Life and Work of Bruce Springsteen

Catalog description

The course explores Bruce Springsteen's musical career in terms of his wide-ranging cultural and artistic influence. Particular attention will be devoted to examining his songs within the context of their composition and in terms of their place (and placement) on his albums. In addition to investigating his biographical life, we will discuss his overtly literary and political intentions as they evolve across the decades. This course's chronological design is arranged in order to capture Springsteen's artistic trajectory from his Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ and The Wild, The Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle albums through the creative heights of Born to Run, Darkness on the Edge of Town, The River, and Nebraska. The thrust of this course will be interpretive in nature, with Springsteen's songs and albums receiving considerable scrutiny in terms of their composition, production, and attendant musicianship. Particular attention will also be devoted to Springsteen's interactions with the music business, especially involving his management and the development of his career.