Ryan White & Associates

Forty years ago today, Born to Run was released. Was finally released. Was unleashed. Born to Run changed everything for Bruce Springsteen. It’s full of hopes and dreams and desperate lust for a future somewhere other than here–wherever your particular here might be. It’s a hot summer night. It’s a screen door slamming. It’s a car speeding off down the highway. It’s a record that takes hold of your imagination and makes your ass shake. Its cover provided the cover for Springsteen: Album by Album. Still available where fine books are sold.

Tom Cunningham’s Bruce Brunch radio show Sunday featured the album’s co-producer, Mike Appel, and plenty of archival interviews.

I caught one show on the Working on a Dream tour. It was in Detroit. Born to Run was performed in its entirety, and this humid and haunting run at “Backstreets” is one of my favorite moments from that show. (Which was also the show Bruce thought was in Ohio for the first few songs.)