References—Sources and Suggested Reading Materials

Bruce Springsteen Fashions a Compelling, Austere Message, Robert Palmer, The New York Times, September 26, 1982.

The Bottom Line, a Place Where the Music Always Came First, Jon Pareles, New York Times, January 26, 2004.

Thirty Love, The Stone Pony celebrates anniversary in style, Ed Condran, The Record, February 27, 2004.

Older And Wiser Springsteen Back Where It All Began, Barbara Jaeger, The Bergen Record, November 25, 1996

Springsteen’s Homecoming, Barbara Jaeger, The Bergen Record, November 27, 1996.

Springsteen Stages A Powerful Comeback, Barbara Jaeger, The Bergen Record, July 24, 1992.

Springsteen Unplugged, Barbara Jaeger, The Bergen Record, November 23, 1995.

Bruce Springsteen at the Stone Pony: His Most Memorable Performances, Stan Goldstein, NJ.com, February 18, 2014,

Magazine links to articles:

The Catholic Imagination of Bruce Springsteen, Andrew Greeley, America Magazine, February 6, 1988. http://americamagazine.org/issue/100/catholic-imagination-bruce-springsteen

Bruce Springsteen: The Ghost of Flannery O’Connor, Paul Elie, Georgetown University.   http://everythingthatrises.com/post/101651684345/bruce-springsteen-the-ghost-of-flannery-oconnor

Naming Sin: Flannery O’Connor’s Mark of Bruce Springsteen, Damian J. Ference, Dappled Things Quarterly, http://dappledthings.org/1148/naming-sin-flannery-oconnors-mark-on-bruce-springsteen/

Bruce Springsteen’s Passion, Erik Buys, April 6, 2011 https://erikbuys.wordpress.com/2011/04/06/bruce-springsteens-passion/

Bruce Springsteen’s Catholic Imagination, David Gibson, March 21, 2012, dotCommonweal blog, https://www.commonwealmagazine.org/blog/bruce-springsteens-catholic-imagination

The Rising of Bruce Springsteen, Patrick Kelly, February 10, 2003, America , Vol 188 No. 4

http://americamagazine.org/issue/421/article/rising-bruce-springsteen

Bobbie Ann Mason’s “In Country” Evokes the Soul of Kentucky and the Sadness of Vietnam, Andrea Chambers, October 28, 1985, People Magazine, Vol 23, No. 18 http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20092051,00.html

Bobbie Ann Mason’s Border States, Mervyn Rothstein, May 15, 1988, NY Times Web online archives https://www.nytimes.com/books/98/08/09/specials/mason-profile.html

 

Websites:

Andrew Greeley’s website: http://www.agreeley.com/

Andrew Greeley Wiki entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Greeley

Backstreets – the Springsteen newsletter: www.backstreets.com

The B Street Band: http://www.bstreetband.com/

Brucebase – links to his performances: https://brucebase.wikispaces.com/

Jersey Shore Music – edited by Gary Wien, author of Beyond The Palace – http://www.streamlicensing.com/stations/thepenguin/newindex.html

 

Mikey didn’t like anything-original commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYEXzx-TINc

 

Springsteen favorites on my bookshelf:

Born to Run, Dave Marsh, Thunder Mouth Press, 1979.

Glory Days, Dave Marsh, Pantheon Books, New York, 1987, Duke and Duchess Ventures, Inc.

Beyond The Palace, Gary Wien, Trafford Publishing, Victoria, BC, Canada, 2003 and 2006

Down Thunder Road, Marc Elliot, Simon & Schuster, New York, 1992

Bruce – The Rolling Stone files, 1996 Rolling Stone Press, Hyperion, New York

Springsteen- Blinded By the Light, Patrick Humphries and Chris Hunt, 1985, Plexus Publishing Limited, Henry Holt and Company Inc, New York

The Ties that Bind: Bruce Springsteen A to E to Z, Edited by Gary Graff, 2005 Visible Ink Press, Canton, MI

Prove it all Night, The Bruce Springsteen Trivia Book, Deborah Mayer, 1987 Mustang Publishing, New Haven

Springsteen, Frank Moriarty, 1998 Michael Friedman Publishing Group, Inc.

Recommended Books—some Influenced the Boss

Related books I consider “Bruce roots” – either directly influencing Springsteen or a book that gains insight into his main songwriting themes (d) means directly (ind) indicates indirectly. Indirect influences help understand the underlying theme, and they might have been books the Boss read.

  American Rock ’n roll, John Rockwell,  [ especially chapter__ on R & R] (ind)

Born on the Fourth of July, Ron Kovic, New York, McGraw Hill, 1976

Bound for Glory, Woody Guthrie (d) −Woody Guthrie writes a touchstone folkie roots book that influenced musicians for the past 70 years. For people who enjoy reading stories about the passing of the musician torch this is an important work because Woody explains how he lit the torch.

Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck (d) –This tale harks back to the Great Depression and the dustbowl existence of the Okies and is a must read to understand the foundation of many of Bruce’s songs. For instance, Springsteen’s This Hard Land sounds like it tumbled out of the pages of this book along with some Oklahoma tumbleweed.

In Country (d) – This book, later a Bruce Willis movie, depicts man’s alienation from the modern world and alienation from a person’s culture and surroundings. The plot involves mobility, Viet Nam veterans and a child’s search to learn about her father, Her search takes her from Kentucky to the memorial in Washington. Bobbie Ann Mason is a huge Springsteen fan and draws inspiration for her writing from some of his songs. This is literary marinating where each intellect influences the other.

 Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl (ind) –Rock ’n roll fan or not, everyone needs to read this book to get an understanding of what life means. If you have not read this short book, you have no excuse for wandering about wondering about the meaning of life. Viktor Frankl came to this epiphany while in the Nazi concentration camps of World War II.

The Moviegoer, Walker Percy, New York, Knopf, 1961

 The River, A Good Man is Hard To Find, (d) Flannery O’Connor – and other short stories.  Flannery O’Connor (1923-1969) — In several interviews, Bruce mentions that her writing inspired him. If you take the time to read O’Connor you’ll understand the tone of the songs on The River. A darkness seems to hover over her short stories and it haunts many of Bruce’s songs.

Rock Family Trees, Peter Frame, Omnibus Press, 1993.

Why I Am Still A Catholic (ind) –Edited by Kevin and Marilyn Ryan, New York, Riverhead Books, Published by The Berkeley Publishing Group, a member of Penguin Putnam Inc, New York, NY, 1998. ― Great book for cradle Catholics. This book contains chapters by famous celebrities who explain why they always remained true to their Catholic faith. The piece by Andrew Greeley explains much of the ideas he presented in the 1988 America article that started the “Catholic” buzz about Bruce’s religious upbringing.  The rest of the book provides insight into the Baby Boomer “cradle” Catholics with essays by diverse celebrities like Maria Shriver, Mark Bavaro, Bob Cousy, Bowie Kuhn, Fr. Theodore Hesburgh, C.S.C, and Mario Andretti.

Wise Blood (d) –One of two Flannery O’Connor’s influential novels. This was made into a movie by the same title and was a huge influenced Bruce. Could have been one of the main books to brung the Boss over to the dark side.

 

Blog and Ezine articles (Bruce and music in general)

Bruce Springsteen in the Swamps of New Jersey ― My review of his 2012 summer concert in the Meadowlands during the Radio Nowhere (Wrecking Ball tour). http://bit.ly/1ZjfkEB

Dylan in China – Ballad of A Thin Man Serenading the Oppressors — My commentary on Bob Dylan’s tour of China discussing whether he sold out, allowing the Chinese authorities to censor his set list. http://bit.ly/24AlZ0E

eBook Update: Starkness on the Edge of Town — My blog entry update on the progress of writing the eBook. http://bit.ly/1rwUWFm

Everybody Has A Hungry Heart ― And a Bruce Story   — Blog entry during the writing of A Notion Deep Inside. http://bit.ly/1rYcaMm

Fellow Prisoners of Rock ’n Roll ― Blog entry chronicling the B Street Band performance at Ramapo College – referred to in the book. http://bit.ly/1XaWSQ1

Following the Runaway American Dream ― y blog entry update on writing A Notion Deep Inside. http://bit.ly/1Og01H6

Further On (Up The Road) — Blog article about writing the eBook. http://bit.ly/26XSGHw

Some People Like What You Write — More blogging about writing A Notion Deep Inside – people’s reactions to excepts. http://bit.ly/1TuWOVF

Working on a Dream — First blog article about writing A Notion Deep Inside. http://bit.ly/1YbmTwQ

Write Who You Are — My blog article about Woodstock and the Moon walk in the summer of 1969. http://bit.ly/1rwUk2u