Ironically, today the live show, not the record, is how pop music acts typically earn a living. Financially speaking, what was once the means has become the end. But that wasn’t the case in 1973.Article content
But “The Boss,” as he was already affectionately being called, was the leader of a rock-and-roll band – one which, like the Beatles a decade earlier, had been honed by thousands of hours of live performances in venues that ranged from small local clubs to school auditoriums. And Springsteen had no trouble generating excitement. His showmanship was making an impression as he worked college campuses in the Northeast, with a budding reputation stretching from Boston to D.C.Article contentTen months after releasing “Greetings,” Springsteen dropped his second album – which attempted to correct what he saw as the weaknesses of “Greetings.” He later explained, “For this record, I was determined to call on my songwriting ability and my bar band experience.
“The Boss,” of course, would go on to have one of the truly huge careers in the history of recorded music , and, to become one of the most successful live acts in the world. But over the past half-century, the logic of the music business has experienced seismic change.Article content