.

I think of this tour as Bruce in his imperial phase. In the footage from the time he’s looking hot and hench in his cut-offs, the band are fired-up and tight, his voice is super powerful especially when he howls, and half the songs he’s playing are massive recent hits so the crowds are ecstatic. Can only imagine how excited you’d be when they come onstage and start playing Born In The USA.

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#416

There’s a pro shot recording of a Paris gig from June 1985. Years ago I spent days downloading a torrent of it, but now the whole thing is on YouTube of course

Worth the three hours if only to see how stadium production has come on in the last thirty odd years since, and to marvel at how sharp Clarence is looking.

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#417

Wow! Just watched the opening trio- BITUSA into Badlands into Out In The Street!! Gonna put three hours aside to watch this during the week.

Cheers.

#418

I’ve been watching it as well, and if the last minute or so of that Out In The Street doesn’t leave any viewer grinning like a loon there is no hope for them.

I’ve been skipping about as well, and - spoiler alert - the very end of Thunder Road is proper chef’s kiss stuff.

#419

Just a quick one to say although I always enjoyed Dancing In The Dark since I first heard it, over the last couple of years it’s really grown on me and I think its perfect. Pure euphoria. Also works very well on a running playlist.

That said, the true masterpiece on this for me is I’m On Fire. If it wasn’t for Thunder Road and Racing In The Street, this could be my favourite Boss song. A rather unsettling level of intensity, lust and desire rolled up unto a 2:35 minute song which feels like a bridge between Nebraska and Born in the USA.

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#420

Yes! I’ve watched this (some songs many times) and it’s what I had in mind, brilliant performance. No stage frills either, it’s just a band playing for 3 hours :+1::+1:

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