Bruce Songs: The Music of Bruce Springsteen, Album-by-Album, Song-by-Song

by Kenneth Womack, Kenneth L. Campbell

Bruce The Music of Bruce Springsteen, Album-by-Album, Song-by-Song is an authoritative guide coauthored by renowned music scholar Kenneth Womack and music historian Kenneth L. Campbell and offering an in-depth exploration of Bruce Springsteen's musical legacy. Covering Springsteen's entire discography, from Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. to Only the Strong Survive, this unique book combines historical context, literary analysis, and meticulous research.Unlike any other resource, it provides detailed analyses of each album, essays on their historical significance, and a chronological examination of every studio song. Discover the stories behind the recordings and gain insight into Springsteen's creative process.Rich with contemporary reviews, insider accounts, photographs, and special sections highlighting pivotal moments and key figures, Bruce Songs is an indispensable companion for fans and scholars. It offers an immersive journey through the music of The Boss, making it an essential read for anyone captivated by Springsteen's enduring musical legacy.

Genres: Nonfiction

288 pages, Hardcover

Published September 23, 2024

About the author

Kenneth Womack is a world-renowned authority on the Beatles and their enduring cultural influence. His latest book project involves a two-volume, full-length biography devoted to famed Beatles producer Sir George Martin.

Womack's Beatles-related books include Long and Winding Roads: The Evolving Artistry of the Beatles (2007), The Cambridge Companion to the Beatles (2009), and The Beatles Encyclopedia: Everything Fab Four (2014).

Womack is also the author of four novels, including John Doe No. 2 and the Dreamland Motel (2010), The Restaurant at the End of the World (2012), Playing the Angel (2013), and I Am Lemonade Lucy! (2019).

Reviews

[Bruce Raterink · Rating 5 out of 5]

This well researched, accessibly written analysis of every song on each of Bruce Springsteen's 21 studio albums contains a wealth of information and reminds Springsteen fans of deep cuts they may have missed or forgotten. I found myself listening to songs and albums that I hadn't gotten out in years. While listening, I also rediscovered the high quality of some of his most recent albums that understandably have been overshadowed by iconic albums like Born to Run, The River, and Born in the USA. The commentary is clearly a labor of love by the authors but I also enjoyed the inclusion of contemporary reviews of each album which were not always positive. Having just attended my latest Springsteen show in August 2024, reading this dovetailed perfectly with that exceptional experience. Highly recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and Rutgers University Press for an advanced reader copy.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any fan of Bruce Springsteen will find this nearly 300-page book a quick and fascinating read. The comprehensive discography give historical background, list of songs, list of performers, interpretations, and rankings of Bruce Springsteen's twenty-two albums, including those with the E Street Band as well as his solo albums. I discovered that despite more than forty years of being a fan, I do not actually know every song he recorded and I learned a good bit. I also learned that some really short-sighted reviewers have opined on his work through the years.

This is an indispensable reference guide on Bruce Springsteen and a must-read for fans. #BruceSongs #NetGalley

[J Earl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bruce Songs by Kenneth Womack is an excellent look at Springsteen's entire recorded output. Enough detail for even the biggest fans to learn something new but not so exhaustive that it will make a casual fan lose interest.

I've read a number of books about Springsteen, both about him and his music as well as about his reception and fans. These range from his memoir and the coffee table type books that are picture rich to more academic type books about his fans (Mary Climbs In by Lorraine Mangione especially stands out for me) and his impact on other musicians. This book, by covering his entire career song by song, helps to fill in gaps or questions that might come up while reading books with a narrower focus. When was a song written/recorded/released? What was the inspiration? Who played/produced the song? What was the contemporary response to it?

For a fan, such as myself, this is a nice trip down memory lane. Based on a friend's recommendation, I bought his second album and enjoyed it a lot. Then Born To Run was released and everything exploded. Like so many at the time, I went back and bought his first one and never looked back after that. There have been times I listened to his music a little less often, but I am always drawn back to it, usually when I want something that will give me a story at the same time it makes me think about the world we live in.

For those who study music, music history, popular culture, and any related area this is an excellent resource. You will be able to gain some context if that is what you need. It also has enough information about the albums and songs that you can use it as a springboard into your own research. No, this isn't going to give you a lot of the theory but it will let you know who did what when so you can work it into your own ideas.

Highly recommended for both the fan and the scholar for whom Springsteen's music holds a special place. This is also the ideal book for having a multimedia experience. Listen to those songs you haven't heard in ages, or the ones you didn't even know about. Watch some of the videos and think about how they might have been received at the time. Relive the concerts you attended, maybe digging up old journals and letters you may have written at the time. Make it an experience, not just a read.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.

[Maryann · Rating 4 out of 5]

The highlight was the inclusion of some of the albums’ contemporary reviews, like Paolo Hewitt’s “Melody Maker” words regarding 1980’s “The River”:

“It's a full, panoramic screen of rock at its most glorious and passionate; its vanities, traditions, devices, pleas, humor and hopes are set triumphantly to a vibrant whirlwind of excitement, victory and defeat....It pleads for a better world, sees there's no hope for one, cries for that fact and then gloriously recreates its own version.”

Yes, god!

The authors are clearly big fans, though their song meaning speculation often left something to be desired. But fellas—may I call you The Kens?—what kind of Boss fan would say the 1985 non-album B side of “Glory Days” is “Janey Don’t Lose Your Heart”??? Everybody knows it’s “Janey Don’t You Lose Heart”! There are Bruce albums I’ve never even listened to and even *I* know that. Get it together.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very comprehensive look at Springsteen’s complete musical library including an analysis of each song, the history occurring during that time, who collaborated and how the song came about. Also included are reviews from when the albums were released, including the perspectives of the music critics. There is insight into his writing and creative processes. While it doesn’t delve into Springsteen’s personal life, there are a few references on how it might relate to the song. More so it follows Springsteen’s musical portfolio and how his music and career evolved and put into context his reflection of life in America at that time.
I enjoyed replaying some of the songs with a new perspective and can see myself continuing to referencing it on an ongoing basis. This is an awesome reference for any music fan, but especially a Bruce Springsteen fan.

[J.J. Lair · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a complete up to 2024 listing all the albums and released singles, even the digital release. As it is there are a lot of pluses. This gives who played on songs, songs that may have inspired other songs, songs that make a story arc. There is analysis of song order on albums. It puts albums in context of times and what else was happening in music. It has reviews of albums, sometimes not positive. It has opinions of band members of songs and albums.
The knocks, I think some of the charting heights are off. There are a lot of redundant parts. There times this is the writer’s opinion instead of analysis.

[PhantasticReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an ambitious book, not just a deep dive into Springsteen’s music but a biography of each song – the stories that inspired it, what else was on the chart when it released, which other artists recorded covers. It’s not just accessible, but compulsively readable. A necessary addition to anyone’s rock and roll library.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Details about every song in Bruce’s catalog. Phenomenal!