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(More customer reviews)In 1975, the weight of the world was on young Bruce Springsteen's shoulders when he and the E Street Band headed for London for the very first time. Constant touring and rave reviews hadn't translated into record sales and his label, which had taken a gamble on him when they signed him in the first place, was about to dump him. Worse, every night he had to face skeptical crowds who wanted to see why critics kept calling this young ruffian from New Jersey "the future of rock and roll." Such was the case in 1975 when they walked out on the stage at the Hammersmith Odeon.
With everything on the line, Bruce and the boys played like they had nothing to lose. They were lean, young, and hungry. They played with heart. They played with passion. They played with urgency. And, on this night, they were untouchable. This CD captures that show in its entirety (a DVD of the show is included in the 30th Anniversary box set of Born To Run).
Few bands can match the versatility that Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band display here. Witness the opening tender, wide-eyed rendition of "Thunder Road" followed by a feisty, swaggering version of "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out." Or "She's The One" which goes from a slow simmer to a full boil in a mere five minutes. Or "Born To Run," which Bruce plays with all of the blue-collar grit and youthful defiance that would later make the song a classic. Or how 'bout the "Detroit Medley," in which the band absolutely ROARS through Mitch Ryder's "Devil With A Blue Dress On," "Good Golly Miss Molly," and "Jenny Take a Ride"? He follows THAT with a heartbreaking reading of "For You" before revving things up again, ramrodding through a rollicking version of Gary U.S. Bonds' "Quarter To Three." Are you KIDDING me?
I didn't even mention the absolute insanity of the 17+ minute version of "Kitty's Back," in which Bruce and the guys go out of their freaking minds, did I? Heck, I didn't even mention "Jungleland," my favorite song in the entire Springsteen catalog. No, I didn't mention most of the songs here, because I want you to experience this show for yourself. PLEASE -- do yourself a favor and BUY THIS CD NOW! You won't regret it, I promise.
(By the way, some other reviewers were wondering about the absence of "Pretty Flamingo" from this CD. This show is from November 18, 1975 -- their first show in London. They played a second show at Hammersmith Odeon on November 24, 1975 and THAT was the show that contained "Pretty Flamingo." By most accounts, the second show was even better than the first, if you can imagine that, as Bruce performed 22 songs in nearly three hours.)
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