(link to amazon.com)
On November 15th 2005 Bruce Springsteen released this box set including a remastered edition of the masterpiece itself and two DVD films. Though first impressions may cheat it is hard not to shout it out loud and immediately: The power and the promise! It is Springsteens third official release this year - following the studio album Devils & Dust and a live take for VH1 Storytellers - and for the first time he is really represented at his best (which happens to be: larger than life).
To begin with the essence of the whole project which is not to be overshadowed by the presence of new material: Being one of the greatest albums of all time Born To Run deserves the best sound quality it can get and Bob Ludwig's remastering seems to be working wonders. The tremendous beauty of Springsteen's vocal performance feels somewhat closer to the listener but particularly the playing of the band has gained in clarity and the sound of each instrument (e. g. the drums!) comes out stronger and more distinct than ever.
One of the films is a documentary about the making of Born To Run - it is named after a previous version of Thunder Road which was rather different and quite funny: Wings for Wheels (played live at a legendary concert from February 1975, unofficially released as The Saint, the Incident & the Main Point Shuffle). It is deeply satisfying to spend 90 minutes on the story of Born To Run and the director Thom Zinny has done a good job interviewing all the people involved in the recording process (including the two competing managers Mike Appel and Jon Landau). There are many interesting pieces of information to be found in this film - e. g. Springsteen's own concluding remarks about something "sacral" or "blessed" about the music on Born To Run which make you wonder whether he feels the same kind of amazement as many a listener has felt.
The second film is by far the most sensational feature of the box set and its release may be as historically important as the remastering of the studio album. It is a complete live take of Springsteen's first ever performance in Europe, the legendary concert at London's Hammersmith Odeon on November 18th 1975 (not to be confused with the gig on November 24th at the same spot, which has been unofficially released on CD as London Calling). The truth of the matter is as crazy as they state it in the liner notes: this is "the only full-length concert film ever released of Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band's first 25 years"!!". And the show is marvellous! Skinny, bearded and wearing a cap which may eventually turn out to be fashionable in today's hip hop culture but has definitely not been so during the intermediate 30 years Springsteen is charming in a way that will surprise anybody identifying him with the muscular icon of the eighties. His performance is extremely energetic and powerful and his sense of drama is outstanding. To quote the man himself, the band really plays like a jungle fire and though the tempo in general may be to hurried to make the versions of each song the best imaginable it is as entertaining as any concert has ever been.