Bruce Springsteen: Rating the Albums
Submitted by ash_campbell on Tue, 08/05/2003 - 06:34
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- 1.Born to Run (1975)
- There are other albums where I like more individual songs than on this, but here, everything just works perfectly. From the great start Thunder Road to the end of Jungleland, the Boss finds all the right tones. One of the top ten albums ever made.
- 2. The Rising (2002)
- The tragic tales of 9/11 told on a very personal basis with empathy and understanding (instead of the patriotic crap of a Toby Keith). The return of the E Street Band, and mostly, Bruce got re-energized. Lonesome Day is particularly inspired, and along with My City of Ruins, written long before 9/11 as a tribute to Asbury Park, make for great bookends to a powerful disc.
- 3. Nebraska (1982)
- Quiet, dark, and as non-mainstream as could be imagined, Springsteen still finds some great pieces, such as the torturous Atlantic City, and Highway Patrolman, which inspired Sean Penn’s directorial debut, Indian Runner (1991).
- 4. Tunnel of Love (1987)
- Most people, fans especially, would denounce me as a heretic for this one, but I think it’s extremely under appreciated. Brilliant Disguise, the titular song, and the really cute Valentine’s Day show a remarkably varied Springsteen without his backing band.
- 5. Darkness on the Edge of Town (1978)
- I don’t like Candy’s Room, but that’s the only real complaint I have for the album.
- 6. Born in the USA (1984)
- His biggest hit record, this is actually a bit bland at times. But you can’t deny some of the great toe-tappers, like Glory Days, Dancing in the Dark, and this is what cemented his reputation as a great rock & roller.
- 7. Tracks (1998)
- Not an album per se, but this is a great look into early Springsteen, and variations of a lot of his stuff.
- 8. Lucky Town (1992)
- Solid album with a couple of over-looked jewels, like If I Should Fall Behind and the title track. Incidentally, my wife really likes The Big Muddy.
- 9. The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle
- Probably the goofiest of the albums, with some cheesy synthesizer work, there is a lot of joyfully exuberant work here. Rosalita is the real standout.
- 10. Human Touch (1992)
- About the most forgettable of his work, it’s still what some lesser artists would strive for. The world wouldn’t be the same if 57 Channels (And Nothin’ On) didn’t exist.
- 11. Greetings from Asbury Park (1973)
- This is a classic case of a band still struggling to find its niche. It’s not bad, and there are some good songs, but mostly, this shows the seeds of what would become the great albums later.
- 12. The River (1980)
- There’s no reason I shouldn’t love this album, but I can’t seem to get into it. The title track is a little melodramatic for me, and though I like lots of the individual songs, it doesn’t hit me as a consolidated effort. I’ll keep trying.
- 13. Ghost of Tom Joad (1995)
- I’ve only listened to it a few times, but it feels a little too depressing for me. Youngstown may be the best song, although the title track is pretty haunting. It would help if there were a few more up-beat numbers. Again, I should listen to it more and see if it grows on me.
Author Comments:
I have to credit my wife for getting me into listening to his music. I had previously thought of him as a solid rocker, but not really anything that great. He's now one of my favorites, and I think he is highly underrated.
By the way, he's amazing in concert.
Nice list! Are you going to rate more artists' work as well? I think this would make a great series.