Streets of Fire: Bruce Springsteen in Photographs and Lyrics 1977-1979 - Hardcover

"Eric Meola's new book of Bruce Springsteen photographs is visually stunning...his mastery of black and white photography is very evident between the covers of this new work. Prepare to view a young and vibrant Bruce in all his glory at an important time in the artist's life." -- Frank Stefanko, photographer/author of Days of Hope and Dreams: An Intimate Portrait of Bruce Springsteen "In Streets of Fire--photographs from the Darkness on the Edge of Town era--we see a young Springsteen in all his bluster, doubt and resilience. In these portraits of a man still struggling for his identity, we get soul-piercing glimpses into the heart of a true American icon." -- Peter Ames Carlin, author of BRUCE "For anyone under the misimpression that Eric Meola's work with Bruce Springsteen begins and ends with his iconic Born to Run image, Streets of Fire is a revelation. For those of us well aware that their collaboration continued, the photographer's new book is a long-awaited treasure." -- Christopher Phillips, editor of Backstreets Magazine and Backstreets.com

On a day like this, I remember - I'm the President, but he's The Boss. President Obama, commenting on Bruce Springsteen, Kennedy Center awards ceremony, 2009. Before Bruce Springsteen became The Boss, he was just a kid musician from New Jersey, playing at the City's local stomping grounds and hawking tickets to his shows at $5.50 a pop. Photographer Eric Meola saw The Boss' potential, having witnessed a glimmer of it at a 1973 show at Max's Kansas City and later in 1975, after spending a day behind the lens, snapping photos of the young songwriter as they drove up and down Jersey's legendary Highway 9. Meola "got" Springsteen so well that one of his shots - the image of Springsteen leaning on Clarence Clemons' shoulder - would become the cover of the "Born to Run" album. Meola's photo shoot with The Boss in 1977 was different. By that time, Springsteen was more firmly coming into his own, having won some critical acclaim and a legion of dedicated fans. Springsteen arrived at Meola's New York City studio carrying a small paper bag with a change of clothes. His beard was gone; this was clearly a new stage in his life, a departure from "Born to Run". Over the days that followed, Meola took several photographs of Springsteen, his lens adjusting to the new persona-Springsteen, the rock star-that emerged from the darkness. "Streets of Darkness" is a carefully curated collection of Meola's photographs - some of which have never been published before - from those 1977 photo shoots. They span an afternoon spent in Holmdel at Telegraph Hill Road, drives on Highway 9, afternoons spent in Meola's studio, and days goofing around playing softball with the rest of the E Street Kings - intimate portraits that provide a window in the early days and life of one of the world's most legendary performers. Deluxe in size, this book is more than a must-have item for Springsteen fans; it is a work of art just as memorable and moving as the album "Darkness on the Edge of Town". Complete with an introduction from Meola, an insightful essay that puts the photo shoot into historical context, and running lyrics to several of Springsteen's songs, this collectible volume shows Springsteen as he was - an artist at the crossroads of his fledgling career, writing about dark themes and finding redemption through his own words and image.