Customer Reviews

Racing in the Street: The Bruce Springsteen Reader

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How many people do you know who like Bruce Springsteen? If you're like me, probably not very many. Most people cite their dislike of his voice, or find him to be too intense, or don't find his melodies to be that memorable. That's fine- that's their loss after all- but it's not necessarily congruent with the critical praise steeped upon Springsteen. I've always known that Bruce has been a longtime critical darling for Rolling Stone- he doesn't get as much coverage nowdays (he doesn't do that much nowdays to warrant coverage), but back in the 70s and 80s, Bruce could absolutely do no wrong, and was voted "artist of the year" an unprecedented number of times in the mid 80s. Those writings are collected in the Rolling Stone Files anthology, to which this book is an essential companion. If anything, this book has more substance than the RS book, since many of its selections place Bruce's music in its social context. While I know that Bruce is a wonderful guy, I'm not terribly interested in reading about endless fawning over him or how great he is in concert- I know that or else I wouldn't be seeking out written material about him. There's certainly some element to that in this book, but many of the articles are well-written reflections on the meaning of his music and on the social and political influences that inspire and shape it. My favorite is the Lester Bangs review of early Bruce- the music seems to have knocked this rather pretentious (but wonderful) critic down a few notches closer to earth. I also enjoy some of the ficiton writings that contain prominent mentions of Springsteen's music. So for some well-written but well-grounded commentary and reflections on Springsteen's music and the society that inspired him, "Racing in the Street" is an excellent, highly readable anthology that doesn't numb you with syrupy praise but also doesn't burn you out with cynicism and lofty music criticism.

This is a wonderful collection of articles, interviews, and reviews on Bruce that span the years from many different perspectives-fans, historians of music, culture, etc. The wide variety of authors shows how Bruce's music touches so many different people. Even if you have other Springsteen-themed books you should not be without this one. Since the editors of Rolling Stone have already compiled their Bruce material in "Bruce Springsteen: The Rolling Stone Files" you won't find any of it here. In addition to the excellent articles there is also a bibliography of most, if not all, of the articles ever written on Springsteen including those which weren't included in this volume. Probably the only negative about the book, and it is not the author's fault, was his inability to get permission to include John Landau's famous Real Paper column regarding "rock and roll future..."

This book provides wonderful, informative articles that offer various perceptions of the Boss and his 30+ year career!!! I learned so much about how other people see Bruce, and gained knowledge about his life and work, which was very enjoyable. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves the Boss and wants to gain more insight into his long and amazing career. The maps, discography, timeline, and other extras were also brilliant additions to the collection!

Racing In The Street is not so much a great biography about Bruce.
It goes much deeper.
It is a series of very insightful articles pinpointing the appeal Bruce has for so many of his fans.

He is a mega star but it is his struggle to remain normal and humble that is at the heart of this book.

For the casual fan, If you truly want to know why his fans are so intense, this is the book to read.
For his fans that have always tried to figure out why we are so intense, this book puts all that into perspective better than any other.

Highly recommended.

In this book, June Sawyers has assembled a wonderful variety of Springsteen articles from as far back as 1973. All of the classic pieces are here-- the Time and Newsweek pieces, excerpts from Dave Marsh, Father Andrew Greeley on Springsteen's "Catholic imagination", even the infamous George Will monstrosity about "Born in the USA". The only one that seems to be missing is Jon Landau's "rock and roll future" article, but that can always be found elsewhere. Sawyers also has some very nice excerpts from novels where Springsteen's name and influence are invoked; these help to show his wider influence on the world of popular culture. But even aside from the different authors this reader assembles, the "extras" this book includes at the front and back-- a complete list of all the bands Bruce ever played in; one of the most through chronologies of his life ever printed; maps of Asbury Park and Freehold; a full discography (up to 2002); a wonderful biblography, among other items-- is by itself worth the price of admission. This is in many way the most indispensible addtion to any Springsteen library. Bruce has done so much in the years since it was published that one really hopes a revision is in the works.

I really enjoyed the majority of the pieces in June Skinner Sawyers' Racing In The Street: The Bruce Springsteen Reader. Highlights for me include Martin Scorese's (brief) foreward (always figured he was a fan) and, of all things, the excerpts from one Kevin Major's young adult novel Dear Bruce Springsteen, in which my favorite passage in the collection occurs:

"I knew he [the young narrator's father] was into your music a lot. He never listened to it much in the house, mostly when he was driving the old van we used to have. Mostly then by himself. The four of us were in the van once and he put on Nebraska. Mom made him take it off because, she said, it sounded too depressing. He sort of grunted something about she didn't know what good music was and popped out the tape. She said if you're going to spend money we can't afford on music, then you might as well spend it on something that'll cheer you up. He ignored her."

Now tell me - is there a Bruce fan alive that can't relate to that?

Though I would have liked to have seen Tama Janowitz' "You And The Boss" and Richard Meltzer's "The Meaning of Bruce" (both collected in Clinton Heylin's Penguin Book Of Rock & Roll Writing, if you're interested) included for balance, this is a solid anthology of writings on Bruce, and recommended if you're a fan.

PS Also recommended if you're a fan of great music writing (or great writing, period): Lester Bangs' Psychotic Reactions And Carburetor Dung and Mainlines, Blood Feasts, And Bad Taste.

A must read for all fans of the Boss, Bruce Springsteen. I especially enjoyed the interview sections. They were the highlight of this book. They offered rare insight into Springsteen's thinking. I enjoyed the review of his earlier works. It does get a bit tedious at times, but overall, it is a very good and enjoyable read. It would make a welcome addition to any Springsteen Fan's collection.

Gerard Zemek
husband of author of "My Funny Dad, Harry"

For any Springsteen fan who loves every ounce of lyric he's performed from the beginning of time...here's a wonderful collection of articles describing his career written by rock journalists and enthusiasts. Great touch: the map of the Boss's "turf" in New Jersey!

Racing in the Street is a great book and a must for every Springsteen fan.