Deliver Me from Nowhere

Deliver Me from Nowhere by Warren Zanes (2023) The subtle of this book is: “The Making of Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska.” Before talking incessantly about myself (which is the way these “book reports” seem to go) I wanted to say that this is a great book that might appeal to beyond Bruce Springsteen fans. Of course, Springsteen fans are a large swath, and that group might be into this book the most, but others who it might appeal to are people interested in the creative process, people into songwriting, music making (and recording, in particular), and people interested in American culture from this period. Also, people who like stories of someone going against the grain—doing something odd, passionate, and surprising. And there’s also a mental health element—part of the saga most interesting to me. As a huge star (not me, Springsteen—particularly where and when I grew up), I kind of dismissed him—not my thing—after only his third (huge, Born to Run) record—but then came around, a few years later—after seeing him live—which turned me into a huge fan. At the same time, though, I was moving against all that was mainstream, and I remember well when the Nebraska record came out, and how a few friends and I were fascinated by it—and then even more so when we found out how it came about. This book is a great reminder of that, and if you don’t know the story, it’s here in depth. One of the more inspiring sagas involving a bigger than life star, as far as I’m concerned (because the bigger than life part doesn’t generally interest me—but the work does). Also, a good reason to go back and re-experience the record. And one more thing, the book made me aware of Springsteen’s autobiography, which I might now read—it sounds intriguing.

9.24.24