Keno's Classic Rock n Roll Web Site
Fans Album Reviews For:
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
(5 reviews sent in so far)
Born in the USA
by Darius Henry
December 17, 2009
Rating: 9.5
Born in the USA is another great album by the Boss. I was on another website and
I was surprise that many people hated it. I dont understand why. Maybe its
because it is one of his most successful albums of all time. Maybe its the
synthesizer. Maybe it got many airwaves. Maybe it sounded too 1980s. IDK what it is, but I
think its BS that people think this album is not that great. This is one of the best
albums of the '80s. OK, maybe this album does sound different than any other Springsteen
albums, but it is surely one of his best (well, other than Born to Run).
This album starts off with the title track. I personally think this song is one of the
best songs of the entire decade of the 1980s. Love the message about the effect of Vietnam
War. I also love how so many people, including President Reagan at the time, misinterpret
this song as a Patriotic song. Its OK because its still a great song. Love the
synthesizer and the drumming on this song. Plus Springsteens vocal fits this song
like no other. The next song, Cover Me is a good song. Not my favorite, but I
still dig it. Love the guitar solo, and I dig the synthesizer. Darlington
County is a great song to listen to if youre in a small town. Songs like this
wont work the same if it was played in the big city. But in a small town, it seems
nearly perfect. The synthesizer is just great and loves the music on here, especially the
sax played by the Big Man. Working on a Highway is another excellent song on
here. Love the drums, love the guitar, and love the synthesizer, as always. This song is
possibly the catchiest on this album. Downbound Train is another good song by
the Boss. Its a little slower than the last 4 songs, but its still good song
about losing your spouse. Love the guitar and Springsteen vocal on here the most.
Im On Fire is another great song on here. Its a mellow song, but
still a nice song. Its an 80s song, but still great. Love the mellow-ness of the
song. Love the synthesizer and Springsteens vocal and I like the soft hitting drums
on here.
No Surrender is another great song on here. Love the drums and the synthesizer
(as a matter of fact, I can say that about all the songs on here). Bobby Jean
is another good song and a damn good one, too. Its a good song you can actually
dance to. I guess thats one of the reasons why many people dont like this
record because you actually dont dance on Springsteens records. Youre
supposed to just listen. Its OK. I still love the sax on here. Im Goin
Down is another great song on here. Its a really fun song to listen to.
Glory Days is, other than the title track, the best song on here. If there is
any Springsteen song that makes you feel proud to be an American, this song is it. The
synthesizer is perfect for the song and so is the guitar. I wouldnt change a thing
about this one. Dancing in the Dark is probably the song that has the most Pop
appeal to it in this song. Still love this song. Love the saxophone on this song. I wish
the Big Man would play more of his awesome sax in this album. But thats alright.
This album is great as it is. My Hometown is the last song on here and most
likely the softest. Still great. Slowest synthesizer use, but still excellent. Love
Springsteen's vocals on here. Its great. Love this song about his hometown.
This is a great album. Maybe one of the best in the 1980s (other than Michael
Jacksons Thriller and U2s Joshua Tree). Even though
its different, you still get a great Springsteens album, even with
synthesizer. Hey, I dig it. If you want to listen to Rock music and still feel like a
proud American, this is the perfect album for it.
To listen to some sound clips from BORN IN THE USA, or to buy it, click on:
BORN TO RUN
by Darius Henry
Novembr 22, 2007
Rating: 10.0
Born to Run is one of the best albums that I ever listen to. I got this for my
birthday just like 3 months ago. I seriously love the stories on this album. But when I
listen to this album, most of these songs seem familiar to me, as if I had heard this
album before. But man, you cant deny how fantastic this album really is.
This album starts off with fan-favorite, Thunder Road. Sometimes, I like this
song, other I dont. I guess its depends on what mood Im in. But still,
you gotta love the lyrics on this one. Its a good way, if not great, to start this
classic album. The next track, Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out, is an excellent
proto-Disco tune. Clearance Clemsons sax playing in this tune says it all, plus I
like how the Boss sang on this one. Night is another good, if not great, song.
I like the beginning of the song when the sax is playing. In fact, the beginning of the
song seems familiar to me. Backstreet is one of my favorites on this album.
Its a 6 minutes and a half of greatness. Bruce did a really great job in this song.
Plus I love the ending of it, Hiding on the Backstreet, Hiding on the
Backstreet. Great song.
The title track is the best song on here. Its pretty the same stories, Bruce and his
girl getting the hell out of New Jersey. Great story. And you gotta love the sax, hell you
gotta love the whole music. And yet, it sounds familiar to me, especially the sax part.
The next song, Shes the One, is another great song that sounds familiar
to me, especially the great piano part in the beginning. After the piano part, it went to
full rocker with a Bo Diddley beat. Its a great song to dance to. Meeting
Across the River is another nice piece by the Boss. Its a great story about a
low-life criminal on his last chance to succeed. The last song, Jungleland, is
an epic 9 and a half minutes finale. It tells a story about gang violence, long before
Gangsta Rap. First it starts off with a violin, than a great piano playing, than slowly
became a full rocker with a great guitar solo. But the best part came when Clarence
Clemson plays one of the best saxes solo of all times. But this song seems so familiar to
me, especially the sax solo. Than the song slow down with just the piano and the violin
playing. At the end of the song, the piano plays crazy while the Boss just humming at the
end.
Well, thats it for this fantastic album. But again, I dont know why, but I
keep having a feeling that Ive had heard it somewhere else (where the hell have I
heard this). But still, its a great album and you should buy this album.
BORN TO RUN
By JT Curtis
October 17, 2003
Rating: 10.0
This is one of the greatest albums of all time. There are a lot of great Bruce Springsteen
albums: Greeting from Ausbery Park, The River, Born in the USA.
But Born to Run is such an amazing album, you completely forget about all other
albums the Boss has made.
"Thunder Road" is one of my favorite tunes ever written. The dynamics to this
song just go everywhere. From the beginning interplay between the folky harmonica and
piano to the rocking climax with the whole band playing together, this song is incredible.
Also listen to the lyrics, very imaginative and the way he sings them are absolutely
inspirational. "Tenth Avenue Freeze Out" is a great R&B song with its great
horn lines. "Night" rocks really well getting you to dance on your feet and
headed by Clarence Clemons' wonderful saxophone work. Max Weinberg plays some great drum
fills on this one. "Backstreets" is a really beautiful ballad again headed by
dynamics. Bruce sings amazingly and plays a damn good solo. The ending of this song really
gets to me, I love it. B-side of this landmark record gets even better! "Born to
Run" a great guitar line, cool keyboards by David Sancious, a wonderful saxophone
solo by Clarence, great lyrics about being free and in love, great rhythm work by bassist
Gary Talent and Max Weinberg, great hits, and above all just a great song, Its no wonder
why "Born to Run" has been considered one of the greatest rock 'n roll songs in
the world. "She's the One" is a great upbeat tune with a cool Bo-Diddely Beat.
It gets you up wanting to dance. I don't think its the worst here, but then again I don't
know what's the worst here, I like them all. "Meeting Across the River" Oh!!!!!!
Beautiful. So simple with beautiful piano by Roy Bittan, sparkling trumpet fills, and
great singing by Bruce. I love this song.
Okay, we got us a great rock 'n roll album here, how are we going to finish it?
"Jungleland!" My favorite on the album. A simple string and piano start followed
by Bruce's wonderful singing soon blows into a hot rocker where everyone in the band is
rocking the house down. In the meantime, Bruce's lyrics give such amazing imagery as if
this song is a story, and it is. The Boss comes in for a brief solo which is soon followed
by a guitar harmony and the whole band. After a short bridge, Clarence brings it down and
starts a wonderfully beautiful sax solo with the band following. The beat has slowed down,
but its still intense. The strings come back in and let the piano play. Bruce soon follows
and gives an inspirational finish which is just inspirational! What an ending in over 9
minutes, I wouldn't shave a second off! Here's my conclusion: GET THIS ALBUM!!!! You won't
regret it!
BORN TO RUN
By Johnny B. Goode
July 27, 2000
Rating: 10.0
One of the top 5 albums of all time, along with Hotel California, Highway 61
Revisited, Sticky Fingers, and Who's Next. The Boss's masterpiece. His two most
famous songs, "Thunder Road," and the title track, are here. And as great as
those two are, the album has so much more to it. "Jungleland" is just as epic as
"You Can't Always Get What You Want" or even, dare I say, "Sympathy for The
Devil"." Tenth Avenue Freeze Out" is a real good upbeat rocker.
"Meeting Across the River" really gets you to understand the situation the 2 men
are in and it is a deeply moving song. "Night" rocks and "Backstreets"
is another great story within-a-song. "She's The One" is worst here but it has
grown on me since I first bought the album. Each song is an absolute gem.
To listen to some sound clips from BORN TO RUN or to buy it click on: Born To Run
Darkness on the Edge of Town
By Zack Taylor
Jamuary 24, 2005
Rating: 10.0
Truth to tell, Ive never been a huge Springsteen fan. To me, his claim that
Born to Run was his shot at the title of greatest rock song ever
is damned presumptuous, the Big Man can play exactly one sax solo, and that
hammer-drumming style of Max Weinberg just grates. That a New Jersey bar I once had
the misfortune of being dragged into was packed with Bruce clones in tight jeans and
t-shirts, boots, and bandanas in their pockets nauseated me in no small measure.
Predictably, a fight broke out at end of the night.
Married readers no doubt hear me when I say there are two kinds of music; that which you
like, and that which you can play with the wife in the room. Bruce being an acceptable
choice over cocktails in my house eventually led me to Darkness on the Edge of Town
and a very pleasant surprise. This album is an extremely thoughtful, powerful meditation
on the anger and frustration inherent in the working class life very well executed
and performed by the Boss and his minions.
All the Springsteen familiars are accounted for: cars, chicks, and more importantly, the
tormenting notion that something better in life is out there, but theres no easy way
to get to it. For all the great metaphors and allusions spread across the songs, this is
articulated better than any words by the wordless cries that occur twice in
Something in the Night documenting the search for a moment when the
world seems right.
The albums protagonists are always moving, searching for that elusive happiness down
in their souls.Back home, Daddys life is ruled by the factory. In the morning, his
mind walks through mansions of fear/mansions of pain . . . through the factory gates
in the rain; he leaves in the evening with death in [his] eyes . . . and you
better believe boy/Somebodys gonna get hurt tonight. Whoa. . . .
Thats intense.
So it goes all through the album. The radio tracks Badlands and
Prove it All Night are among the best in the whole Springsteen catalog, great
listens apart from the albums dark theme. Springsteen had tasted monster success his
previous Born To Run but legal wrangles delayed this follow up for three years.
That he eschewed a commercial encore and instead looked back at the life his new-found
fame and money had just delivered him from underscores the integrity and indeed, class, of
Bruce Springsteen. I tried to think of why I should delete a star or two from this album,
but could not. Ten out of ten.
To listen to some sound clips from Darkness on
the Edge of Town or to buy it click on:
Darkness On The Edge Of Town
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