The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle November; Carlin gives a date of November 11, though November 5 has also been cited among online sources. "The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle" sold poorly when it was first released in 1973 but received acclaim from critics. "Rolling Stone" magazine's Ken Emerson said that its lengthy, vividly written songs make for a more challenging and romantic album than "Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.", but still retain that album's ebullient music because of Springsteen and the E Street Band's masterful playing. In a less enthusiastic review for "Creem", Robert Christgau wrote that it does not cohere as
Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. Guide to Rock" (2002), William Ruhlmann gave "Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J." five stars and said that it combined the mid-1960s folk rock music of Bob Dylan, accessible melodies, and elaborate arrangements and lyrics: ""Asbury Park" painted a portrait of teenagers cocksure of themselves, yet bowled over by their discovery of the world. It was saved from pretentiousness (if not preciousness) by its sense of humor and by the careful eye for detail ... that kept even the most high-flown language rooted." In 2003, the album was ranked number 379 on "Rolling Stone"<nowiki>'</nowiki>s list of the 500 greatest albums of