Editing Bruce Springsteen (section)

===1972–1974: Initial struggle===
Springsteen was signed to [[Columbia Records]] in 1972 by John Hammond, who had signed [[Bob Dylan]] to the same label a decade earlier. Despite the expectations of Columbia Records' executives that Springsteen would record an acoustic album, he brought many of his New Jersey–based colleagues with him, who would later form the E Street Band, which the band formally named several months later. His debut album ''[[Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.]]'', was released in January 1973, and established him as a critical favorite,<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Bangs |first=Lester |author-link=Lester Bangs |date=July 5, 1973 |title=Greetings From Asbury Park, NJ |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/107193/greetings_from_asbury_park_nj |url-status=dead |magazine=Rolling Stone |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080919090512/http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/107193/greetings_from_asbury_park_nj |archive-date=September 19, 2008 |access-date=March 21, 2010}}</ref> though sales were slow.

Because of Springsteen's lyrical poeticism and [[folk rock]]-rooted music exemplified on tracks like "[[Blinded by the Light]]" and "[[For You (Bruce Springsteen song)|For You]]", and his connection with Hammond and Columbia Records, critics initially compared Springsteen to [[Bob Dylan]]. "He sings with a freshness and urgency I haven't heard since I was rocked by '[[Like a Rolling Stone]]'", ''[[Crawdaddy (magazine)|Crawdaddy]]'' magazine editor [[Peter Knobler]] wrote in a March 1973 profile of Springsteen's that included photographs taken by [[Ed Gallucci]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ed Gallucci Photography |url=http://www.edgallucciphotography.com/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140111052624/http://www.edgallucciphotography.com/ |archive-date=January 11, 2014 |access-date=March 17, 2014 |publisher=Ed Gallucci Photography}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=''Glory Days: A Bruce Springsteen Symposium''. Monmouth University |url=http://www.usi.edu/glory-days/agenda-events |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402155345/http://www.usi.edu/glory-days/agenda-events |archive-date=April 2, 2015 |access-date=March 17, 2014 |publisher=Usi.edu}}</ref> ''Crawdaddy'' was an early champion of Springsteen; Knobler profiled him in the magazine three times, in 1973, 1975, and 1978.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 2, 2009 |title=History of ''Crawdaddy'' |url=http://beatpatrol.wordpress.com/2009/08/02/peter-knobler-crawdaddy-2008/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090805210655/http://beatpatrol.wordpress.com/2009/08/02/peter-knobler-crawdaddy-2008/ |archive-date=August 5, 2009 |access-date=March 21, 2010 |publisher=crawdaddy.com}}</ref> In June 1976, Springsteen and the E Street Band acknowledged the magazine's support by giving a private performance at the magazine's 10th Anniversary Party in New York City.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Rockwell |first=John |date=May 9, 1976 |title=''Crawdaddy'' Party Mirrors Magazine |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/06/09/archives/crawdaddy-party-mirrors-magazine.html |url-status=live |access-date=March 21, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102065905/http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F40C15F93C5B167493CBA9178DD85F428785F9 |archive-date=November 2, 2012}}</ref>

Springsteen's second album, ''[[The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle]]'', was released in November 1973, eleven months after ''Greetings from Asbury Park''. Like Springsteen's inaugural album, ''The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle'' was met with critical acclaim but limited commercial success. Springsteen's songs became grander in form and scope with the E Street Band providing a less folksy, more [[rhythm and blues]] vibe, and lyrics that romanticized teenage street life. "[[4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)]]" and "Incident on 57th Street" became fan favorites, while "[[Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)]]" continues to rank among Springsteen's most beloved concert numbers. "Rosalita" is the ninth-most played song in Springsteen's concert catalog; as of June 2020, he has played it live 809 times.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lifton |first=Dave |date=June 4, 2020 |title=Which Songs Has Bruce Springsteen Played The Most In Concert? |url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/bruce-springsteen-most-played-songs/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210112040826/https://ultimateclassicrock.com/bruce-springsteen-most-played-songs/ |archive-date=January 12, 2021 |access-date=January 8, 2021 |website=UltimateClassicRock.com}}</ref>

In February 1974, [[The Stone Pony]], a music venue and bar, opened on Ocean Avenue in [[Asbury Park]], and Springsteen played there regularly. Several years later, in the early 1980s, prior to the start of the [[Born in the U.S.A. Tour]] in June 1984, Springsteen also met his second and current wife [[Patti Scialfa]] at The Stone Pony during her performance there. As a regular venue for Springsteen, [[Jon Bon Jovi]], [[Southside Johnny]], and other local national acts, The Stone Pony has since been described as "an integral part of music history for decades."<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/10/17/nyregion/stone-pony-asbury-park-nj.html "How a legendary club rode the ups and downs of the Jersey Shore's most rocking town"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', October 17, 2019</ref>

After seeing Springsteen's performance at the Harvard Square Theater, music critic [[Jon Landau]] wrote in the May 22, 1974, issue of [[Boston]]'s ''[[The Real Paper]]'' that, "I saw rock and roll future, and its name is Bruce Springsteen."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Landau |first=Jon |author-link=Jon Landau |date=May 22, 1974 |title=Growing Young With Rock and Roll |work=[[The Real Paper]] |url=https://ew.com/ew/article/0,,20057685_20057687_20152218,00.html |url-status=dead |access-date=March 21, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100116052323/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0%2C%2C20057685_20057687_20152218%2C00.html |archive-date=January 16, 2010}}</ref> Springsteen met Landau in Boston a month prior and the two became close friends;{{sfn|Carlin|2012|pp=178–179}}{{sfn|Dolan|2012|pp=104–105}} Landau subsequently became the co-producer of Springsteen's next album, ''[[Born to Run]]'', in February 1975.{{sfn|Marsh|1981|p=146}}{{sfn|Masur|2010|p=54}} As Springsteen's last-ditch effort at a commercially viable record, Springsteen became bogged down in the recording process while striving for a "[[Wall of Sound]]" production.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=86–89}} When his manager, [[Mike Appel]], orchestrated the release of an early mix of "[[Born to Run (song)|Born to Run]]" to nearly a dozen radio stations, anticipation built toward the album's release.{{sfn|Masur|2010|p=48}}

The album took over 14 months to record with six months spent recording "Born to Run" alone.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=71–72}} E Street Band members David Sancious and Ernest Carter departed after "Born to Run" was completed, and were replaced by [[Roy Bittan]] and [[Max Weinberg]] on piano and drums, respectively.{{sfn|Gaar|2016|p=50}}{{sfn|Carlin|2012|pp=182–184}} Springsteen battled with anger and frustration throughout the sessions, saying he heard "sounds in [his] head" that he could not explain to the others in the studio.<ref name="week">{{cite web |last=Moss |first=Charles |url=https://theweek.com/articles/569558/born-run-40-short-history-album-that-turned-bruce-springsteen-into-americas-biggest-rock-star |title=Born to Run at 40: A short history of the album that turned Bruce Springsteen into America's biggest rock star |work=[[The Week]] |date=August 24, 2015 |access-date=June 19, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170316033829/http://theweek.com/articles/569558/born-run-40-short-history-album-that-turned-bruce-springsteen-into-americas-biggest-rock-star |archive-date=March 16, 2017}}</ref> He also dealt with two producers who had opposing views, which Springsteen had to meet in the middle of.{{sfn|Carlin|2012|p=194}} During the recording of "[[Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out]]", Steven Van Zandt conceived the horn parts for the horn players on the spot in the studio after Springsteen and Bittan had failed to write proper ones by the time the players arrived to record. He joined the E Street Band shortly after.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=80–81}}{{sfn|Carlin|2012|pp=196–197}}{{sfn|Masur|2010|pp=57–58}} Mixing for ''Born to Run'' lasted until July 20, 1975, just before a concert tour began.{{sfn|Carlin|2012|pp=197–199}}{{sfn|Dolan|2012|pp=124–125}}

''Born to Run'' was mastered while the band was on the road. Springsteen was furious at the initial acetate, throwing it into the swimming pool of the hotel he was staying at. He contemplated scrapping the entire project and re-recording it live before he was stopped by Landau.{{sfn|Carlin|2012|pp=197–199}}{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|p=75}} Springsteen was sent multiple mixes as he was on the road and rejected all of them, approving the final one in early August.{{sfn|Dolan|2012|pp=125–126}}{{sfn|Masur|2010|p=62}}