SECONDED
Never have understood the fascination with him. Back in college I made the mistake of buying one of his albums for a friend who just raved about him. After hearing part of the album played, I said that is screeching, not singing.
Bruce’s secret is the extra-long concerts. Like a Deadhead Trip for people infatuated with New Jersey.
He “broke” in the 70s because of the King Biscuit Flower Hour concerts that ran for hours and hours. And then the bootleggers would offer LPs of those same long concerts. And through the repetition a star was born.
He was sold as “punk” once upon a time (and Tom Petty was sold as “new wave”). Then again, Tony Bennett was sold as “rock and roll” in the 1950s.