Born in the U.S.A. - Bruce Springsteen

When Bruce Springsteen dropped Born in the U.S.A. in 1984 I was turning 21. It was a victory of sorts against the forces of Michael Jackson's Thriller that was somehow still managing to pull singles a couple years after it came out. Here was Bruce, just being The Boss and somehow his newly acquired biceps and a catchy song and video for "Dancing in the Dark" (I can't explain why I hear The Cars "Moving in Stereo" in my head when I think of this song) propelled him and the album into the upper stratosphere going 17 times platinum in the U.S.A. and selling over 30 million world wide. That's a hell of a feat for an essentially average album with some good songs, but it wasn't something I lost my shit over when I heard the songs on the radio. 

Truth is I was never really a big fan. Sure I kind liked "Born to Run" but his music felt old. Yeah, I know this borders on blasphemy, but like I said, it was a very good album - I'm still moved when I hear "I'm on Fire" and "Cover me" is awesome, and I still get a kick out of "I'm Goin' Down" but when I think of the album I don't think masterpiece, I think of it as a really decent album. But honestly I'm still perplexed at the perfect storm of events that propelled this to the top of the class. For the life of me, I can't figure out how "Glory Days" became a hit, and no one seems to call out the guitar at the beginning for being out of tune. Heck, maybe it isn't and the dissonance I'm hearing is my brain trying to understand how this became a hit. Sort of the same way I can't understand how Huey Lewis managed to get airplay with "Bad is Bad" heck it was right there in the title.

Anyway, here's Bruce riding the perfect wave and from the dozen songs on the album he lands seven in the top 10. That's pretty amazing. Despite all the success and rock radio play I didn't buy the album when it was ... on fire (extra points if you sang that last bit in your head as you read it). I didn't feel compelled to get a copy so I could hear it more often. I really am a contrarian at times I guess. Although, at one point I did have the live box set and that was a great collection, and with him still riding the wave it was a massive hit too. The guy was known for his concerts for a reason

Listening to this now, I am still ambivalent to the title track. It didn't resonate back then, and it doesn't now, although nostalgia allows me to listen to it all the way through and appreciate the song for what it actually is. Somewhere in the noise and bravado and assumed jingoistic sentiment was a lament and not a celebration leading to a fist pumping chant of "USA! USA! USA!"

Ah man, sorry I just lost my train of thought. I'm playing the album again while I jot down my gibberish, and "Glory Days" just came on. I'm too far away to get up and pick up the needle. I'll wait it out "Dancing in the Dark" is next and I get to visualize a young hot Courteney Cox wearing Phoebe Cates red bikini ... sorry, where was I? Ah, that's why I hear "Moving in Stereo" makes sense to me now.

The album closes out with the slow and haunting, and rather dated sounding "My Hometown". You may be wondering why did I even bother getting this if I was so "meh" about the album. Honestly, it's because it has for the most part stood the test of time. Bruce's unwavering organic roots rock which when I was a kid sounded old, now sounds like timeless rock. It may just be I was slow on the uptake.

For a moment in time Bruce was the antithesis of the stereotypical rock star, and today he's rock royalty. Who knows why things happen the way they happen, but if they were to happen to someone, Bruce always seemed like the guy you'd want it to happen to.