I recently got my hands on a near-mint copy of the Summer 1985 issue of Backstreets. Backstreets, for the uninitiated, is the Bruce Springsteen fan publication. I follow Backstreets’ online presence every day on social media, but it is a whole other experience to have a vintage copy in hand. Now, fans are spoiled with multiple Springsteen news outlets-- Backstreets, Blogness on the Edge of Town, Blog it All Night, Burgers and Bruce, and the list goes on. This magazine was like opening a time capsule to a very specific era of Springsteen-- in the midst of the mega Born in the USA tour and just following his first marriage to model Julianne Phillips. This was a time when Born to Run was a relatively recent event, many were still scratching their heads over Nebraska, and the Tunnel of Love era band dismantling was unheard of. Here are some things I learned:
