The Glory Days of Bruce Springsteen, and Me

Bruce Springsteen turns 74 on Saturday, Sept. 23. It’s a date that means something to me. I actually remember when I first became aware of it—that the Boss had a birthday and that, following that day each year, he’d be a little older. I was a relatively early Springsteen adopter. He reached me via the record collection of my older brother, which is why we have older brothers: to strain out the garbage and filter down the gold.