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Bruce Springsteen: Rock and Roll Future
Bruce Springsteen: Rock and Roll Future, a coffee table collection of Barry Schneier's photography and memories from a historical night in the career of Springsteen and the E Street Band.
In early 1974, a young Bruce Springsteen had released two albums with minimal sales success and was actually in danger of being dropped by his record label. May 9, 1974 proved to be a watershed moment in his career, as Springsteen and the E Street Band opened for Bonnie Raitt at the Harvard Square Theatre in Cambridge, MA.
Famously in the audience that night was Jon Landau, music critic for Rolling Stone magazine and columnist for Cambridge-based The Real Paper -- and Springsteen's producer/manager-to-be. What Landau witnessed that night, and would write about afterwards, would alter the trajectory of Bruce's career forever, as well as his own. One line in Landau's Real Paper column, perhaps the most famous concert review of all time, would reignite support for the artist as it was emblazoned in ads and repeated in the press. It became known as "the quote heard 'round the world":
"I saw rock and roll future and its name is Bruce Springsteen."
Photographer Barry Schneier was also in attendance that night, on duty with his camera. His photographs, which remained entirely unseen for decades, are the only visual record of this storied performance. After numerous requests to tell the stories behind the photos, Barry teamed up with Chris Phillips and The Backstreets Publishing Empire, collaborating to produce a hardcover book as the defining record of this legendary evening.
This 150-page, richly designed, narrative and photographic journey through the night features Barry's personal recollections along with both color and black-and-white images of the evening. Also included are reminiscences from all three living members of that era's E Street Band depicted in the book: Ernest Carter, David Sancious, and Garry Tallent. Phillips, editor of Backstreets, wrote the book's Introduction, and Eileen Chapman, director of The Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music, contributed a Foreword. Designed by Jay Inman, the presentation includes a gatefold incorporated into the casebound hardcover, which folds out to display a triptych of Barry's "For You" piano series.
First Edition hardcover available direct from Backstreets Publishing: https://bit.ly/2UZ5pbw
In early 1974, a young Bruce Springsteen had released two albums with minimal sales success and was actually in danger of being dropped by his record label. May 9, 1974 proved to be a watershed moment in his career, as Springsteen and the E Street Band opened for Bonnie Raitt at the Harvard Square Theatre in Cambridge, MA.
Famously in the audience that night was Jon Landau, music critic for Rolling Stone magazine and columnist for Cambridge-based The Real Paper -- and Springsteen's producer/manager-to-be. What Landau witnessed that night, and would write about afterwards, would alter the trajectory of Bruce's career forever, as well as his own. One line in Landau's Real Paper column, perhaps the most famous concert review of all time, would reignite support for the artist as it was emblazoned in ads and repeated in the press. It became known as "the quote heard 'round the world":
"I saw rock and roll future and its name is Bruce Springsteen."
Photographer Barry Schneier was also in attendance that night, on duty with his camera. His photographs, which remained entirely unseen for decades, are the only visual record of this storied performance. After numerous requests to tell the stories behind the photos, Barry teamed up with Chris Phillips and The Backstreets Publishing Empire, collaborating to produce a hardcover book as the defining record of this legendary evening.
This 150-page, richly designed, narrative and photographic journey through the night features Barry's personal recollections along with both color and black-and-white images of the evening. Also included are reminiscences from all three living members of that era's E Street Band depicted in the book: Ernest Carter, David Sancious, and Garry Tallent. Phillips, editor of Backstreets, wrote the book's Introduction, and Eileen Chapman, director of The Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music, contributed a Foreword. Designed by Jay Inman, the presentation includes a gatefold incorporated into the casebound hardcover, which folds out to display a triptych of Barry's "For You" piano series.
First Edition hardcover available direct from Backstreets Publishing: https://bit.ly/2UZ5pbw
152 pages, Hardcover
Published March 31, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 19, 2019
Wonderful photography, wonderful stories. A must for any Springsteen fan's library.
December 30, 2019
My wife and I have seen Bruce Springsteen in concert about 30 times; several from the front row in the "pit." I went to his show on Broadway. I've read multiple books, listen to his music regularly, and consider his music, along with Bob Dylan's and The Beatles, to be the soundtrack of my life. When we saw this book being talked about on Kickstarter, it was a no-brainer to invest in advance. When it finally arrived, I was pleased with the high quality. My interest was in seeing the photos from the famous 1974 concert, about which Jon Landau wrote, "I saw rock and roll future and its name is Bruce Springteen." But it sat in its box for most of the past year. Why? I honestly don't know. I read the whole thing last night in a few hours... loved every page... especially appreciated the input from David Sancious and Ernest "Boom" Carter... who wouldn't stay with the E Street Band much longer after that famous night. For any Bruce fan, this book is a worthy addition to your book shelf.
April 29, 2019
This is not just a book of beautiful concert photos, it is also a fantastic read.
June 3, 2019
Fantastic snapshot, pun intended, from Schneier. His photos are excellent, with just enough text to complement the fantastic photos.
This book captures a pivotal stage in Springsteen’s career. A great book for long time fans, or those of you just getting into his music.
This book captures a pivotal stage in Springsteen’s career. A great book for long time fans, or those of you just getting into his music.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews