As much as I want to agree with you, "Nebraska" tends to refute your point. It was Bruce's first solo acoustical album and it was excellent. Somewhere around the "Born in the USA" timeframe Springsteen copped this holier than thou, self rightous attitude and has gone downhill ever since. His last, Devils and Dirt, was so bad I couldn't believe this was the same guy who did "Darkness on the Edge of Town" or "The River".
Actually I meant to say "Devils and Dust" not Devils and Dirt.
Of course, as far as I'm concerned, Greetings and The Wild have mostly just novelty value and everything after Born In The U.S.A. is either corny, annoying or both.
Born To Run, Darkness On The Edge Of Town, Nebraska, The River and Born In The U.S.A. (with reservations) are the only records by Springsteen worth owning in their entirety.
The other 10 or so just aren't good records - some rise to the level of mediocre.
You're absolutely right. "Nebraska," "Darkness on the Edge of Town" and "The River" -- and also his breakthrough album, "Born to Run" -- are the real deal. The rest are forgettable indeed.
Bruce Springsteen: Irrelevant since 1987.