Bruce Springsteen
Before The Fame

THE REVIEW

"Before The Fame", released in 1999 in a semi-official edition by a minor label, is a very important historical document for any true Springsteen enthusiast and more: it captures the 1972-1973 recordings and consequently the period between the first auditions for the renowned talent scout John Hammond and the initial ideas that would go on to invigorate the first two albums of the New Jersey artist.

A predominantly Dylan-esque style and the marked presence of his proverbial pathos are the peculiar characteristics of demos in which the presence of a band is almost completely absent (except for "Evacuation Of The West"). Tales of Vietnam, street, and family situations intertwine, creating visionary lyrics that in some cases make one shout masterpiece (the anti-Nixonian "Prodigal Son" and the pianistic "If I Was The Priest", the song which according to Hammond himself began the fortune of the future Boss) and in others only show a young man searching for his definitive artistic and social dimension. The first disc presents interesting tracks like the slow and refined "Southern Son", the allusive "War Nurse", and a song that seems to foreshadow more than two decades earlier certain atmospheres of "The Ghost Of Tom Joad"; the second disc, being definitely more varied and lively, is enriched by songs that undoubtedly deserved better fate ("Randolph Street (Master Of Electricity)", the overwhelming in every sense "Cowboys Of The Sea" and "Two Hearts In A True Waltz Time"), by two songs that after various vicissitudes ended up in the Tracks box set ("Bishop Danced" and "Zero And Blind Terry"), and by an intense ballad like "Tokyo", perhaps owing to the best Van Morrison.

Despite Springsteen opposing the release of this material, which is well worth the three stars, I consider it essential listening to fully understand his primary influences and not just the Dylan-esque ones.