Unpacking Bruce Springsteen

Catalog description

This course will survey the music of Bruce Springsteen. It will 'unpack' Springsteen's musical development not only across his official career (i.e. from signing with Columbia for his first album 'Greetings from Asbury Park, New Jersey' in 1973 to the present) but also from his childhood through his youth in Freehold, NJ. By closely studying Springsteen's life, music and lyrics as well as the themes of each album the student will become an expert in understanding how The Boss was able to universalize the Jersey Shore as well as his personal concerns into vital musical messages of great value and import today. This will also involve looking at music as varied as The British Invasion (i.e. The Beatles, The Animals & the Rolling Stones et al); Motown; Country; Soul; Folk; Rock and the American Songbook.