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Magic in the Night: The Words and Music of Bruce Springsteen Paperback – March 3, 2009

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Rob Kirkpatrick (Author)
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4 out of 5 stars 12 customer reviews
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Product Details

  • Paperback: 288 pages
  • Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; 1 Reprint edition (March 3, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0312533802
  • ISBN-13: 978-0312533809
  • Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.6 x 9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,010,363 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Top Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsExcellent Overview of Springsteen's work.
By Thomas T. Trulis on February 7, 2007
Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase
The Words and Music of Bruce Springsteen is a very detailed look into Bruce's body of work.

Rather than focusing on Bruce as an pop icon, the book looks at his songs, his albums, how they were written, what they mean and how each song fits into the theme of the album.

It also suggests that each album is a building block for the next album,

that all Bruce's albums are connected.

The Words and Music Of Bruce Springsteen may not be for the casual fan looking for another fan's view of the boss.

It is an exhaustive look at the creative process of writing songs as individual pieces yet all connected to a larger theme.

Each song within the album is an individual scene from a movie. Each arranged to take you further on a ride toward the climax.

For the true Springsteen fan (or for those interested in the creative process of developing concept albums)this book is an absolute must.

It is one of the best books I've read about Springsteen.
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5.0 out of 5 starsA necessary addition to any Springsteen library
By Jeffrey B. Symynkywicz on March 12, 2009
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
Rob Kirkpatrick has done a wonderful job with this revision and updating of his book about Springsteen and his music. He presents the context and development of each and every album (except "Working on a Dream") in a detailed, thorough, and engaging manner. He also presents a quite complete and detailed biography of Springsteen here. So we emerge with a very clear idea of where these works came from, how they fit into Springsteen's overall development, and how they fit into the history of our nation and society. Kirkpatrick is admiring of Bruce, and obviously takes great joy in his music; but the work is free of hagiography, and Kirkpatrick never comes across as just another gushing fan. His abilities and discernment as a knowledgeable commentator always shine through. Kirkpatrick is clear about what of Springsteen's music he likes, and what he doesn't; while we may from time to time disagree with his judgments (as any good Springsteen fan would), we never doubt the depth and plausibility of his perspective. Finally, Kirkpatrick is obviously an excellent writer, and his tone throughout, while intelligent and knowledgeable, is always engaging and lucid-- neither overly informal, nor overly detached and scholarly. In sum, "Magic in the Night" would be an excellent (and necessary) addition to any Springsteen collection.
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5.0 out of 5 starsexcellent
By MDcares on September 9, 2008
Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase
just finished reading this. excellent,in-depth,well-researched, meaningful and entertaining Bruce book going through the albums and tours chronologically. the author is definitely a fan but does an excellent job discussing the controversies in Bruce's history. I'm a big fan and i am glad to know so much more about BRUCE. The author does a great job of categorizing and cross-referencing the songs and themes and he extensivelly researched Bruce's personal, literary and musical influences.the book is great. i definitely want to read more about Bruce. the only other Bruce book i have read is It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive and that was great too.
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1.0 out of 5 starsthis book really misses the boat
By Carolyn Russ on January 8, 2010
Format: Paperback
I was given this as a Christmas present. I had to force myself to finish it because it is so poorly written. Kirkpatrick's book is really not an analysis, it's a recitation. He fails to connect the dots in Bruce's songs over time - the religious themes, the notion of grace, the meanings of all those willows, dusty beach roads and dresses. Although he does get to the highways, he doesn't do much more with the place of roads and highways in Bruce's lyrics than enumerate them. There's just not a lot of real insight.
There are also infuriating errors which may be due to bad editing rather than Kirkpatrick's ignorance. One, when "Mary's dress waives" (sic), what is she waiving - her rights? Then, he repeatedly refers to the Clash's "Sandanista" (sic) - come on, the guy's name was SANDINO, it's a political party, not just an album title - get it correct.
The interpretations of songs are sometimes just wrong - for example, in "Tougher Than the Rest", Kirkpatrick states that all the guy wants in the world is for the girl to dance with him. NNNOOOOOO - all the guy wants is a second chance in life, a shot at redemption!
This book just really disappointed me. I've listened to all these lyrics for years, and have probably seen Bruce about 10 times in concert. I am a huge fan, but not a fanatic. And I could have come up with deeper thoughts on his lyrics than this. Kirkpatrick is playing in the shallow end.
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3.0 out of 5 starsNot what I expected
By CSF on July 11, 2012
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
I was so happy when I ordered this book. I thought that all the Boss' lyrics would be available in it. And I was wrong. I should have paid more attention during English class! I did not understand the title properly.
Interesting book anyway.
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3.0 out of 5 starsOkay but hard to read
By Amazon Customer on December 17, 2009
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
The book seems to be better suited for me as a companion to the songs off the albums covered in this book. I tried to sit down and just flat out read the book, but grew bored quick!

Being a huge Springsteen fan relating to the songs isnt the issue, I wanted something that gave me some history behind the lyrics. The book does a fair job at that....

I did however have the book laying in my office one day while I was listening to "Darkness on the edge of town" and picked the book up and lightly read certain things that pertained to the song playing. Seemed to be a better fit for this book.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsGreat read...for a Huge fan!

I am a huge Bruce fan and loved this book. I would recommend it for fans- others may lose some of the references.

Published on April 11, 2013 by Tara Lyn
4.0 out of 5 starsENJOYABLE read

If you're a fan of THE BOSS this is a good read to delve into
the band chemistry at the different phases/albums they've gone
thru in their decades together.

Published on February 3, 2013 by Jim Starrett
5.0 out of 5 starsitem rec'd as promised - trustworthy seller!

item rec'd in good readable condition, just as promised. very happy with this transaction. thanks!

Published on July 24, 2010 by jmdangelo
3.0 out of 5 starsA fan's notes on all the albums

The author makes no bones about his zealous fandom for Bruce, so if you seek a critically dispassionate look at the Boss, this book is not for you. Read more

Published on August 1, 2009 by Bradley F. Smith
4.0 out of 5 starsThoughtful and insightful

The author does not introduce a whole lot of new information but it is still a read worth having. It was my impression that the book was going to go in depth with Springsteen's... Read more

Published on June 19, 2009 by Steven Franssen
5.0 out of 5 starsAll of his significant albums, in chronological order

Other books have covered the life and works of popular musician Bruce Springsteen, but few offer the depth of analysis and critical assessment of The Words and Music of Bruce... Read more

Published on March 5, 2007 by Midwest Book Review

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