Bill Chinook / Bruce Springsteen

Bravo to everyone's civilized comments. My problem with "Born In The U.S.A." is it's obviousness and literalness, a failing of Springsteen in general imo. That and his "tightly-wound"/strained/1-dimensional vocals. I have never understood his mass popularity. Plus, his band is SO pedestrian! They have yet to progress beyond their Bar Band beginnings.

@bdp24 +1   Part of me believes that the rawness the sound is part of the appeal.   His recordings are more organic and less slickly produced. As an audiophile I prefer to listen to music where the recording quality was a higher priority to the finished release.  Many such recordings are the most real sounding of all!

While Born in the Usa isn't my favorite Bruce album, I find even his last 4 or 5 released to have some amazing and insightful tunes.  I think he's one a a handful of artists who has evolved over the years instead of recycling their old ideas.  
The Wall has some great lyrics about McNamara, the wrestler, Terry's Song.  Anything off the rising or Devils and Dust.  
I've seen him live about 70 times (including his solo tours)but sadly I've had to curtail arena shows because they are too loud for me, even with earplugs.  

Most of Bruce's albums are among the worst sounding albums I have (except Darkness, Tunnel of Love, Lucky Town, Human Touch (last 3 Bob Clearmountain)) and his last album. It's inexcusable that with so many resources at his disposal in the studio, SQ takes a back seat. I believe that is one (a small one) of many reasons why he is so much better live than on record. 
He is one of our best modern musical artists IMHO although he can be wooden or shrill at times. Then again, in a different way, so can another of our great artists-----Bob Dylan.
Note---today is Bruce's 67th birthday.

It's not Springsteen's fault that most Americans cannot think more deeply than their perception of the four word chorus of one of his songs.  He is a great artist by any measure, and the most influential musician that America has produced since Bob Dylan.