Vinyl of the Week - 12 December, 2021

Born In The USA, Bruce Springsteen

DISPLAYABLE vinyl of the week. This week’s album is a certified classic and has one of the most recognised covers of all time. The album that made Bruce Springsteen and the E Street band symbols of American rock n roll, it remains one of the biggest selling records of all time. This was no doubt helped by the worldwide tour that accompanied its release in 1984. To this day, Springsteen concerts are known to be the stuff of legend. He can play and perform for hours if the mood takes him, much to the delight of his legion of fans. This album seems to resonate with new audiences as well. In fact, this particular record was in the possession of my teenage daughter who discovered Dancing in the Dark and loved it. Listening to it again reminded me why it remains such a popular album. There were no less than seven top 10 singles; Dancing in the Dark, Cover Me, Born in the USA, I'm on Fire, Glory Days, I'm Goin' Down and My Hometown. The iconic cover photo, taken by renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz, had its share of conspiracy theories, including the claim that Springsteen was urinating on the flag as a political statement. He cleared that up in an interview. When asked about it, he replied “We took a lot of different types of pictures, and in the end, the picture of my ass looked better than the picture of my face, so that’s what went on the cover. It didn’t have any secret message.” The title track was also misunderstood, widely interpreted as a patriotic anthem due to its chorus, when the verses actually serve as a bitter critique of the treatment of returning Vietnam veterans. It took two years to put together and helped to define the American heartland rock genre. Worth another listen, it really does rock - DS