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Runaway Dream: Born to Run and Bruce Springsteen's American Vision
"In Runaway Dream, Louis P. Masur dissects the making of the albumand the legacy it has left behind with the meticulous eye of a scholar and the unabashed affection of a true fan." --Associated Press
To millions of listeners, Born to Run is much more than an album--it's a poetic explosion of the freedom and frustration of youth. The album made Springsteen a megastar, and confirmed him as the rocker who, more than any other, gives voice to our hopes, fears, and aspirations. Runaway Dream chronicles the making and significance of Springsteen's masterwork, deftly sketching the ambition, history, and personalities that created an enduring work of art.
To millions of listeners, Born to Run is much more than an album--it's a poetic explosion of the freedom and frustration of youth. The album made Springsteen a megastar, and confirmed him as the rocker who, more than any other, gives voice to our hopes, fears, and aspirations. Runaway Dream chronicles the making and significance of Springsteen's masterwork, deftly sketching the ambition, history, and personalities that created an enduring work of art.
256 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
October 25, 2024
3.5 stars
"With those three words - born to run - Springsteen encapsulated his vision of American culture. There were other blues and rock songs with 'born' in the title: 'Born Under a Bad Sign' and 'Born to Be Wild,' for example. If the first speaks of American innate depravity and the second of American violence, then his 'Born to Run' speaks of the essential identity of America as a nation of citizens always on the move, seeking the better chance, looking to belong but also hearing to escape." -- on page 83
Authored by a college professor - and it can occasionally seem a bit like a thesis or scholarly text - Runaway Dream focuses on the third album by Garden State rocker Bruce Springsteen, which is celebrating its 50th (!) anniversary next year. At the time of its release it finally cemented 'The Boss' as a popular (and populist) recording artist in those pessimistic years immediately following the Watergate conspiracy and the Vietnam Conflict. Sporting tunes like the hit title track plus FM radio mainstays 'Thunder Road,' 'Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out,' and 'She's the One,' the disc was an odd but successful mix of upbeat-sounding but lyrically-bleak songs that spoke to the then-beleaguered Baby Boomer generation. While the narrative felt padded at times - early on the author claims he is not trying to compose a biography . . . and then of course it increasingly feels like a bio - it served as a good reminder of what a hardworking young musician (Springsteen was only 24-25 at the time) can truly accomplish when he is hungry to connect with an audience of his peers. Just an opinion, but the album's famous cover art - Springsteen attired in a leather jacket (sporting an Elvis Presley fan club button) and wielding his trusty axe like a Wild West gunslinger - features an 'icing on the cake' detail with his bemused grin, maybe because he knew he had finally achieved a breakthrough.
"With those three words - born to run - Springsteen encapsulated his vision of American culture. There were other blues and rock songs with 'born' in the title: 'Born Under a Bad Sign' and 'Born to Be Wild,' for example. If the first speaks of American innate depravity and the second of American violence, then his 'Born to Run' speaks of the essential identity of America as a nation of citizens always on the move, seeking the better chance, looking to belong but also hearing to escape." -- on page 83
Authored by a college professor - and it can occasionally seem a bit like a thesis or scholarly text - Runaway Dream focuses on the third album by Garden State rocker Bruce Springsteen, which is celebrating its 50th (!) anniversary next year. At the time of its release it finally cemented 'The Boss' as a popular (and populist) recording artist in those pessimistic years immediately following the Watergate conspiracy and the Vietnam Conflict. Sporting tunes like the hit title track plus FM radio mainstays 'Thunder Road,' 'Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out,' and 'She's the One,' the disc was an odd but successful mix of upbeat-sounding but lyrically-bleak songs that spoke to the then-beleaguered Baby Boomer generation. While the narrative felt padded at times - early on the author claims he is not trying to compose a biography . . . and then of course it increasingly feels like a bio - it served as a good reminder of what a hardworking young musician (Springsteen was only 24-25 at the time) can truly accomplish when he is hungry to connect with an audience of his peers. Just an opinion, but the album's famous cover art - Springsteen attired in a leather jacket (sporting an Elvis Presley fan club button) and wielding his trusty axe like a Wild West gunslinger - features an 'icing on the cake' detail with his bemused grin, maybe because he knew he had finally achieved a breakthrough.
June 23, 2013
well done book, especially for Springsteen fans. deep research on the most famous Springsteen album, with a lot of details and many anecdotes
November 16, 2020
If history professor Louis Masur was less interested in history, this could have been a tighter and more compelling book. On the other hand, I feel the title is a little misleading and the book is lacking in profound "vision."
Even at 200 small and short pages, it has a lot of filler. I really enjoyed the middle chapters. Chapter 3 offers a track-by-track analysis and Chapter 4 has an exploration of the cover art and the overall themes. These two, along with the author's very reflective and personal epilogue (or encore, as he cleverly calls it), would have made for a great, short addition to the 33 1/3 series of books.
Instead, Masur pads the book with a chapter about Bruce's upbringing, a chapter devoted to quoting every contemporaneous review of the album, then a chapter outlining Bruce's career post-"Born to Run." All relevant to the book, I suppose. But also all easily available elsewhere, and in better form in Dave Marsh's biography as well as Bruce's own stunning memoir (note that this 3-star review is probably unfair in light of the fact I have read Bruce's own book, which was only published years after this book).
On the upshot, I read this book in about a day and a half, so it helps me pad my year-end reading tally just in time.
Even at 200 small and short pages, it has a lot of filler. I really enjoyed the middle chapters. Chapter 3 offers a track-by-track analysis and Chapter 4 has an exploration of the cover art and the overall themes. These two, along with the author's very reflective and personal epilogue (or encore, as he cleverly calls it), would have made for a great, short addition to the 33 1/3 series of books.
Instead, Masur pads the book with a chapter about Bruce's upbringing, a chapter devoted to quoting every contemporaneous review of the album, then a chapter outlining Bruce's career post-"Born to Run." All relevant to the book, I suppose. But also all easily available elsewhere, and in better form in Dave Marsh's biography as well as Bruce's own stunning memoir (note that this 3-star review is probably unfair in light of the fact I have read Bruce's own book, which was only published years after this book).
On the upshot, I read this book in about a day and a half, so it helps me pad my year-end reading tally just in time.
October 23, 2017
To enjoy this book you have to believe that the song "Born to Run" is up there with "Maybelline" or "Stairway to Heaven." Not.
(I'd love the facts on how Bruce S dodged the draft.)
(I'd love the facts on how Bruce S dodged the draft.)
July 29, 2021
(audiobook) ah Bruce
March 22, 2016
there is no shortage of books about bruce springsteen and his music. most offer the requisite biographical account and discographical summation. while any dedicated reader of these books will likely encounter the same anecdotes, recording recaps, and a (deserved) appreciation of springsteen’s enormous cultural and musical influence, there are always gems to be unearthed and new details to discover. louis masur’s runaway dream focuses on springsteen’s third studio album, born to run, released to mostly great acclaim in 1975.
in chapters titled “before born to run,” “the making of born to run,” “the songs of born to run,” “the geography of born to run,” “the reception of born to run,” and “born to run thirty years on,” masur offers a comprehensive examination of one of rock’s most enduring albums (ranked #18 on rolling stone’s "500 greatest albums of all time"). masur, clearly an ardent, devoted springsteen fan himself, parses the eight songs that make up born to run, situating them in both their cultural and musical contexts, and allowing their triumphant success to be reflected back upon their genesis.
a colleague once noted to me that her husband believes all springsteen fans can be divided into two groups: those that identify most closely with born to run and those that favor its followup, darkness on the edge of town. while the former is an exceptional album (and one of my all-time favorites – springsteen or otherwise), i fall more squarely in the latter camp. but as born to run essentially paved the road for the unprecedented success springsteen would go on to enjoy (and is still enjoying), its importance in his canon cannot possibly be overstated. runaway dream should appeal most of all to already entrenched admirers, as it offers gradations and implications that will serve only to enhance the listening experience for an already familiar listener. some four decades after its release, born to run remains a seminal album in the rock pantheon and masur’s runaway dream is a chronicle of its many-splendored worth.
in chapters titled “before born to run,” “the making of born to run,” “the songs of born to run,” “the geography of born to run,” “the reception of born to run,” and “born to run thirty years on,” masur offers a comprehensive examination of one of rock’s most enduring albums (ranked #18 on rolling stone’s "500 greatest albums of all time"). masur, clearly an ardent, devoted springsteen fan himself, parses the eight songs that make up born to run, situating them in both their cultural and musical contexts, and allowing their triumphant success to be reflected back upon their genesis.
a colleague once noted to me that her husband believes all springsteen fans can be divided into two groups: those that identify most closely with born to run and those that favor its followup, darkness on the edge of town. while the former is an exceptional album (and one of my all-time favorites – springsteen or otherwise), i fall more squarely in the latter camp. but as born to run essentially paved the road for the unprecedented success springsteen would go on to enjoy (and is still enjoying), its importance in his canon cannot possibly be overstated. runaway dream should appeal most of all to already entrenched admirers, as it offers gradations and implications that will serve only to enhance the listening experience for an already familiar listener. some four decades after its release, born to run remains a seminal album in the rock pantheon and masur’s runaway dream is a chronicle of its many-splendored worth.
and so born to run took wing, hype and backlash, praise, criticism, and reconsideration, at its heels. it ripped through the cultural malaise of 1975 by fusing the past to the present to ignite what felt like a limitless future. it didn’t matter whether you were fifteen or thirty-five in 1975, whether you grew up on the sounds of the fifties or sixties or not. the album spoke to the moment. and it still does. not even in 2005, on the occasion of its thirtieth anniversary, had it become a nostalgia act – new generations coming of age hear it for the first time and are transfixed. the romantic dreams of escape have not faded. the bleak realities of life have not dissipated. the hope for redemption and salvation still drive us forward. time passes, but the making of identity never ceases.
September 17, 2018
Like the author, who is my age, I am an unabashed fan of Born to Run. The greatest rock n roll album of all time, as far as I'm concerned.
And so I was eager to read this book, but half expected a purely 'fanatic's' approach. Instead, I found a book that while full of passion and one-eyed love for Springsteen, a book full of ideas (mostly Bruce's), depth and insight. As I read it I found myself connecting with so many parts of my life and the essence of who Springsteen is an artist.
I've always said Bruce is one of the few who always maintained his class, integrity and authenticity. You might not like his sort of music and it is easy to sneer at his sentimentality about the American dream, but he has never sold out, never wavered and most importantly, been able to reflect on his life, art and journey. Often with humour and self criticism.
Not many of us can do that.
This is a book that begins with Born to Run but covers his art, performances and reflections right up to around 2009. Masur always brings the story back to that most exciting of rock and roll albums but finds that is forever relevant to everything Springsteen has done and keeps on doing.
A wonderful book. If you love Bruce you'll remember why. If you don't you might begin to fall in love.
And so I was eager to read this book, but half expected a purely 'fanatic's' approach. Instead, I found a book that while full of passion and one-eyed love for Springsteen, a book full of ideas (mostly Bruce's), depth and insight. As I read it I found myself connecting with so many parts of my life and the essence of who Springsteen is an artist.
I've always said Bruce is one of the few who always maintained his class, integrity and authenticity. You might not like his sort of music and it is easy to sneer at his sentimentality about the American dream, but he has never sold out, never wavered and most importantly, been able to reflect on his life, art and journey. Often with humour and self criticism.
Not many of us can do that.
This is a book that begins with Born to Run but covers his art, performances and reflections right up to around 2009. Masur always brings the story back to that most exciting of rock and roll albums but finds that is forever relevant to everything Springsteen has done and keeps on doing.
A wonderful book. If you love Bruce you'll remember why. If you don't you might begin to fall in love.
November 7, 2010
Bruuuuuce!
The author does a good job of explaining why fans love Springsteen, verbalizing in a succinct manner all the wonderfully joyous feelings of freedom the Born to Run album inspires.
A good portion of this slim work details the nuts and bolts making of Springsteen's important set of songs. The intense studio pressure to produce a hit commercial product resulted in a long drawn-out process in the studio where Springsteen's perfectionism reached maddening heights.
Later sections offer a nice overview of everything Springsteen's done since.
The book ends describing the Boss's political awakening. A non-voter through much of his life, Springsteen didn't start publically speaking out or officially backing candidates until after 911. This seemed to unleash a new level of artistry in the artist, with The Rising, Devils and Dust and Magic all benefitting from this newfound awareness.
The author does a good job of explaining why fans love Springsteen, verbalizing in a succinct manner all the wonderfully joyous feelings of freedom the Born to Run album inspires.
A good portion of this slim work details the nuts and bolts making of Springsteen's important set of songs. The intense studio pressure to produce a hit commercial product resulted in a long drawn-out process in the studio where Springsteen's perfectionism reached maddening heights.
Later sections offer a nice overview of everything Springsteen's done since.
The book ends describing the Boss's political awakening. A non-voter through much of his life, Springsteen didn't start publically speaking out or officially backing candidates until after 911. This seemed to unleash a new level of artistry in the artist, with The Rising, Devils and Dust and Magic all benefitting from this newfound awareness.
May 20, 2015
Born To Run was the make it or break it point for Bruce and the E Street boys. With two albums out that were a commercial flop,Bruce and the band needed to make that connection to the people or it was over. This book tells that story and much more. Needless to say Born To Run was a huge success and Bruce continues to put out some great music. Sadly the E Street band has long since broken up and with the loss of the big man could never really be the same. Born To Run can and should be listened to by anyone interested in great rock and roll. There is so much to offer and this is an amazing album.
September 8, 2009
Small, quick read, and feels a little like a dissertation. The book gives a bit of historical background to the creation of the album, but was a little bit repetitive in the later chapters. If you do not own Born to Run, you must buy it before you read this book. (you should own it anyway, really, come on). The book did inspire me to listen to Born to Run about 10 times while reading it, that alone makes it worth it.
I am not sure how the author ties in to Springsteen's "American Vision" but it is an interesting read for a bored Born to Run fan...
I am not sure how the author ties in to Springsteen's "American Vision" but it is an interesting read for a bored Born to Run fan...
October 6, 2009
AWESOME!!!! Thats all I have to say ;o) This is obviously a book that a Bruce Springsteen fan would read and I thought it was very nicely written and this is the first biography i have read and i now think i would really like to read another! And this book wasnt all about Bruce and his life it was also about interpreting his songs/music and it was really nice to read what some of his songs meant and their hidden meanings! Very good! They covered mainly the songs from his Born to Run album...i hope there is another book for his other albums! i would read it! ;o)
November 25, 2009
A good look a what Springsteen was doing in 1975. How he
set up the album, his concern for a "big hit record" and
how his first 2 LPs did not really sell for Columbia
Records but Columbia kept him on the label.
This one Born to Run album put him on the hit charts & still
now 34 years later people still listen to it.
A nice writing job by writer Masur and the author uses Bruce's interview in detail. Bruce's own words to this fine labor of love
of a book. There are many Bruce books out there, so you might
want to be a fan of Bruce to read it through.
set up the album, his concern for a "big hit record" and
how his first 2 LPs did not really sell for Columbia
Records but Columbia kept him on the label.
This one Born to Run album put him on the hit charts & still
now 34 years later people still listen to it.
A nice writing job by writer Masur and the author uses Bruce's interview in detail. Bruce's own words to this fine labor of love
of a book. There are many Bruce books out there, so you might
want to be a fan of Bruce to read it through.
October 16, 2015
A strong introduction to the conception, execution, and analysis of--and response to--a classic rock album. Some of the analysis gets mired in textual analytical detail (especially the chapter on songs); some of the discussion of the thematic elements is too repetitive; but overall it is a good introduction to Springsteen. The chapter on the "geography" of the songs is particularly enlightening.
March 27, 2012
Read this book the same week I saw Springsteen in concert. What a rush! The 3-hour concert was another incredible experience. It was like going through accelerated group therapy with 20,000 like-minded people. Masur's excellent book explains why Bruce's words, music and ideals never get old.
December 8, 2012
A short but strong exploration of Springsteen's breakthrough, mid-70s classic "Born to Run," with a brief biographical portrait of his early life in New Jersey forming the first chapter. An excellent read for those who know and love the LP and remember the mark it made in 1975.
June 24, 2010
Great!
June 25, 2010
A must-read for any Bruce fan - amazing research into the making of a truly iconic album
January 31, 2011
"Born to Run" and Bruce Springsteen's American Vision
May 29, 2012
So-so Springsteen fan but this was a pretty interesting summary of the albumand its evolution.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews