BOOK REPORT-BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN SPECIAL

If you know me by now, you know I'm an autobiography, not biography man, but when it comes to bargain Boss books, well that's a different matter.

E STREET SHUFFLE: With Bruce Springsteen recentely stating he won't write an autobiography (we could certainly transcribe one from some of his songs epic live inspired introductions) one of the best books you could read is from Clinton Heylin. The man whose book work on Dylan could go page for page with Bob's epic songbook delivers another great here, chronicling Bruce's glory days from the greetings from Asbury Park, to the break up and reshuffle of the E Street Band. What resonates here is the attention to detail and events, marked by real, inspiring quotes from the band and the boss himself that make this as authentic and influential as possible. A run down of every official and unofficial Springsteen song of that era to conclude the last 100 pages or so of this book make this read one bootleg that the Boss would love. Sound good?

WALK LIKE MAN: With all the Bruce biograpies out there it's hard to pick one, but Canadian Robert J Wiersema may be the most inventive and therefore best. If 'E Street Shuffle' is best described as a bootleg then 'Walk Like A Man' is truly a perfect and proud mixtape. Time to make the pod playlist. Chronicling not only the boss muses life, but the life of our author too, Wiersema takes you on a tour of what it's truly like to be growin' up with the soundtrack of hard-working blue collared jeans and boot-cut America, that even translates up north and to a small, Asbury Park type seaside town that this Englishman writing this with dreams of New York resides in. Now I relate to Bob as much as I relate to Bruce, as each song-titled chapter from 'Rosalita' to 'My Hometown' details not only the Bosses journey but how each song by the man of rock related to Wiersema's life and times. From it's short but sweet chapters to it's footnotes more detailed than a Shakepeare playbook, this is truly a great read. Especially for a man who loves Canada just as much as he loves New Jersey's favourite son. Boss fans rejoice and come together. It's time to truly relate. TIM DAVID HARVEY.