There are very few records that could illicit the almost academic like study of its origins, but Bruce Springsteen’s career defining Born to Run is one that can. Recorded nearly 35 years ago, the record was delayed in part due to Springsteen’s extreme perfectionism and intense pressure from the band’s record label desperate for a big seller after their first two efforts garnered critical praise, but failed to find an audience with the record-buying public.
Louis Masur, author of the Soiling of Old Glory, brings both a researcher’s mind and a fan’s sense of history in dissecting the story around the making this laborious album. Though clearly and admittedly a fan of Springsteen’s music, Masur still manages to remain objective blending not only the raves that followed the album’s eventual release, but also the negative reviews and expected backlash. Though Springsteen wasn’t interviewed for the book, Masur does manage to quote extensively from past interviews with the musician and includes plenty of The Boss’s almost legendary onstage banter.
“When I did Born to Run, I thought, I’m going to make the greatest rock ‘n’ roll record ever made.†Springsteen, 1987.
The book might be a bit tedious for anyone who’s not a real fan of the record, but come on, how many people out there really don’t consider Born to Run one a brilliant album?
Runaway Dream: Born to Run and Bruce Springsteen’s American Vision by Louis P. Masur/Bloomsbury Press/256 pages
