Today, Indiecast co-host, Uproxx cultural critic and author Steven Hyden returns to the show to discuss his book about one of the most iconic albums of all time: There Was Nothing You Could Do: Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA" and the End of the Heartland.
Steve talks about the album's uneasy relationship with Bruce's die-hard fans, Bruce's internal tug of war with the level of fame this album brought, misread meanings of Bruce's songs and how his music has become more didactic over time, the universality and timelessness of Nebraska and Born in the USA vs the more explicit protest music of the time, Springsteen the storyteller, the "Bruce voice", the emotional comedown whiplash of exiting an E Street Band show, the death of the unifying American myth, 'heartland rock' as a genre, Bruce's hopefulness vs the fatalism of Fogerty and Mellencamp, why the Replacements were the antithesis of Springsteen, the lessons Bruce drew from Bob Dylan and our hopes for the Born in the USA 40th Anniversary.
Listen in the player above or download the episode by clicking here.
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My Favorite Album is a podcast on the impact great music has on our lives. Each episode features a guest on their favorite album of all time - why they love it, their history with the album and how it's influenced them.
Jeremy Dylan is a filmmaker, journalist, concert promoter and photographer. He directed the the feature music documentaries Jim Lauderdale: The King of Broken Hearts and Tommy Emmanuel: The Endless Road.
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LINKS
- Buy Steven’s book! Click here.
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