Full Description
Born four months apart, Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel both released their debut albums in the early 1970s, quickly becoming two of the most successful rock stars of their generation. While their critical receptions have been very different, surprising parallels emerge when we look at the arcs of their careers and the musical influences that have inspired them.
Bridge and Tunnel Boys compares the life and work of Long Islander Joel and Asbury Park, New Jersey, native Springsteen, considering how each man forged a distinctive sound that derived from his unique position on the periphery of the Big Apple. Locating their music within a longer tradition of the New York metropolitan sound, dating back to the early 1900s, cultural historian Jim Cullen explores how each man drew from the city's diverse racial and ethnic influences. His study explains how, despite frequently releasing songs that questioned the American dream, Springsteen and Joel were able to appeal to wide audiences during both the national uncertainty of the 1970s and the triumphalism of the Reagan era. By placing these two New York-area icons in a new context, Bridge and Tunnel Boys allows us to hear their most beloved songs with new appreciation.
Contents
Preface: You See? I Was Right!
Author's Note I: Gauging Success
Author's Note II: Historical Records
INTRODUCTION
Margin and Center
1 NEW YORK STATE OF MIND
The Emergence of the Metropolitan Sound in Popular Music
2 HARD TIMES, BOOM YEARS
Social Mobility and Its Discontents, 1949-1971
3 POINTS OF DEPARTURE
Finding Their Way, 1972-1974
4 ARRIVALS
Movin' Out--and Back, 1975-1977
5 THROUGH GLASS, DARKLY
Years of Growth and Uncertainty, 1978-1982
6 RIGHT TIME
The Stars Align, 1983-1986
7 FAMILY FEUDS
Domestic Politics, 1986-1995
8 HOMING
Legends Take Root, 1996-Present
CONCLUSION
Swift Currents
Acknowledgments
Notes
Index
