“The thing about Springsteen, and, really, a lot of the really great artists, is that they get famous for something, and then it obscures some of their deepest gifts,” Dave Alvin insisted. “That applies to Merle Haggard, and, in a way, it applies to Bob Dylan. With Bruce Springsteen, I think his abilities as a performer being what they are, they sometimes keep people from seeing just how great he is as a songwriter. It may sound odd, because he’s obviously recognized as a songwriter. But I don’t think he gets quite what he’s due. When I sat with Nebraska, I was sitting with one hell of a
...more
