Springsteen: Point Blank - Tapa dura

Sandford provides a convincingly complex portrait. (MOJO)

Not just rigorously researched and readable, the narrative is as powered and polished as one of The Boss (40-take songs, the author's passion for detail equally intense, no stone left unturned as we witness the exhausting climb of a driven perfectionist.')

UNCUT ('In an industry known for ephemeral enthusiasms, Bruce Springsteen has remained interesting by successfully reinventing himself half a dozen times. At his peak Springsteen redefined rock music, rescuing it from pretentious concept albums and the apparent)

This is a long-overdue biography of one of rock's most fascinating figures and Christopher Sandford has a deft turn of phrase--Springsteen's bodyguards "made Elvis's look like the Algonquin set"--but it is not up to the mark of Sandford's earlier works on (Bruce is one of rock's good guys. In concert he is electrifying; in conversation, illuminating; on record, exhilarating. There is an integrity to his craft. He is one of the few stars of this stature to have remained true to his roots and his social consc)

At a time when other ageing rock stars have yielded to burn-out or self-parody, Bruce Springsteen has held his place as a cultural icon. His earth-shattering albums like BORN IN THE USA (which spent 136 weeks in the British chart) all still enjoy raucous airplay. Meanwhile, Springsteen has carved out a second career as a social critic, balladeer and purveyor of soundtracks. His work, which has been covered by artists from Frank Sinatra to Sonic Youth, sells a total of 15 million albums annually. His concerts are instant sell-outs the world over. Springsteen's distinctive tearaway anthems and foghorn voice are among pop's most enduring sounds. From cult figure to pin-up (aka 'The Boss') to mega-selling guru, Springsteen is the last true rock star. Christopher Sandford's is the first full-length biography in ten years.