Mark Moring has an article over at the Christianity Today website about Bruce Springsteen (aka "The Boss"). Mark's history with Bruce goes back a little farther than mine. I first heard of Mr. Springsteen while reading a review for a Meat Loaf album in the late 70's. Springsteen had been sidelined for some time after releasing Born to Run due to legal battles. He had just released Darkness on the Edge of Town and the reviewer of the Meat Loaf album said we didn't need Springsteen impersonator's now that the Boss was back.
Shortly thereafter, I heard Born to Run for the first time and I was hooked. The second concert I ever went to was Springsteen on The River tour. The only other artist I ever saw that even came close to matching Springsteen's energy was Garth Brooks. My initial reaction to Nebraska was poor, but I came to love the album. When the Born in the USA tour was rolling into town, the tickets were much harder to get, but I managed. I have continued to be a fan, but the albums following Nebraska have not captivated me like Springsteen's earlier efforts.
I have always attributed this to the fact that Springsteen has been, to me, a very secular writer. Compared to the quasi-spiritual writings of Jackson Browne ("The Fuse" or "Rock Me on the Water" come to mind immediately), Bruce seemed to reject religion outright as in "I'm no hero that's understood. All the redemption I can offer girl is beneath this dirty hood" from "Thunder Road."
I'll have to give a listen to the recent CD's and pray that what Mr. Moring sees is a true awakening in Mr. Springsteen's soul.
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2 comments:
I'm a Springsteen fan. Have you ever listened to The Rising? He wrote it right after 9-11.
He's surely very humanistic, but his lyrics in this LP are moving.
I pray the Lord would draw him to the Cross.
Don,
I have listened to it but not bought it yet. I liked it and it did seem as something of a departure in some ways from much of his 90's material.
I would agree that many of his lyrics are moving, and he has a somewhat more realistic view of life than many rock/pot artists, almost Ecclesiastes like.
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