Tunnel Of Love - Bruce Springsteen (1987)
I suppose at some point Born In The USA will end up in this space. It was a logical choice for an 80s Springsteen record, and is easily on par with a couple of other examples of iconic 80s releases.
The follow-up was quieter, more understated, more introspective, and presented a very different version of Springsteen. Recorded mostly without the band, we have a set of tunes that concentrate on the characters the man is always so good at facing down their circumstances.
The first side of the record reads a bit like an outtakes album, with bits and pieces of the things that had worked so well for the man already.
The real meat of this album is the second side, presenting a genuinely new take on Springsteen as a nuanced, calculated recording artist. Typically hard-hitting and mature lyrics, but with more studio polish than he’d shown previously.
