Counting Down Bruce Springsteen

March 17, 2014
Beviglia (Counting Down Bob Dylan) delves deep into the Springsteen oeuvre to retrieve the superstar's 100 greatest songs, relying primarily on lyrical content to decide the ranking. He reflects on Springsteen's politics, from the indictment of Wall Street's "conscience-free ruthlessness" in "Easy Money," to the measured take on the shooting of Amadou Diallo by NYPD in "American Skin." The E Street Band is celebrated for their integral part in Springsteen's success, particularly Clarence Clemons, whose performance on "Jungleland" is declared "the most iconic saxophone solo in rock history." Beviglia notes the cohesion of many Springsteen albums, the grim circumstances couched in catchy melodies of Born in the USA the call to arms message of Wrecking Ball, and the mournful post-9/11 The Rising. Then, there are the Springsteen characters, "big-hearted gang members, teenage femme fatales, and other spectacularly romantic rogues" like the fight-throwing boxer of "The Hitter," the broken-down veteran in "Shut Out the Light," and "Zero and Blind Terry." Beviglia's top 10 is peppered with early gems like "Lost in the Flood," "Rosalita," and "Incident on 57th Street." While some might find the ranking system puzzling, Beviglia's knowledge and enthusiasm for his subject will be appreciated.

June 1, 2014
Best-of lists most often say more about the author than the topic, but that's why they're so entertaining and infuriating. Beviglia admits straightaway that he is a big Springsteen fan. He admires both the singer's legendary live performances and his recorded output. Beviglia's self-imposed taskimpossible but funis to choose Springsteen's best 100 songs, which are described in short essays in order of merit, which are followed by an additional list of 100 more. Many of Springsteen's most popular songs are here, and rightly so, but so are just as many of his obscure ones. It is heartening to see, for example, such less well-known compositions as A Good Man Is Hard to Find (Pittsburgh), Straight Time, and the great eulogy, Terry's Song. Like all song-list books, the experience allows readers and listeners to revisit, reconsider, and rediscover an artist's canon. Of course, Springsteen fans will shake their collective heads in disagreement at times, but that's part of the fun.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)