Track Listing

1. Born In The U.S.A.
2. Cover Me
3. Darlington County
4. Working On The Highway
5. Downbound Train
6. I'm On Fire
7. No Surrender
8. Bobby Jean
9. I'm Goin' Down
10. Glory Days
11. Dancing In The Dark
12. My Hometown

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #383 in Music
• Released on: 1990-10-25
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com essential recording
Born in the U.S.A. is an album painted in big, broad strokes. But it was still too subtle for some--namely politicians who tried to tap the title track as a jingoistic anthem when it is in fact a bitter diatribe by a Vietnam War vet whose country forgot him. The rest of the album is a glorious grab bag of radio-ready populist anthems--his best display of pure pop songwriting ever--including "No Surrender," "Dancing in the Dark," "Bobby Jean," and "Glory Days" alongside more circumspect numbers such as "My Hometown" and "I'm On Fire." It's not true that there's no arguing with success, but in this case Springsteen's widespread acclaim was warranted. With Born in the U.S.A., all those predictions from a decade earlier--that Springsteen was the future of rock--had come true. --Daniel Durchholz

Customer Reviews

The Boss Hits The Big Time
Okay, he may be the Boss, but I was never a huge fan, but a few weeks ago my pal Jen and I went to my other pal Tommy's house and we listened to song after song from the 70s to the 80s playing a game where Tommy would play the top singles of the year and Jen and I would try to guess what they were. Needless to say we were excellent at said game but what I noticed as we hit the 84/85 years was how much I really liked all the singles from this album.

I knew I loved "I'm On Fire" which always had some sort of exciting sexiness to it, which actually would then conjure up this album cover (helloooo!), but then singles like "Dancing In The Dark," "Cover Me," "Glory Days", "I'm Going Down" endless good old fashioned rock & roll. Sure, his every working man schtick would probably get boring if I were to have a Springsteen marathon but 12 fairly fun songs keeps me feeling slightly patriotic, if only to stand up and salute that album cover.

A true masterpiece; there's a reason he's "The Boss".
What can possibly be said about "Born in the U.S.A." that hasn't been said countless times? It's a legendary album, and it deserves every bit of praise. Despite the synths, the catchy hooks, the songs that still have regular radio airplay, and the hype in general, this is not a pop album, and these aren't pop songs; it just SOUNDS that way.

There's not a single weak track here, every song is brilliant in it's own way. There's an abundance of catchy, memorable melodies and refrains, but don't be fooled; these songs really say something. There's an actual meaning to these songs, you just have to, you know, actually listen to the lyrics to find that out (the title track, as has been pointed out countless times, is a prime example of this). "Dancing in the Dark" isn't really a dance tune, it's an angst filled story in which the singer isn't just looking for love, he's looking for the possiblility of love (after all, you can't start a fire without a spark). Who hasn't wanted to change their clothes, hair, or face at what point or another? "I'm on Fire" is a short and beautifully haunting song about the pining of one man for one particular woman (and it has to be noted, this song received one of the greatest music videos of all time, whether it's recognized as such or not. A true work of art). And "Working on the Highway", it's not about road construction, it's about a guy running off with a MUCH younger girl (a fact made even more abundantly clear in the working version of the song titled "Child Bride", which, like this album's title track, was recorded during the "Nebraska" sessions, but obviously never released on that album)!

The fact that Bruce can make a record sound so commercal, yet mean so much, is just furthur proof of why he's "The Boss" of rock. And you know what's even more amazing? This isn't even his best album! Arguements can be made for "Darkness on the Edge of Town" and "Nebraska", but as far as I'm concerned, "Born to Run" is not only Bruce's best, but the best album ever made period. But really, Springsteen's first 8 albums (his entire 70's and 80's output, of which this is the 7th) is incredible; each record a separate masterpiece, brilliant in it's own way.

Still, there can be no doubt that "Born in the U.S.A." is one of the greatest albums of all time. In an era of throwaway music laced with empty lyrics and/or sexual innuendo but no real heart (and yes, that's a trend that continues even more shamelessly today), Springsteen released a record that most certainly had heart and soul. It's importance and impact have not diminished these 20+ years, nor will it diminish. This is rock and roll magic, pure and simple.

I'm On Fire
I purchased this cd JUST to get a copy of "Im On Fire" and sadly, it's the shortest song on the disc and the volume is 'low' in comparison to the other cuts! If you're a FAN of Mr. Bruce, you'll enjoy it all the same. :)