Greetings, Forty Years Later

"Yeah, from small things, mama, big things one day come"

Indeed they do.

On this day in 1973, the first studio album from a Jersey boy was released to not much initial commercial success. Today is the 40th anniversary of the release of Greetings From Asbury Park, NJ  from Bruce Springsteen.

In its first year of release, 25,000 copies were sold. Slowly however, the word started to spread from critics and fans about this kid who wrote with passion, and played live like a whirling dervish. The Springsteen saga was beginning and still has not stopped.

Greetings offered a few songs which would become Springsteen standards, including "Blinded by the Light." which was a huge hit for Manfred Mann, along with "For You," "Growin Up," and the always wonderful "Spirit in the Night."

Those were the fan favorites. The more hard core you were, the more you got into the obscure tracks including "It's Hard to be a Saint in the City," "Lost in the Flood," and "Does this Bus Stop at 82nd Street."

The promise of what was shown on this first album was realized in the next few years with the release of The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle, Born to Run, Darkness on the Edge of Town and The River. All before the blockbuster Born in the USA. Never afraid to change his sound, Bruce later released the somber Nebraska, paid homage to the thousands lost on 9/11 with The Rising, and had a blast recording The Seeger Sessions, a tribute to Pete Seeger.

A couple of tastes from Greetings.

One magical 1975 live version of  "Spirit in the Night"

And from the same show "Lost in the Flood"

The sun started shining in Jersey, forty years ago today.

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