An intimate look at one of rock s brightest stars and his legendary
backing band
Before he was the swaggering, stadium-packing megastar, Bruce
Springsteen was a brooding introvert, desperate to strike a balance
between his nuanced songwriting and the heft of his backing band.
Clinton Heylin s revelatory biography, "E Street Shuffle," chronicles
the evolution and influence of Springsteen s E Street Band as they rose
from blue-collar New Jersey to the heights of rock stardom. The band s
players most notably saxophonist Clarence Big Man Clemons, guitarist
Little Stevie Van Zandt, and drummer Max Weinberg became Springsteen s
comrades in concert, helping him find the elusive sound and sonic punch
that highlighted The Boss s most creative period, including "Darkness on
the Edge of Town," "Born to Run," and "Born in the USA." Fans will also
learn another side of Springsteen, one punctuated with his clashes with
studio executives seeking a commercially viable, radio-friendly album,
and his temporary disbanding of the E Street Band to pursue projects
like the eerie acoustic of "Nebraska." Coinciding with the forteith
anniversary of Springsteen s debut album, "Greetings from Asbury Park,"
drawing on interviews and access to new recordings and shows, Heylin
paints a bold picture of The Boss."