Born to Run: Why the Poor Sound Quality?

The remastered CD that came with the Born to Run anniversary box-set is actually very good. Yes, the wall-of-sound production was deliberate on BTR. And many may not like it (I didn't used to). When I heard this remastered disc on my admittedly very high-end system, I was surprised how good it sounded.

There isn't a Springsteen recording that's listenable over anything but an in car CD player or FM. That's really a shame becuase the music is awesome, I just can't get through the terrible sonics to enjoy it. Shame on everyone associated with the process.

There isn't a Springsteen recording that's listenable over anything but an in car CD player or FM.

Is this statement audiophile hyperbole or should we take it as plain English? If it's the latter, then something is wrong with your system, you or possibly both, and on paper your system looks awesome.

Get it on cd, the 30th Anniversary remastered set.

It doesn't sound as if it was recorded in a chapel using a single stereo pair of cardioids, but it sounds fine and communicates the excitement and young adult angst that Bruce intended.

It certainly beats the hell out of the crap he records now.

Bruce has gone on record many times as saying that BTR was deliberately muddy to mimic wall of sound. Despite that explanation, I believe that Bruce's studio albums are with few exceptions, among the worst sounding in popular music. The exceptions---Darkness, Tunnel of Love, Human Touch, Lucky Town,The Promise and his latest, Wrecking Ball which actually sounds very good. Of late, I've got to put some of the blame if not most on Brendan O'Brien who produced and mixed a number of albums leading up to "Magic" which is virtually unlistenable on cd and barely so on vinyl as well as "Working on a Dream". Wonder why the only song that sounds good on "Working on a Dream" is "The Wrestler" ? It's cause it's the only one produced by Bruce, recorded by Toby Scott and mixed by Bob Clearmountain. It wasn't part of the Working on a Dream sessions and it shows. Even Ludwig has been unable to make the other stuff sound like music. This later stuff is not wall of sound, but wall of crap.
I thank the day that Bruce let current producer Ron Aniello into the fold. I"m also happy every time I see Clearmountain in mixing or mastering.