Bruce Springsteen - Born In The U.S.A.

Released in 1984

With his 1980 release The River, Bruce Springsteen proved he was clearly going to be one of the decade's leaders in the world of rock. In 1982 he proved that his success was born of his personal talent rather than flashy musicianship when he released Nebraska, a stirring yet basic acoustical folk rock album. In 1984, he released one of the quintessential rock albums with Born in the U.S.A., a smash commercial success that granted Springsteen an impressive seven Top Ten hits.

Born in the U.S.A. was clearly Springsteen's most popular release, though many applauded the song without actually understanding it. Perhaps it's forgivable for the common music fan to mistake Born in the U.S.A. as a zealous red, white and blue patriotic anthem, but when politicians began incorporating this track for their campaigns without realizing the actual significance behind it, the irony became almost too much.

Some of the album highlights are:

• Born In The U.S.A. – With its ultra-anthemic chorus, it's easy to mistake this story of a disenfranchised Vietnam veteran as a blindly patriotic feel-good track.
• I'm Goin' Down – Featuring a catchy, upbeat tempo, this song speaks of a relationship that has run its course.
• My Hometown – A somber tale of a boy growing up in a small town and observing the deterioration of his home as he grows older and eventually becomes a father himself.

There are some older fans that have criticized Born in the U.S.A. as being too commercial and detached from his roots, but I disagree with such criticism. While it's true that this was by far Springsteen's most commercially accessible work, anyone that takes the time to listen to the actual lyrics will see that despite the catchy guitar riffs and polished sound demonstrated throughout the album the Boss continues to sing of the same small town values he's always adopted.

Rating: 10 stars

Track List Born in the U.S.A. Cover Me Darlington County Working on the Highway Downbound Train I'm on Fire No Surrender Bobby Jean I'm Goin' Down Glory Days Dancing in the Dark My Hometown

Additional Resources:

• The River Review
• Nebraska Review
• Tunnel of Love Review

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