BORN IN THE U.S.A. is the most slickly produced album of Springteen's career, a direct reaction to the backlash he got from critics over the sparse, haunting NEBRASKA, Bruce's brilliant, bare-bones acoustic masterpiece.  Don't be fooled, however, by the huge production and slick pop arrangements; BORN IN THE U.S.A. finds Bruce at his most political, writing scathing recession-fueled indictments of the then-current Republican regime.  Several songs deal with social issues, most notably poverty, unemployment, racial tension and the death of Main Street, USA and small town America.  The remaining songs deal with lost love, growing older and loneliness.  Two songs in particular, "No Surrender" and "Bobby Jean," deal with the departure of Bruce's best friend, Little Steven, who would leave the E Street Band after recording this album.  Despite the bombastic superstar production and arrangements, BORN IN THE U.S.A. is one of Springsteen's most personal and poingnant albums, and deserves a place of honor in the collection of any Springsteen fan or serious music lover.