When Bruce Springsteen released "Greetings from Asbury Park" in 1973, there was no reason to think, 30 years later, he'd still be a presence in popular music.
That's no reflection on Springsteen's artistic merits, just the cold reality of rock 'n' roll lifespans. By comparison, look at some of the other musicians who released albums that charted in 1973: The Edgar Winter Group, Focus, Genesis (defunct), Pink Floyd (missing in action), Jim Croce (dead), Marvin Gaye (dead), The Who (half dead) -- and those are some of the bigger names. Does anyone remember Clint Holmes, Skylark or King Harvest?
Other musicians from that period, including David Bowie, Rod Stewart, the Rolling Stones and Stevie Wonder, endure, but few artists -- Bob Dylan is one that comes to mind -- rival Springsteen's long-term artistic productivity.
In honor of Wednesday night's rock 'n' roll christening of PNC Park by Springsteen and the E Street Band, here are 15 reasons why Bruce Springsteen still matters.
Bruce-dot-com: The Internet is many things, and not all of them good. But for Springsteen fans, two fan-based Web sites -- www.backstreets.com and www.theboots.com -- provide virtual trading posts for tapes of live shows, discussion forums and other information for diehard fans.
Roots: Asbury Park, N.J., is home of the Stone Pony, the working class bar where Springsteen cut his musical teeth. Springsteen still returns to the area when he can, and supports various endeavors and causes in the area.
Pittsburgh: In addition to his longstanding friendship with Joe Grushecky, Springsteen used to show up at the Decade after gigs, with a stop at the Original Hotdog Shop in Oakland along the way.
The E Street Band: After parting ways for a decade, in 1999 Springsteen began touring again with some of the best rockers of their generation. Other musicians may be more technically proficient, but as an ensemble, the E Street Band is peerless.
Working-class values: Sometimes it's hard to fathom just what many contemporary musicians are talking about. Springsteen's muse has always been the plight of the common man, even in "The Rising," where songs such as "Nothing Man" ( You can call me Joe/buy me a drink and shake my hand ) are still grounded in everyday experiences.
Bootlegs: Tape -- now CDR -- trading is a must for the true Springsteen fan, who will gladly tell anyone who will listen about the highlights from shows dating back to the early 1970s.
Image: The Rolling Stones are almost god-like in their dotage; Dylan remains brilliant but inscrutable; and most other bands embrace at least some of the trappings of the glamorous rock 'n' roll lifestyle. Springsteen is a superstar and a millionnaire many times over, but by appearance alone you'd never know it. His basic stage apparel consists of a work shirt and jeans.
Endurance: At an age when most musicians slow down, Springsteen, 53, still manages to put on epic-length concerts -- more than three hours -- that are long on substance and quality.
Old songs: "Glory Days" (1984), "Badlands" (1978) and "Born to Run" (1975) hold up well, both musically and thematically, 20 or so years after they were released.
New songs: "The Rising" was one of the first albums to address the post-9/11 American psyche, and it does so via songs that are neither jingoistic nor protesting. Instead, Springsteen's lyrics mirror the nation's confusion, doubts, fears and, yes, hopes.
Ticket prices: Front-row seats for this year's Rolling Stones Licks Tour were as much as $350. Tickets for Madonna's limited concert tour were as much as $250 ($350 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas). Springsteen tickets, in comparison, are reasonably priced. For tomorrow's show at PNC Park, the top seats are priced at $75.
Fearlessness: Springsteen's never been afraid to take a stand, such as his involvement with the "No Nukes" project; his speaking out against the misappropriation of "Born in the U.S.A" for political agendas; and "American Skin," his denouncement of the brutalization of immigrant Amadou Diallo by New York City police.
Faith: There's no blatant proselytizing, but Springsteen's music has a subtle spiritual component. "The Rising" especially, from superimposing of the title as a cross on the CD cover, to the religious imagery of "Into the Fire" and "Paradise," indicates Springsteen's concerns are more than temporal.
Hope: Even in his darkest songs, there are elements of transcendence and light. Few Springsteen songs are grimmer than "My City in Ruins." While he sings of a blood red circle/on the cold dark ground, the sentiment is leavened by the charge to "rise up."
Charity: Springsteen quietly supports a variety of charitable endeavors, including funding home improvements for needy citizens in Monmouth County, N.J.; benefit shows to raise money for Asbury Park charities; and appearances at various benefit concerts, including the "America: A Tribute to Heroes" telethon for the victims and families of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
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