Boot Tracker, October 12th 1976, New Brunswick, NJ

I admit it, I'm obsessed. You have to be to be running a blog like this. Since I've started this blog, I've been listening to at least three bootlegs a week, nit picking over little details and differences, wading through the mud on these old tapes, trying to recapture the Magic I missed out on. Every Kivak tape makes me wish I was born a few decades earlier in the New Jersey era. With every Kivak tape I pretend I was for two plus hours. My obsession is why I have such a weak spot for these Fanatic releases. They are never the cleanest tapes, even the best Fanatic releases seem to be filled with warts. But I devour them in my obsession, on every single one of them I find something that makes me jump from my seat, fist pumping in the living room, glad there's nobody watching when I finally compose myself again. This Fanatic release, again, aims at the obsessed like me. With its muddy and distant sound it takes an obsession that's borderline insane (or at least I hope is still borderline insane) to appreciate what's covered by the mud.

Those who were actually there might be better judges, but despite the relatively short set, without any grand surprises, it sounds like the Boss was in prime shape this particular night. Maybe he felt he had something to prove as this was allegedly Springsteen's first appearance at Rutgers University, whatever it is, Rutgers got a nice and loose performance. "She's the One" pulses into the night, capturing Springsteen in a talk active mood. Clocking in at more than 13 minutes this might be one of the longest versions he ever played without a song leading into it. When the song finally kicks in its the first time I jump out of my seat. Then its back in the chair again for fine and moving versions of "Backstreets" and "Something in the Night". "Tenth Avenue" kicks in, I jump up again, by the time the tapes hits that scorching version of "Rosalita", I've totally forgotten that I'm in my living room. Tight yellow T-Shirt complete with mustache ,side burns and a head of afro like curls, I'm jumping up and down in the seventies. Forget obsessed, I'm not obsessed, I'm possessed, a prisoner of R&R!!!!!!

"Tenth Avenue Freeze Out"

MP3 File

Download the full show in mp3 here
A small request, only burn mp3s for personal use, but never use a mp3 based CD in a trade. The Quality of mp3s deteriorate rapidly every time a CD is ripped. Using high quality music files such as FLACs is essential in keeping the trading pool healthy.

Recording: 2 out of 5
Show: 4,5 out of 5
Artwork: 3 out of 5