{"product_id":"the-words-and-music-of-bruce-springsteen-9780275989385","title":"The Words and Music of Bruce Springsteen","description":"\u003cp\u003eBruce 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 \u003ci\u003eBorn to Run, \u003c\/i\u003e which was voted the most popular album of all time in a recently published Zagat survey; \u003ci\u003eBorn in the U.S.A., \u003c\/i\u003e which sold more than 20 million copies; and \u003ci\u003eThe Rising, \u003c\/i\u003e 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. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Words and Music of Bruce Springsteen\u003c\/i\u003e 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 \u003ci\u003eBorn to Run\u003c\/i\u003e was voted the most popular album of all time in a recently published Zagat survey; his 1984 album \u003ci\u003eBorn in the U.S.A.\u003c\/i\u003e spawned seven Top Ten singles while selling more than 20 million copies; and his 2002 album \u003ci\u003eThe Rising\u003c\/i\u003e 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 patriotism--despite his albums' close association with the music and ideas of Woody Guthrie. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAfter 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, \u003ci\u003eThe Words and Music of Bruce Springsteen\u003c\/i\u003e provides a comprehensive and coherent look, previously unavailable in a single volume, at the work of a thoroughly complex and persistently captivating artist.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eRob Kirkpatrick\u003c\/b\u003e is the author of \u003ci\u003eCecil Travis of the Washington Senators: The War-Torn Career of an All-Star Shortstop\u003c\/i\u003e (2005). He provided an essay on the Pacific coast rock music scene for \u003ci\u003eThe Greenwood Encyclopedia of American Regional Cultures\u003c\/i\u003e (2004), contributed to \u003ci\u003eApproaches to Teaching Hamlet\u003c\/i\u003e (MLA 2001) and has appeared in \u003ci\u003eThe Hemingway Review\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Praeger","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50858421256466,"sku":"9780275989385","price":63.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_09bf12f1-fd33-489e-a0da-9b1755631487.jpg?v=1737542947","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-words-and-music-of-bruce-springsteen-9780275989385","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}