The world of Bruce Springsteen is littered with golden moments of circumstance that helped him become the icon he is today.
While certainly blessed with a gravel-toned vocal that lends itself well to the music he makes, Springsteen’s finest attribute is his songwriting technique. Gifted with lyrical nous, Springsteen has always been able to tap into the heartland of America and accurately represent their souls.
Over 21 studio albums, ever the performer, Springsteen has left no stone unturned and provided a searing group of works that not only outline his own life but also act as a chronicle of the American people, too. For many decades, Springsteen has been a conduit of the cities and towns that litter the nation, and this can be most accurately seen in his range of powerful albums.
The American Dream wasn’t something Bruce Springsteen could easily obtain. So, through his extensive musical career, he wielded his songwriting prowess like a glinting and gilded weapon, sharpened and ready to carve his own. For a while, it looked as though that weapon would be in the shape of a guitar. Before he truly became the singing Springsteen we know and love today, he almost took on a different six-string role.
Like many young men searching for an identity, the chance to become something great often relies upon your scenario. A series of moments beginning and ending in the right way to access the timeline of your dreams. When Springsteen found himself kicked out of a band, there was only one man and one band he could turn to: Keith Richards and The Rolling Stones.
A noted Beatles maniac, there was something about the reckless nature of the Stones which appealed to young men like Springsteen, and when he was kicked out of his group, he put on a track and began plotting his way forward. “‘It’s All Over Now’ held a special place for me because when I got thrown out of my first band, I went home that night and I was pissed off, so I said ‘Alright, I’m going to be a lead guitar player,’” Springsteen once said.
“And for some reason that solo felt like something I might be able to manage,” explained Springsteen who was now looking to become a lead guitarist to ignore all the issues he had just faced. “I put the record on,” he explauned, “and I sat there all night until I was able to scrape up some relatively decent version of Keith’s solo. It was a very important record for me as it was the first solo I ever learned.”
Springsteen wouldn’t necessarily keep this same energy throughout his career. While certainly a proficient guitarist, he has rarely ventured into lead guitar playing territory. Instead, he likely used the experience to formulate a greater sense of self and help solidify himself once again as one of the greatest songwriters of all time.
