"Nebraska"
By BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
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Songwriter and balladeer Woody Guthrie spent his whole life composing similar anthems for human dignity in folk music. Once again, this was music for everyday people and could be reproduced by anyone with time and patience to learn how to sing or play an simple instrument.
But bluegrass never captured a big audience, and folk music faded from the mainstream after the 60s.
So, it came as a shock in 1982 when popular rocker Bruce Springsteen released "Nebraska"; a recording that not only epitomized high lonesome but catapulted it forward. Everything Monroe and Guthrie imagined was there: the struggle of people to control their lives, the desire to be respected despite one's status, the deep rivers of emotion in families, the conflict between the law and those who break it, and the hunger between men and women. And it's not just songwriting; Springsteen uses a guitar, a harmonica and his voice to powerful effect.*
The landscape Springsteen paints is bleak and often empty, illuminated only by faith. People travel through life trying to capture happiness despite their failings and those of their family and neighbors. In the final analysis, "Nebraska" is a deeply spiritual recording.
Inclined as we are to bring our expectations each time we listen to a certain kind of music, it can be startling when the artist delivers something completely different. I suppose I could attribute the poor sales of "Nebraska" to the record company's inability to present an important statement. However, it is also true that the public often has a limited willingness to accept compelling music.
It's not much of an exaggeration to describe Springsteen as the Woody Guthrie of our time. "Nebraska" is a statement framed in deep introspection about our direction in life.
Bruce
Springsteen: "Used Cars" (29-sec sample) Ramblin'
Jack Elliott: "Night Herding Song" (47-sec sample)
Suggested Woody Guthrie recordings: Dust Bowl Ballads, This Land is Your Land, A Legendary Performer, Woody Guthrie: Library of Congress Recordings
*It's worth noting here that much of the emotional power of "Nebraska" can be traced to the artistic legacy of Ramblin' Jack Elliott. If you ever get a chance to listen to Elliott's "Night Herding Song," you will probably be amazed at the similarity in vocal styling between that song and all of "Nebraska." Elliott's recording was made in 1965, 17 years before Springsteen's. It's an obvious creative influence that demonstrates Springsteen is wise enough to learn from the best. Elliott's recordings are still available, and he continues to perform.
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