Host Jesse Jackson welcomes writer and musician David Starkey to Set Listing Bruce to discuss Starkey’s book On Track: Bruce Springsteen 1973–1987, Every Album, Every Song and his lifelong relationship to Springsteen’s recorded work. Starkey shares how growing up between Sacramento and summers in Beaumont shaped his musical tastes, from Johnny Cash and Aerosmith to discovering Springsteen via Greetings and being captivated by Born to Run and Darkness on the Edge of Town. They talk about the current tour, its political tone, Tom Morello’s guitar work, ticket prices, and setlist debates. Starkey explains his writing process, what he learned by re-listening (especially the importance of piano), and why 1987 marks an era’s end. The conversation also touches on poetry vs. lyrics, Starkey’s interview series The Creative Community, upcoming projects, and the “Mary question” from Thunder Road.
https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Bruce-Springsteen-1973-1987/David-Starkey/On-Track/9781789524710
00:00 Podcast Welcome
00:39 Meeting David
02:03 Early Music Obsessions
03:44 Family Sounds and Travel
06:59 Johnny Cash Tangent
09:04 Finding Springsteen
10:03 Live Shows and Politics
13:54 Ticket Prices Debate
14:28 Writing and Poetry
18:08 Why This Bruce Book
20:05 Born in the USA Memories
22:14 Researching the Albums
23:53 Why Stop at 1987
25:43 Concert Banter Debate
26:59 River Tour Pacing
27:55 Writing More Personally
29:33 Hot Takes On Songs
30:51 Family Discovers Nebraska
32:06 Biopic Who Is It For
34:35 Bruce Creative Evolution
36:46 Never Repeating Himself
39:41 His Interview Show Origins
41:09 Next Books And Memoir
44:12 Where To Find The Book
45:54 Final Thanks And Signoff
46:24 Podcast Housekeeping
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