The Words and Music of Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen''s career has been covered many times over yet many of the complexities and apparent contradictions of his music remain unresolved. Rob Kirkpatrick provides a comprehensive and coherent look at the work of this thoroughly complex and persistently captivating artist. After a brief biographical treatment Kirkpatrick considers all of Springsteen''s significant albums in chronological order. These include Born to Run which was voted the most popular album of all time in a recently published Zagat survey; Born in the U.S.A. which sold more than 20 million copies; and The Rising regarded by many as the most poignant artistic reaction to 9/11. In addition to a probing musical analysis the book offers a guide to Springsteen''s lyrical themes and motifs allowing readers insight into the complicated nature of the artist''s underlying concerns influences and ideas. Rounding out the volume is a consideration of The Boss''s legacy as a songwriter and musician as well as appendices including a bibliography and a complete discography.The Words and Music of Bruce Springsteen provides a comprehensive and coherent look at the work of a thoroughly complex and persistently captivating artist. Springsteen enjoys a popularity that has transcended generations. His 1975 album Born to Run was voted the most popular album of all time in a recently published Zagat survey; his 1984 album Born in the U.S.A. spawned seven Top Ten singles while selling more than 20 million copies; and his 2002 album The Rising was regarded by many critics as the most poignant artistic reaction to 9/11. Springsteen now in his 50s has evolved from an over-hyped version of the next Bob Dylan to the future of rock and roll in the mid-1970s to a pop culture icon in Reagan America to a 21st-century populist voice. His career has been covered many times over yet many of the complexities and apparent contradictions of his music remain unresolved. These include his hard-rock influenced musical background; his movement from themes of rebellion and isolation in his early work to those of a more populist complexion later on; and his contribution in the 1980s to a conservative patriotismdespite his albums'' close association with the music and ideas of Woody Guthrie.After a brief biographical treatment Kirkpatrick considers all of Springsteen''s significant albums in chronological order. In addition to this probing musical analysis he offers a guide to Springsteen''s lyrical themes and motifs allowing readers a coherent insight into the complicated nature of the artist''s underlying concerns influences and ideas. Rounding out the volume is a consideration of The Boss''s legacy as a songwriter and musician as well as appendices including a bibliography and a complete discography. In sum The Words and Music of Bruce Springsteen provides a comprehensive and coherent look previously unavailable in a single volume at the work of a thoroughly complex and persistently captivating artist.