Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen

There's a reason he's called "The Boss" and in this thoughtful, entertaining and sometimes moving memoir, Bruce Springsteen shows why he's a rock god, a respected philanthropist, an honest man, and a just genuinely decent human being. 

Born to Run chronicles Springsteen's life from his complicated childhood in Freehold, NJ to his sixties. There was so much information contained in these pages (that's illustrative, I actually listened to the audio version, read by the man himself) that I didn't know. 

While in college at Ohio State University, I worked student security at the basketball arena and was often lucky enough to be working during concerts and their sound checks. This would have been back in 2002. I remember after seeing Bruce Springsteen do nothing more than perform his soundcheck that I had just witnessed something real - a sense of "rock and roll" that evoked wistful looks in the eyes of my parents and basically anyone who had experienced the rock revolution of the late 60s and early 70s.

Don't believe me? Go read Corbin Reiff's list of top 10 Springsteen concerts and know that he's totally correct when he says:

To try and describe a live Bruce Springsteen performance with the woefully inadequate word “concert” is absolutely foolish. Throughout the years, many a writer has tried and failed to put into broader language what takes place at these sometimes two, sometimes three, and sometimes even four-hour revues, and only a very select few have succeeded. Jon Landau, the venerated ‘70s rock critic and Springsteen’s present-day manager, came perhaps the closest when he wrote after a 1974 gig in Boston, “I saw rock and roll future, and its name is Bruce Springsteen.” That night, Springsteen made Landau feel the way he would make so many millions more feel in the years and shows that followed. “On a night when I needed to feel young, he made me feel like I was hearing music for the very first time. (link here)

He can't read music. He was in his 30s before he finally made it big. He's very insecure. He's struggled with depression. And most importantly, he's totally upfront and honest about all of this. 

That this book is lyrically told should be no surprise to anyone, since Springsteen has been writing music and lyrics almost his entire life. He sees songs in everyday lives and makes them into music. He arranges phrases and words and imbues them with feeling and knowledge. It's a pretty rare form of alchemy. 

Rock God

I've obviously been listening to more Springsteen than usual during the duration of this audiobook - including some of his newer stuff I was totally unaware of. It is not hard to know 1984's Born in the USA - it was a level of rock stardom even The Boss was never quite able to obtain again. So now, this newly minted Springsteen superfan (me) has been listening to Tracks, and Wrecking Ball on repeat. (Honestly if you overlooked 2012's Wrecking Ball like I did, go back and give it a listen. It's awesome. Springsteen himself thinks it's his most perfectly made record). Yeah yeah all the old stuff holds up, but the new stuff is amazing as well. Go back and listen to Thunder Road and Badlands and Born to Run and convince yourself you can tell it's from the 70s. It's timeless.

I loved everything about this book. Told with a beautiful honesty and self-deprecating grace that is not usually seen in a star of Springsteen's caliber, Born to Run left me with a profound gratitude for the music and the musician.

5/5 Stars.