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Bruce Springsteen And The Promise Of Rock 'n' Roll (2012)

by Marc Dolan(Favorite Author)

3.49 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

0393081354 (ISBN13: 9780393081350)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

W. W. Norton & Company

review 1: After reading Pete Townsend's autobiography, I read this biography of Springsteen, whose music I've loved since 1975. I usually read novels, never biographies, yet these two books connected me to music I've admired and enjoyed--and now have an even deeper appreciation for. I particularly enjoyed this book because it places Springsteen in the context of what was happening in America politically and musically over the years. Author Marc Dolan is an adept historian. Springsteen started off like any young musician, wanting to impress. His first two albums were not the usual popular music of the time, even if that's what Springsteen hoped for. He had certain ideas for songs, and just as Columbia was thinking of dropping him, he delivers "Born to Run," which put him on the cover... more of Time and Newsweek the same week. Since then, he looked for ways to keep exploring, so that even though he's now incredibly rich and in his sixties, he remains tuned into to life as most of us live it. Anyone in the arts in particular will find this book an exploration of what it means to be an artist.
review 2: This book could be called, "Bruce Springsteen Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love Rock and Roll". If you're a Springsteen fan and you're intrigued by how his music has evolved throughout his career, you'll most likely enjoy this book although it can be frustrating to read at times. You should plan on taking longer than you think to finish reading since you'll frequently succumb to the urge to search YouTube for many of the performances referenced by Marc Dolan in each chapter.This biography is an enjoyable read if you feel the pull of Bruce's music. At times, Dolan's book struggles under the weight of over-wrought sentences like this one; "Conceived this way, the piano line in "Thunder Road" is less like the narrator's critical interlocutor than like a piece of the narrator's musical clothing, something he dons to lend himself greater presence."The attempts to link Bruce's worldview expressed in his music to Ronald Reagan's is unconvincing. The section detailing Springsteen's endorsement of Barack Obama is overdone with lines such as, "Was there ever a presidential candidate who better fit with Bruce Springsteen's worldview?" As Dolan himself explains, Springsteen became more overtly politically active as he grew older and saw the world (and himself as a musician) in less absolute terms.Dolan's analysis of Springsteen's lyrics and his ability to connect songs across different periods of Bruce's career is a strength of the book. Much of the book helps us understand why Bruce needed to regularly leave the band and explore his music on his own or with other musicians. Even as a lifelong Springsteen fan, however, I found Dolan to be a bit too forgiving of some of the weaker songs on some of Bruce's most recent recordings (i.e. Magic, Working on a Dream). Dolan is at his best when he describes how Springsteen created, recorded, and later re-imagined many of his songs on successive tours as his musical interests and his relationship with his audience evolved. less

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