Maybe it is time to listen to Bruce and specifically to "Nebraska" again?

I remember being a teenager and not really liking Bruce Springsteen very much. Then one day I started to like some of his songs. Then when I finally had the chance to listen to “Nebraska”, well that turned a corner as far as appreciation goes. Later I saw him live and eventually we get to today. For me, the poignancy and storytelling of his work, and at least for me now, not only “Nebraska” but also “Devils and Dust”, “the Rising” and “Magic” have found their way into my Spotify playlist and my daily walks with the puppies (just so you know their names are Finnegan and Cooper, two Shih-Tzu's, I share because I know I just lost some of you by just mentioning puppies) more and more. For those of you that do not know – “Nebraska” was a pivotal album for Bruce Springsteen and it really changed perceptions about him as an artist forever. For many of us we face a pivotal moment heading into 2021; as individuals, as companies, as citizens and even as a global society of humanity.

As is usually the case, our growth in appreciation for anything happens in small bits. It is also the reflection of events that might be occurring in our personal lives as well as a mirror on our interpretation of what is happening around us in society. For me – the events of 2020 prompted a return to Nebraska, and I must say that the album is more timeless and meaningful than ever!

Appreciation also results with intersections of experience. I started liking Bruce more when I began to play guitar at around 14. I then hit a new plateau of appreciation when I developed a strong friendship with someone who was a diehard Springsteen fan. Not only was his affection contagious but his knowledge around every album and every track and every lyric made it easy to become a disciple. It was while listening to Highway Patrolman that I realized that whilst I was not a police officer, I did not have a brother that was in trouble and I did not give up a farm or even live in the Midwest – I could somehow still relate to the emotions and the feelings in the narrative. This is the Epiphone - Bruce can connect us to feelings through his words and music. It was more about feelings than it was the specific details of the content or the situation that was being described.

Although I am an amateur musician, I still spend far more time in the world of business than I do music. However, I could not help thinking that we are all in one way or another trying to write our own version of Nebraska as we come out of 2020. We need the album that is both critically acclaimed but also successful commercially. We need to connect with our consumers on a much deeper and more emotional level than ever before. So that said, what was its secret?

1.      It is ridiculously basic and simple - it was recorded by Bruce solo on a four-track recorder and the original, what he believed to be simple demos, are the tracks that actually made it onto the album. Most of the songs are composed of a simple 3 or 4 chord progression.

2.      It was not bound to what had worked before – previous Bruce records were loud and bold with a full band accompanying him, sax solos and guitar solos and big crescendos which had all worked incredibly well for him. Nebraska was none of that.

3.      It focuses on telling a story - Perhaps more than any other album the songs in Nebraska are like are more like stories than songs. He squeezes a novel into every track and the visuals and word pictures that are created are so good that they have actually improved over time. No easy feat.

4.      It speaks to the audience and is about the audience – Although critically acclaimed it was clearly written for his “customers” or fans. The stories are very deep, but they are not stories about jet setting stars, they are simple stories about common people. Also its important to recognize how he accomplishes this, it is not done in a condescending way, he tells these stories as one of them himself.

So, as you sit down and attempt to make decisions for this coming year, while everything is upside down and the rules keep changing. As you struggle to say the right thing to your team and your customers. When you get tired and feel like there is nothing that fits the moment – think about the bullets above. Put "Nebraska" on as you brainstorm. New paths exist, we just need to find them!