Artist of the Week (Legend Series)-Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

Get ready for our nation’s independence (USA if you’re a foreign reader) this week by getting your dose of the artist of the week. This fourth of July, turn up the volume to some Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. Our legend this month is one of the most influential American musicians of all time, and due to the recent loss of E Street member, Clarence Clemons, I felt it appropriate to commemorate and pay tribute to the band that has touched a nation.

Now, I know what you may be thinking: “you’re only writing this because of ‘Born in the U.S.A.’ and that really isn’t patriotic,” and that I’ve misconstrued the lyrical content of Springsteen and his albums. On the contrary, one of the things that makes the good ol’ U.S. of A. so darn special is the peoples’ right to free speech and the ability to speak out against our government when we feel something’s wrong. We have this right without the fear of being erased to look as though we never existed. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band embody this notion of free expression to voice the worries and troubles plaguing (American) society.

The Boss started his musical voyage in 1965 with his first band, the Castiles. From then until 1972, he’d played with various groups and musicians, going through the usual story of a band trying to find its way. It was his 1971 band Dr. Zoom and the Cosmic Boom where Springsteen would find most of the future backers of the E Street Band, including the Big Man himself, Clarence Clemons. Despite signing to Columbia in ’72, Springsteen’s records didn’t gain initial success (though his song ‘Blinded by the Light’ would go on to give Manfred Mann a huge hit). It was only following the release of Born to Run that the Boss made the headlines. His first two albums have since reached double-platinum status.

One of the appeals of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band is that their music is instantly relatable. It speaks to any and all who have ever worked in their lives and who have dealt with both internal and social struggles. So unless your life is perfect and happy at all times, you can probably find something of the Boss’s to sit and think about. It’s through this ability to make his music personal and to speak on relevant issues not only concerning politics, but about ourselves that has made Springsteen such an inspiration to other musicians. Through his works in his time alone we had similar artists pop up like Tom Petty and John Mellencamp. With more recent artists, the list seems endless with people crediting the Boss as an influence; artists with varying backgrounds such as Rage Against the Machine, former artist of the week Ted Leo, and Ben Harper (the list goes on).

With Clemons’ death, the band has lost a part its soul. His sax playing skills added a true amount of honesty to the band’s music and helped bring the overall sensation of the E Street Band together. Clemons’ memory will live on for years to come and undoubtedly, Springsteen will continue his quest to provide us with the same dedication displayed the past four decades and while honoring Clemons’ passion for the music. Happy fourth and follow the links to get your fix of the Boss for Independence Day.

Useful Links

Youtube (for ‘The Promise’ documentary and ‘Hanging on E Street’ Tributes to the Boss)