The Motown album Bruce Springsteen called a “masterpiece”
A stalwart of the American rock scene, Bruce Springsteen has produced numerous beloved and groundbreaking albums over the years. From the underrated debut Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. to the commercial juggernaut Born to Run, and even more recent efforts like Only the Strong Survive, Springsteen’s discography is both revered and eclectic. Much of his enduring appeal stems from the broad range of influences he has incorporated throughout his celebrated career.
Obviously, the New Jersey-born songwriter found a natural adoration for rock ‘n’ roll during his youth, which, along with his love of The Beatles, went on to inspire his move into songwriting. However, the ‘Born In the USA’ songwriter has always harboured an all-encompassing infatuation for the sweet sounds of soul and Motown. Growing up during the 1950s and 1960s, the hit factory of Motown was virtually unavoidable, and Springsteen loved every moment.
In the early days of Motown, Berry Gordy’s label was focused almost entirely on generating record sales and, by extension, profits. However, as the years went on and more Motown artists began to become involved in social and political struggles, figures like Marvin Gaye sought to include those complex themes within his songwriting. Although Gordy was apprehensive to allow such politically-charged records to be released, ultimately he could not stifle the groundbreaking sounds of Gaye.
The pinnacle of Marvin Gaye’s output came in 1971 with the release of the defiant concept album What’s Going On, published through the Motown imprint Tamla. Exploring a wide variety of themes, most notably the political landscape of the United States during the period of the civil rights movement. In opposition to the pop-centric soul tracks that Gaye had previously recorded with Motown, What’s Going On established the vocalist as a profound songwriter, and the proprietor of some of the most important social commentary in American music history.
As a disciple of both Motown and revolutionary songwriting, Bruce Springsteen was, naturally, a huge fan of Gaye’s defining album. During an appearance on the BBC’s Desert Island Discs, Springsteen selected the album’s title track as one of his all-time favourites, sharing, “This entire record, from start to finish, is a masterpiece,” explaining, “It was sultry and sexual while at the same time dealing with street-level politics. That had a big influence on me.”
Seemingly, the construction of Gaye’s 1971 album ended up being fairly influential on Springsteen’s own music career. “Along with the idea that it was a concept record without being cursed by that name,” he shared, “It was a record that had a thread you can follow from the first song to the last and it created a world that you could walk into and then come back out of, but bring along with you things that you learned and energy and a source that you’d found for living.”
Springsteen regularly replicated through his own discography, with some fairly compelling results. Motown always held a huge influence over the music and life of Bruce Springsteen, but it seems hearing What’s Going On changed his social and musical outlook indefinitely.
