“Born to Run” is Springsteen’s third release and the first one where he sounds like Bruce today. From the Dylan-esque rants of “Greetings from Asbury Park” to the funky grooves of “The Wild, The Innocent and the E Street Shuffle” comes “Born to Run” and… well, let me go one track at a time.

“Thunder Road” begins with an epic piano part underscored by a Harmonica. Next comes Springsteen’s voice and the song cranks into a full on rock and roll anthem. Classic Bruce.

“Tenth Avenue Freeze Out” might be one of my favorite songs of all time. The staccato piano chords and the rhythm section’s cool groove join Springsteen’s howling vocals. The horns don’t stop on this one and make you want to dance the night away in front of a skeeball joint on the Jersey Shore.

“Night” rubs me the wrong way. The vocal harmonies just don’t sit well with me. I am not a fan.

Thankfully, “Backstreets” brings back the Boss’s howling vocal parts in a standard anthem with packed with Jersey shore references.

Now, I’ve heard the song “Born to Run” more times than anyone could ever count. I still don’t get tired of Bruce’s lyrics about racing cars on Jersey’s forgotten highways. Ironically, this song was chosen as New Jersey’s youth anthem by the state legislature even though the lyrics are about getting out of Jersey. Every New Jersey teenager can relate to the theme: Let’s fall in love and ditch this crappy town for good… together.

“She’s the One,” like “Night,” demonstrates Bruce’s new singing style. He’s harder to understand and exaggerates a different vocal style. I can’t say I like this one either.

“Meeting Across the River” is a bit different than the rest of the album. It’s a soft, jazzy track. Lyrically, I dig it, but I find it a bit sleepy in the music department.

A lot of people say “Jungleland” is their favorite Bruce song. It’s not mine, but I understand the attraction. The piano plunks out a subtle carnival-like melody while Bruce rants about stock characters doing bad things in the ghettos of Jersey.

Now that I’ve reviewed the first three Springsteen albums on allconsuming, I think I’m done. From here, Bruce becomes a megastar and the desperation of a working class man isn’t quite there, in my humble opinion. Rediscovering 70s Bruce has changed the way I think about music. When you’re listening to Springsteen’s early work, songs become stories and music can be serious, fun, political and fantastic at the same time. As a lifelong Garden State resident, the Jersey and New York City references always make me smirk.

I’m still technically listening to “Jungle Land”, but I think I’m close enough.

It’s a pretty good album. Not the best, but I enjoyed it.

It’s not blown me away but I didn’t hate it. Quite liked the title tune and “10th Avenue Freeze-out”.

Maybe I’ll give this another shot somewhere down the road…