The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle departed from the folk influences of Springsteen's 1973 debut album "Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J." and was instead characterized by "a grand fusion of nostalgic rock 'n' roll and soulful R&B". There is disagreement on "The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle"'s release date between official sources and third-party sources, including various Springsteen biographies covering the era. Springsteen's official website provides a release date of September 11, 1973; however, it is known that Springsteen was still in the studio recording for the album past this date. The consensus among other sources is that the album was released in
Weird NJ the legend of the "Hookerman" Lights and the life of Zip the Pinhead. Subjects covered include the Evil Clown of Middletown, Midgetville,"Gates of Hell," Shades of Death Road, Clinton Road, Demon Alley, and the Devil's Tower. The painting of a grinning face named Tillie from the Palace Amusements building in Asbury Park has appeared in many "Weird NJ" books and on the magazine covers. In 2003 a "Weird NJ" book, made up of content from earlier issues, was published. The next year saw the follow-up "Weird US", covering sites and stories across the country. That led to a series of