Born to Run: Biography

Springsteen asserts that to maintain career longevity, an artist needs more than primal instinct. To survive over the long haul requires a knowledge of craft, self-awareness, and “creative intelligence.” He laments the passing of so many musical talents who died too young; he prefers living.

Enter the king (Small “k”)

Springsteen forges a close friendship with music critic Jon Landau, who shares his values of hard work and “the methodical application of one’s talents” (215). With deep knowledge of rock’s roots and the artists that make the music live and breathe, Landau becomes a collaborator, helping “streamline” Springsteen’s sound as he works on his third album. Their relationship is more than just collaborative. Springsteen sees Landau as a father figure and thinks Landau considers him a good friend and the “physical embodiment of some part of his rock ‘n’ roll dream” (216). The “heart” that strengthens Springsteen and Landau’s friendship is at the core of his band’s ethos too—a sense of community with an audience for whom performing night after night is not a job but a privilege.

Up River

Landau becomes a counselor too, helping Springsteen through feelings of sadness. The two weather transitions that, while difficult, strengthen their relationship.

Technical issues at the recording studio become untenable, so they move to a new studio in midtown Manhattan and entrust engineering duties to Jimmy Iovine, an inexperienced “studio dog” whose ability to learn quickly makes him vital in producing Born to Run (1975). Springsteen and Landau tighten the arrangements, and Born to Run is ready for the studio. Springsteen imagines the album as moments during one day and night. It marks a transition into more complex character studies and more mature songwriting. Springsteen has misgivings about the final recording, but Landau persuades him to release it.

Born to Run is the hit he’s been waiting for, but success breeds wariness. Both Time and Newsweek want Springsteen on their covers—highly unusual at the time—and he worries about media overexposure but in the end agrees, his “ego, ambition, and fear of not taking my shot” (224) supplanting fear.

Hype

When the magazines hit the stands, Springsteen is uncomfortable with the sudden fame, but it’s what he has been working toward. He must reconcile ambition with trepidation. As fame descends, he has wild mood swings but is grounded by his friends, the band, and their shows.

London Calling

The band has several gigs in London, the home of many groups that influenced and inspired Springsteen. He feels he owes a debt. The theater marquee and posters proclaim him a major talent, and he’s embarrassed and angry at the presumption. By showtime, he’s a nervous wreck, and he feels self-conscious and overthinks. Every live show treads a fine line between success and failure, and despite attempts to “will” himself over that line, he’s disappointed in the outcome. He thus learns to be “proactive” and not allow hype and marketing to overshadow the music. Artists must dictate the terms of their careers lest the executives do it for them. After London, they play Stockholm, Amsterdam, and then a follow-up show in London, which fares much better. He feels they’ve earned a place among his idols. They return home with mixed feelings—solid shows but not the smash they’d hoped for. His contract with Mike Appel has one year left.

As Springsteen’s star rises, he makes his musical goals clear: to have the decision-making power of a solo artist but with a band—his band—at his side, not just random musicians but each a part of the Springsteen experience with a unique identity. He signs with Columbia as a solo artist but performs live as Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.

E Street

Springsteen ruminates about the magic of a rock band born of “a common place and time” (236), the spirit of camaraderie only brothers-in-arms can fashion. They remind audiences of truths they already know: The world can move beyond the mundane to the extraordinary, and a good rock band can take audiences there.

Roll Call

Springsteen lists the core members of the E Street Band and their characteristics:

• Bass: Garry Tallent, quiet but rock solid
• Organ: Danny Federici, an intuitive, untrained player with no formal training in music theory who produces music that sounds like “freedom”
• Guitar: Steve Van Zandt, an “absolutist” who doesn’t settle for less than 100% and who is Springsteen’s close friend, “devil’s advocate,” and “fierce” fellow guitarist
• Drums: Max Weinberg, who carries the weight of each concert on his shoulders and feels what direction Springsteen wants to go at any given moment
• Piano: Roy Bittan, a master of many genres who can play precisely what any given song requires and who brings enormous range and musicality to everything he plays

Before Born to Run, saxophonist Clarence Clemons was just the gifted horn player in Springsteen’s band, but following this album—the cover of which features a photo of Clemons with Springsteen—he takes on a mythic persona of his own: The Big Man. The two men share a special chemistry that Springsteen takes advantage of, allowing Clemons to share the spotlight with him in a shared vision of camaraderie and racial harmony.

The Emperor of E Street

A child of the deep South, Clemons is both cynical and optimistic; his enigmatic face conceals “one million secrets and none at all” (243). He swings wildly between emotional and financial extremes but always rises from the ashes of heartbreak. Springsteen, despite their close friendship, acknowledges the racial gulf between them. He occasionally witnesses racism rear its ugly head in Clemons’s presence.

Heat of the Night

Springsteen and Clemons drive to a rock club to see a band. The club is empty, but a commotion breaks out at the door. A friend of the owner, Clemons rushes to help, subduing and bouncing two large men. As they walk away, one man mutters the N-word. Clemons is furious, and moments later, Springsteen finds him in the parking lot, unnerved and confused by the incident. He plays football with these men every weekend and can’t fathom why they’d use such an epithet. They drive back together in silence. Springsteen has no words of comfort or wisdom to offer.