Bruce Springsteen: High Hopes for he who was born to run in the USA
http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2014/jan/14/bruce-springsteen-high-hopes-celebrospective Version 0 of 1. "Brrrruuuuuuuccccceeeeeeee," the rallying cry of Bruce Springsteen's fans is being called again with the Tuesday release of his newest album, High Hopes. The Boston Globe said the album, a collection of re-recorded tracks and unreleased songs from previous recording sessions, is "a potent valentine for diehard fans." While not exactly loved in critics' early reviews, it offers yet another chance to celebrate The Boss. More than 30 years since Springsteen emerged from small New Jersey music clubs, his music has been embraced by generations of fans. But how did the most American of American rockstars make his way from The Stone Pony to a performance at Super Bowl 2009's halftime? Let's take a little walk down Thunder Road: <strong>Born in the USA</strong> Springsteen is the most American of American rockstars, as evinced by the beloved Born in the USA album cover and absolutely everything else he does. Lyrics for the working class? Yes. Strong, beautiful songs performed after national crises? Absolutely. An enormous denim collection? Duh. He isn’t just any American though: he is a New Jerseyan, and while that state of birth carries some hefty stereotypes, Sprinsteen has defeated hell, high water and the cast of the Jersey Shore to cement his place as the state’s patron saint. From New Jersey governor Chris Christie to The Daily Show host Jon Stewart, Springsteen's fellow New Jerseyans are quick to state their love for The Boss. <strong>Born to Run</strong> Springsteen got his big break in August 1975 during a run of ten shows in five days at a small New York club. He and the E Street Band wowed industry insiders, ensuring a well-paved road to fame. Guitarist Steven Van Zandt told Rolling Stone in 2004: "Blowing minds was routine for us. We had been doing it for ten years, and Bruce used all ten years of it in those shows." The shows preceded the release of Born to Run, an anthemic rock n roll classic. Soon after the initial sparks of fame flew, Springsteen tied social issues to his identity and has given support to veterans, advocated for voting and offered longtime support for same-sex marriage. Shortly after the release of Born to Run, Springsteen had his first major single success with Hungry Heart, a song he almost gave to The Ramones. He recreated his speckled, leather jacket-clad, fuzzy bearded 1970s look in 2012 to perform Willow Smith's Whip My Hair with Jimmy Fallon, who performed as Neil Young. <strong>Dancing in the Dark</strong> With The River’s moderate commercial success, and a restrained, critically-acclaimed Nebraska to follow, Springsteen made it to household name territory with his 1984 album Born in the USA. The album is filled with his perennial hits including I’m On Fire, Born in the USA and Dancing in the Dark. The music video for the latter must always include the footnote that it made Courtney Cox famous, when she appeared on stage with Springsteen, who performed the song clad in all-American denim and a low cut blouse. Springsteen's personal life pours into his lyrics and eventually his actual band. In this late 1980s period, he started dating backup singer, and now wife of 22 years, Patty Scialfa. <strong>Better Days</strong> Springsteen had some slip-ups in the early 1990s, marked by a reviled MTV Unplugged appearance that featured an electric band and his new life in the glamorous-seeming city of Los Angeles – a far cry from the Jersey Shore. During these dark days, he simultaneously released two albums that didn't really impress anyone: 1992’s Human Touch and Lucky Town. Was this really the same person who had played Stand By Me with U2 five years earlier? Unfortunately, yes. To deal with these mellow years, his fans beget more fans as parents across the United States repeatedly played Born in the USA on road trips and other places where children could not change the music. <strong>The Rising</strong> With the new millennium, Springsteen's career saw renewed success. He had also moved back to Jersey. He returned to form with his 12th album The Rising, a reflection on September 11. The album was also his first with the E Street Band since the 1980s. In a 2002 Rolling Stone review, Kurt Loder said of the album: The heart sags at the prospect of pop stars weighing in on the subject of September 11th. Which of them could possibly transmute the fiery horror of that day with the force of their art, or offer up anything beyond a dismal trivialization? The answer, it turns out, is Bruce Springsteen Soon after, it was determined that love for Springsteen and his extensive catalog deserved their own satellite radio station, resulting in the premiere of E Street Radio in 2005. For the rest of the decade, he continued to support political causes and collected awards, including a Kennedy Center Honor in 2009. One of his most high-profile fans, and fellow New Jerseyan, The Daily Show host Jon Stewart said at the ceremony: “I believe that Bob Dylan and James Brown had a baby ... that baby is Bruce Springsteen.” He also performed Journey’s Don’t Stop Believing with Lady Gaga, Elton John, Blondie, Shirley Bassey and Sting in 2010: Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. |