Bruce Springsteen and Narrative Rock

On May 9, 1974, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, rock critic Jon Landau heard Bruce Springsteen for the first time in concert. In a now famous endorsement, he testified: “I saw my rock and roll past flash before my eyes. And…I saw rock and roll’s future and its name is Bruce Springsteen.” Springsteen had released two albums, Greetings from Asbury Park (1973) and The Wild, the Innocent, and the E—Street Shuffle (1973), both more widely praised by critics than bought by rock fans; he was at work on what was to be his first big-selling album, Born to Run (1975). Could he possibly live up to or, for that matter, live with, such an accolade?

It is typical of Springsteen that neither the raves ...