Join me on my personal adventures in the wonderful world of the humble record. There's no final destination - just a continuous joyous journey.

The River - Bruce Springsteen

Image result for the river bruce springsteenIt was 1979. I'd moved out of my parents' house in the north London suburb of East Barnet, and had taken a room in a shared house a whole two miles away in the north London suburb of Southgate. In order to pass the audition to get the room, the head honcho of the house, and sweet, funny, lovely Jim Creek (sadly now late) 'interviewd' me. "So what sort of music do you like?", he asked.

Feeling the potential importance of my answer weighing heavily on my shoulders, I tried to play it cool by saying stuff like Steely Dan, Beatles and Floyd, hoping that would be adequate. "And what do you think of Springsteen?", Jim interogated.

Well, I really wanted the room, despite it being the smallest in the house - but it meant freedom - so I lied and said I thought he was really great. But in truth I knew nothing of him. Shame on me.

I must have been convincing though, because thankfully I did get the bedroom. A year later Jim Creek came home from his job at CBS records, as usual with a bundle of latest LPs stuffed under his arm (all legit, of course - it was part of his job to listen to them). But tonight he was even more excited than usual, for this time he had The River.

All the housemates were summonsed by him to the 'stereo area' in the shared living room to hear the LP. And ever since then I've been hooked on The Boss.

A year went by, and I had a party at the house. A girl from work came round. Her name was Cherry, so of course I played Sherry Darling just for her. She kissed me, so no matter that it wasn't quite her namesake, it nevertheless did the trick. She was mine all that evening - on the living-room dance floor at least. Unfortunately, when it was time for her to leave, leave she did. But it was a lovely kiss nonetheless.

But it isn't only the memories of those glory days that Bruce's finest album (arguably) is one of my favourites. It's the pure rawness and heartfelt lyrics of songs like Stolen Car, Point Blank, and Independence Day, mixed with melodies that tear at your soul. And then in the next breath, there are rockers like Cadillac Ranch, Hungry Heart and Out In The Street blasting you to oblivion.

The outstanding track of the album, of the year, of the decade, maybe of all time (???) has to be the oh, so poignant song with words that ought to be written into present-day school curriculum. "We'd go down to the river, and into the river we'd dive"

A grand metaphor for life itself, indeed.