Ranking Bruce Springsteen's albums from the 1970s
By Lee Vowell
Icon. Legend. What other possible adjectives are there to describe Bruce Springs and his E. Street Band? Since the musical artist's first albums in 1973, Springsteen's shadow has shown over rock music and that is how it should be.
While not everything he has touched has been perfect, there should be no doubt as to what Springsteen's intentions were. He wanted to make good songs for his adoring fans. He knew he was lucky to have them and he did not want to fail to entertain.
His first four albums were all from the 1970s. All are worth a listen. But which one is the best and which one is the least (though still better than most other musical artists)? Here is an opinion.
Ranking all of Bruce Springsteen's albums from the 1970s
No. 4 - Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. (1973)
Perhaps the best two songs from Springsteen's debut album were ones he had to quickly write after his record label, Columbia Records, rejected the initial offer. Clive Davis was Columbia's president at the time and he did not hear a single on the album. Springsteen wrote "Blinded by the Light" and "Spirit in the Night" and recorded both on September 11, 1972. "Blinded..." was never a hit for Springsteen, but Manfred Mann's Earth Band covered the song (badly), and their single hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
Overall, this album is a bit too gruffy even for the Boss as the record was recorded at low-budget 914 Sound Studios in Blauvelt, New York. Of course, no one at the time could have known Springsteen would become a rock icon. Spending much money on the recording would not have made sense. Still, Springsteen formed a unique sound due to his voice and lyrics.
The album had been split into five band songs and five solo songs, though clearly, Springsteen would become the dominant force with the group over the years. His lyrics would become less wordy as well as he realized he wasn't so much a folk singer as a rock star. The album reached number 60 on the Billboard album charts, the lowest-charting record in Springsteen's career.