BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN ROCK ROLL LEGEND

Rock and Roll legend Bruce Springsteen released a limited edition, four-song vinyl EP to commemorate Record Store Day on April 19th.  The EP, entitled American Beauty, is made up of leftover tracks that did not make the final cut on the Boss’ previous two releases.  With Springsteen back in the public eye in support of old-school vinyl records and the hardworking store owners who sell them, now would be a good time to take a look back at Bruce’s long and storied career.

Springsteen is the working man’s rock star.  His music, from 1984’s “Born in the USA” to this week’s release of “Hurry Up Sundown”, strikes a chord with the blue jeans-wearing, pickup trick-driving, blue collar crowd that is more commonly associated with Country music.  Springsteen’s enduring popularity shows that there is a significant rock contingent among the working class of America.

The 64-year-old Springsteen has 20 Grammy Awards to his credit, as well as a couple of Golden Globes and even an Oscar.  He was inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the lesser-known Songwriters Hall of Fame.  The New Jersey native oozes the New Jersey working class pathos and his works resonate with generation after generation.

It is an odd footnote to Springsteen’s long career that his biggest hit was one of the most misunderstood songs ever recorded.  “Born in the USA” was often thought to be a patriotic hymn or an ode to the greatness of the United States of America despite that fact that even a cursory examination of the lyrics tells a very different story.  The lyrics to “Born in the USA” tell a sad tale of a military veteran who is rewarded for his service with apathy upon his return.  The rocking melody and cheerful refrain somehow overwhelmed the true nature of the song in the public perception.  Springsteen would address that perception with a remarkable acoustic version of the song that resonates musically in line with the somber tone of the lyrics.

In recent years, Springsteen’s E-Street Band lost two members.  Journeyman Danny Federici passed away from cancer in 2008.  Saxophonist Clarence Clemons died of complications after a stroke in 2011.  Despite these tragic losses, Springsteen has continued to release albums and travel the world performing live.  Springsteen’s eighteenth album, High Hopes, was released in January 2014.  A mishmash of old, new, and repurposed music, High Hopes still sparkles with the old magic that made Springsteen a household name.

The mere three-month span separating High Hopes from American Beauty makes 2014 the Year of the Boss, with a total of 16 “new” songs available for consumption.  Whether the songs are newly-minted or updated classics or simply newly-released, the body of work coming out this year resonates with the three generations of Springsteen fans and may well serve to introduce the next group of fans to one of America’s greatest Rock and Roll legends.