Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ Quiz

Answer: This man puts more thoughts, more ideas and images into one song than most people put into an album

Though music critic and later Springsteen producer Jon Landau would extol Springsteen as "rock and roll's future" in a now-canonical concert review in 1974, this was not until a year after the release of "Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ". The above slogan adorned a full-page ad for Springsteen's album, along with the lyrics to "Blinded by the Light".

Answer: Blinded by the Light

Of course, Manfred Mann made some substantial changes. Most conspicuous of these was the transmogrification of "cut loose like a deuce" into "revved up like [what sounds like] a douche". Springsteen would later jestingly imply that this nigh-incomprehensible change was the reason for the cover's popularity.

Answer: In the engine of an old parked car

When he performed this song live in the 1970s, Springsteen would often go into a monologue about his often-strained relations with his family, including how they were still trying to get him to return to college.

Answer: kissing

"Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ" featured several artists who would become Springsteen mainstays, including "the big man" Clarence Clemons and bass player Gary W. Tallent. On the other hand, one of Springsteen's most erstwhile bandmates, Steve Van Zandt, would not officially sign on with Springsteen's main group (later called "The E Street Band") until later, though he had gigged with Springsteen irregularly before that.

Answer: Joan Fontaine

The line in question is: "Broadway Mary, Joan Fontaine, advertiser on a downtown train." This song may be a tribute of sorts to Springsteen's father, who was a bus driver for many years.

Answer: Jimmy the Saint

Much contemporary criticism interprets this song as being about a returning Vietnam veteran. To me, it has always seemed like an homage to a recently released crime figure returning to "the neighborhood"; this is alluded to in the 1995 film "Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead" featuring Andy Garcia as Jimmy 'The Saint' Tosnia.

Answer: False

The "angel" is, in fact, a male motorcyclist portrayed heroically, if obliquely, as he rides off to his undescribed doom. Springsteen once pledged that he would never perform this song live, though he broke this promise in 1996 during the British leg of his "Ghost of Tom Joad" tour.

Answer: emergency

Many critics consider this to be a song about suicide. It can also be read as an homage to borderline personality disorder, characterized by "paranoid ideas, relationship instability, angry outbursts, affective instability, abandonment fears, impulsive behavior, identity disturbance, suicidal behavior, and 'emptiness'".

In other words, the afflicted person's life is one long emergency. This disorder is often associated with childhood trauma, including molestation. (Courtesy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borderline_personality)

Answer: Dirty Annie

Dirty Annie is a character from "You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)" off the album "The River". Interestingly, "Killer Joe" is also the name of a classic hard bop jazz song by Benny Golson. For their parts, Hazy Davy ends up "really hurt" by the conclusion of "Spirit in the Night", while Crazy Janey finds herself making love with Springsteen. Mixed results, indeed.

Answer: Duke of Destruction

Though well-reviewed by respected critics like Lester Bangs, "Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ" did not do well commercially, possibly because of the heavy-handed promotional tactics mentioned above. However, the success of Springsteen's third album, "Born to Run", engendered a rediscovery of his earlier work, and "Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ" went gold in 1975.