The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle
Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band
1973
In 1973, Bruce Springsteen released The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle, which shook up the "New Dylan" moniker that haunted his debut. While critically acclaimed, it was met with little commercial success, despite being deemed one of the greatest albums in rock history.
From the romantic, gritty ode to the Jersey Shore and summer love ("4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)") to the raucous, crowd pleasing "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)" Springsteen weaves tales of the "stoned out faces" and "switchblade lovers" that inhabit his beloved Jersey, backed by the formidable E Street Band. Together they craft an album that takes you through stories of love and despair, down the streets of New York City and up the boardwalks of the Jersey Shore - all infused with a yearning for escape and a fear of the unknown.
The Boss sings "Some day we'll look back on this, and it will all seem funny." Thirty-five years later, we look back and this album still rings true.
- Grace Ambrose
