Editing Max Weinberg (section)

==Success with the E Street Band==
Weinberg was still living at home<ref name="benarde"/> when he met [[Bruce Springsteen]] on April 7, 1974, when his band, The Jim Marino Band, were Springsteen's support at Seton Hall.<ref name="bb74"/> Springsteen had parted ways with his drummer, [[Vini Lopez|Vini "Mad Dog" Lopez]], earlier that year, and the replacement, [[Ernest Carter (drummer)|Ernest "Boom" Carter]], lasted only six months before leaving with pianist [[David Sancious]] to form [[Tone (jazz-fusion band)|Tone]]. Weinberg answered a Springsteen ''[[Village Voice]]'' newspaper ad that famously requested, "no junior Ginger Bakers,"<ref>{{cite book | last=Alterman | first=Eric | author-link=Eric Alterman | title=It Ain't No Sin to Be Glad You're Alive | publisher=[[Back Bay Books]] | year=2001 | isbn=0-316-03917-9 | page=69}}</ref> in reference to [[Ginger Baker]]'s reputation for long drum solos. Weinberg auditioned with Springsteen and the core E Street Band in mid-late August of that year<ref name="bb74"/> at the SIR studios in [[Midtown Manhattan]],<ref name="santelli-aud">Santelli, ''Greetings from E Street'', pp. 32, 34.</ref> bringing a minimalist drum kit with him consisting only of [[hi-hat]]s, a [[snare drum]] and a [[bass drum]].<ref name="nyt012801"/><ref name="nyt062900"/> He knew one Springsteen song from the Marino band, "[[4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)|Sandy]]", and played it.<ref name="santelli-aud"/> His drumming on the [[Fats Domino]] song "[[Let the Four Winds Blow (Fats Domino song)|Let the Four Winds Blow]]" sealed the position as his.<ref name="bb74"/> A week later, he was offered the $110 per week job (US${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|110|1974}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars{{inflation-fn|US}}), and he quit college immediately, about six [[academic credits]] short of a degree.<ref name="appel"/><ref name="santelli-aud"/> Weinberg's first public performance came on September 19, 1974, at [[The Main Point]] in [[Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania]].<ref name="bb74">{{cite web | url=http://brucebase.wikispaces.com/1974#190974 | title=Bruce Springsteen 1974 | publisher=Brucebase.wikispaces.com | date=November 23, 2008 | access-date=May 28, 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120904124318/http://brucebase.wikispaces.com/1974#190974 | archive-date=September 4, 2012 | url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[File:Max Weinberg and Bruce Springsteen.jpg|thumb|240px|right|During his tenure with the [[E Street Band]], Weinberg's gaze remains locked on Springsteen throughout each show. |alt=Middle-aged man with glasses wearing a dark shirt sits behind a drum kit on a riser with his right hand and stick about to hit a snare drum; he his looking directly at another middle-aged man in front of and slightly to the left of him, dressed in dark clothes with an electric guitar strapped to him, left hand on the frets, right hand flying away after playing a chord, eyes shut in an expression of conveying musical intensity of some kind]]
Weinberg rose to success as the drummer for Springsteen's E Street Band, as his powerful yet controlled beat<ref name="benarde"/> solved the E Street Band's drumming instabilities. On ''[[Born to Run]]'' (1975), Weinberg's drumming evoked two of his idols, [[Ringo Starr]] and [[Levon Helm]], and he covered his [[snare drum]] with heavy paper towels to capture some of the [[Memphis soul]] sound.<ref>Hilburn, ''Springsteen'', p. 68.</ref> While travelling on tour, Weinberg became known for his exact requests, such as specifying the particular brand of paper towels to use for his drums or the standards for his hotel rooms.<ref name="mus-81"/><ref>{{cite book | last=Marsh | first=Dave | author-link=Dave Marsh | title=Glory Days: Bruce Springsteen in the 1980s | url=https://archive.org/details/glorydaysbruces00mars | url-access=registration | publisher=[[Pantheon Books]] | location=New York | year=1987 | isbn=0-394-54668-7}} p. 22.</ref> Weinberg never adopted the "rock and roll lifestyle"; he treated his music seriously and kept to the mantra, "Show up, do a good job, and give them more than their money's worth."<ref name="nyt012801"/> One compromise Weinberg did have to make was sometimes playing on the [[High Holy Days]].<ref name="benarde-238"/><ref name="schleier"/> During shows, Springsteen built up the personas of his bandmates, and Weinberg was frequently referred to as "the Mighty Max".<ref>Santelli, ''Greetings from E Street'', p. 61.</ref> Weinberg started a long practice of keeping his eyes on Springsteen every moment during the show, even when Springsteen was behind the stage, as he never knew when Springsteen would change a tempo or suddenly deviate from the [[set list]].<ref>Santelli, ''Greetings from E Street'', p. 42.</ref><ref name="rs-2017"/> Decades later, E Street guitarist [[Steve Van Zandt]] would say of Weinberg, "What nobody understands is that not only is Max a great drummer, Max reads Bruce's mind. You can't learn that."<ref name="rs022309">{{cite news | url=https://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2009/02/23/van-zandt-on-max-weinbergs-busy-dance-card/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090226132326/http://www.rollingstone.com//rockdaily//index.php//2009//02//23//van-zandt-on-max-weinbergs-busy-dance-card// | url-status=dead | archive-date=February 26, 2009 | title=Van Zandt on Max Weinberg's Busy Dance Card | author=Greene, Andy | magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] | date=February 23, 2009}}</ref> Weinberg bought a house overlooking the water in [[Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey]], triggering a lifelong interest in real estate and home design.<ref name="wsj041108">{{cite news | url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB120787592935506791?mod=todays_us_nonsub_weekendjournal | title=Born to Renovate: Springsteen's Drummer, Max Weinberg, Has a Real-Estate Obsession | author=Casselman, Ben | newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]] | date=April 11, 2008 | access-date=April 4, 2010}}</ref>

Tempos slowed to an oft dirge-like pace on ''[[Darkness on the Edge of Town]]'' (1978);<ref>Hilburn, ''Springsteen'', p. 117.</ref> rehearsals and recording of the album stretched out over a long period, with Springsteen and bandmate and co-producer [[Steven Van Zandt]] experiencing a prolonged frustration over their inability to capture a more resonant drum sound.<ref>{{cite video | title=The Promise: The Making of "Darkness On the Edge of Town" | publisher=Thrill Hill Productions| people=Zinny, Thom | medium=Motion picture | date=September 14, 2010}}</ref> Weinberg soon regretted not playing faster on "[[Badlands (Bruce Springsteen song)|Badlands]]",<ref>Hilburn, ''Springsteen'', p. 74–75.</ref> and tempos did speed up on that number and some others during the accompanying [[Darkness Tour]]. He did later say that "It was a ballsy thing to play a single stroke roll through the entirety of 'Candy's Room{{'"}} and that it was the kind of choice a session musician never would have tried.<ref name="rs-2017"/>

Weinberg suffered an acknowledged "drumming slump" around 1980, and his time-keeping skills were criticized by Springsteen.<ref>Hilburn, ''Springsteen'', p. 194.</ref> What could pass unnoticed in concert became apparent on record, and Weinberg practiced drumming components for months in order to regain a fine sense of timing.<ref>Marsh, ''Glory Days'', p. 114.</ref> Weinberg also suffered from [[repetitive stress injury]] and [[tendinitis]], eventually requiring seven operations on his hands and wrists.<ref name="nyt012801"/> He studied for a while with noted jazz drummer [[Joe Morello]]; Weinberg credited Morello for helping him to learn how to play with the tendinitis.<ref>{{cite news | url= https://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/08/nyregion/jersey-footlights.html | title=Jersey Footlights: Where the Teacher Hangs Out on Weekends | author=Nash, Margo | newspaper=[[The New York Times]] | date=January 8, 2006}}</ref> Springsteen and the E Street Band's shows that opened New Jersey's [[Meadowlands Arena]] in 1981 as part of [[the River Tour]] became one of the highlights of Weinberg's career.<ref name="ld102300"/>

On June 22, 1981,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Weinberg |first1=Max wedding |title=1981-06-22 location-east-orange-nj |url=http://brucebase.wikidot.com/gig:1981-06-22-unknown-location-east-orange-nj |website=Brucebase |access-date=28 December 2019 |ref=max drummer in band}}</ref> Weinberg married Rebecca Schick, a [[Methodist]] who had grown up in [[Tinton Falls, New Jersey]], and whom he had met through a mutual friend.<ref name="schleier"/><ref name="nt100307">{{cite news | url=http://newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2007/1003/Front_Page/040.html | archive-url=https://archive.today/20130102185042/http://newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2007/1003/Front_Page/040.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=January 2, 2013 | title=A good cause for purrs and paws | author=Meggitt, Jane | newspaper=News Transcript| location=Monmouth County, New Jersey | date=October 3, 2007 }}</ref> Springsteen and the band played at their wedding,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Launer |first1=Pat |title=Mighty Max |url=http://sdjewishjournal.com/sdjj/september-2011/mighty-max/ |website=SD Jewish Journal |date=August 31, 2011 |access-date=28 December 2019 |ref=August 31, 2011}}</ref> which was officiated by the same rabbi that Weinberg had while growing up.<ref name="schleier"/> Becky Weinberg worked as a high school history teacher.<ref name="marsh-will"/> They had two children, daughter Ali (born c. 1987)<ref name="nt100307"/> and son [[Jay Weinberg|Jay]] (born 1990).<ref name="nsl-int">{{cite news | url=http://www.nj.com/entertainment/music/index.ssf/2009/05/jay_weinberg_speaks_hockey_dru.html | title=Jay Weinberg speaks: hockey, drumming and the E Street Band | author=Lustig, Jay | newspaper=[[The Star-Ledger]] | location=Newark | date=May 8, 2009 | access-date=May 16, 2009}}</ref>

In 1984, they bought a {{convert|5|acre|ha|adj=on}} farm in [[Monmouth County, New Jersey|Monmouth County]]; after feeling taken advantage of in the deal, Weinberg became a scrupulous researcher in real estate matters, often spending days at town halls looking over obscure zoning regulations.<ref name="wsj041108"/> While on tour, he studied books about architecture, and dreamt of building houses in the style of [[Frank Lloyd Wright]] or [[Richard Meier]].<ref name="wsj041108"/> 

Weinberg made a full recovery from his injuries in time for ''[[Born in the U.S.A.]]'' (1984), which featured an [[aerobics]]-timed beat on some tracks<ref>Hilburn, ''Springsteen'', p. 182.</ref> that also owed something to the popular [[Hugh Padgham#The "gated drum" sound|Phil Collins drum sound]]. Weinberg's own experimentation since the ''Darkness'' days had also led to a more reverberant sound.<ref name="nsl-int-2"/> Overall, Weinberg's more fluid drumming combined with [[Roy Bittan]]'s use of synthesizers and better overall production to give Springsteen a more modern sound, resulting in the album becoming Springsteen's best-selling one ever and spawning a [[List of Billboard Hot 100 chart achievements and milestones#Album achievements|record-tying seven Top 10 hit singles]].<ref>Marsh, ''Glory Days'', pp. 195–196.</ref> Springsteen later said of the album, "Max was the best thing on the record."<ref name="benarde"/> Weinberg's most well-known drum part came on "[[Born in the U.S.A. (song)|Born in the U.S.A.]]", where his snare drum paired against Bittan's signature synthesizer riff on the opening and throughout the main part of the song.<ref name="marsh-busa">Marsh, ''Glory Days'', pp. 116–118.</ref> The recording then descends into improvised chaos; Springsteen had told Weinberg, "When I stop, keep the drums going."<ref name="marsh-busa"/> Upon the restart, intentional drum breakdowns matched bass swoops and guitar feedback; Springsteen subsequently said of the performance overall, "You can hear Max – to me, he was right up there with the best of them on that song."<ref name="marsh-busa"/> Weinberg said it was one of his most intense musical experiences.<ref>Santelli, ''Greetings from E Street'', p. 66.</ref>

On the subsequent [[Born in the U.S.A. Tour]], Springsteen generally interspersed hard-rocking song sequences after every three or four numbers in order to give Weinberg's hands a chance to recover.<ref>Marsh, ''Glory Days'', p. 314.</ref> Weinberg's wife Becky unintentionally triggered one of the tour's most celebrated episodes.<ref name="marsh-will">Marsh, ''Glory Days'', pp. 254–257, 260, 263.</ref> She was a fan of the ''[[This Week with David Brinkley]]'' television program and invited panelist [[George Will]] to the Washington-area [[Capital Centre (Landover, Maryland)|Capital Centre]] show.<ref name="marsh-will"/> After seeing the band perform, Will became convinced that they were exemplars of hard-working patriotism and traditional American values; he wrote, "... consider Max Weinberg's bandaged fingers. The rigors of drumming have led to five tendonitis operations. He soaks his hands in hot water before a concert, in ice afterward, and sleeps with tight gloves on."<ref name="marsh-will"/> Will further decided that Springsteen might endorse [[Ronald Reagan]] in the [[1984 United States presidential election|1984 presidential campaign]] and talked to the campaign, which later led to Reagan's famous extolling of Springsteen at a stop in [[Hammonton, New Jersey]], and Springsteen's subsequent negative response.<ref name="marsh-will"/>

In 1984, Weinberg published ''The Big Beat: Conversations with Rock's Greatest Drummers'', a series of interviews conducted over two years with drummers from various eras, including Starr, Helm, [[D. J. Fontana]], [[Charlie Watts]], [[Dino Danelli]], [[Hal Blaine]] and others.<ref name="benarde"/><ref name="santelli-book">Santelli, ''Greetings from E Street'', pp. 61–62.</ref> The book captured drummers revealing more about their musical approaches than they normally did to the press and was thus considered an important addition to the rock literature.<ref name="santelli-book"/> In 1986, Weinberg began taking a one-man show "Growing Up on E Street" to college campuses around the country.<ref name="usenet-faq"/> It contained some short films that Weinberg produced as well as a question-and-answer session.<ref name="usenet-faq"/>

For his efforts, Weinberg was named Best Drummer in the ''[[Playboy (magazine)|Playboy]]'' 1985 Pop and Jazz Music Poll and Best Drummer again in ''[[Rolling Stone]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s 1986 Critics Poll.<ref name="benarde"/> The adulation got to him a bit as he aligned with the Mighty Max persona and went to fashionable parties.<ref name="kansan-smarsh"/>

Weinberg had a reduced role on Springsteen's 1987 album ''[[Tunnel of Love (album)|Tunnel of Love]]'', replacing Springsteen's [[drum machine]] parts on a few tracks,<ref>Santelli, ''Greetings from E Street'', p. 76.</ref> but the full band was in place for the 1988 [[Tunnel of Love Express Tour|Tunnel of Love Express]] and [[Human Rights Now!]] tours. Weinberg called the latter tour's visiting of many third-world countries around the globe one of the most rewarding things the band had done.<ref name="santelli-brk">Santelli, ''Greetings from E Street'', pp. 79–80.</ref>

Weinberg also played as a [[session musician]], enjoying particular success in connection with songwriter and producer [[Jim Steinman]]. He drummed on the 1977 [[Meat Loaf]] album, ''[[Bat Out of Hell]]'', playing on the Steinman-penned tracks "[[Bat Out of Hell (song)|Bat Out of Hell]]", "[[You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth]]" and "[[Paradise by the Dashboard Light]]". At a point in 1983, Weinberg was featured on the number one and number two songs on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]], [[Bonnie Tyler]]'s "[[Total Eclipse of the Heart]]" and [[Air Supply]]'s "[[Making Love Out of Nothing at All]]",<ref name="benarde"/> both Steinman creations. Weinberg also recorded with [[Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes]], [[Gary U.S. Bonds]], [[Ian Hunter (singer)|Ian Hunter]] and [[Carole King]].<ref name="benarde"/>

On October 18, 1989, Springsteen unexpectedly called Weinberg to say he was dissolving the E Street Band.<ref name="mdm-int">{{cite news | title=Back on E Street | magazine=[[Modern Drummer]] | date=October 1999 | author=Flans, Robyn}}</ref> As Weinberg later said, "That's why they call him the Boss."<ref name="schleier"/>