Post by markbelding on May 28, 2024 14:07:57 GMT -6
In his new book “There Was Nothing You Could Do,” published May 28, Steven Hyden unpacks Bruce Springsteen’s 1984 album “Born in the U.S.A.” The record marks the moment the Boss became what Hyden calls “the Bruce Springsteen Character”—a red bandanna-wearing, white T-shirt-sporting, blue jeans-rocking superstar whose cultural penetration put him up there with Michael Jackson and Madonna.
From its opening title track (about a Vietnam vet who comes home to find out home no longer exists) to the closer “My Hometown” (about the decline of upward mobility), “Born in the U.S.A.” exudes Springsteen’s “optimistic populism,” Hyden writes—his empathy for the downtrodden, his belief in rock music’s power to unite, his ability to appeal to liberals and conservatives alike as “the last great centrist rock star.” The most popular album Springsteen ever made, “Born in the U.S.A.” also created a pop-culture frenzy almost comparable to the current Taylor Swift mania, cementing Springsteen in the public.
From its opening title track (about a Vietnam vet who comes home to find out home no longer exists) to the closer “My Hometown” (about the decline of upward mobility), “Born in the U.S.A.” exudes Springsteen’s “optimistic populism,” Hyden writes—his empathy for the downtrodden, his belief in rock music’s power to unite, his ability to appeal to liberals and conservatives alike as “the last great centrist rock star.” The most popular album Springsteen ever made, “Born in the U.S.A.” also created a pop-culture frenzy almost comparable to the current Taylor Swift mania, cementing Springsteen in the public.
www.wsj.com/arts-culture/music/bruce-springsteen-born-in-the-usa-steven-hyden-book-6df95001?mod=arts-culture_lead_pos1
Interesting article, which make me think that this is a must read for Springsteen fans. I always want to like Springsteen more than I do, but I keep coming up short, no denying however his impact on rock and roll. Even more so when you compare him with Taylor Swift whose music IMO comes off as lightweight and artificial unless you are a preteen girl.
