072: Bruce Springsteen - Born in the U.S.A. (1984)

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“I was always of two minds about big records and the chance involved in engaging a mass audience. Was the effort of seeking that audience worth the exposure, the discomfort of the spotlight and the amount of life that’d be handed over? But that audience can also let you know how powerful and durable your music might be.”

—Bruce Springsteen

Born in the USA isn't Ben's favorite Bruce Springsteen album. In fact, it's not even his favorite Bruce Springsteen album whose name begins with Born. So why the heck are we covering it here? Well, despite selling 30 million copies in the last 37 years, it's sometimes unfairly dismissed as Bruce's vapid radio album. But there's real depth on Born in the USA: politics, heartbreak, angst, humor, and creative frustration, all snuck into the Top Ten by virtue of being attached to catchy melodies and muscular rock and roll. So join Ben, who gets to be the Boss — for two hours, at least — and the awesomely insightful Employees Amanda, Rich, and Phil, as they discuss a huge hit album that's way more interesting than you might remember.

Miscellany

• In addition to the shows we recommended, there is an absolutely ridiculous amount of live Bruce Springsteen available for purchase at live.brucespringsteen.net. If you need help culling them down, the online publication Consequence recommended some of their favorites in 2016.

• On Springsteen as prog: Producer Mike notes that early in the Boss’s career, before he had been pigeonholed into a genre, epics like “Jungleland” and “Incident on 57th Street” received airplay on progressive rock stations, alongside Yes and Emerson, Lake & Palmer. So there, Ben.

• Ben’s counterpoint: No, they didn't.

• As we mentioned, the cultural discussion surrounding “Born in the U.S.A.” is a subject unto itself that could fill a whole podcast episode. The Guardian published an article in April discussing the song as part of a wider trend of protest songs being reappropriated as right-wing anthems.

• Slate published an article in 2020 that delves into the mysterious "speedball" that Bruce's baseball-star friend in “Glory Days” could throw by you.

• B.G. Burkett’s excellent book Stolen Valor delves into, among other topics, the way Vietnam veterans are misrepresented in the media and in pop culture.

• The Simpsons clip coming out of “I’m on Fire” is from the third-season episode “Colonel Homer.” 

Other links

• Bruce Springsteen's official website (brucespringsteen.net)

• Edgy and Dull: 20 Covers of “I’m On Fire" (Ryan Leas, Stereogum)

• Dead Man's Town: A Tribute to Born in the U.S.A. (Discogs)

• Discord & Rhyme’s Born in the U.S.A. playlist (Spotify)

• Discord & Rhyme’s Patreon

Discord & Rhyme Roll Call 

• Ben Marlin (host)

• Amanda Rodgers (moderator)

• Rich Bunnell

• Phil Maddox

• Mike DeFabio (guest appearance) 

Born in the U.S.A. tracklist

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

Other clips used 

Bruce Springsteen:

• Spirit in the Night (Live at the Roxy, 7/7/78)

• Radio Nowhere

• Pink Cadillac

• Hungry Heart

• Tenth Avenue Freeze Out

• Lonesome Day

• Born in the U.S.A. (acoustic)

• Born in the U.S.A. (Live 1975-85 version)

• Cover Me (Live 1975-85 version)

• We Shall Overcome

• Prove It All Night (Passaic, NJ 9/19/78)

• The Wayfarer

• Kitty's Back (Live at the Hammersmith Odeon, London '75)

• Paradise by the "C" 

Others:

• Def Leppard - Animal

• The Arcade Fire - Born in the U.S.A. (live)

• Blitzen Trapper - Working on the Highway

• Rod Stewart - Downtown Train

• The Decemberists - Cutting Stone

• Kurt Vile - Downbound Train

• Tori Amos - I'm on Fire

• Chromatics - I'm on Fire

• Electrelane - I'm on Fire

• Bob Dylan - Chimes of Freedom

• John Prine - Far from Me

• Vampire Weekend - I’m Goin’ Down

• Gary U.S. Bonds - Quarter to Three

• John Coltrane - Ascension

• Stereolab - Super-Electric

• Flight of the Conchords - Pop Song (BBC Radio 4)

• Tegan and Sara - Dancing in the Dark

• Will Smith - Miami

• Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Mary Jane’s Last Dance

Band/album personnel

• Bruce Springsteen – lead vocals, lead guitar, acoustic guitar

• Roy Bittan – piano, synthesizer, background vocals

• Clarence Clemons – saxophone, percussion, background vocals

• Danny Federici – Hammond organ, glockenspiel, piano on "Born in the U.S.A."

• Garry Tallent – bass guitar, background vocals

• Steven Van Zandt – rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, mandolin, harmony vocals

• Max Weinberg – drums, background vocals

• Richie "La Bamba" Rosenberg – background vocals on "Cover Me" and "No Surrender"

• Ruth Davis – background vocals on "My Hometown"

• Toby Scott – engineer

• Bob Clearmountain – mixing

• John Davenport, Jeff Hendrickson, Bruce Lampcov, Billy Strauss, Zöe Yanakas – assistant engineers

• Bob Ludwig – mastering

• Bill Scheniman – engineer on "Cover Me"

Credits

“Discord & Rhyme (theme),” composed by the Other Leading Brand, contains elements of: 

• Duran Duran - Hungry Like the Wolf

• Amon Düül II - Dehypnotized Toothpaste

• The Dukes of Stratosphear - What in the World?? ...

• Faith No More - Midlife Crisis

• Herbie Hancock - Hornets

• Kraftwerk - Autobahn

• Talking Heads - Seen and Not Seen

• Bruce Springsteen - Born in the U.S.A. (this episode only) 

You can buy or stream Born in the U.S.A. and other albums by Bruce Springsteen at brucespringsteen.net, your local record store, or the usual suspects such as Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and Amazon. Follow Discord & Rhyme on Twitter @DiscordPod for news, updates, and other random stuff. Editing is by Rich Bunnell, and special thanks to our own Mike DeFabio, the Other Leading Brand, for production and original music. See you next album, and keep as cool as you can.