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Bridge and Tunnel Boys
Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, and the Metropolitan Sound of the American Century
Language:
English
Published/Copyright:
2024
About this book
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.
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.
Author / Editor information
JIM CULLEN teaches at the recently founded upper division of Greenwich Country Day School. His many books include 1980: America’s Pivotal Year; Born in the U.S.A.: Bruce Springsteen and the American Tradition; and Those Were the Days: Why "All in the Family" Still Matters, all from Rutgers University Press.
Reviews
“Jim Cullen is a wide-ranging historian with unusual insight into American pop culture. In Bridge and Tunnel Boys, he turns his focus to two giants of rock and roll, Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen, a winning combination resulting in an entertaining and provocative book that will appeal to anyone interested in pop music and its relationship to the historical currents that influence its creation.”
— Tom Perrotta, author of Little Children"It’s always a pleasure to read a new Jim Cullen book. This one is no exception as Cullen finds striking parallels in the music and lives of two very different—yet similar—musicians: Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel. A fascinating cultural history of late twentieth century American popular music."
— June S. Sawyers, author of We Take Care of Our Own: The Faith-Based Politics of Bruce SpringsteenTopics
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Frontmatter
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CONTENTS
vii -
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Preface: You see? i was right!
ix -
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Author’s note i: gauging success
xi -
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Author’s note ii: historical records
xiii -
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INTRODUCTION
1 -
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1 NEW YORK STATE OF MIND
15 -
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2 HARD TIMES, BOOM YEARS
35 -
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3 POINTS OF DEPARTURE
59 -
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4 ARRIVALS
87 -
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5 THROUGH GLASS, DARKLY
113 -
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6 RIGHT TIME
141 -
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7 FAMILY FEUDS
167 -
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8 HOMING
191 -
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CONCLUSION
215 -
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Acknowledgments
219 -
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Notes
223 -
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Index
253 -
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
274
Publishing information
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
eBook published on:
October 31, 2023
eBook ISBN:
9781978835245
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
eBook ISBN:
9781978835245
Keywords for this book
Bruce Springsteen; Billy Joel; Long Island; Asbury Park; New Jersey; New York; music; metropolitan; rock; 1970s; history; art history; Bridge and Tunnel Boys; rock stars; 1970s rock music; debut albums; musical careers; career arcs; musical influences; New York metropolitan sound; Jim Cullen; cultural historian; musical parallels; distinctive sound; New York music tradition; racial influences; ethnic influences; American dream; 1970s uncertainty; Reagan era; New York-area icons; rock music history; Springsteen vs Joel; musical analysis; Big Apple; critical receptions; musical comparison; Springsteen and Joel; music appreciation; rock music icons; cultural impact; diverse influences; music and culture; music history; New York music scene; 20th-century music; 1970s rock stars; music traditions; cultural exploration; rock legends; Springsteen's sound; Joel's sound; rock music evolution; music and identity; Springsteen's influence; Joel's influence; rock music parallels; music legacy; iconic musicians; music analysis book; rock music fans; musical heritage; rock music comparison; rock music appreciation
Audience(s) for this book
For a non-specialist adult audience
