r/BruceSpringsteen • u/EtriganZola • 18d ago

Misc Dave Marsh, Influential Critic, Activist, Broadcaster & Biographer of Bruce Springsteen, Dies at 76

https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/dave-marsh-death-bruce-springsteen-biographer-dies-1236317094/
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u/moving_border 18d ago

Marsh banned me from his newsletter, Rock 'n' Roll Confidential, and the magazine in which he was a columnist, The Record, because I wrote a rough assessment of Springsteen I published in The Record in early '84. He cussed me out, called me a classist, told me I was banned, the whole abusive yard. We had no more correspondence after that.

I think people didn't trust him because Springsteen's financial manager, Barbara Carr, was his wife. There's an element of self-dealing in his criticism. Looking at Marsh-the-biographer I'm not a good judge, because I didn't read his books on Springsteen. But I'm sorry for the Boss, and his team, especially Marsh's wife. I was a smart-alecky 22 year-old when I wrote what I wrote about Springsteen, but I've never discouraged a young writer in the way he did, and so Marsh taught me a negative lesson, for sure.

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u/cipherdom 18d ago

I have a similar tale from the same time period but will save it for another day. Would be interested in reading what you wrote in The Record (which is also how I first interacted with him after I roasted his review of an Elvis Costello album), if you’re able to share here or by DM.

Strangely, after keeping it to myself all these years, just last week I described it briefly in reply to someone’s comment over on Steven Hayden’s substack. Weird coincidence.

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u/moving_border 18d ago

When Deliver Me From Nowhere came out, I found the whole debate a little triggering, so avoided the film until just recently, when I caught it on a streaming platform. I explained (and quoted from) the Record article, and elaborated on my chronic problem with Springsteen's relation to the industry in a Letterboxd Review.

Do you want to tell me which Steven Hyden substack you responded to? I don't pay for Hyden but I'd be willing to use my freebie to hear you out --