BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN'S THE RISING: ANALYZING THE CONCEPT ALBUM THROUGH MOTIVES AND ORCHESTRATION

Music can often convey a powerful story. Within the genre of rock music, those stories can be told through concept albums. However, the structure of this modern form has connections to centuries-old forms like epic poetry and song cycles. Within rock music, concept albums are popular within progressive rock; however other sub-genres such as classic rock have used this structure as well. A great example of a concept album is The Rising by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. This album was released in 2002 to reflect on the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. Through motives, lyrics, and orchestration, Springsteen unifies the album with a narrative of great tragedy tempered by longing and hope for a better future.

Throughout his career, Springsteen has written music that is rich in narrative and imagery, two unifying factors in The Rising. Much of Springsteen’s lyrical imagery and inspiration for songwriting, from his early experiences in New Jersey, particularly from his family and religion. The Rising uses imagery of Mary and resurrection as a connective thread unifying its songs. Just as song cycles create unity through narrative, motives, and orchestration so too do concept albums such as The Rising. The advancement of recording technology throughout the twentieth century helped transform the modern structure of a concept album we see today in the twenty-first century. In my analysis, The Rising can be seen as a unified concept album and example of the evolution of musical storytelling in rock.