Born in the U.S.A.

Infobox Album
Name = Born in the U.S.A.
Type = studio
Artist = Bruce Springsteen


Released = June 4, 1984
Recorded = February 1982 - March 1984
The Power Station and The Hit Factory, New York
Genre = Rock
Length = 46:25
Label = Columbia
Producer = Jon Landau, Chuck Plotkin, Bruce Springsteen, Steve Van Zandt
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:3c841vgjzzva link]
*Robert Christgau (A+) [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist2.php?id=5142 link]
*"Rolling Stone" Rating|5|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/brucespringsteen/albums/album/109854/review/5944816/born_in_the_usa link]
Last album = "Nebraska"
(1982)
This album = "Born in the U.S.A."
(1984)
Next album = "Live/1975-85"
(1986)
Misc = Extra chronology 2
Artist = Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
Type = studio
Last album = "The River"
(1980)
This album = "Born in the U.S.A."
(1984)
Next album = "Live/1975-85"
(1986) Singles
Name = Born in the U.S.A.
Type = Studio
single 1 = Dancing in the Dark
single 1 date = May 1984
single 2 = Cover Me
single 2 date = July 1984
single 3 = Born in the U.S.A.
single 3 date = October 1984
single 4 = I'm on Fire
single 4 date = February 1985
single 5 = Glory Days
single 5 date = May 1985
single 6 = I'm Goin' Down
single 6 date = September 1985
single 7 = My Hometown
single 7 date = November 1985

"Born in the U.S.A." is the seventh studio album by Bruce Springsteen, released in 1984 (see 1984 in music).

In contrast to his previous album, the critical favorite "Nebraska", "Born in the U.S.A." featured anthemic, radio-friendly arrangements and 1980s production incorporating Springsteen's first use of synthesizers. The album reached #1 on the Billboard 200 album chart for the week ending July 7, 1984, where it remained for four weeks. It regained the top spot on the chart for three more weeks starting with the week ending January 19, 1985 and stayed on the chart for 139 weeks. It spawned a record-tying seven Top 10 hit singles in the United States, and is by far the best-selling album of Springsteen's career with over 15 million copies sold in the U.S. alone. It was also a critical success, being voted as the best album of the year in "The Village Voice"'s Pazz & Jop critics poll. RS500|85 In 1989, it was rated #6 on "Rolling Stone" magazine's list of The 100 Greatest Albums of the 1980s.

"Born in the U.S.A." became the first compact disc manufactured in the United States for commercial release, when CBS Records opened its CD manufacturing plant in Terre Haute, Indiana in September 1984. Discs previously had been imported from Japan.

History

"Dancing in the Dark" was Springsteen's biggest hit single, reaching #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. (It was kept out of the top spot by Prince's "When Doves Cry".) The song featured up-tempo synthesizer riffs and noticeable syncopation, both a first for Springsteen. A dance-oriented remix was even made for it, by Arthur Baker. Springsteen pulls a young, short-haired Courteney Cox onstage in a Brian De Palma-directed music video for the track. The video helped launch the actress's career.

"Cover Me" was a dance track originally intended for Donna Summer. "My Hometown" is based on 1960s racial and economic tensions in Springsteen's hometown of Freehold. "No Surrender" and "Bobby Jean" reflected in part the departure of Steven Van Zandt from The E Street Band.

In all there were seven top 10 hit singles from this album, tying the record for most Top Ten singles from an album also held by Michael Jackson's "Thriller" and Janet Jackson's "Rhythm Nation 1814".Fact|date=August 2008

The title track, "Born in the U.S.A.", a stinging tale of the hardships suffered by returning Vietnam veterans, is one of Springsteen's best known songs, and has accumulated a considerable amount of folklore. The song's anthemic feel (and the music video, which featured scenes of waving flags and pastoral American communities reminiscent of a political campaign ad) led to widespread misinterpretation of the track's meaning. (A darker, acoustic version of the song appears on the Springsteen collection "Tracks," and is sometimes performed live.) Springsteen was praised by President Reagan as a great patriot; several days later at a concert, Springsteen introduced the track "Johnny 99" (about a laid-off factory worker who kills a store clerk and is sentenced to 99 years) by saying that he didn't think Reagan had heard this song.

The album was followed by the massive Born in the U.S.A. Tour.

In 2004, Senator John Kerry used "No Surrender" as his campaign theme song during his 2004 presidential campaign. Springsteen performed the song at several Kerry rallies during the campaign. [ [http://www.backstreets.com/newsarchive6.html "TALKING 'BOUT THE WEEKEND, SCRUBBING OFF THE DIRT"] , on backstreets.com]

Track listing

All songs written by Bruce Springsteen

ide one

#"Born in the U.S.A." – 4:39
#"Cover Me" – 3:27
#"Darlington County" – 4:48
#"Working on the Highway" – 3:11
#"Downbound Train" – 3:35
#"I'm on Fire" – 2:37

ide two

#"No Surrender" – 4:00
#"Bobby Jean" – 3:46
#"I'm Goin' Down" – 3:29
#"Glory Days" – 4:15
#"Dancing in the Dark" – 4:00
#"My Hometown" – 4:34

Personnel

The E Street Band

*Roy Bittan – synthesizer, piano, background vocals
*Clarence Clemons – saxophone, percussion, background vocals
*Danny Federici – organ, glockenspiel, piano on "Born in the U.S.A."
*Bruce Springsteen – guitar, vocals
*Garry Tallent – bass guitar, background vocals
*Steven Van Zandt – guitar, mandolin, harmony vocals
*Max Weinberg – drums, background vocals

Additional musicians

*Richie "La Bamba" Rosenberg – background vocals on "Cover Me" and "No Surrender"
*Ruth Davis, married to Bruce Jackson, the sound engineer – background vocals on "My Hometown"

Production

*Bob Clearmountain – mixing
*John Davenport – assistant engineer
*Jeff Hendrickson – assistant engineer
*Andrea Klein – art direction, design, cover design
*Bruce Lampcov – assistant engineer
*Annie Leibovitz – photography
*Bob Ludwig – mastering
*Bill Scheniman – engineer
*Toby Scott – engineer
*Billy Straus – assistant engineer
*Zoe Yanakis – assistant engineer

Charts

Album

References

External links

* [http://www.brucespringsteen.net/albums/bornintheusa.html Album lyrics and samples]

succession box
before = "Sports" by Huey Lewis and the News
title = "Billboard" 200 number-one album
years = July 7 1984 – August 3 1984
January 19 1985 – February 8 1985
after = "Purple Rain" by Prince and The Revolutionsuccession box
before = "Thriller" by Michael Jackson
title = "Billboard" 200 Year-End Top album
years = 1985
after = "Whitney Houston" by Whitney Houstonsuccession box
before = "Agent Provocateur" by Foreigner
"Misplaced Childhood" by Marillion
title = UK number one album
years = February 16, 1985 – February 22 1985
July 6, 1985 – August 2 1985
after = "Meat Is Murder" by The Smiths
"Brothers in Arms" by Dire Straitssuccession box
before = "Bodyswerve" by Jimmy Barnes
title = Australian Kent Music Report number-one album
years = October 22 1984 – October 28 1984
February 18 1985 – March 3 1985
April 1 1985 – May 5 1985
after = "The Unforgettable Fire" by U2