Published today (May 2nd) is first extensive book on Bruce Springsteen's classic 1982 Nebraska album, titled Deliver Me From Nowhere was written by author Warren Zanes, best known for his 2015 Tom Petty tome, Petty: The Biography.
Nebraska, an album comprised of home demos, was the stark, solo acoustic middle ground between 1980's sprawling double-record set, The River, and the 1984 mega-platinum blockbuster, Born On The U.S.A. Nebraska has often been cited as one of rock's most important albums, which revealed Springsteen to be one of the key singer/songwriters of his generation.
According to the official announcement:
Warren Zanes spoke to many people involved with making Nebraska, including Bruce Springsteen. He also interviewed more than a dozen celebrated artists, from Rosanne Cash to Steven Van Zandt, about their reaction to the album.
He interweaves these conversations with inquiries into the myriad cultural touchpoints, including Terence Malick‘s Badlands, that influenced Springsteen as he was writing the album’s haunting songs. The result is a textured and revelatory account of not only a crucial moment in the career of an icon but also a recording that upended all expectations and predicted a home recording revolution.
During his recent appearance on CBS Sunday Morning, Bruce Springsteen revealed that the music of Nebraska came to him around the time of his first major depression: “I think in your 20's a lot of things work for you. Your 30's is where you start to become an adult. Suddenly, I looked around and I said, 'Where is everything? Where's my home? Where is my partner? Where are the sons or daughters that I thought I might have someday?' And I realized none of the things are there. So, I said, 'The first thing I gotta do as soon as I get home is remind myself off who I am and where I came from.'”
Springsteen addmitted that each time he tried to best the Nebraska homemade demo tape — his attempts with the E Street Band fell short emotionally: “It was a happy accident. I had planned just to write some good songs, teach 'em to the band, go into the studio, and record 'em. But every time that I tried to improve on the tape that I had made in that little room, it's the old story of, 'If this gets any better — it's gonna be worse.”
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band will next perform on May 5th and 7th in Dublin, Ireland at RDS Arena.