For the Boss's 75th birthday, here are some thoughts on growing up with his music, and a few more words I’ve written about him in various places over the last few years.
Born to Run had hit big but I ignored it because I was not in my right mind. Then I fell in my first big time high school love with a girl named Terri. Then Born to Run came to me. She loved Springsteen. One soft infested summer
Enjoyed this quite a bit. Your immersion into Springsteen mostly tracks with mine. I completely agree with you on Tom Joan, and find myself returning to Devils quite frequently.
Ironically, my favorite album of his is Tunnel of Love, in part because that was the first show of his I saw. I also found a deeper sense of soul searching in that one that resonated with me greatly at that point in my life, much the same as Devils did almost two decades later.
I still find new things to mine from Tracks, and the live box was revelatory for its time. Need to go back and dig those out again. Thanks!
I absolutely love Tunnel of Love. I may do a deep dive into that era one day for a piece, as it seems like that's a relatively overlooked era after the bombast surrounding BITUSA.
What a wonderful piece! I have so many precious concert memories from years past and I try to add to them every chance I get. It's great to read other's accounts, and Springsteen, like Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, the Dead, and maybe even Buffett, seems to bring people together like no one else.
What a great, in depth and personal article. Got the essence so clearly. I also love the live box set although unlike you, I'm lukewarm on the version of Thunder Road he chose. He really is a remarkable performer who crosses generations (and oceans - I'm in the UK). Thanks for putting this article out.
Born to Run had hit big but I ignored it because I was not in my right mind. Then I fell in my first big time high school love with a girl named Terri. Then Born to Run came to me. She loved Springsteen. One soft infested summer
Terri is a perfect name for a girl in a Springsteen song!
Enjoyed this quite a bit. Your immersion into Springsteen mostly tracks with mine. I completely agree with you on Tom Joan, and find myself returning to Devils quite frequently.
Ironically, my favorite album of his is Tunnel of Love, in part because that was the first show of his I saw. I also found a deeper sense of soul searching in that one that resonated with me greatly at that point in my life, much the same as Devils did almost two decades later.
I still find new things to mine from Tracks, and the live box was revelatory for its time. Need to go back and dig those out again. Thanks!
I absolutely love Tunnel of Love. I may do a deep dive into that era one day for a piece, as it seems like that's a relatively overlooked era after the bombast surrounding BITUSA.
That would be great. I still find new things in that album every time I listen to it.
And not sure if you read it, but here’s a recent interview I did with a longtime fan explaining his connection to Springsteen’s music. https://open.substack.com/pub/glenncook/p/the-soundtrack-of-his-life?r=727x&utm_medium=ios
What a wonderful piece! I have so many precious concert memories from years past and I try to add to them every chance I get. It's great to read other's accounts, and Springsteen, like Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, the Dead, and maybe even Buffett, seems to bring people together like no one else.
I’m seeing that with Isbell too and, albeit on a smaller scale, DBT.
What a great, in depth and personal article. Got the essence so clearly. I also love the live box set although unlike you, I'm lukewarm on the version of Thunder Road he chose. He really is a remarkable performer who crosses generations (and oceans - I'm in the UK). Thanks for putting this article out.