When I was 21 years old I visited New York City on my own for the first time. I had a friend to stay with and show me around, but I hadn't ever really been there as an adult before. My friend lived in this tiny railroad apartment in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, which would later become my first apartment after graduation.
What I remember most about the whole visit wasn't going out in the city. Instead it was riding the Amtrak train along the Hudson River afterward and listening to Springsteen's Born to Run album. My dad had just given me this special boxed set edition for Christmas. I maybe had a few songs of his at the time, but never really wanted an album. But my dad loved it and thought I would, so we watched the whole "making of" included film together, and I was very impressed by many aspects of the documentary.
First, I had no idea Bruce was that skinny and runty and shaggy in the 70s. Second, his music is way more sophisticated, poetic and deep than I initially thought, and it also involved much more work and perfectionist production than I could have imagined. Third, that guy's passion and energy during live performances is hard to beat. He really threw everything he had into it. Finally, I didn't realize that he was ready to give up if he didn't breakthrough with that album.
I was becoming more serious about writing than ever before that year, as I realized I was about to be in the real world and not just a sheltered college student anymore. The publishing industry doesn't have any age expectations for writers, whereas the music industry is a little different. Anyone can make it at any time in this world if the talent and timing and audience come together, but there are guidelines, and Bruce knew the clock was ticking.
Luckily, he got by with a little help from his friends. The sax solo from Clarence Clemons on "Jungleland" is one of the top achievements of humanity. During his interview he said that countless people have told him that that solo brought them back from despair. I understand why.
Even so, right now, I'm feeling more like "Thunder Road."
What I remember most about the whole visit wasn't going out in the city. Instead it was riding the Amtrak train along the Hudson River afterward and listening to Springsteen's Born to Run album. My dad had just given me this special boxed set edition for Christmas. I maybe had a few songs of his at the time, but never really wanted an album. But my dad loved it and thought I would, so we watched the whole "making of" included film together, and I was very impressed by many aspects of the documentary.
First, I had no idea Bruce was that skinny and runty and shaggy in the 70s. Second, his music is way more sophisticated, poetic and deep than I initially thought, and it also involved much more work and perfectionist production than I could have imagined. Third, that guy's passion and energy during live performances is hard to beat. He really threw everything he had into it. Finally, I didn't realize that he was ready to give up if he didn't breakthrough with that album.
I was becoming more serious about writing than ever before that year, as I realized I was about to be in the real world and not just a sheltered college student anymore. The publishing industry doesn't have any age expectations for writers, whereas the music industry is a little different. Anyone can make it at any time in this world if the talent and timing and audience come together, but there are guidelines, and Bruce knew the clock was ticking.
Luckily, he got by with a little help from his friends. The sax solo from Clarence Clemons on "Jungleland" is one of the top achievements of humanity. During his interview he said that countless people have told him that that solo brought them back from despair. I understand why.
Even so, right now, I'm feeling more like "Thunder Road."
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