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jslive's review against another edition
3.0
Had some interesting and a few poignant moments. But I don't feel like I know him much better.
sandman_1961's review against another edition
4.0
Picked this up after watching, and reading ‘Blinded by the Light’. Obviously it’s about music. Obviously it’s about Bruce Springsteen. I have to admit that my appreciation of Bruce Springsteen has increased as I have aged.
This book isn’t just about music though. There’s a narrative about family, life and struggles with inner demons.
Very enlightening and gives insight into the background of many of the works of Bruce Springsteen.
This book isn’t just about music though. There’s a narrative about family, life and struggles with inner demons.
Very enlightening and gives insight into the background of many of the works of Bruce Springsteen.
quaerentia's review against another edition
4.0
You wouldn't expect anything but openness and raw honesty from the Boss, and this autobiography does not disappoint on that front. He's particularly good on his upbringing and the world on the New Jersey seaboard where his family grew up with real poverty and many challenges. It is fun to have the background to the songs on the early albums especially - I always loved the Wild, The Innocent and the E Street Shuffle, as well as of course Born to Run, and his recollections add further dimensions. A case in point was Sandy
The second half of the book tends to be a litany of the processes behind each album - which I guess is fair enough - but his insights into the legacy of family mental health issues (especially in his father and then himself) are powerful and very helpful indeed. He is unsparing about his own flaws and ego, with a complete shouldering of responsibility for the failure of his first marriage. Patti S is clearly a remarkable woman, able to manage his demons and heal his scars - and their family life is as normal as a billionaire rock star's is ever likely to get.
Just occasionally I could have done with an editor's pen - to excise repetition or the interminable lists of vices and virtues that Bruce is prone to indulge in like some kind of runaway poet. There were seeds of that in the lyrical exuberance of his early albums. But it gets a little tiresome in print after a while. On top of that, there's always the dilemma of trying to find the words to capture the indescribable alchemy of a great rock record. Bruce certainly hasn't quite solved that one!
Nevertheless, this is an enjoyable read - probably mainly for the most die-hard of fans, though.
The second half of the book tends to be a litany of the processes behind each album - which I guess is fair enough - but his insights into the legacy of family mental health issues (especially in his father and then himself) are powerful and very helpful indeed. He is unsparing about his own flaws and ego, with a complete shouldering of responsibility for the failure of his first marriage. Patti S is clearly a remarkable woman, able to manage his demons and heal his scars - and their family life is as normal as a billionaire rock star's is ever likely to get.
Just occasionally I could have done with an editor's pen - to excise repetition or the interminable lists of vices and virtues that Bruce is prone to indulge in like some kind of runaway poet. There were seeds of that in the lyrical exuberance of his early albums. But it gets a little tiresome in print after a while. On top of that, there's always the dilemma of trying to find the words to capture the indescribable alchemy of a great rock record. Bruce certainly hasn't quite solved that one!
Nevertheless, this is an enjoyable read - probably mainly for the most die-hard of fans, though.
rissapappas's review against another edition
5.0
This is way more than an autobiography. It's a manual for the musician, a sober and unflinching look at one's flaws, a manifesto for those who still give a damn. And best of all, the writing is so damn good!
isarge123's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
5.0
tooyu's review
lighthearted
slow-paced
4.0
Sometimes you cry about a man from New Jersey and that’s okay!
guido_the_nature_guide's review against another edition
3.0
Take any musician’s (or probably any artist’s) autobiography with a grain of salt, and cut them a little slack. Except for Bob Dylan (!) these are not Nobel laureates. Bruce Springsteen has a reasonable vocabulary and his prose is not usually leaden. He does have a tendency to switch back and forth from present or present progressive to past tense a lot, and he loves ellipses…and…ALL CAPS EXCLAMATIONS. Holy…comic book…Batman…BIF BAM POW! Still, his prose is readable, if not poetic.
On the other hand, especially once the narrative moves past childhood, the book often reads like a psychoanalysis therapy session. There is certainly a place, perhaps a need, for some introspection in an autobiography, but Springsteen’s navel gazing is thick, heavy, and repetitive. This is often coupled with his cosmic ruminations on the nature of music, love, life and death. Again, some of this is appropriate, but in this case he drowns out or omits much of his and his band’s story. He is also loathe to say anything negative about anyone – Bruce, in your entire 67 years, nobody ever pissed you off except your father?
All in all, a worthwhile read. I enjoyed Springsteen’s reminiscences more than Dylan’s (how many famous-people-I-have-met can I list on each page), but give the edge to Keith Richards’. Who woulda thunk?
On the other hand, especially once the narrative moves past childhood, the book often reads like a psychoanalysis therapy session. There is certainly a place, perhaps a need, for some introspection in an autobiography, but Springsteen’s navel gazing is thick, heavy, and repetitive. This is often coupled with his cosmic ruminations on the nature of music, love, life and death. Again, some of this is appropriate, but in this case he drowns out or omits much of his and his band’s story. He is also loathe to say anything negative about anyone – Bruce, in your entire 67 years, nobody ever pissed you off except your father?
All in all, a worthwhile read. I enjoyed Springsteen’s reminiscences more than Dylan’s (how many famous-people-I-have-met can I list on each page), but give the edge to Keith Richards’. Who woulda thunk?
swilliams's review against another edition
4.75
you can move on, with a heart stronger in the places it’s been broken, create new love. you can hammer pain and trauma into a righteous sword and use it in defence of life, love, human grace and god’s blessings. but nobody gets a do-over. nobody gets to go back and there’s only one road out. ahead, into the dark.
bruce springsteen’s storytelling capabilities have always shone through in his songwriting, so i was optimistic when reading his memoir … and he did NOT disappoint !!! this is an open, honest, introspective, and amusing account of his life. his discussions about fatherhood, catholicism, his need to run, depression, and what it means to be american were genuinely incredibly interesting and insightful. i laughed and cried.
i also loved how he wrote … a mix of lovely prose and then almost comical block capital letter words. just a really well made memoir all around !
lesserjoke's review against another edition
3.0
Bruce Springsteen's autobiography is as well-written as you would expect from a world-famous singer-songwriter, but his choice of topic doesn't always live up to his considerable talents. The book alternates between a straightforward presentation of facts and a more soul-searching memoir style, and for a casual fan like myself, the latter was far more interesting than the former. The sections where the writer engages with his family history of mental health problems are gripping and emotionally honest, but the endless recounting of musicians he's played with, songs he's written, and shows he's played aren't really that compelling on the page without a reader bringing an existing knowledge and appreciation of Springsteen's music to the task. There are some memoirs that captivate you no matter how well you know the subject, but Born to Run is definitely one for the fans.