75-year-old rock legend BRUCE SPRINGTEEN released his grand,
breakthrough longplayer BORN TO RUN today 50 years ago, on
25 August 2025.
It peaked at #3 in the US and #36 in the UK.
Over the following decades, the album has become widely regarded as
a masterpiece and one of his’s best records. It has appeared on various
lists of the greatest albums of all time.
The photo of the LP’s cover art was taken by the photographer Eric Meola. Springsteen’s busy recording schedule meant he kept missing shooting dates. When he finally showed up, he brought his saxophonist Clarence Clemons (1942-2011) whom he wanted on the cover.
Meola shot 900 frames in the three-hour session, some of which showed The Boss under
a fire escape, tuning a radio, and with a guitar. Unused shots were used for advertising.
Pitchfork: “Elvis had hit merely 18 years prior; Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix,
and the Beatles had died or called it quits only three or four years earlier. Bob Dylan
had been at it for a while and potentially seemed dated, though he was still only 33.
The weight of pop music history was something that could be shrugged off, and with
so much unexplored territory, bands felt an obligation to see where rock music might
yet go.
Born to Run is a distinctive record, even in the Springsteen canon. Its world is one of impossibly romantic hyperrealism, where the mundane easily becomes fantastic, and it all happens line by line.
Born to Run lies entirely on the dreamy and reckless side of maturity and is all the better
for it. Every young person should be so lucky, to have a time in his or her life when the
inflated romanticism of Born to Run makes perfect sense.”
Last Saturday on Record Store Day one of the countless special releases
was a 12-inch containing the 3 encores that Bruce Spingsteen played with The Killers at their massive concert in Madison Square Garden in NYC in
October 2022.
They performed two Springsteen crackers, Badlands
and Born To Run, and one Killers one with Dustland.
The 12-inch was only pressed on 5000 copies. I guess those are all long gone.
But you can enjoy the flabbergasting performances, officially posted on YT now,
with Badlands as the overwhelming stunner, in 5-star HQ, right here.
BEST OF BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN is a collection of songs spanning The Boss‘ 50-year recording career, from 1973’s Greeting from Asbury Park, NJ to 2020’s Letter To You.
It’s slated for release on April 19. More info here.
Tracklist
Growin’ Up
Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
Born To Run
Thunder Road
Badlands
Hungry Heart
Atlantic City
Dancing in the Dark
Born in the U.S.A
Brilliant Disguise
Human Touch
Streets of Philadelphia
The Ghost of Tom Joad
Secret Garden
The Rising
Girls In Their Summer Clothes
Hello Sunshine
Letter To You
Clips that will have an impact on your eyes and your ears…
Last July the New York City tramps RICH GIRLS shared their shadowy
version of Bruce Springsteen‘s 24 karat masterstroke BORN TO RUN.
Turn Up The Volume wrote: “I’m pretty sure the band chose this classic cracker with
a specific purpose as the story of this 45-year-old standout – released in 1975 – is highly relevant again in today’s Divided States Of America. Rich Girls do not rock as much as the original, they give it a more haunting and yes, more gloomy timbre. Born in the USA
to run away in 2020.”
To visualize their cover sentiments the band made a film noir clip which reflects
the Signs O’ the Times perfectly with frontwoman Luisa Black eye-catchingly sensual
and sexy in the middle.
Fifteen Knockout Tracks hitting Turn Up The Volume‘s speakers this past month!
A steamy melting pot of isolation corkers and lockdown cuts. Don’t worry, be happy!
– Incinerate – PHOSPHENE (Portland, Oregon, US)
Twinkling guitars, pulsating drums, radiant melodiousness, and bright vocals bringing Cocteau Twins‘ wonderful singer Elisabeth Fraser. Glimmering shoegaze sparks. From
their excellent longplayerLotus Eaters.
. – Hear Me Now – DJ DOVE and ROWETTA (UK) #Selfishness is toxic #Change is desperately needed #LetUsDance is the message #DJDove is the techno wizard #Rowetta is the sky-high soul voice #Beach-party-tune #IbizaRules
– Born To Run – by RICH GIRLS (NYC)
For all those tramps who were born in the USA, go and dance in the dark before
you need to run for that sickly narcissistic American idiot. The Boss for president!
. – Rainbow Records – OCEANOGRAPHY (Oakland, California)
Glorious guitar pop humdinger getting your aural attention instantly with a repetitive
riff sticking as first-class glue. Inflammable passion, scintillating ardency, and vehement fervor. Affecting voice reminding me of Greg Dulli‘s imposing vocals at times.
. – Televised Mind – FONTAINES D.C. (Dublin, Ireland)
Rollicking Krautrock-like jam with charismatic frontman Grian Chatten‘s parlando
vocals rattling on and on and on. From the brand new top albumA Hero’s Death.
– A Boat To Drawn In – METZ (Canada)
Halfway this storming steamroller turns into a trance-like juggernaut driven by
boisterous drum kicks and raucous guitars. Hypnotic and mind-boggling. It’s Metz’s deafening sound of hope. New album ATLAS VENDING out 9 October.
– Down The Stairs – SHEHEHE (Athens, Georgia, US)
A blistering jackhammer doing your head in from the explosive get-go. A thunder and lighting corker that rages like a Formula One race car at a dangerous speed. Noise-tastic!
– My Faith Is Larger – SAVING JACKIE (San Antonio, Texas, US)
Move over RATM for this shattering, striking slam dunk with the merciless power
of a bone-crushing iron ball. A hot-tempered sucker-punch triggering every single
nerve, every single muscle, and every single vein in your shuddering body. Hell yeah!
– Unstoppable – MIESHA & THE SPANKS (Calgary, Alberta, Canada)
A rumbling crackerjack rolling from the kick-off. A sickly sticky stunner to jump along, scream along and sweat along. Crackling guitars, hammering drum kicks and spicy vocals is what you get, hopping like a kangaroo on drugs is what you should do. Isolation firework to pump up your mood and body temperature. C’mon!
. – Hetty O’Hara Confidential – ELVIS COSTELLO (UK)
The great imperishable songsmith still knows how to surprise.
This sonic jim-dandy, a sort of beatbox banger says it all. Boom boom.
– Keep Your Eyes Peeled – by ULTRA SUNN (Brussels, Belgium)
Combine D.A.F.‘s industrial vibrations, Sisters Of Mercy‘s catchy gloom and doom hallucinations and Depeche Mode‘s pop-noir melodies, and what you get is a trip to
a tenebrous underground basement where Ultra Sunn‘s Sam Huge and Gaelle Souflet
are the DJ’s. Dance like it’s 1999 all over again.
. – Jackie – HYPERSPACE (Atlanta, Georgia, US)
Riff extravaganza / Electrical lobotomy / Gabba Gabba Hey /
High-voltage power pop / Alive and ticking / Punktastic!
. – A Hymn – IDLES (Bristol, UK)
A slow-moving ominous groove that feels like it will explode any second, but doesn’t. Like a fierce volcano about to spew lava but… doesn’t! The tension is almost unbearable. Another topnotch stroke! Idles keep on delivering soul-stirring thrills.
– You Are Just Not Alone – by BLACK MOON BOOK(Chicago, US)
A tender and romantic ballad with a Nils Lofgren-like, starry-eyed voice as the most important instrument in the middle. You can file this comforting reverie next to Kurt Vile and The National. Relax, sit down, and enjoy…
After sharing new stellar single The Fighter a week ago New York City’s RICH GIRLS,
led by soul-stirring vox Luisa Black, stun with The Boss‘ breakthrough hit BORN TO RUN.
I’m pretty sure the band chose this classic cracker with a purpose as the story of this 45-year old standout – released in 1975 – is highly relevant again in today’s Divided States
Of America. Rich Girls do not rock as much as the original, they give it a more haunting and yes, more gloomy timbre. Born in the USA to run away in 2020.
In the day we sweat it out on the streets
Of a runaway American dream
At night we ride through the mansions of glory
In suicide machines
Sprung from cages on Highway 9
Chrome wheeled, fuel injected, and steppin’ out over the line
Oh, baby this town rips the bones from your back
It’s a death trap, it’s a suicide rap
We gotta get out while we’re young
‘Cause tramps like us, baby, we were born to run
Artist: Bruce Springsteen Song: Born To Run – released as a single 25 August 1975, 44 years ago today Story: The song is a love letter to a girl named Wendy, for whom the hot rod
riding protagonist seems to possess the passion to love, just not the patience Album: Born To Run – released the same day as the title track/single Success: Although it stranded at #23 on the US Singles Chart it was The Boss‘ huge breakthrough moment also because it was the steamy wall-of-sound highlight at
his live firework shows
