Bruce Springsteen's Born in the USA
(Part of the 33⅓ (#27) Series, 33 (#27) Series, and 33 1/3 (#27) Series)
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Book Overview
When Bruce Springsteen went back on the road in 1984, he opened every show by shouting out, "one, two, one, two, three, four," followed by the droning synth chords of "Born in the U.S.A." Max Weinberg hit his drums with a two-fisted physicality that cut through the swelling chords. With a rolled-up red kerchief around his head and heavy black boots under his faded jeans, Springsteen looked like the character of the song, and from the very first line ("Born down in a dead man's town") he sang with the throat-scraping desperation of a man with his back against the wall.
When he reached the crucial lines, though, the guitars and bass dropped out and Weinberg switched to just the hi-hat. Springsteen's voice grew a bit more private and reluctant as he sang, "Nowhere to run. Nowhere to go." It was as if he weren't sure if this were an admission of defeat or the drawing of a line in the sand. But when the band came crashing back at full strength-building a crescendo that fell apart in the cacophony of Springsteen's and Weinberg's wild soloing, paused and then came together again in the determined, marching riff-it was clear that the singer was ready to make a stand.Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:0826416616
ISBN13:9780826416612
Release Date:August 2005
Publisher:Continuum
Length:150 Pages
Weight:0.34 lbs.
Dimensions:0.4" x 4.5" x 6.6"
Customer Reviews
1 rating
An informative read
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 19 years ago
Geoffrey Hime's tome on Born in the U.S.A. is a must buy for any serious music fan. I had forgotten how good it was. Reading it brought back lots of pleasant memories. Himes makes a number of good points about the album particularly his insight how he pared down his lyrics making them more effective. Also, he makes note of Springsteen's use of humour in songs like Glory Days. He really delves into the genesis of some songs like the title track. Also as an added bonus there's lots of information here on the making of Nebraska. There is a very valuable disography at the back of the book. Reading the book brought back a lot of amusing memories how right-wingers such as Ronald Reagan and George Will embraced this album and artist. They didn't quite get Springsteen and his work. Overall, this is a valuable addition to any music fanatic's library.
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