Clemons, Bruce Bridged Rock's Racial Divide

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He played the saxophone.

I don't know how old Cantor and Egan are, but, apparently they are of the pretentious slant that every generation has that thinks it invented sex, music, and........integration. Research Sam Phillips of Sun Records, the black Gospel groups, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, and even Elvis to see the "coming together" of the races with music as the catalyst.  And music as the "cultural example of how the divides of race can come together" seems to overlook the integration of the US military in the 40's, which provides a model of how a complete society can do it.

I'm with guvner on this. The E Street Band and Bruce Springsteen have always been a big Americana pose, and nothing to get sentimental about. Those saxophone breaks in Springsteen's material are a superficial rock/fusion cliche that has roots in classic R&B, but Springsteen and Clemens' take follows not from the roots of this form, but from the revival of it by such as Van Morrison and Pink Floyd (on Dark Side of the Moon). It's very typical of Springsteen's pretentious fans to think the interracial element is symbolic of some high-minded authenticity. Clemens was the hackneyed sideman and the professional relationship between Springsteen and Clemens was not equal. The dynamic between black sideman exploited for their 'soul' influence by a white 'boss' is all a little too familiar. It may not have been a 'look how down I am', as was Sting and Paul Simon's dabbling in mixed race bands, but it was just a continuation of a familiar power dynamic. Little Richard and Fats Domino were R&B artists that are given credit for influencing rock 'n' roll, but are not themselves rock n roll artists. Only a few black artists made rock 'n' roll as front players, and these would be of course aforementioned Hendrix and Alvin Lee (Love), let's not forget Phil Lynott (Thin Lizzy), Mother's Finest (Remember them?), and early Parliament/Funkadelic (almost). For some insight into Springsteen's contrivances as a roots artist, check out recordings of his prior band, 'Steelmill'. The aspiring phoniness is palpable. It's one thing to be amateur or out of tune, but it's quite another to be professional and in-tune, but a fake. Check it out, I'm sure there's some material on YouTube. Make sure to have a plastic-lined bag by your side.