Bruce on the set of his first directorial effort,
a short film, Hunter of Invisible Game.
What do I mean? Go back to 1999, when Springsteen celebrated his 50th birthday. He had just been inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In his career, dating to 1973, he had issued 12 path-breaking and record-smashing albums. He appeared (approaching his 27th birthday) simultaneously on the covers of Time and Newsweek. He was a cultural figure--and at the same time many thought he was washed up. He had gotten married (for the second time) in 1988, moved to the West Coast to have and raise three children, and in the 1990's was primarily known for his Academy Award-winning song "Streets of Philadelphia" in the 1995 movie Philadelphia with Academy Award-winner Tom Hanks. But his last three albums had gotten tepid reviews, his touring was so-so, and many thought his best days were behind him. For anyone else, it had been a great career--and it was mostly over. Enjoy your wealth, enjoy your future grandkids, have them prepare your obit.
Or was it over? I would say that between the ages of 50 and 65 (today) Bruce and his band of E Streeters have done as much, or more, than they did in their first quarter century. In 15 years, he gave us seven studio albums, another collection of older and unpublished takes and several "Live in..." albums, world wide touring that just keeps getting better and better, and more honors than Rolling Stone can shake a list at. In the first half of his career, he garnered seven Grammy awards. Since 1999, since he turned 50, he's gotten 13. His 2002 album The Rising captured with incredible poignancy the stew of American feelings over the 9/11/01 terrorist attacks. His energy on stage and covering of a wide variety of artists showed he was anything but creatively dead.
No doubt part of it was the re-assembling of the E Street Band, around 1999, as "his" band. This culminated with the E Street Band being inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year, a worthy and long overdue honor. But part of it was Bruce's continued dedication to his craft. Expanding his reach. Stretching his vision.
One example is the "Seeger Sessions" album and songs. Here he used unknown but skilled folk musicians known to his wife Patti and her best friend violinist Soozie Tyrell to reach deep into the history of American folk music. These songs, and others in the same vein, link populist themes of one hundred years ago with similar themes today.
The other example is the expansion of the E Street Band. Now it has "the horns" and "the choir" and friend Tom Morello which allow a wide variety of sounds for older Springsteen workhorse songs, as well as to be creative (such as using rap in "Rocky Ground" on the Wrecking Ball album) and expansive in his concert touring.
Happy birthday, Bruce! May we do half as much creative work after age 50 as you've given us. May the next 15 years be just as creative.
Photos by Jo Lopez taken at the Consol Energy Center
in Pittsburgh PA on April 22, 2014.
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