Working on a Dream: The Progressive Political Vision of Bruce Springsteen
"Masciotra's readings are insightful, even brilliant at times. ...Masciotra argues inWorking on a Dream, by way of painstakingdissections of Springsteen's lyrics, his stories are in the deepestsense about a nation that systematically subverts itself: underminesits communities, isolates citizens from one another, exercises itspower recklessly, and destroys the sense of solidarity that is socrucial to a healthy society."-In These Times"Make no mistake about it, Masciotra is a complete Springsteen devotee, but even if you are not a fan there is still much of interest in this finely detailed and intensely written volume.Generally adopting a thematic rather than a strictly chronological or biographical approach, Masciotra anchors his politics firmly to the left and finds the love, anger, despair and hope so often present in Springsteen's work an invaluable guide to both understanding and changing the lot of those presently either despised or rendered invisible in the heart of the American dream....Unlike the all too clever, intentionally shallow and gossip-obsessed rubbish that we generally get, this is musical journalism definitely worth reading."-The Morning Star