Saturday, February 1, 2014

Underrated Classic - Bruce Springsteen "Tunnel of Love"

When we think of Bruce Springsteen, albums like Born to Run, Born in the USA, The Rising, The River, and Darkness on the Edge of Town come to mind right away. But in 1987, following the massive international success of Born in the USA, The Boss returned with one of his most heartfelt and intimate albums to date -- Tunnel of Love. The album, which features some members of The E-Street Band, is mainly a Springsteen solo record that had him flex his romantic and personal muscles in songs. To this day, most of the songs on this record are rarely played live, but when listening to it now, almost 30 years later, the songs capture a spirit and moment of the late 1980's from the production to the songwriting to even how Springsteen sings on most of the songs. The album on its release went triple platinum, but now, after all of the stadium anthems and political shifts in the world that have influenced Springsteen's pen and tongue, the songs on Tunnel of Love go almost forgotten given its initial popularity. The record is about a man at the cross roads of his love life, some of the songs reflect Springsteen's divorces and past relationships, while others showcase hope for a better day in finding the right woman. As February rolls in to be one of those months where couples get romantic and the single get upset, this is a record that answers all.