Greetings From Asbury Park N.J. (2023 Reissue, Mobile Fidelity, Hybrid SACD)

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Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. Is a Postcard from the Heart, Soul, and Mind of a Music Lifer Mobile Fidelity's Hybrid SACD of Bruce Springsteen's Debut Plays with Audiophile Sound: Music Emerges with an Openness That Gives Flight to the Vivid Storytelling Aspirational Declaration Includes Concert Staples 'Blinded by the Light,' 'Spirit in the Night,' and 'Growin' Up' Teeming with identifiable characters, youthful romanticism, vivid narratives, and sophisticated arrangements, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. is a personal postcard from the heart, soul, and mind of a rock 'n' roll lifer bent on discovering his world and what lays beyond it. The 1973 album establishes many of the signature themes and sounds Bruce Springsteen would embrace throughout his unparalleled career. No wonder a majority of the songs - 'Blinded by the Light,' 'Lost in the Flood,' 'Spirit in the Night' included - remain staples of the New Jersey native's fabled concerts. Balancing the label's vision of him as a folk-based singer-songwriter and his own desire to play rock 'n' roll with a full band, Springsteen never again made a record like this again. Sourced from the original analog master tapes and housed in mini-LP gatefold packaging, Mobile Fidelity's numbered-edition hybrid SACD presents Springsteen's daring debut in audiophile sound. It plays with a clarity, directness, and emotionalism that practically whisk you into the New York office in which Springsteen played a few originals for legendary Columbia Records executive John Hammond and earned a record deal. The music emerges with an openness that gives flight to the storytelling; words flow with unbridled, stream-of-conscious pacing and vibrant imagery. Equally important, Springsteen's still-underrated vocal performances can now be appreciated in full-range fidelity. They mark the start of a legacy whose import Springsteen seemingly foretells on 'Blinded by the Light': 'He's gonna make it tonight.' And how. Numbered Hybrid Stereo SACD NUMBERED SPECIAL EDITION Track List 1. Blinded by the Light 2. Growin' Up 3. Mary Queen of Arkansas 4. Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street? 5. Lost in the Flood 6. The Angel 7. For You 8. Spirit in the Night 9. It's Hard to Be a Saint in the City