Darkness on the Edge of Town

Save 4 years of college in Upstate New York, I’ve lived my entire life in New Jersey. Despite what the internet and television will have you believe, it’s an amazing place to live. Here in Central Jersey, I can be in New York City in an hour, Philadelphia in just a little over an hour. I can take a day trip to the beach on short notice or spend the afternoon hiking the Appalachian trail. The food here is amazing and diverse. Within a half hour, I can eat great food from just about every continent on earth. Our pizzerias, delis and diners are easily among the best in the entire country, don’t listen to what New Yorkers say. I’ve travelled all over the country over the last decade for work: California, Chicago, Washington state, Texas, Colorado, the South, the Midwest, the Southwest…all over. I’ve yet to find a place that offers as much as New Jersey does, or, at least, one that offers as much within such a close proximity. Yes, it’s expensive to live in and the traffic sucks, but it’s home. Like a pork roll, egg and cheese on a hard roll (with salt, pepper, ketchup) or Zeppole’s on the boardwalk, Bruce Springsteen is ingrained in my cultural DNA. I remember being a small child, not more than 4 or 5, Born in the USA playing on the radio, singing it out on the back porch while my parents and their friends grilled up burgers and dogs for the 4th of July. This is life in NJ. Even if you don’t listen to Bruce, you fucking know Bruce. It’s inescapable. You go to Asbury Park for shows at the Stony Pony, you travel up and down routes 1 & 9…the places he performed at, the places and people he sings about: they are places and people you are all too familiar with. Honestly, I’ve never considered myself a Springsteen fan at all. In my 41 years, I don’t think I’ve ever sat down and put on a Springsteen record and I definitely don’t own any. Darkness on the Edge of Town, until today, was no exception. Sometimes we take our backgrounds for granted. Traditions have a way of becoming mechanical: you celebrate holidays a certain way because that’s just what your family has always done. You don’t dig into the reasons why you have a certain meal for Christmas Eve, because it’s second nature, it’s just what you do. That’s my relationship with Bruce Springsteen. He looms so large in the place I am from that he’s almost an omnipresence, so I never really looked into the “why”, I just accepted it and honestly didn’t think about it too much…The sky is blue, grass is green, New Jersey is Springsteen Country. (I had no intention in penning a love letter to my state when I put this record on today, but that’s where we’re at. Just roll with me on this one, thanks.) Digging into Darkness on the Edge of Town, I’m instantly comforted. This is like home cooking; comfort food for my disaffected working class soul. Believe me, typing that out is just as corny to me as it is to you, dear reader. I can’t help that it’s the truth. Springsteen is on a tear on this record: aggressive, urgent, introspective, blunt and often flat-out beautiful. I could listen to “Badlands”, “Something in the Night” or “Prove It All Night” a hundred more times today and probably not be sick of them. This record rocks hard. That Bruce is, in many ways, the face of New Jersey makes total sense to me. He is a fitting encapsulation of this state’s underdog spirit. I may not have wanted to admit that for many years, but Darkness on the Edge of Town is resonating with me on such a guttural level that I’m not sure I can accurately describe it in any other way. It just feels so right. Maybe it’s nostalgia, maybe it’s me finally embracing my place as a fully fledged New Jerseyan….I don’t know, but it’s a fucking great record and I should have become familiar with it a long time ago. My bad, Boss.

A mediocre selection of working-class mumbles periodically broken up by unimpressive guitar solos and unnecessary saxophone solos.

Whenever I get asked what is something most people love and you don’t I say Bruce Springsteen. I’m tired of having to say this, please randomly give us something else

If the music was accompanied by someone who can sing, the album would actually be really good.

Good music but I can really only handle Bruce's voice in small doses.

They don’t call him the boss for nothing

Controversial opinion. This is his best work. His best, angriest and most solid batch of songs put together in the perfect order. I don't think hes ever topped this. It’s darker than what came before it and a reminder that life will beat the shit out of you and leave you broken. A story as old as time and no one tells it better than Bruce. 5/5

Excellent, epic and emotional. Better than Born to Run for me and my first 5* review. There's just something about The Boss that just taps into the working man mindset. Melancholy at times, hopeful and uplifting at others, he just gets what it is to be alive.

Where's the option for 7 stars?

Snorefest. I really don't get Springsteen.

A haiku: Have you heard this one Characters love cars and girls Always hate their town

How many times have the Killers listened to this album weeping enviously

70s Springsteen is best Springsteen

It’s alright. Probably the most Springsteeny album to ever have Sprungsteen.

I had some familiarity with this album already, but gave it a thorough listen (ok several) and really liked it. Darker than his previous albums, but so good. Adam Raised a Cain and Racing in the Streets are two that I hadn’t paid attention to that I especially liked in addition to the already known singles such as Prove it all Night, Badlands and Darkness. 5

Raw and gritty. This album produced Bruce's best work, because he was locked in a legal battle for ownership of his work and he couldn't put out any new music until it was settled. This meant he worked. And worked…and worked. This album has my favorite Bruce song - Something in the Night, it's such a beautiful song. Add to it Candy's Room and Racing in the Street as some of the lesser known songs to the biggies like Badlands, The Promised Land, Prove it All Night and Darkness make this a full five-star album.

The album picks up from where Born to Run left off with the rousing 'Badlands', but listen closer and you will notice that Bruce's lyrics crackle with biblical imagery and religious fervour, this is repeated throughout on the likes of 'Adam raised a Cain' , 'Promised Land' and 'Darkness on the Edge of Town' . Has the Boss found God? Where Dylan was just entering his Fire and Brimstone phase with Slow Train Coming, which acts as a rallying cry for pious action in the material world (and turned off a large proportion of his Liberal base), Springsteen's spiritual focus is an introspective and personal crusade for self actualisation; the song becomes the sacrament, and what magnificent songs. It was also around this time when Van Morrison accused Springsteen (amongst others) of ripping him off and you can certainly hear his influence in the slower piano led numbers like 'Racing in the Street' and 'Something in the Night' which are meditative, hypnotic and transcendent. I told you he had found God.

Funny that as I get older I appreciate Bruce more. While the power of his passion cascades from song to song, his music just never seems to capture my imagination. It's good, but just not great to my ears.

I work, and work, and trucks, and work. My daddy worked and worked, and I'm tired, baby, trucks.

"Candy's Room" is fast-paced and fun, not super into the power ballads, but liked "Streets of Fire". Not the most exciting album.

Like a drunk uncle singing karaoke. Would not choose to listen to this again

Masculinity at its finest.

I don’t get why Bruce is so celebrated. Mostly sounds like mush mouth drunk karaoke.

His voice does nothing for me, just don’t enjoy his works. They feel like a slog to get through.

Take all the lovely romanticism, hope and freedom of Born to Run, punch it in the gut with a fist of sad reality, then slather it in some of the most anthemic choruses ever recorded, as well as some of the most searing guitar solos shredded, and you end up with this album. This is my favourite album of his, and Badlands is my personal favourite Bruce song so it was never going to get anything less than the full 5 stars, but there's truly not a bad song here in my opinion.

Blind album, know the artist. Holy crap some songs blew my absolute freaking mind on this album, especially the Promised Land. This album, had so many hits that had so much emotion behind it. I love the instrumentals, I love the harmonies, the chord progressions, the lead ins. It's rudimentary and standard but it hits so hard and packs a punch I never hear anymore.

Excellent album. Probably more of a 4.5 for me but I’ll round up in honor of all the Bruce heads in this group.

Classic and perfect.

Fucking hell this is awesome

Sometimes when I hear an album for the first time, I'll absolutely love it. Sometimes I'll absolutely hate it. But it's really rare that I'll feel "comfortable" with it from the word go. I think by about halfway into the first song here, it felt like I was catching up with an old mate. I've never heard this album before, I don't even think I've heard any of the songs from it. But it legit felt like I've heard it countless times. There's something really cool about that. Can't give it any less than full marks. 5/5.

15th June 2021 Have this on vinyl so cracked it out in the morning while working on civil service live. Nothing to say. 10 out of 5.

30 seconds in and I already loooove it!

This was better than I expected. Varied melodies and tempos plus good lyrics make it easy to listen. Some nice songs I hadn't heard before.

Il est absolument IMPOSSIBLE d'écouter cet album sans avoir un minimum de contexte en main. On est en 1978, soit quatre ans avant l'épisode de la guitare qui va bouleverser la vie de Springsteen. Il enregistre à cette époque Darkness on the Edge of Town dans le but d'expliquer comment il va s'y prendre pour construire son prochain album, Nebraska, qu'il compte sortir en 1982. La stratégie qu'il développe en chanson est la suivante : se faire pousser une coupe mulet pendant quatre ans pour être fin prêt lors des séances studio. Il ne sait pas encore que cette décision sera le point de départ d'un immense traumatisme. Une fois Darkness enregistré, il décide d'organiser une séance photo et fait venir un professionnel. Ce dernier lui demande de s'adosser au mur et d'ouvrir son blouson noir. Bruce est très aimable et courtois, mais vous allez voir que ça ne va pas durer bien longtemps. Le photographe lui annonce qu'il va bientôt appuyer sur le bouton de son appareil quand soudain, au moment de prendre le cliché, un « zwip » se fait entendre. « Qu'est-ce que c'est ? » demande alors le photographe avant d'apercevoir le sexe de Springsteen sortir de sa braguette. « Tu reconnais pas le petit Jésus, ma couillasse ? » répond le chanteur en agitant son bazar. Horrifié, son interlocuteur quittera la séance sans attendre. Bruce Springsteen sélectionnera tout de même la photo en question pour en faire la couverture de l'album mais son équipe et lui-même prendront soin de rendre invisible la partie de l'image située en dessous de la ceinture.

Je vais vous raconter dans ce review l'histoire saugrenue derrière la couverture de cet album. Tout d'abord, il est bon de replacer le contexte, et de rappeler que cet album a été enregistré AVANT l'épisode de la guitare. A cette époque, Bruce n'avait donc pas encore engagé sa tentative de reconversion, et jouissait d'une beaufitude des plus totales. Nous sommes le 12 mars 1978, quand Bruce a rendez-vous avec un photographe réputé, professionnel de la couverture d'album. Ce dernier demande à Bruce de poser devant une fenêtre, volets fermés, afin d'accentuer le noir de la veste portée par Bruce. Il conseille également à Bruce de prendre un regard sérieux, presque séducteur, afin d'ajouter à la gravitude du cliché. Au moment où le doigt du photographe rentre en contact avec la détente de l'appareil photo, l'impensable se produit: Bruce dégrafe son pentalon, laissant apparaître son appareil génital. "Mais qu'est ce que tu fais Bruce ?!" s'exclama le photographe, stupéfait. "Bah c'est mes boules, mes grosses couillasses" rétorqua Bruce, avant de partir dans un rire gras. Le photographe étant choqué, et le cliché malgré tout plutôt réussi, il fut décider de rogner la photo, afin de ne laisser apercevoir que le haut du corps de Bruce en guise de couverture d'album.

Not a fan of the vocals

I’m not sure if Bruce Springsteen is for me. This is my second Bruce album and I just wasn’t feeling it but I can see why people dig him and his music. I didn’t finish this album because there is something about his vocal quality and pitch that really bothers me. But I would give this album another chance and recommend it to others!

Am I done with him yet? Am I done? What is this now, like 5 albums...? They're all shit. All of them. I do understand why people like him. I'm sure they can tune into his dad-rock, gentle fist-pump slice of Americana. For me, it makes my whole body slump in boredom. I seriously don't like his voice. It sounds like he's smoked way, waaaay too much weed and he's trying to drag himself off the floor and sing at the same time. The music, everything, it's just mediocre across the board. The most consistently 2/5 artist of all time.

The only boss i really listen to. What a record. Still have no idea what he's singing about. But maybe that's the point?

As great as Born to Run is, this is just as good.

Even a subpar Bruce album is great.

When I started this list I would have said that "Nebraska" was Springsteen's finest album. Listening to this today makes me have second thoughts. This may be Bruce at his best as it has both incredible lyrics and gorgeous music. I look forward to when "Nebraska" appears on my list so I can compare and contrast the two. 5/5

Oh hell yes

Wow. Blew me away

Love me some Bruce!

Excellent album! It’s the Boss!

WHAAAATTT??!! when i listened to springsteen a couple weeks ago and said id listen to it again i WAS NOT LYING! is one hell of a good album what the heck. seriously, id never thought id enjoy bruce springsteen before i started with this web but now ive found that i love it. all the songs were my favorite, istg, though maybe i would highlight Streets of Fire because OMG, i had goosebumps; the guitar solo??? nah, perfect. definitely would listen again. ily bruce springsteen!!!

One of the best…..especially the title track

Is it possible for a Springsteen album to be underrated? Especially an early one? This album doesn't have any of his biggest early hits (e.g. Born to Run, Thunder Road, etc.) but is a masterful example of storytelling, catchy songs and great production. I'll admit I haven't given this album a lot of listens, but that may have to change.

Classic

Bruce Springsteen should be an easy, patriotic 5, even though I've been to US only once in my life. Great music, great personality, superb voice.

The boss

Perfection.

Last year on my birthday, I got Killing Joke by Killing Joke — not exactly the most uplifting listen for a special day. This year, though, I hit the jackpot with one of my all-time favourite albums: Darkness on the Edge of Town by my hero, Bruce Springsteen. Even before diving into this review, I can confidently say this is an easy 5/5. It’s a powerful follow-up to Born to Run — and rightfully so, considering it took three years to release after that landmark album. There isn’t a single weak moment on this record. From the opening blast of “Badlands” to the emotional depth of the title track “Darkness on the Edge of Town,” every song hits hard. I’ve always had a deep love for “Prove It All Night” and “The Promised Land” — two of Springsteen’s greatest and most enduring songs. This is a perfect record. Full stop. Favourite song: Badlands, without a doubt. Not just for how good it is on the album, but for what it represents in the live shows — it kicks off the final third, the stretch of crowd-pleasers and biggest hits. It always brings the house down. Least favourite: Honestly, none. Every song belongs here. Album artwork: Classic. The cover captures the gritty, introspective tone of the record beautifully.

It's dark but brilliantly crafted. Promised Land universally brilliant and Badlands a brilliant start to any album.

Bruce is for the working man. It's sweaty, trying, and tired, but still feels like a beer at the end of the day.

Bruce being Bruce. Lot of underplayed bangers on here. Racing in the street my personal fav. *edit* had to edit and upgrade to 5 stars. Been listening non stop for 3 days.

Cool as hell

Songs for the working class..... joy, desperation.... trapped but with some glitter of magic

Just as wonderful as I remembered. An American anthology of love, life, loss …. Still resonates almost 50 years later.

„Streets of fire“ will always be my favourite Springsteen song. But this record offers much more. Absolute classic!

not beating the best artist ever allegations....the way bruce writes and arranges songs is one of the most comforting things ever to me, it makes me feel the new jersey blood SOmewhere in my veins from my dad's side. of bruce's classic albums this is the hardest, most focused, sharpest, and hit-between-the-eyes ..the ornate and lavish quality of his earlier records is scaled down in width but not height, its all transferred to just going hard. even the big ballady tracks have this tighter sharper edge to them. just wonderful, pure melty comfort for me, i gotta do a full bruce dive. clarence clemons manages more in a four bar solo than almost anyone else in any other measure of time

The generator knows I've never fully opened my heart to Bruce Springsteen. As beautiful as his lyrics are I still really struggle with his long ballads. The faster stuff on this album is really really good though.

Favorite: Racing in the Street Least Favorite: Adam Raised a Cain

5/5 Calloused-Hand Ballads This isn’t the Born to Run romantic. This is Bruce after the dream cracked a little. After courtroom battles, isolation, and real life creeping in. And somehow— it’s more powerful.

Dit is echt geweldig. Ik kende al een paar nummers, maar eigenlijk is het hele album gewoon geweldig

Isn't much better than a little Brucey bonus to start your week off. Consistency like few others.

4,6/5

This genius never misses. So incredible he’s almost infuriating!

Bruce never disappoints

5 Stars (14/15)

I fixed a blown head gasket to this album. Seems appropriate. An absolute classic.

Solid

Brilliant exact opposite of "The Rising"

not to be anymore of a cringe ass nerd, but Hideo Kojima laid out the themes for the first three Metal Gear Solid games as "gene", "meme", and "scene" respectively. Bruce Springsteen loves one of those themes, and it's scene, scene, scene. he survives off of imagery, a painting shot straight at your head like a bullet spiraling from a rifle. it's direct, romantic, and colorful. fire roads, badlands, Cain and Abel. it's not Dylan, but it IS Shakespeare, if you get me. of course, since it is Shakespeare, the person performing it needs to respect the material. you can't just be some yahoo covering "The Promised Land" with your terrible jam band Sunday night at the Drunken Monkey. even then, you've gotta deal with the fact that nobody's gonna be as good at performing it as Bruce is. there's a reason he's such a successful performer - he's 75 and still performing like a madman for thousands a day. he's earnest, he's powerful, and he makes a scene. it's all about scene.

I don't think we talk about how hard Adam Raised A Cain goes. Goddamn.

Darkness on the Edge of Town is the album where everything Springsteen is about comes together for me. The grandiose instrumentation, the quieter moments and the uniquely commercialized social realism. 'Racing in the Street' is a deserving centerpiece on the record, and might just be one of the greatest American songs ever.

Brilliant album. I had always dismissed Springsteen but after two albums of his I am changing my mind.

75-84 is IMO Springsteen's best vintage. I know this omits Tunnel of Love, but........get rekt. I said what I said. Five solid albums in nine years is incredible. The records from this era come across as truly authentic to his time and place and that resonates with me. This one in particular also has a bit of "rawness" to it that I dig. A product of a troubled production perhaps. Regardless, the vibe is solid.

Pretty good overall

This album kicks ass. I love his voice - even though it's rough around the edges. One thing about Springsteen is that his lyrics are so honest and illustrative of the working class experience. There are some really hard-hitting tracks, and powerful moments in his vocal delivery and the instrumental/production. I especially love the softer moments on this album, particularly on "Racing In The Street". I am also just a sucker for a good piano-rock ballad. Genuinely, I think this would be one of my favorite albums if I had been born in this era. It's just so iconic-sounding. 5/5

Fucking class

This has been a classic since I was 16 and it's part of my Top100 list. Bursting with energy. Not a single weak track. More structured and focused than it's predecessor „Born to Run“. Love it.

The Boss!

Bleak but compelling. Makes me question whether I should have given five stars to some other albums, which aren't as good as this one.

Favourite Tracks: Badlands, Prove It All Night, Racing in the Street Honourable Mentions: Adam Raised a Cain, Streets of Fire A KISS TO PROVE IT ALLLLL NIGHT, PROVE IT ALLLLL NIGHT This album is so good. Its the perfect blend of classic rock anthems and moving ballads, a go-to album to put on for any road trip. It’s a coming of age album about ambition, disillusionment, anger, desperation, with a few glimmers of hope; released 3 years after legal proceedings that prevented him from putting out music. Every song on this album is somebody's favourite song. Will absolutely be buying this on vinyl. Badlands is such a classic, what a banger opening. Addicted to the riff in Adam Raised a Cain. Love how dynamic Candy's Room is, the drums provide such great energy. Racing in the Street brings me to tears with the slow build-up and themes of broken dreams. Prove It All Night makes me want to rip it down the highway with all my windows down, singing at the top of my lungs. Fun Fact: Every song on Side A has a counterpart on Side B either in sound or theme!

First album I listened to twice the way through. Bruce is like country music for liberals. Fuck, I want to drag race my hotrod so I can support my baby.

Me ganhou

yeah no doubt that this is the boss' best work. Darkness on the edge of town is the moon to what is the born to run sun. Darkness just captures the raw and the emotional that Bruce Springsteen excells at, the lyrics are top notch, the music is perfectly complementary and the intro's and outro's are just breathtaking. This is peak performance and it is there for everyone to pick up. Favorite song: racing in the street. Overall score: 9.6/10

Right up there with his very best.

My favorite Boss album

4.5 - This is a great album and some parts you get such a raw emotion. I think having the e street band really amplifies bruce but not sure if it's always good. Small criticism but still a fantastic album

Fantastic album. I always struggled to get into Springsteen but this album did it for me. I'll definitely be relistening to this

Getting The Rising as my first and only Springsteen album before this is proof that whoever runs this website has a great sense of humour. Whereas The Rising was a concept album about how 9/11 happened and the CIA Culture Club division instructed Springsteen to go the way of Country and Western Jingoism, Darkness on the Edge of Town is an album where the concept is being poor and desperate, summarised best by a line in the first song on the album: 'You spend your life waiting for a moment that just don't come'. Despite the overt tones of how grim life can be, the album has a strong message of perseverance. The Boss has a way with words and the E Street Band are top class outfit. Not a whole lot to say about this album that he doesn't say himself in the lyrics. Side A is a little better than Side B but this is peak Springsteen. Very much looking forward to getting more. Highlight: The whole thing

Count them. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Five Stars of Course.

Badlands, Racing in the Street, and Candy's Room make this a five star classic.

CLASSIC

I recently watched a movie called “Blinded by the Light”, it made me appreciate the Boss in a way I never had before, and got me to listen to this album twice.

Si a un tipo le dicen El Jefe, y tras escucharlo, entiendes perfecto por qué le dicen El Jefe y además a partir de ese momento, tú te refieres a él como El Jefe, pues chingao, el tipo es EL JEFE.