Happiness Is Just a Thing Called Bruce

Reading a Hilburn article on Springsteen reminds me of watching family vacation slides with a senile grandfather: I want to see what happened, but the narrator’s grating voice gets in my way.

Hilburn’s relentless admiration disturbs even me, another man Springsteen fulfills entirely.

Yet I am beginning to think that most serious Bruce fans are the same. We can explain anything he does as an honest and intriguing expression from an honest and intriguing man. The flak Bruce has received over what are two of his best albums simply demonstrates that his consistency may be his nemesis.

People either grow with him or out of him or never even understand why fans think he grows at all. Both Hilburn and I suffer from the belief that Springsteen expresses the maturing thoughts of the same people he has been describing his entire career.

We fall into whatever cliche you choose about identifying with a voice. All Hilburn has shown me is that I better stop using deodorant with aluminum in it lest I become my grandfather.

TERRY DUBOW

Rancho Palos Verdes