1985 - November: Bruce Springsteen "Born In the U.S.A."

What the Riff?!?

There were few rock albums in the 80's which achieved the popularity levels of Born In the U.S.A., the seventh studio album by Bruce Springsteen. Songs for this album were recorded with the E. Street Band over a two-year period from 1982 until 1984, the totality of songs far outstripping the available space on the album. Somewhere between 70 and 90 songs were created during those sessions, some being released as B-sides Ultimately twelve songs landed on the album, seven of which were released as singles. All seven singles reached the top 10 in the United States.

The songs reflect Springsteen's blue collar sensibilities, but also have more pop influence musically than some of his earlier works. Springsteen made more prominent use of synthesizers in these pieces, and the shorter, more radio-friendly tracks surely contributed to the success of the album. “Born In the U.S.A.” was the biggest selling album of 1985, and remains Springsteen's most successful studio album. The album's success also catapulted Bruce Springsteen's fame to stratospheric levels, a consequence which he considered a mixed blessing.

While the music is pop oriented and lively, the lyrics are often darker, reflecting the aftermath of the Vietnam war and struggles of blue collar life. It may be a strange juxtaposition, but it worked.

Born In the U.S.A. was released in 1984, but singles from the album were still being released in 1985, the last of which was released in November.

Lynch brings us this monster album of 80's heartland rock in this week's podcast

Glory Days
The fifth single released from the album was inspired by an encounter Springsteen had with an old friend and star high school baseball player in a bar in 1973. It reflects on the passage of time and the way we look back on the days of our youth with nostalgia.

Dancing In the Dark
This track was born out of frustration. Springsteen's manager was pushing for him to write a hit single, and the lyrics reflect the pressire Springsteen felt to write a hit. Interestingly the song became Springsteen's biggest hit, reaching number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. The video is famous for a scene where Springsteen pulls a fan - the actress Courtney Cox before her fame on the TV show “Friends” - on stage to dance.

I'm On Fire
Springsteen developed this song in early 1982 while experimenting with a slow Johnny Cash rhythm. The lyrics are built around sexual tension for a seemingly unavailable love. The video portrays Springsteen as an auto mechanic working on a Thunderbird for an unseen female who brings the car in frequently and always asks for him to do the work.

Born In the U.S.A.
The title track and opening song to the album is a protest song disguised as a patriotic song. It was inspired by Ron Kovic, a Vietnam War veteran and wheelchair-bound anti-war activist who wrote the memoir “Born on the Fourth of July.” Despite its protest origins, it became associated with Ronald Reagan's optimistic 1984 campaign due to its strong chorus.

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Living In America by James Brown (from the motion picture “Rocky IV”)
Brown makes a cameo in this Rocky movie when Balboa's antagonist turned friend Apollo Creed fights an exhibition against Soviet athlete Ivan Drogo in Las Vegas.

STAFF PICKS:

She Sells Sanctuary by the Cult
Wayne gets the staff picks rolling with the first big hit from the Cult. The lyrics reflect the feeling of safety that the singer receives when being around a particular woman. Front man Ian Astbury has stated that "...plain and simple. It's about sex." This group channels a bit of goth rock and a bit of fuzzy psychedelia.

To Live and Die in L.A. by Wang Chung
Rob brings us a deeper cut from the film noir "To Live and Die in L.A." Director William Friedkin liked the group and asked them to compose the entire soundtrack. This piece is the title track for the soundtrack, and gives off the neo-noir feel of the thriller.

Overjoyed by Stevie Wonder
Bruce features a hit song of the twentieth studio album from Stevie Wonder, "In Squared Circle." The song was written back in 1979 for the album "Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants," but didn't make that album. It was first performed live on Saturday Night Live in 1983. Jazz guitarist Earl Klugh contributes on this song.

Running Up that Hill (A Deal with God) by Kate Bush
Lynch finishes the staff picks with a song that got new life from the series "Stranger Things." Bush's unusual lyrics reflect a desire to make a deal with God to trade places with her husband for a time so she would better understand him.

INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:

Where's the Walrus? by The Alan Parson's Project
We finish off today's podcast with an instrumental from The Alan Parson's Project album "Stereotomy."

Thanks for listening to “What the Riff?!?”

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