Born to Run
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Template:Album infobox Born to Run is a rock album by American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released in 1975 (see 1975 in music).
Contents |
History
His third album, Born to Run was Springsteen's breakthrough hit and launched his career in the United States and around the world. His first album to feature Roy Bittan and Max Weinberg, Born to Run was preceded by hype due to overwhelming critical acclaim. While his previous two albums, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. and The Wild, the Innocent and 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 (much 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".)
Upon release, the album peaked at number 3 on the Billboard album chart and spent over two years in the top 100 best-selling albums. Most reviews were immediate raves, even to the extent of writer Greil Marcus comparing the introduction to "Backstreets" to the Iliad.
The album's reputation has not suffered over time. Rolling Stone's 2002 list of the greatest 500 albums of all time ranked Born to Run at number 18. In 2003, Born to Run was ranked as the most popular album in the first Zagat Survey Music Guide. Also in 2003, the TV network VH1 named it the 27th-greatest album of all time. In 2003, it was one of 50 recordings chosen that year by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry.
On November 14, 2005, Columbia Records released Born to Run 30th Anniversary Edition. The package included a remastered CD version of the original album, and two DVDs: Wings For Wheels, a lengthy documentary on the making of the album (with bonus film of three songs recorded live on May 1, 1973 at the Ahmanson Theater in Los Angeles), and Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Hammersmith Odeon, London '75, a full-length concert film recorded on November 18, 1975 at the Hammersmith Odeon in London (this live recording was subsequently released as the CD Hammersmith Odeon London '75). Packages from retailer Best Buy also included a CD single replica of the original "Born to Run" 45 single.
Track listing
- "Thunder Road" – 4:49
- "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" – 3:10
- "Night" – 3:00
- "Backstreets" – 6:30
- "Born to Run" – 4:30
- "She's the One" – 4:30
- "Meeting Across the River" – 3:18
- "Jungleland" – 9:35
All songs written by Bruce Springsteen.
Personnel
The E Street Band
- Roy Bittan – piano, Fender Rhodes, glockenspiel, harpsichord, organ, background vocals
- Ernest "Boom" Carter – drums (on "Born to Run" only)
- Clarence Clemons – saxophones
- Danny Federici – organ (on "Born to Run" only)
- Suki Lahav – violin (on "Jungleland" only)
- David Sancious – keyboards (on "Born to Run" only)
- Bruce Springsteen – lead vocals, guitar, harmonica, horn arrangements
- Garry Tallent – bass guitar
- Steven Van Zandt – horn arrangements, background vocals
- Max Weinberg – drums
Additional musicians
- 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
| Year | Chart | Position | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | U.S. Billboard Pop Albums | 3 | initial release |
| 1985 | U.S. Billboard 200 | 101 | re-entry at time of Born in the U.S.A. |
| 2005 | U.S. Billboard 200 | 19 | Born to Run 30th Anniversary Edition |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | "Born To Run" | U.S. Billboard Pop Singles | 23 |
| 1975 | "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" | U.S. Billboard Pop Singles | 83 |
External links
Template:Bruce Springsteenfr:Born to Run it:Born to Run sv:Born to Run