Born to Run

Infobox Album | Name = Born to Run
Type = Album
Artist = Bruce Springsteen


Released = August 25, 1975
Recorded = 1975
Record Plant Studios, New York
1974 "Born to Run"
914 Sound Studios, Blauvelt, New York
Genre = Rock
Length = 39:26
Label = Columbia
Producer = Bruce Springsteen, Mike Appel, Jon Landau
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=Abc831vgjzzva link]
*Pitchfork (10.0/10) [http://pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/22261-born-to-run-30th-anniversary-edition 11/18/2005]
*Robert Christgau (A) [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=Bruce+Springsteen link]
*"Rolling Stone" (Favorable) [http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/171750/born_to_run 10/9/1975]
Chronology = Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
Last album = "The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle"
(1973)
This album = "Born to Run"
(1975)
Next album = "Darkness on the Edge of Town"
(1978)

"Born to Run" is the third album by the American rock singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen. It was released on August 25, 1975 through Columbia Records. Springsteen began work on the album after touring in support of its previous album, "The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle", released in 1973. "Born to Run" captured the heaviness of Springsteen's earlier releases while displaying a more diverse range of influences.

"Born to Run" was a critical and commercial success and became the Springsteen's breakthrough album. It peaked at number three on the "Billboard" 200 and reached high positions on charts worldwide. Two singles were released from the album: "Born to Run" and "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out", the first helped Springsteen to reach mainstream popularity.

On November 14, 2005, a "30th Anniversary" remaster of the album was released as a box set including two DVDs: a production diary film and a concert movie. The audio of the concert was later released as "Hammersmith Odeon London '75".

History

Bruce Springsteen's third album, "Born to Run", was a breakthrough hit and catapulted his career from a northeast regional act to an acclaimed national and worldwide recording artist. This was his first album to feature Roy Bittan and Max Weinberg, "Born to Run" was released to overwhelming critical acclaim which swiftly spiralled into hype. While his previous two albums, "Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J." and "The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle", received good reviews, popular success had been scarce; "Born to Run" cemented Springsteen's reputation among critics and established his first mainstream fanbase.

The album is noted for its use of introductions to set the tone of each song (all of the record was composed on piano, not guitar), and for the Phil Spector-like "Wall of Sound" arrangements and production. Indeed, Springsteen has said that he wanted "Born to Run" to sound like "Roy Orbison singing Bob Dylan, produced by Spector."

In terms of the original LP's sequencing, Springsteen eventually adopted a "four corners" approach, as the songs beginning each side ("Thunder Road", "Born to Run") were uplifting odes to escape, while the songs ending each side ("Backstreets", "Jungleland") were sad epics of loss, betrayal, and defeat (Originally, he had planned to begin and end the album with alternative versions of "Thunder Road".)

Also, original pressings have "Meeting Across the River" billed as "The Heist." The original album cover has the title printed in a graffiti style font. These copies are very rare and considered to be the "holy grail" for Springsteen collectors.

Release and reception

"Born to Run" was Springsteen's breakthrough album. Upon its release in August, 1975, it peaked at number three on the "Billboard" 200 album chart. The album gave Springsteen an international recognition. "Born to Run" achieved Sextuple Platinum status in the United States and platinum status in the United Kingdom.cite web
url=http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=&artist=Springsteen&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2007&sort=Artist&perPage=25
title=RIAA Certifications
publisher=Recording Industry Association of America
accessdate=2008-06-24 ]

"Born to Run" included the hit singles "Born to Run" and "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out", neither of which had accompanying music videos. Both placed on the "Billboard" Hot 100 chart. "Born to Run" was the most successful song from "Born to Run" on the rock charts, reaching number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Born to Run" was released in the summer of 1975 and became arguably Springsteen's most recognizable and popular song at its time of release. Although there was no music video for the song at its time of release, two videos were made in the 80s.

In 2001, the TV network VH1 named "Born to Run" the 27th-greatest album of all time. [cite web| url = http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/the_greatest/62192/episode_wildcard.jhtml?wildcard=/shows/dynamic/includes/wildcards/the_greatest/album_list_full.jhtml&event_id=862772&start=61 | title = The Greatest: 100 Greatest Albums of Rock & Roll| accessdate = 2007-01-31| work = The Greatest| publisher = VH1] "Rolling Stone"'s 2003 list of the greatest 500 albums of all time ranked "Born to Run" at number 18. [cite web| url = http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5938174/the_rs_500_greatest_albums_of_all_time/| title = The Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums of All Time | accessdate = 2007-01-31| publisher = Rolling Stone] In 2003, "Born to Run" was ranked as the number-one most popular album in the first Zagat Survey Music Guide. [cite web| url = http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1984699#| title = Born To Run' Tops Zagat Music Survey| accessdate = 2007-01-31| author = Barry A. Jeckell| date = 2003-09-23| publisher = Billboard] In 2003, it was one of 50 recordings chosen that year by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry. [cite web| url = http://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2004/04-061.html| title = Librarian of Congress Names 50 New Recordings to the National Recording Registry| accessdate = 2007-01-31| author = Sheryl Cannady| date = 2004-03-19| work = The Library Today| publisher = The Library of Congress]

Album cover

The cover art of "Born to Run" is one of rock music's most popular and iconic images. It was taken by Eric Meola, who shot 900 frames in his three hour session. These photos have been compiled in Born to Run: The Unseen Photos.cite web
url=http://insighteditions.com/product_info.php?products_id=47
title= insighteditions - Born to Run
publisher= insighteditions.com
accessdate=2008-06-24 ]

The photo shows Springsteen holding an electric guitar, a cross between a Fender Telecaster (body and pickups) and a Fender Esquire (neck), while leaning against saxophonist Clarence Clemons. After he plugged in an amp and started to play, he casually leaned on Clemons. That image became famous as the cover art. "Other things happened," says Meola, "but when we saw the contact sheets, that one just sort of popped. Instantly, we knew that was the shot." Ultra-thin lettering graced the mass produced version: an unusual touch then; a design classic since.

The Springsteen and Clemons cover pose has been imitated often, from Cheap Trick on the album "Next Position Please", to Tom and Ray Magliozzi on the cover of the "Car Talk" compilation, "Born Not to Run: More Disrespectful Car Songs", to Bert and the Cookie Monster on the cover of the "Sesame Street" album, "Born to Add".

Track listing

All songs written by Bruce Springsteen

ide one

#"Thunder Road" – 4:49
#"Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" – 3:11
#"Night" – 3:00
#"Backstreets" – 6:30

ide two

#"Born to Run" – 4:30
#"She's the One" – 4:30
#"Meeting Across the River" – 3:18
#"Jungleland" – 9:36

Personnel

The E Street Band

* Roy Bittan – piano, Fender Rhodes, background vocals
* Ernest "Boom" Carter – drums on "Born to Run"
* Clarence Clemons – saxophone, tambourine, background vocals
* Danny Federici – organ, glockenspiel
* Suki Lahav – violin on "Jungleland"
* David Sancious – piano, organ on "Born to Run"
* Bruce Springsteen – vocals, guitars, harmonica, percussion, horn arrangements
* Garry W. Tallent – bass guitar
* Max Weinberg – drums

Additional musicians

* Steven Van Zandt – horn arrangements on "Tenth Avenue Freeze Out"; background vocals on "Thunder Road"
* Wayne Andre – trombone
* Mike Appel – background vocals
* Michael Brecker – horn, saxophone
* Randy Brecker – trumpet, flugelhorn
* Charles Calello – conductor, string arrangements
* Richard Davis – bass guitar
* David Sanborn – saxophones

Production

*John Berg – album design
*Greg Calbi – mastering
*Andy Engel – album design
*Bob Ludwig – re-mastering
*Eric Meola – photography

Engineers

*Andy Abrams
*Angie Arcuri
*Ricky Delena
* Jimmy Iovine
*Louis Lahav
*Thom Panunzio
*Corky Stasiak
*David Thoener

Chart positions

Album

ingles

References

External links

* [http://www.brucespringsteen.net/albums/borntorun.html Album lyrics and audio samples]
* [http://www.superseventies.com/springsteen.html Collection of album reviews]
* [http://www.welcomebookstore.com/botoruunph.html Born To Run Photographs]