On Track – Bruce Springsteen 1973 – 1987 / Def Leppard

Author:David Starkey, Scott Robinson

I think most would agree the period from 73 to 87 was The Boss’s imperial phase. It certainly contains my three favourites from his canon, Darkness, Nebraska and Greetings. Here the author takes a deep dive into those golden years when every record was essential listening, covering the eight studio albums plus the Live 1975-85 set. There’s plenty already been written about this era of course, but the author manages to give a fresh perspective on some familiar songs, appealing to both the committed fan and the casual listener. It certainly gave me a nudge to relisten to these albums, some of which I think it’s fair to say have stood the test of time rather better than others. This marks the point where I rather lost touch with Sprinsgsteen, only having dipped in and out of the next almost forty years of work, most subsequent albums getting only a handful of listens with the exception of The Rising and Tom Joad – but it was an exciting ride while it lasted, and of course he still delivers the goods on stage even if the records aren’t quite as compelling as they once were. In conclusion though, this is a well-researched read that is easy to dip in and out of, and it’s well worth looking out for if you’re a fan.

I do have a soft spot for Def Leppard, hailing from the Steel City myself. Although their later work tends to veer much more in a pop rock direction, the run of High and Dry, Pyromania and Hysteria in the eighties still takes some beating for me, the music still sounding contemporary to this day. The author examines each album song by song as well as looking at the band’s early days and the two tragedies that beset them on their long journey to the top. He has some interesting anecdotes to impart, although I could do without knowing what various US magazines had to say about each release when his own thoughts and opinions would perhaps have been more interesting. Nevertheless, you have to credit the band for continuing to create new music (a new album is expected next Spring) when, having sold over 110 million records, they could quite easily rest on their laurels and tour with a greatest hits set for as long as they chose. I for one am certainly looking forward to seeing them live later this month as part of their European tour, which will be followed later in the year by yet another jaunt, this time to South America. There aren’t too many books around on this band who are fast approaching their fiftieth anniversary, so this entertaining, if rather too slim for my liking, volume is certainly worth seeking out.

Length of Read:Short

Might appeal to people who enjoyed…

Other books in this series, the music of these artists.

One thing you’ve learned

I wonder if artists today will have the same longevity as those of the earlier generations.

3