The Wild, Innocent and the E Street Shuffle (1973)
Album Reflection
By Anthony Kuzminski
Bruce Springsteen did something in 1973 that he wouldn't accomplish again for nearly two-decades; release two albums in the same calendar year. His second LP, The Wild, Innocent & The E Street Shuffle, released in November of 1973, and is unlike anything else he has written or recorded since. It’s a standalone record in his catalog full of echo-laden riffs, brazen confidence and music that is largely bipolar. Rolling Stone magazine ranked it at number 138 on its “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” and if you ask many Springsteen die-hards, they will name it as their favorite album. While I’m never disappointed in hearing any of these songs in concert I don’t feel it is quite the five-star affair everyone thinks that it is. Why? It’s actually quite simple as it is the same blemish that hinders Greetings; the production. The first time Jon Landau (who eventually went on to be his producer and manager) met Springsteen he told him “Loved your album…hated the production”. Despite the production issues that hinder the album, this is not enough to stop it from it being Springsteen’s most fortuitous and ultimately endearing record.Once you dip your toe into the stream of Springsteen you immediately divulge the 1975-1985 period. However, you are basically digesting five records (six if you count the Live 1975-1985 record) and eventually you look for variation which brings everyone to ground zero in Springsteendom; Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. and The Wild, Innocent and the E Street Shuffle . Greetings is initially underwhelming but turns its charm on over repeated listens. The Wild, Innocent & The E Street Shuffle is initially complex and off-putting, but it immediately stands out from the rest of his catalog regardless of what you think. These songs were recorded before dashed dreams and social issues would infuse his songs. There is a virgin innocence to these first two records and while the production may truly be horrid, the songwriting and performances elevate these songs to a stratosphere where you look past all of its aural issues. You may not fall in love with it upon your first listen, but if there is a romantic inside of you, this album will prove to be classic in your heart and mind.
While the album is forty-six minutes, it houses a mere seven songs further adding to its legacy. If Springsteen had recorded this album mere months later, it probably would have been dramatically different, but once again, this is part of the album’s charm. The album is a product of its time and wholly unique in the Springsteen cannon. The spare sonics are endearing, especially on the spastic “The E Street Shuffle” where the band jams relentlessly on the album’s shortest track at four-minutes thirty-one seconds. The second shortest song, “Wild Billy’s Circus Story” is an insular circus tale (drawn from Springsteen’s childhood experiences at fairs) full of wondrous characters that while their appearances are brief, they prove to be unforgettable. There is immense life within this song as the listener paints a vivid picture in their head as the tale unravels. Blues flourishes are abound with the rave-up “Kitty’s Back” with a booming backbeat courtesy of original E Street drummer Vini Lopez whose manic and primitive drumming adds colors to the whole record in ways the greatest drum professionals could only dream of. “New York City Serenade” clocks in just under ten-minutes and while the lyrical imagery is stunning, very little of it makes sense. Formed from parts of other songs, “Serenade” is an tour de force epic as the E Street Band takes broad strokes with their instruments and builds a lingering epic that may take a few listens to entrench itself in your mind, but when it does, prepare for it to be one of your favorite Springsteen songs.
The other three songs on this record are five-star classics. “4th of July (Sandy)” may be the most earnest and pure love song Springsteen has ever committed to tape. Infused with specific and dreamlike imagery that defines the Asbury Park Boardwalks, it evokes a strong sense of wistfulness even to those who aren’t nostalgic or who haven’t even heard of Asbury Park. It stirs up a perfect summer day and bestows the feeling of what it is like to be in love. The late and great Danny Federici (who died this past April) gleams on the accordion and in many ways, this is his most memorable contribution to Springsteen’s recorded output. Federici’s other standout moment comes on the epic “Incident on 57th Street”, which opens side two. The way Federici’s organ flourishes on each of the choruses provides an epiphany and makes you believe in the redemption of these characters the same way a hymn may infuse your soul with hope at church. Your ears have never heard a sound as engaging or restrained. The trenchant piano ballad has a touch of guitars that glisten like stars in the sky, highlighted by feverish-dream solos. “Incident” is the song most fans clamor to see in concert as it has the potential to take any show to that next level. In a twenty-year space, the song received one sole performance (brilliantly represented as a live b-side from 1986) and it has been performed occasionally since being resurrected in 1999. As “Incident” reaches it’s climax on record, the spiraling instruments swell into a breathy conclusion leads directly into the song that put Springsteen on the rock n’ roll map-”Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)”. The E Street Band delivers the most raucous love song ever committed to tape by Springsteen with a ferocious and furious energy that would later define his career. The record contains a submerged delicateness after the lead off track and on “Rosalita” the band delivers an unyielding tale of love that proved that any hype surrounding them was warranted.
I initially thought I would award this album a solid but non-classic rating. I’m not sure if it’s the 132nd best album ever made (according to Rolling Stone), but it’s damn good despite its minimal production. Mixing poetry with a hybrid of soul, R&B, jazz and rock n’ roll these tales of dreamers, lovers and street fighters makes this a utterly distinctive record, hence why it’s held in such high regard by his legion of fans. Springsteen would never be as romantic or draw from a musical template as complex or as varied as what he utilized on The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle. What makes the entire record so magical is the space in which it was created. Greetings From Asbury Park sold only 25,000 copies and it’s evident The Wild, Innocent and the E Street Shuffle was written and recorded in a blissful magical state where self-consciousness was absent. With each record, artists drive themselves into a corner where they will always be judged by their best work. At this early state in his career, Bruce Springsteen had nothing to lose and as a result, he created an album unlike any other he would ever create.
Anthony Kuzminski is a Chicago based writer and Special Features Editor for the antiMusic Network and his daily writings can be read at The Screen Door and can be contacted at thescreendoor AT gmail DOT com.
"The E Street Shuffle"
"4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)"
"Kitty's Back"
"Wild Billy's Circus Story"
"Incident on 57th Street"
"Rosalita"
"New York City Serenade"
