 |
|
28听|听Top 100
'Thunder Road'
Bruce Springsteen
It may not be his best known work but 鈥淭hunder Road鈥 could reasonably be called the quintessential Bruce Springsteen track. The first song on his breakthrough album Born To Run, it has everything you鈥檇 want from a Springsteen track 鈥 rootsy |
 Song facts |
| Composer |
Bruce Springsteen |
|
| Genre |
Rock |
|
| Album |
Born To Run |
|
| Year of Release |
1975 |
|
rock from the E Street Band, impassioned vocals from The Boss, and a great kitchen sink lyric. After two critically acclaimed but commercially disappointing albums, Springsteen was under pressure to come up with a hit when he recorded Born To Run. So he took a risk, decamped to The Record Plant in New York, and attempted to recreate Phil Spector鈥檚 famed 鈥榃all Of Sound鈥. 鈥淭hunder Road鈥 shows that influence clearly. The piano and harmonica introduction sets the introspective tone of the song and by the time the full band joins them a minute later you鈥檙e hooked, thanks to Springsteen鈥檚 cinematic lyric. In fact the whole track, which was named after a 1958 Robert Mitchum film, is held together by his skilfully narrated tale of an average Joe desperate to escape 鈥渁 town full of losers鈥 with his girl, a Chevy and a guitar. The sessions may not have been easy 鈥 鈥淚 was born, grew old and died making that album鈥 Springsteen said 鈥 but they were successful, and gave him the chart success he so dearly needed.
 |
|
Writer's block is something that comes and goes according to Bruce. And he has word of warning for would-be song writers who don't want to lose their creative urges听- stay away from television. In America anyway.
|
 听 |
|
Other versions |
|
听Bruce recorded a slow version of Thunder Road for his Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Live 1975 - '85 album.
|
|
|
|
| 听DON'T MISS |
|
|
|
 |
|
Doves
Special guests on Dermot's show this week
|
|
What's on
Find out more about current and forthcoming documentaries on Radio 2.
|
|
听Full Schedule
Tips on how to be professional and what to do if the PA breaks in 
听Newsletter sign-up