The CD is newly remastered, but what makes the box so special is a two-hour DVD documentary about the making of the album (with new Springsteen interviews) and an extra DVD of a previously unreleased London concert in 1975 right after he completed it.
The spellbinding show not only reveals how well the ''Born to Run" material translated to the stage but is the only full-length concert film of Springsteen and his E Street Band ever released from their first 25 years.
Fans of the artist, and rock lovers in general, will be swept up by the show's nonstop energy as a young Springsteen -- looking like a Bob Marley disciple in a beard and knit cap -- overwhelms an audience at London's Hammersmith Odeon. His voice is gritty and supple, but he is far more shy between songs than he is today. He barely moves around stage, he doesn't tell stories (a staple of any modern Bruce show), and about all he says is, ''How's things going over here in England and stuff?"
The music, however, is sublime, from ''Born to Run" tracks such as ''Thunder Road" and ''Jungleland," to a roaring medley of Mitch Ryder's ''Devil With a Blue Dress On" and Little Richard's ''Good Golly Miss Molly."
Viewers will be stunned by the greatness of this show, though it may be a shock to see how primitive some of the filming is. By today's standards, it's like garage-rock cinema. The lighting is minimal and dark. The crowd is almost never shown, eliminating any interactive element. There are no props, no video screens, no bells and whistles of any kind. But there are constant close-ups of Springsteen, whose urgency never wavers. And there's the lively sight of saxophonist Clarence Clemons in a sparkling white tuxedo, driving the band with his signature solos.
