Tonight in Jungleland: The Making of Born to Run

by Peter Ames Carlin Narrated by Peter Ames Carlin

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

Read the story behind the music, and get to the heart of the creative process behind Born to Run with The Boss and his band, in Peter Ames Carlin’s biographical track-by-track dive into the legendary album.

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ¿ A fascinating behind-the-scenes account of the making of Bruce Springsteen's ground-breaking album, Born to Run-one of the most iconic records in rock history-Tonight in Jungleland combines lush music writing with unprecedented inside access to Springsteen, his bandmates, and the full story behind every song... and coincides with the album's 50th anniversary in August 2025.

“Absorbing. . . A fascinating portrait of a talented, ambitious and stubborn young man with strong creative instincts.”-Los Angeles Times

From the opening piano notes of “Thunder Road,” to the final outro of “Jungleland”-with American anthems like “Born to Run” and “Tenth Avenue Freeze Out” in between-Bruce Springsteen's seminal album, Born to Run, established Springsteen as a creative force in rock and roll. With his back against the wall, he wrote what has been hailed as a perfect album, a defining moment, and a roadmap for what would become a legendary career.

Peter Ames Carlin, whose bestselling biography, Bruce, gave him rare access to Springsteen's inner circle, now returns with the full story of the making of this epic album. Released in August, 1975, Born to Run now celebrates its 50th anniversary. Carlin reveals a treasure trove of untold stories, detailing the writing and recording of every song, as well as the intense and at times tortuous process that mimicked the fault lines in Springsteen's psyche and career, even as it revealed the depth of his vision. A must-read for any music fan, Tonight in Jungleland takes us inside a hallowed creative process and lets us experience history.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

A New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice • New York Times and Boston Globe Best Book of the Summer

"Absorbing. . . [Tonight in Jungleland is] a fascinating portrait of a talented, ambitious and stubborn young man with strong creative instincts - but who needed to get out of his own way to let the genius shine."
—Los Angeles Times

“Carlin revisits those pivotal years [before the release of Born to Run] with a fan’s fervor and a journalist’s attention to detail.... Carlin’s prose heightens the drama of the album’s construction.... Tonight in Jungleland vividly summons the album’s struggle and its spirit.”
—New York Times

"Few writers make the recording and writing process feel as alive as Carlin does, recounting the story behind Born to Run with a deep appreciation for Springsteen's craft and artistry; it's music writing and biography at its finest."
—Seattle Times

"A must-read accompaniment to the biography of a man that many of us have only known to exist in the stratosphere of musical artists. But what makes this book remarkable is what almost wasn't - his most perfect album."
—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"What Carlin does here is more than just music journalism. He creates a story, a mood, and triumphs and challenges for its main and supporting characters, almost novelistic in its approach and analysis. So even if you've already spent hundreds of hours with Wendy, Mary, the Magic Rat, Barefoot Girl, Scooter and the Big Man, Terry, and the Duke Street Kings, Tonight in Jungleland is worth another ride out on Highway 9."
—Houston Press

"After two strong but imperfect albums, how did Springsteen's sound grow so quickly? . . . By the end of Tonight In Jungleland, Carlin just might have figured it out."
—AV Club

“A thrilling page-turner, Carlin’s book, which includes new interviews with Springsteen, recounts the minute-by-minute details leading up to and immediately following the album’s release, lingering on the intimate happenings at the recording sessions, Springsteen’s perfectionist struggles, and the grind to craft and record each note and word.”
—Smithsonian Magazine

"Carlin made the most of his remarkable access to Springsteen’s bandmates, producer, agent – and The Boss himself. . . You don’t have to be a Springsteen fan or even a rock music fan to appreciate this book. It reads like a novel, shining a light on the power of authenticity."
—Christian Science Monitor

“Bolstered by interviews with Springsteen himself... this book thrives in exploring the hard work that preceded it. An admirably comprehensive study of a masterpiece and its creation.”
—Kirkus Reviews (starred)

“Captivating. . . Carlin takes a fascinating look at the challenges of making an album whose success now seems inevitable, exploring what drives artists to create as well as how their relationship with their work can shift as it becomes part of popular culture. Springsteen fans should snap this up.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred)

“Endlessly entertaining.... A must for Springsteen fans and admirers of the album.”
—Booklist (starred)

Kirkus Reviews

★ 2025-05-15
The roots of a career-making album.

Fifty years on, Bruce Springsteen’s third album,Born To Run, seems as natural, essential, and American as the Mississippi River. But as music biographer Carlin (The Name of This Band Is R.E.M., 2024, etc.) explains, its creation was clouded with uncertainty, as was its creator. Though Springsteen’s first two albums received plenty of critical acclaim, sales were weak, and he was close to being dropped by his label, Columbia Records. His live band was in transition, as was his management—he invited Jon Landau, a well-connected rock critic, into his camp following a review that concluded, “I saw rock and roll future and its name is Bruce Springsteen.” Carlin’s book generally runs through the album song by song, which is an effective strategy: “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” lets Carlin explore the E Street Band’s evolution, “Jungleland” Springsteen’s meticulous approach to composition and production, the anthemic title track his ruthless self-editing as a lyricist. (Manager Mike Appel was so high on the last song he released a bootleg single of it to radio, risking the ire of Columbia suits.) Unlike his R.E.M. book, which suffered from lack of access to the band members, this book is bolstered by interviews with Springsteen himself, some drawn from his 2012 biography but also more recent ones, as well as footage of Springsteen’s obsessive retakes in the studio. To the last, he remained uncertain of what he’d accomplished—he almost scrapped the album just before its release date—and it’s to Carlin’s credit that he’s more interested in the uncertainty than delivering a hagiography.Born To Run was a triumph, installing Springsteen in rock’s canon, but this book thrives in exploring the hard work that preceded it.

An admirably comprehensive study of a masterpiece and its creation.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940193442929
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	08/05/2025
Edition description:	Unabridged

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