Darkness on the Edge of Town

Goed, maar wordt er niet warm van. Vind de stem eigenlijk matig

the boss

Fine, my Jersey roots continue to show in the fact that I genuinely love this album. Not even the Boss' weird yawlp a few times on earlier tracks could prevent that. Favorite tracks: "Racing In The Streets", "Streets of Fire", "Prove It All Night", "Darkness On the Edge of Town"

I’ve been relying on the generator to provide me with a proper, overdue Springsteen education, so here we go… Badlands is a good example of The Boss doing that rousing, anthemic thing he does best, and the second half of the album when the music gets more immediate and soulful actually works really well too, especially on The Promised Land and Streets of Fire. I find a couple of tracks a bit tedious, and struggled to make out some of the lyrics in Bruce’s drawl. But overall, a very decent start to my Springsteen album odyssey.

I fucking hate Bruce Springsteen

Bruce is a good songwriter. I don't like his voice or the way the songs are composed. You can barely hear him and all the instruments are trying to do too much. Blah.

The Boss is aight. I like Born USA more. And just that one song.

The first time I ever heard a Bruce song was on the radio in 1980 - later than this album came out. The song I heard was The River which just resonated somewhere in my gut. In the days when you could tape off the radio, I had just won a tape deck in a raffle and The River was one of the first tracks on my mix. I know it’s not on this album but because of that Bruce always has a bit of a special place in my nostalgic heart. The songs on this album have seeped into my subconscious in the subsequent years, and I still feel very warm when I listen to them. I love the melancholy and vibe and underlying desperation sprinkled with love and hope and of course the voice.

I was always ambivalent about Bruce until I saw him in concert. Someone gave me tix to see him when he toured for his 50th birthday. I wasn’t excited to go but they were really good tickets, and a gift, so I went. The show was fantastic and I gained a new appreciation for him. It was very confusing to hear all of his ‘fans’ booing him during the concert…until I realized that they were just chanting ‘Bruce’. I’ll never be a super fan, but I will always attend a show of his if given free tickets!

Wow. This hit me like a gut punch today for some reason. I had listened to this not so long ago, and I found it a little growly and slow I didn't love it. I guess that speaks to the environment and personal place I'm at when I listen and how that affects my relationship to a given album at the time. "Badlands" might be my favorite Bruce tune — and I'm not a diehard fan. I really like "Born To Run" and this album, and "Greetings" too, but that's sort of the extent of my fandom. "Candy's Room" is another standout — "Prove It All Night," "Darkness," and "Promised Land," and "Adam Raised A Cain" — all great songs and lots of biblical lyrics and references. I was just so moved by how primal this all sounded, and coming from an artist who had just come off of "Born To Run," which must have changed his life, this seemed like a concerted effort to prove he still had his feet on the ground. The photo on the cover is evidence of that. The band sounds muscular and tight, all that touring made the E-Street Band a monster, Clarence's sax is a force of nature, and while I think there are two too many slower tunes on the album, Springsteen's capacity to write ballads about fellas driving their cars in total disillusion is kind of a marvel. So yeah, I was deeply moved by this album this morning. Wouldn't have guessed it.

How much you like this album really depends on how much you like epic romanticizing of blue collar life in 1970s America. Me not so much. I don't hate it, exactly, but sometimes Bruce sounds like a parody of himself. Also, I often feel like he's pandering to his audience the way modern country artists do. But he does what he does well, and his band is tight. Badlands is cool. And though I don't love Candy's Room, I do admire the bizarre arrangement. Mostly this listen just brought me back to riding on the school bus, listening to WMMR's The Morning Zoo, and wondering when these songs would end so we could get to music I preferred. Also, I wonder if I'm the only guy who grew up in Freehold in the '70s who doesn't love The Boss?

I resisted Bruce Springsteen for so long that I still feel like I'm learning these songs even though they were so much the soundtrack to the high school parties, the South Jersey ethos I grew up in, and the massive icon that he is. But it seems I always find a new appreciation for Springsteen these days even though I've heard it all before. Highlights on this album for me: Badlands (duh...who can't say that?!!) Adam Raised a Cain Candy's Room

This is Bruce Springsteen album number four in the project so far. I have had to admit I have grown in my appreciation for his work through this, but today took a bit more effort. We've had the breakthrough album, the blockbuster album, and the reflective mature album, all of which made sense. This one was more of a challenge to get. There was that pained and strained wailing moan of an intro (and outro) in "Something in the Night" and the oh-so-morose drag racing dirge, "Racing in the Street," and I thought I was really done. When I worked to take it for what it was, and listen to it through the ears of those who love it, I got to appreciate more the intimate empathy for the struggling souls he was singing about. The music is barer, Springsteen's lyrics are clearer, and the affection is absolutely sincere.

Uhg...having this album, that I wouldn't enjoy on a good day, as the soundtrack of a dreadful day of grading almost made me ill. I did let it play twice to see if there was anything that I might find valuable in my life or enjoyable to my ears. I did not. Bruce, you are not for me...

Oh, I tried. I tried I tried I tried. It's fine. I don't hate it. But there's not much for me here.

Very Bruce Springsteeny.

*gruff voiced* Bobby works in the steel mill but his boss don't pay him right. On the weekends he races his 67 hardblock 486. It's the only time he feels alive.

Good album, bit screamy

It's a great album dealing with what it was like to be an American working class man living in the 70s. The music is typical rock and roll with a bit of 70s corniness that still seems to add into the whole vibe of the album (I mean the sax solo, guitar solo and then back again to sax? that's just crazy and yet somehow it works here). Some of the lyrics are great and relatable - Adam Raised a Cain is a great thing to listen to all the men today trying to be better dads then their own. And some of the lyrics are just too specific for the time and space when the album was made - all the talking about cars means nothing to me but please note that I'm not American and I was born much later. Overall, good, nice vibes but nothing outstanding to me.

Not a style I ever normally gravitate to, so it took me a little while to settle in, but I liked it more as it went on. Ballads were my faves. Wailing guitar solos and nasal sax grate for me a lil.

A really entertaining entry into Springsteen’s canon. Quite darker than Born to Run, which I appreciate, but also shares so much in common, and not sure it ever quite reaching those heights. Still really enjoyed this listen.

The Boss' best.

Eh. You can hear the potential. Lacked polish and intensity.

Liked the album. The intro to something in the night was especially good.

I am happy that we had been left this for the weekend. 20 years back I would not have had time for BS. Surprised by the density of guitar wail, which works for me.

More solid overall than Born to Run with sharper tunes. Pretty good

Not my thing but definitely not bad. At first his singing kind of reminded me of Elvis, which isn't a bad thing, I just thought it was funny. Great guitar, too. Fave track(s):Adam Raised a Cain

Classic Springsteen with solid tracks, the mix is a bit better than on Born In The USA. I liked this. 4/5

Bruce Springsteen doesn't do a lot for me but some of the songs on here are more compelling than others.

Great songs in the first half, second half meanders a bit.

Bruce doesn't really do it for me, but I can see how someone could like some of these songs. The album itself feels kinda disjointed

Not a huge fan of Springsteen, but it was alright.

Rating: 9/10 Best songs: Badlands, Candy’s room, Racing in the street, The promised land, Factory, Street of fire, Prove it all night

Not vintage Springsteen for me.

it's meh

Overall, not particularly offensive or particularly enjoyable. Top song: None.

A spiky listen and not always in a good way, Springsteen stretched and ended up with something intriguing. The second half of Darkness gets more consistent but also much more boring. You can't take Bruce's ability to create real moments of beauty, but there are also baffling stretches in many songs. An album I will likely revisit with some cringing, not one to convert haters.

The follow up to Born To Run. Hard rocking and he perfects his stories of ordinary people shtick Good album through and through

A much better Bruce album

Never really heard Bruce Springsteen before, it was surprising, not sure why

folksy and elvis-y. really hard to understand his lyrics tho. something in the night is nice racing in the street is also nice

Hankala antaa Springsteenille kolmosta, ikäänkuin olisi tekemänsä musiikin itseisarvo. Brucella on todella hieno tunne, jota on hankala kenenkään jäljentää.. ANTANA marginalisoidulle amerikkalaiselle leivän.. ja miekan.. Hyvä.. heh.. Ameriikkassa aina tapahtuu hauska seurata haha..

LP

Genres: Rock Formed: It’s OK. Nothing outstanding for me.

Dreadfull

Starts off strong, but too much nasally whining throughout. I wouldn't choose to put it on but would be happy enough if it came on in a bar

I’m really not familiar with Springsteen. His style has always been very unique, but just not interesting enough for me. This was OK.

Bruce definitely knows how to write a catchy tune with lyrics that kinda of bring you into the scene of the song. A really good mix in the style of the songs with some bangers and some ballads, all of which are done pretty well. And those sax and harmonica solos, my goodness! 7/10

2 stelle

Life is too short to have to listen to Springsteen. This, like everything else of his oeuvre I've heard (with the notable exception of 'Nebraska'), is either bombastic drivel or piano-driven mawkish balladry. Just stop it, Bruce.

- Listened to this before - Thought I preferred some of his other albums, but this is a lot better than I remember - Probably the first of multiple 5* ratings I'll give Springsteen albums - Fav songs: Darkness on the Edge of Town, Candy's Room, Badlands

Very basic album I'd say, has a few better songs

Good first impression, couldn’t remember much but overall I liked it sonically and would give it another go to see if it really sticks.

Bruce doesn't exactly speak to me but the narrative arcs and spirit of rock live strong in his music

The movie Blinded by the light made me have an irrational dislike towards him. Hearing this made me just have a founded aversion to his music.

Not my favorite Boss album but good

I like a couple songs a lot and equally disliked others. He’s still the boss.

Never heard this. Not as instant/commercial as Born to Run but its cut from the same cloth. Wholesome 'merican urban tales with muscular musical support and the Bosses throaty singing. Its unfamiliar after one listen (it demands more) but I think its pretty damn good. 4.3

Good album, but I’ve never understood the intense praise Springsteen gets

better than Nebraska, but still most of the song sounded the same to me.

Dreary mumblecana. He chooses to mainly list obscure brands of car lost to history than craft a song with any narrative. At point point he talks about working in his pa's garage as if he wasn't clearly 40 years old by this point. The boss is toss

Solid, I see why so many people love Bruce. Vocals are a little muddy

decent melodic sensibilities; but there's an underlying appeal by Springsteen trying to appear genuine by trying to scream his heart out - that's the whole genre of heartland rock, to be fair this was decent by heartland rock standards, but any rock album does need more than lyrics for me for it to be better than average - here, that was sadly not the case, with the songs merging into each other.

There is a darkness not on the edge of every song of this album, but in the center of every song. After the first track, it's just unrelenting. There are a few moments where Springsteen mumbles too much, making it hard to hear the lyrics clearly the first time through. But repeated listenings would make it easier, I am sure. The album is one I had on cassette, but I think I listened to it only a few times as a tweener. I don't think I "got" it. It wasn't like "Born In The USA" or "Born To Run", even though the instrumentation was the same. It's definitely more of an "adult" album, I think. I can see why fans go to this one so easily, but "Born To Run" is (to me) what the typical Springsteen album is. It does go across all ages, as opposed to this which is definitely a more mature album. The themes are more mature, and because of that I am still giving it a 4.

They can't all be winners. Apparently this album rates high with critics but I don't think it's quite as good as the others on this list. Good lyrics as always, but some boring compositions. Badlands is a great opener but I was a disinterested afterwards until Racing in the Street (an awesome number, reminiscent of some of his other more popular sad ballads). So the bookends of Side One are great but I could do without the rest. Side Two is better, with the energy picking back up with the first track The Promised Land (power sax); and Factory ain't too shabby either, at least paired with the former. Really that energy, despite a little rough around the edges storylines in the lyrics, carries through until the final track. And that title track is another one of Springsteen's despairing beauties. He still knows how to open and close an album (or each side). So really for me it's a so-so middle to Side One, but that's enough to make this not quite a 5-star effort.

This album didn’t really do anything for me, even on a second listen. That was a surprise considering how much I liked some of his others. The songs were just kind of boring to me. I liked “Candy’s Room” and the title track but that was about it. Sorry Bruce, but this one is a 3.

Nope

Will listen again.

Have always listened to random tracks from this album. Nice in its entirety

Not a fan of this at all.

Avg bruce

too rock for me but some of the piano-driven songs are nice. i kept forgetting that it wasn't a 2010s springsteen wannabe album and was in fact a 1970s springsteen springsteen album

i think if bruce never sang in his raspy voice i would like his music much more

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.

Listen to this again when you have more time on

All of this guys albums deserve to be on the list. However, this is not my favorite album of his. It’s good, but pales in comparison to a few of his others.

Less R&B than Born To Run and much more "typical" Bruce. Some proper rock songs and lots of piano-led ernest story songs. Ok, but I prefer the two "Born" albums.

Two bangers, the rest snoozers. Pretty typical of the Boss.

Now, this is some Bruce I can get behind. I do think there is a blend of rugged and soft that really kicks this one up a notch from the others I've heard so far.

My second favourite Springsteen album so far. A consistent hard rock sound without too many cheesy elements. Somehow this seems to have more genuine emotion in it was than Born to Run or Nebraska. It seems Bruce is best when he's not going for radio hits. Rating: 3.5/5 Playlist track: Badlands Date listened: 23/12/22

4 really nice album

No mola molt!

Fun arena rock lite typical of Bruce. Guitar tones are a bit abrasive and high in the mix for the genre. Nice mix of intensity levels on the tunes. Nothing was tough to listen to, the entire album had a nice listenable and nostalgic vibe.

Very good.

Aardig

A dark and raw side to The Boss, with some great songs like Badlands and Racing in the Street, but a bit of filler and some very hit and miss vocals

It was an easy album to listen too, good background music while I worked.

The Boss! This is like a good version of modern country. New Jersey country! But still not quite my cup of tea... or, ah, can of domestic lager? I know factory life is hard Bruce, but I feel like I had to be there.

I'm not sure if I got into it as it went or if the back half was better but that I definitely enjoyed it a lot more by the end. More sax less shouting.

good, if you like BS

It's a Bruce Springsteen album. It wasn't great. It wasn't totally awful. I have no desire to listen to it again.

Potser la menys perfecta del reguitzell d'obres magnes que va produïr Bruce durant aquells anys. Si a 'Born to Run' havia parlat de la llibertat, en un sentit força ample, aquí la lluita de classes agafa protagonisme, així com la generacional. Veient la qualitat de tots els temes que es van quedar al calaix durant els 3 anys que va haver d'estar parat, potser hauria tingut més sentit fer com després a 'The River' i editar un disc doble que inclogués cançons com 'Because the Night'. 'The Promise', 'Rendezvous', 'Gotta Get That Felling', etc. Seria l'excepció que trenca la regla en aquest sentit, però tal com es va editar es queda molt curt. Continua sent indispensable, és clar

Not a big Springsteen fan but OK.

Never really got Springsteen but have to say this speaks directly in a working class voice and is very enjoyable 3.3

Old people music but not the good kind 4/10

Yes, I enjoyed it. Yes, it's a high quality release. Does it pull its weight against Born to Run, Born in the USA, and Nebraska? Not sure it does - maybe this one drops off the list.

A worthy follow up to "Born To Run." More refined and down to earth, but every bit as powerful and dramatic. This is where he really seems to start embracing the reality of blue collar life in a more direct way, rather than using it as an evocative backdrop for fantastical poetic imagery and escapism. An underrated sweet spot in his catalog. Pair this with "The Promise" to hear how absolutely on fire he was as a songwriter at this point in his career.

It's "good", but a bit flat for me in terms of Springsteen.

This feels like alt-classic rock. Some of those guitar riffs don’t sound like Springsteen at all. It’s an odd bit of magic - you’re not sure about the music and then something like Racing in the Streets tugs on your chest and you’ve got a lump in your throat. That’s Springsteen’s power.

I've already forgot it, nothing special

De Boss meldt zich dan eindelijk. Dit steekt voor mij boven het maaiveld uit, en moet toch minstens een ster hoger krijgen dan die George Michael. Zelfs als geen van zijn echte meesterwerken erop staat.

Ik kan niet naar die stem luisteren. Dat helpt natuurlijk al niet. Maar buiten dat klinkt het ook allemaal zo nep. Vanuit mijn regisseursstoel: "Ik geloof je gewoon niet". Deze muziek moet toch een gevoel overbrengen. Dat lukt bij mij niet. Ergens tussen zender en ontvanger gaat er iets mis met het signaal.

Iconische plaat van Bruce. Het swingt, het rockt, het ontroert. Van voor tot achter een top album, dat absoluut hoort in een lijstje met albums die je ooit gehoord moet hebben.

ok. Classic. but not for me

this album took longer for me to get into than born in the u.s.a, which surprised me when i was coming into this album with excitement. i grew to understand how it's considered some of bruce's finest work: the working class focus, the deep lyrics, the guitar riffs. there are some bluesy aspects here, but it's mostly classic the boss' rock and roll. that being said, while i did come to enjoy and respect darkness on the edge of town, there was something lacking and i couldn't come to love it.

So, my first thought upon finishing this album was "I really didn't like this as much as Born in the USA", and while it's unfair to compare the albums when rating this specific one, I couldn't help that thought. If "Born in the USA" is an 'uplifting' heartland rock album (which many people find it to be), this one is a little bit darker and more downcast. Bruce's voice is particularly unappealing on this album. That said, I would say this is fairly raw and gritty, so maybe I'm deriving some correlation there. This album was fine, but definitely not groundbreaking for me.

A true innovator of real-life working class people, all set to muscled up rhythm sections.

this one is great for when you are feeling nostalgic for some classic Springsteen. I've never really been in that mood, but I'm sure it's good for that. would listen to Nebraska before this one.

Two days of Bruce in a row! This was much more fun to listen to, much more of the pop rock sound that I know of Springsteen. Giving it a 5

This was a pretty solid album. A lot of Bruce's songs sound very similar. I dont think any of them are bad though. None of these songs stood out to me in a special way except maybe racing in the street. I still thought this was an above average album, Bruce knows how to make a good song. 6/10

Bruce’s voice is so good

not bad, feeling generous

ok boss ok. Its that sort of stadium crooner sound of the 80's, talking about how your car is great and your girl is great and how your town is going to shit. Bruce's songs to me are important as historical artifacts but to me his songs are overly saccarine and sentimental without a purpose. It's a story just to make you cry. Not to inspire, not to cast blame, not to offer hope for a future. These are songs meant for and from the present.

Not a fan of optimistic Americana but this record explores those who never quite realised their dreams. Feels very much influenced by Bob Dylan but retains signature stadium rock qualities. Songs are tight but fully realised. I guess coming off his legal troubles, the success of Born to Run was tainted with cynicism, leading to this album. Must have been very powerful to those living the American scream. "But if dreams came true, oh, wouldn't that be nice/But this ain't no dream we're living through tonight". Could very well have leaned even further into the darkness but that's not really on brand. Pleasantly surprised! Fav song: Adam raised a Cain

Pretty classic rock n roll, definitely an iconic sound but not hugely exciting. I really dislike the American dream lyrics but I guess there aren’t that many big artists who obsess over America so much so it’s not like it’s overdone it’s just annoying Favourite: something in the night but liked the drums on candy’s room

Calssique de classique. Mon préféré de Bruce et un de mes albums préférés tout court. 5

ma non male, ma un po' americano e un po troppo sempre ugule. Un pochettino Country non e proprio il mio genere. Un po ululato. sono gentile e gli metto 3 stelle perchè avrà fatto la storia della musica

Springsteen is rough while also being vulnerable. An album that undeniably feels alive. Every aspect of every song works. 4/5

Darkness on the Edge of Town is one of the greatest albums of all time. This is music that has a raging, desperate heartbeat. I am so excited to talk about this album. Bruce had almost an impossible task writing this album. How could he possible come up with anything to match Born to Run, one of the most commercially and critically successful rock albums of the 70s? The answer was to be the most insane perfectionist in rock history. For three years he wrote, penning over 70 songs for his next album in the most inspired and brilliantly creative period of his career. Many of the songs he wrote and discarded became classics for other artists, most notably Because the Night by Patti a Smith. In the end, he had 10 songs. No filler, nothing that didn’t perfectly fit the feel of the album he wanted to craft. I love the journey this album takes you on. It opens with a banger that blows the freaking roof off the place! Badlands is one of the most electrifying tracks the Boss ever wrote. It surges with optimism and that classic gonna get out of this place at all costs Bruce energy. By the end of the first half of the album we have Racing in the Street, a somber, beautiful, bleak as hell ode to finding something that just barely makes life worth living and the people still in search of that. One standout line as the narrator describes his girlfriend: “She stares into the night with the eyes of one who hates for just being born.” And then he jolts you back to life with The Promised Land, probably the catchiest song on the album, even more explosive in its energy and passion than Badlands. Listen to Steve Van Zandt whip up a beautiful melody on his guitar solo that turns out to be a mere assist for Clarence Clemons to demolish that sax solo! I love the image of the dogs on Main Street howling as they cheer Bruce on. This is about as uplifting a song as I’ve ever heard. But ultimately that’s not what this album is all about, at least not to me. Darkness on the Edge of Town, the last song, really sums it all up for me. In the second verse Bruce sings about the burdens we carry with us, the regrets, the secrets and shame, whatever it is. “Til someday you just cut it lose, cut it lose or let it drag you down” he wails as the band surges behind him. This is music about doing whatever you have to do to live with yourself, to survive. I’m in awe of this song every time I hear it. How lonely and isolating it is while being empowering and life affirming. That’s Bruce for me. 5/5

I have to put down a 5. A life-changing one for sure. Bruce didn’t connect with me before this album, and this was the first one that made contact. Emotional, complex, musically perfectly on point. It got me singing in a new way. I really connect with these songs.

Okay after Dylan’s virtuosic and passionate review of Darkness on the Edge of Town, I felt both excited to listen and a little intimidated by writing my own review. That’s what he’s going for, right? Making others intimidated through his own success? Too bad the whole review was undermined by his inexplicable 1/5 stars. What’s he on?? I’m listening to this while walking to my chorus dress rehearsal in the early morning, which is fun and romantic. Crazy guitar on Adam Raised the Cain. It makes me want to dye my hair black and take up electric guitar. Something in the Night is one of my favorites on the album. Streets of Fire has some fire-y vocals with some big round and resonant sounds I don’t usually hear from Bruce. Promised Land—I could hear those Boss harmonies all day long. What a masterpiece. I gave this album a 4.5 stars, which I know will ruffle some Finley feathers. It’s not a 5 because I love Born to Run and Born in the USA more than this album.

not interested

Amazing album, I love it. I listened to it on repeat three times through today. Standout Tracks: Badlands, Candy’s Room, Racing in the Street, The Promised Land, Streets of Fire, Prove It All Night, Darkness on the Edge of Town

can't stand his voice. 1.

hate springstein

8/10 Once a Springy always a Springy

Couple of good songs - but generally unexciting

3.5 stars. springsteen is starting to grow on me.

Aburrido

I so want to like the Boss...but the Boss rarely does it for me. 2/5

Again, not something I would choose to listen to often. But I like that it’s real. Not as commercial as he had been. Awesome band!

Not really my thing. i really tried to like it though.

As someone who now goes to multiple Springsteen shows on different nights (although not yet at the interstate travel stage of doing this), this could be his best album. This, Born to Run, Nebraska, Tunnel of Love, and The Rising are the Top 5. Would have loved him to have done this album when I saw him a few years back but he surprised probably everyone at the Entertainment Centre by doing the whole of 'The Wild, The Innocent and The E Street Shuffle'. The only thing that could have improved this would have been including the Racing In The Street (78) from The Promise album of outtakes from the album sessions. The Promise shows just how on form he and the band were at this point.

Some honest, hard workin', car drivin', go-nowhere-with-your-girl music.

Solid songwriting, solid playing, solid album. But for all I might try to listen with fresh ears, prompted by fans, critics and even a recent movie I saw about a Pakistani English kid who finds himself through Bruce (and this album in particular) there’s very little that really grabs me. Still not a convert to The Boss, at least not to this album.

When I bought the first 2 Springsteen albums through the Australian Record Club, he was virtually unknown in this country. After the success of his 3rd album, Born To Run, he truly was the next big thing. Unfortunately, due to a dispute with his ex-manager, the much awaited follow-up album - this one - took 3 years to surface. When you’re a big fan, that’s a long time between drinks. I remember that it wasn’t what I expected. It’s moodier than it’s predecessor (the title track says a mouthful) with songs about fathers & labour(Adam Raised A Cain; Factory) & basically the American dream (The Promised Land). Thankfully there were no shortage of songs involving cars (I think cars/driving get mentioned in 7 of the 10 tracks) or girls. I’ve always loved Candy’s Room - the speed of it & Springsteen’s guitar tribute to The Yardbirds. He was in his prime. The 70’s were his real glory days.

I never got Bruce. His records just don't grab me (exception: Nebraska). I know this resonates for a lot of people, but doesn't for me. I understand that it is meaningful and moving etc, but it leaves me a little cold. I think it is, for me, a bit overworked. I listened through, but, honestly, it washes over me every time and I am unmoved. This record strikes me as faux-working-class mumbling over bombastic production, punctuated with unnecessary saxophone solos.

Better than the other one this week but still, no.

Campy bruce

I liked this way more than I thought I would. Overall I wish it was less poppy, because the harder moments are really good. Adam raised a Cain is pretty crazy.

One of my favourite albums of all time. Best era Bruce

Very very Springsteeny. He’s never been my scene but he’s on form here and that’s fun to listen to.

More solid overall than Born to Run with sharper tunes. Pretty good

Yeah, I see where Sam Fender gets it from. No, I don't enjoy it as much.

91/100: I did not expect to like this album as much as I did. It’s not that I don’t like Bruce Springsteen, I love his music, it’s just that most of his albums I’ve listened to tend to have a lot of bland songs on it with the sporadic banger thrown in there. “Darkness on the Edge of Town” is far from that, though. As each song ended and a new song began, I found myself repeatedly thinking “holy shit, no this is my favorite song on the album.” There’s no better feeling than realizing that a case could be plausibly made for each song to be the best on the album. There are absolutely no skips to be seen here. Lyrically, this is a really sad album, Bruce clearly dug deep to create this masterpiece. Thanks to listening to this album all the way through, I’ve discovered what is quite possibly my favorite Bruce song of all time, “Racing in the Street.” Overall incredible album, will be revisiting this frequently in the future.

Pretty alright classic rock.

E Street Band = great! Bruce singing = bad

Enjoyable Bruce. Don’t think I’ve ever really listened to him aside from the occasional hit so it was good to hear a full album.

There’s some Springsteen songs that I love, but not from this album. I think hearing many songs in a row made me realize how much it sounds like he’s in physical pain when he’s singing.

Not quite Springsteen at his best, but still lots of good stuff

My dad really likes Bruce Springsteen and has always wanted me to listen to him, but... I'm not super impressed. There were some okay songs but nothing stood out.

Fantastic work. Probably his best, outside of "Nebraska"

Didn’t listen

Not my vibe, but it’s not bad. Springteen’s music does have a mix between angst and hope that is kinda uplifiting even though a lot of it just isn’t my thing. His vocals aren’t always enjoyable to me (they work on Badlands, I hate them on Darkness on the Edge of Town and Racing in the Street), I’m disconnected enough from the time period that the lyrics don’t always really connect with me. I can see why he was a megastar at the time, but not for me.

Cool

È un capolavoro meraviglioso anche questo album, forse non quanto 'Born to run', ma le sue canzoni, la voce calda e la malinconia che le pervade danno un senso di speranza che emoziona.

I think this is album I own #7? And what I record it is! This was probably the first Springsteen album I came to love as an adult, mostly because of its complexity. It sounds so different from the Boss’s other albums, and the songwriting is immaculate. People sleep on “Something in the Night”!

Just kind of fine

Thought I would like it more. A bit slower, a bit heavier sounds than expected

Listening to this makes me realize that Meatloaf is just Springsteen that got REALLLLLY into musical theatre

This one didn't catch my heart at all. First couple of songs are okay-ish but sitting through Racing in the Street was just painful and the rest of album could not get back on the road for me. Needs way more guitar riffs and less piano and sax.

Not his best work, but a prelude to bigger things

Racing in the Street a classic 👌

pretty good

Not the Bruce I am familiar with... dark

I always forget about The Boss, but I probably shouldn't. The music most of the time entertains me, and this was no exception.

There is a semblance of an album that I like within this album, but all of the songs get close to doing something I like and then don't do it. I can understand why someone may not like his voice, but that isn't what bothers me, there's just something I can't fully grasp as to why I don't entirely enjoy this album, but I must be missing something, it's obviously considered a masterpiece of somesort. Perhaps I'll return to this on my own time and see if anything changes.

For Springsteen this was decent.

Not a big Bruce fan but this album was decent

this is so good i can still enjoy it with only one working airpods

Why I never properly listened to this before is a mystery.

3/10, 30%

Some fun tunes on here, not my fav but still good

Whiny, boring 'working-class' ballads

A remarkable album indeed. Lyrics and music combine to make powerful statements about life’s meanings. Need to listen again.

Pretty good. Springsteen wasn't always my favorite, but I appreciate this album.

Not sure if I’m into Springsteen. Good but I wasn’t thrilled

Amazing

Not my favorite Bruce Springsteen album but easily in the top 3. Bruce is excellent as always and the E-street band delivers.

Old Good Bruce Springsteen. Very good album

Boring and mundane.

Meni drugi najbolji bruce

The Boss

I can see it now but I’m just not the right demographic for this. If I lived a few hundred miles to the west I’m sure I’d be thumping my chest and saluting my flag but it just doesn’t quite hit me in the heartland.

Shite

I don't know what it is about Springsteen. His heart is in the right place and the lyrics are very good. I just find the music overblown/overwrought. Not for me.

i just don't get bruce or why he has such a devoted following. always banging on about grafting and how hard life is, he's such a man of the people. he really gets the daily struggles of the working man cos he was one about 50 years ago. i hope the next song from 'the boss' is about whether he is picking heating or food. i found this unbearable listening.

The thought of listening to this record fills me with dread. I can't tell whether I'm going to stratch my ass until it bleeds or get such a rock hard boner that it feels like my carrying a rocket launcher between my thighs. With that in mind, I've chosen not to listen to it and instead sing lullabies to the homeless.

Preposterous voice. The dude is obsessed with Streets, isn't he? Sounds like a spiked nipple piercing a tank top as a cool breeze rolls in on a summer evening.

Nobody needs to see the whole of The Darkness taking on that geezer from U2, have some standards Bruce you fucking pervert. The album was surprisingly good though, much better than the big hitter Brucy albums we have had so far on this list.

My favourite Springsteen album. Not a bad song on it and it rocks like a motorcycle. I think of Darkness as Bruce's punk album. 5 🌟

me da pereza escuchar a este señor

The Boss not being very boss-like. Didn't enjoy.

I don’t get what is so good about this artist

Just as I manage to work my lifelong (and completely irrational) dislike of The Boss out of my system, a new round of hagiography hits me in the face like a dead fish. (The new biopic is slinking out of cinemas as I type.) Anyway. Credit where credit is due. Springsteen, songwriter, is a consummate storyteller. It's only in the lack of similar in the current age that this awareness has full come to me. On the other hand. Storytellers, across the ages, have often been mythologisers too. Caveat Emptor etc...

Like Michael Scott, I know way less Bruce Springsteen than I thought.

Apart from possibly Adam Raised A Cain, this is Springsteen's most brilliant album and there is not a weak track. Amazing to think now it was seen as a disappointment after Born To Run.

Good for Springsteen, probably one of his best but still feels pretty one dimensional.

Ну-с, очаровательно, но очень по 70тски, не совсем моё, но даёт ощущение будущего, что замечательно))) 1. очень мило и весело 2. чувак пытался сотворить рок, но что-то пошло не так 3.its giving me freedom vibes 4. up up up 5. погрустить? 6. ооой, irish_ типикал позитивненкие песни 70-х, труба в конце -- огонь(или это волынка? да простит меня Эвтерпа) 7.типично "печальные" 80-е 8. Орган? на фоне оч крут 9. sweet, i hope its prooved 10. slow and classy особенные песни: 5,8

Интересненький альбомчик — интересно его послушать ради разнообразия в плейлисте Если просто слушать, не обращая внимание на тексты — скучновато, по музыке не мое И не все песни по смыслу понравились, Candy's room странноватая (как и Prove it all night), а по звучанию напоминает что-то типа bleachers, racing in the street сопливая (...) и слишком спокойная promised land — гармошка в начале песни .. и потом в конце)) вообще какой-то кантри, бе

хороший достаточно обычный рок, но у брюса спрингстина есть песни куда лучше, 3,7/5

приятный саундтрек к старенькому американскому роуд-муви многие треки понравились, буду переслушивать, но альбом в целом в сердце не ударил..

Typical Bruce. Classic working man rock that sometimes sounds like Christmas music.

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

Typically haven't been much of a Springsteen fan from what I've heard over the years. 3/5. Favourite tracks were Adam Raised a Cain and Streets of Fire. I find Springsteen mumbles quite a lot through some of the songs through the album and it's hard to intentionally listen to.

I think Sylvester Stallone would love this.

Pretty sure Bruce Springsteen is not my cup of tea...

Not for us. Will come back in 20 years.

Sequencia carregada de potência com instrumental de hard rock.

Springsteen = Vinilo.

4.5

Pretty good

dull, really couldn't get into this one

Mal disco. Me gustaron 5 canciones.

3.2 - What is it that I dislike about Bruce Springsteen? Is it the pandering to blue collar America? Is it the emotional grandstanding that oozes with sincerity? Is it the hit-you-over-the-head music production? Is it the stylized leather jacket/tight jeans combo? I couldn't get into "Born in the U.S.A" and I can't get into this record either. I tried. I even kinda sorta like some of the songs. But - I don't know - it still all seems phony, like an elaborate put-on.

Fav Song: Badlands

Enjoyed half the songs

Well this is a lot better than I was expecting, but there is absolutely zero chance of me listening to it again. Sad rock, talking of situations and characters I cannot relate to. Springsteen's voice is gravelly to the point of railway ballast, and I'm not going to pretend that I enjoy that. The music is evocative and melancholic - but it evokes images I do not understand, and it makes no attempt at explanation. Take, say, Tori Amos. I have zero frame of reference, but her music and lyrics set a scene so completely and compellingly that you don't need to have experience to understand and empathise. Springsteen literally explains in one his songs what the cubic capacity of his car engine is - and that needs reference and understanding of allegory that is not provided by the song itself, or set up anywhere else in the album, leaving you uninterested and othered by it. I mean sure, you can look up what the American street racing scene wss, and how it might have fed into what's going on in the song, but it's assumed knowledge for Springsteen and that's alienating. I suspect that this sort of thing is why Springsteen is loved so much by the people who love him. If you "get" the yarns he spins, it probably clicks into place for you. It makes you feel heard and understood, and damn anyone who doesn't get it. If you don't, you're really left with a voice that you can't call refined and a competent but overtly sad set of rock tracks.

idk if I’d call myself a Springsteen fan but I’ve never heard a Springsteen album I didn’t like as far as I’m aware, I have nothing against this, just all around amazing 10/10

Very Bossy. Which to me is mostly a good thing.

Bruce Springsteen has grown on me in the last few years, at least to the point where I started to understand the crazy die-hard fanbase he's got. I mean, Iiked plenty of his songs, but I didn't really start to understand the deep loyalty of his fans until I heard Nebraska, I think, which is still one my favorite albums. I started to see how much of a connection he's constantly going for with the audience. I don't know if there is another musician out there today that is this earnest and this sincere in just being barely more than a person in the audience himself? The hell am I talking about? Anyway, this is a good album, too, even though it doesn't really get its hooks into me. I'd listen to it for the mood itself.

Springsteen has long posed something of a conundrum to me, and 'Darkness...' does little to contradict this notion. But first, let me say that this album is damn good. As a Brit, I see Springsteen, for better or worse, as the rocker who most embodies a version of America that is hardscrabble and tough, but nonetheless finds time to dream. My issue is that the music scoring this widescreen movie can either feel extraordinary or utterly prosaic - often on the same album. So 'Badlands' is enjoyable but sounds like a Meat Loaf album track; the next joint, 'Adam Raised a Cain', is superlative. The E Street Band always sound best when they're revving their engines, a coiled knot of potency just ready to explode. The best example here - and my favourite song - is 'Candy's Room'. Still, despite my carping the ebb and flow of 'Darkness...' works and the sound is as distinctive as it is big. Highly recommended, flaws 'n' all.

1978, sandwiched between disco and punk, and Bruce is staying firm on his working man doing his darn best to keep it real in this tough old world. Can't fault the mans' heart, but this is just a bit ....tame? I've put this an about 3 times and completely forgot it was playing - at least until that horrible guitar in Streets of Fire jolts me out of my trance.

Wow, "Racing in the Street" is something else. How have I not heard this song before?

Sólo conocía Badlands, pero el resto me pareció muy bueno. Sus historias son la mejor parte.

One of my favourite albums of all time. A bleak 70s dustbowl drama in musical form, with flashes of sunlight and hope. I revisit it often, and it never fails to floor me.

Like the ones before it. Perfectly fine.

It sounds like he downed a fifth of vodka in between each take. Best track: Racing in the Street

I like Bruce Springsteen from Born in the USA (album) alone, but this album wasn't much for me. His slower ballad stuff doesn't hold much interest for me, or at least this album didn't. It was alright.

Baita sonzao

first listen not quite my tempo

. . . it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive I wanna find one face that ain't looking through me I wanna find one place I wanna spit in the face of these BADLANDS Is anything else needed to get to a 5?

I think this is my favourite Springsteen album. I watched a documentary on the making of it, which took a long time due to legal issues, and he had composed and demoed 70+ songs for the LP, finally selecting the best 10. The structure is similar to Born to Run. You have your anthems like Badlands and Promised Land in place of Thunder Road and Jungle Land. Adam Raised the Cain is the perfect song to replace Tenth Avenue Freezeout as the 2nd track. There’s a great deal of diversity, yet it hangs together well, and of course it's the perfect sketch of blue collar America in the 70s. I found his songs became a bit more formula on future albums.

While listening to this I was looking at my notes to Born to Run and trying to decide which was the better album, but it's a toss-up. Roy Bittan on piano and Clarence Clemons on sax are featured prominently on both records to good effect. Bruce also continues with his paean to Mid-American working class hero. I didn't live that life, but I can almost experience it vicariously through his heart-felt music.

This is a classic of tone and one can make a case it’s his best written album overall; it is to Born to Run as Nebraska is to Born in the USA.

I know, I know. Another Springsteen album, another 5/5. But this one really deserves it, maybe more so than 'Born in the USA' and 'Born to Run.' It's a little harder to say this one is better than 'Born to Run,' but damn is this album good. 'Darkness on the Edge of Town' just has that Springsteen feel to it. You know it's him and you know how things are going to progress, but not in a bad way. After the success of 'Born to Run,' it feels like Springsteen wanted to put even more of himself into this album, and boy oh boy, does he belt it out when he sings. There's serious weight behind his voice and his words, and you can feel it when he delivers harsh words like "Adam raised a Cain." A fantastic album from start to finish.

doesn't leave the impact that jungle land did but still good

It's my least favourite Springsteen album yet. Feels like a less vital Born to Run. Still good(ish) but failed to hold me for all that long.

While the classic Springsteen themes are definitely there, I would argue that as far as his portfolio is concerned, this does not stand out as a particularly special album.

Super fun album!! I have always listened to Born to Run and had some of the bangers on playlists but I've never listened to this album at all. This is less packed with famous bangers but it's also really fun, I feel like it's got real 80s vibes for a late 70s album so maybe it was really ahead of its time. Some of the tracks felt like boring dad rock to me a little bit. Love the song Factory and Badlands both for interesting stories they tell and also for sound.

Omg I hated it... JUST KIDDING, chill your tits James. Nah this was excellent and a first listen to lots of Bruce songs. Really enjoyed it, what a talented song writer and magnificent voice

One of my top 5 albums of all time for sure. Often overlooked by casuals for Born to Run and Born in the USA. It's such a gut wrenching tale of living in a shit town and wanting to break free from that monotony, and yeah yeah it's about being in the US but I think it can be applied to people the world over in so many situations. These lyrics, I mean coooooome on: "I've done my best to live the right way I get up every morning and go to work each day But your eyes go blind and your blood runs cold Sometimes I feel so weak I just want to explode Explode and tear this whole town apart Take a knife and cut this pain from my heart Find somebody itching for something to start" That's top quality. Prove It All Night is more of a crowd pleasing banger but the live versions are incredible. Then you've got Racing in the Street, such a good song about being bored with your life and just going racing in the street just to give your life some pazzazz. Eugh it's excellent.

It's fine. Cool 70s rock, but nothing that really jumps out and makes it feel unique.

This list really doesn't need this much Springsteen!

Pretty ordinary all over. Very basic drum track. The hardest part to listen to- Bruce’s voice- she’s known a forgotten deed of the past by the sounds of it. Particularly the walrus in the throes of dying at the intro & outro of track 3.

Great album though not my favorite, I like how musically experimental it gets in places, but there are also some dull points that kill the momentum.

Swag

They don’t call him ”The Boss” for nothing 🤟 hahhhaaaa nah but seriously, this is tasteful and well-aged take on hard rock :)

Swag on the Swag

It's weird, the more bruce I listen to the less excited I am for it. Did I just listen to my favourite work of his first? I think in a broad sense I prefer my music a little more lively and bombastic and my vocals a bit less mumbled and slurred, so this is not the Bruce which most suits my tastes. A very tenuous 4 for now , with the expectation that this will grow on me with relistenings.

Yeah not my cup of tea

Outside of Adam Raised a Cain, this album does NOT match the tone of the title at all. There's a deeply cheesy, saccharine sound to Springsteen's music that the guy just cannot escape.

There are a couple of Springsteen hits that I like, but this album didn't contain any of them and seemed very lukewarm at best. Too much mumbling and the sax solos are nice by themselves, but get old quick. Definitely not bad, but not quite good enough either.

Not a fan of BS

I've never been a huge fan of Springsteen and if you had told me this was his best album I probably wouldn't listen to any others but I know that isn't true. There wasn't anything that stood out to me here besides this just being classic mo town rock which is cool but I like a little quicker tempo.

Wow, it took 300+ albums before we got one from the Boss. I've got a lot of respect for Springsteen and his slice of the americana pie. His style is always resonant to some degree for me, and even though there weren't many tracks on here that I knew going in, there's plenty to bite off and chew. He can sound a bit marble-mouthed at points but for me that adds to his everyman charm. Great energy and emotion throughout. This is a great album, and I'm looking forward to more from Bruce on the list. Favorite tracks: Darkness on the Edge of Town, Candy's Room, The Promised Land, Racing in the Street. Album art: Dang he looks so young in this. For some reason this cover always reminds me of the music video for "I'm On Fire" even though that's on a different album. I think this is iconic though, and even though I hadn't heard this album as a whole before today this is probably my favorite of his album covers. 4/5

It was not offensively bad, but it was offensively boring, juste like everything else I've heard from this guy so far.

Boring generic pop rock stuff. I will certainly not return to this album, no Sir.

Okay..

Why is Bruce Springsteen screaming all the time? He pushes his voice, but I don't feel many more emotions. It's pop rock, but it's not uplifting or catchy. How could it have been a phenomenal success? No idea. Maybe the lyrics appeal to the average citizen of America and that does not do it for me. But above all, it's sooooooo generic.

4.5

I’ve never gotten into Springsteen. Still haven’t, yet, but I think you probably have to pay attention to the stories in the lyrics to really appreciate what half the USA loves about it. Gonna be tough to do that with the next album coming at me every day, but at least this made me believe in that proposition. Another one to return to at a leisurely pace. {Prior rated}

Oh no, I’m not so sure I think Bruce Springsteen can sing. 😬

I've never really been a big fan of The Boss, and this isn't the album to change my mind. I don't hate it, it's just not my cup of tea...I will say, tho... I really like the chord progression of Candy's Room, even if it's ok song otherwise. The rest of the album is pretty on-brand for Springsteen, whether or not that that's your thing.

Not my type of music at all. I can hear that merits of the music, but I'm not a fan of the saxophone or his voice in this context.

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.

Great singer with a social compromise in his songs

It happened. I liked a Bruce album. Granted, his vocals are muddled and I still am not a fan, and he lacks the hooks of Petty. That said, there's a mood and a concept to this album that's wholely enjoyable. Very surprised.

Not great, Not terrible. 3.

This album has no flaws - starting with Badlands - peaking in beauty with Racing in the Streets and Promised Land and ending with an absolute banger of a title track - phew - one of the three flawless Springsteen albums. Might be hard for first time Springsteen listeners and he is generally a ‘grower’ artist but if you’ve warmed up to him this album is a treat.

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

Calling the UN because having 3 (or more!?!) Bruce Springsteen albums on this list is a crime against humanity that needs to ne investigated. This is the best BS album yet, as there is some variation in terms of tempo, style, and emotion. It's almost like these are real songs. Regardless, it's all just so safe and boring. No generation that actually had a hard time of it could produce music so dull.

More Springsteen, its good but I've had better

One of the best Springsteen albums.

I've never been a fan of Bruce. Sure he's got some great songs and Born In The USA is an all time classic album. But this album is what I don't like about his music. I'm just not jersey blue collar enough to relate.

Frábært albúm. Þessi afmælisböddí er alltaf góður.

JES! Tää on kyl parhaita levyjä jota vittu tiedän! Ei vaan bossin tuotannosta vaan ylipäätään. Ai saakeli POMO! Eihän tää nyt oo välttämättä suurta ja mullistavaa taidetta mutta mulle tää iskee ku naula päähän. Tää levy on must ehkä jopa kovempi kun yleisesti ylistetty born to run! Jotenki tää on vähän herkempi antamatta yhtään armoo siinä kuinka käsittämätön rock tää on. En kyl tiiä mikä siinä on että New Jerseyn työväenluokan ongelmat seiskytluvun lopulla on niin lähellä mun sydäntä, mut olkoon. Aaaah! Loistava levy. Hyllys älppäri ja kassu ofc. Lempi biisejä Adam raised a cain huikeine kitaroineen, Candys room teinimäisyyksineen ja valtavan iso ja hieno bangeri Prove it all night. Ehkä hienoimpana kuitenkin Racing in the streets! Jos joku miinus pitää kertoo, niin täs on ehkä löysin kansi ikinä suhteessa siihen kuinka hieno levy tää on. 5/5

Emmä kyllä jotenkin vaan nauttinu tästä. Ehkä lyriikoita ois pitäny kuunnella enemmän mutta balladimeininki ei uponnu yhtään.

Uhh, olipa huikea yllätys. En oo tykännyt Brucen uudesta musasta niin en oo koskaan vanhaan matskuun kajonnut. Mut siis ebin rockia ja laatuu jenkkikamaa.

Ei oma lemppari Springsteenin tuotannossa. 3/5

Meh 3

Darkness on the Edge of Town represents Springsteen maturity as a composer and its defining in the formation of the heartland rock subgenre. It created several classics of his live performances, like "The Promised Land" and "Badlands", but his voice doesn't sound great in most of the tracks. It's a good album, but also one that is incredibly overated and almost make no sense (like most of Springsteen records) for an audience that is not american.

High 2, I do love bruce but i think this wasn't anything special

Not bad not bad, but also not that good 5/10

Prima album maar klinkt super verouderd

I appreciated the lyrical content and themes, just not into Bruce's style.

An okay album not the best by Springsteen but average

curti :) é bem melodico, me lembra musica de filmes dos anos 90/00 de sessão da tarde (no bom sentido rsrs) acho que porque "I'am On fire" é dele tambem, só não do mesmo album.

Um dos primeiros álbuns de Bruce. Confesso que conheço pouco de sua obra, mas lendo um resumo breve, vi o quanto é gigante. O álbum é envolvente demais e cada canção traz uma sensação diferente. A letras então nem se fala.

From a position of basically zero prior experience with Springsteen: His two modes on this are either Moaning or Growling. The majority of it is moaning, and I much, much, much prefer the parts where he’s growling.

Started out great. Title track was a good closer. Killers-esque at times.

It's okay. It's no born in the USA though.

7.5/10

Almost certainly better if you were working class and brought up in the USA. I have worked at many factories but his stories still don't appeal. I have listened to many voices but his still doesn't appeal. He reminds me of a less interesting Meatloaf.

Dreary

No i kolejny Springsteen wlecial na liste, tym razem rowniez chronologicznie jak w przypadku trexa, bo Darkness on the Edge of Town z 78 jest czwartym studyjnym krazkiem artysty, na ktorego troche bylo trzeba czekac po sukcesie born to run, jak nie wiadomo czemu, to zawsze bedzie chodzilo o piniadze i zle wytwornie plytowe, wiec dopiero po trzech latach udalo mu sie wydac kolejny material, slucham albumu pierwszy raz i nie potrafie skojarzyc zebym slyszal cos z niego wczesniej, wiec prawdziwym jest stwierdzenie, ze nie byl az takim sukcesem komercyjnym jak poprzednia plyta, ale jak dla mnie jest tylko lepiej niz bylo na runie w ktorym dominowaly idealy hamerykanskosci, pogon za marzeniem, pieniadzem, ladnym samochodem, czy szybka baba, tutaj natomiast troche zmienia sie perspektywa, o czym juz informuje tytul czy okladka z wczorajszym panem Brucem, idealistyczna pogon za czyms zostala zastapiona szara rzeczywistoscia, ktora najlepiej oddaja kawalki takie jak factory czy streets of fire, chociaz nie jest to koncept album, to jednak czuc jaka byla mysl przewodnia przyswiecaja kreacji bohaterow tych Springsteenowych opowiesci, sporo mozna sie doszukac w liryce odniesien biblijnych, ktore takze sa czyms charakterystycznym dla heartlandowego rocka, do ktorego mozna zaliczyc ten krazek, ktorego protagonistami sa zwykle chlopy ze zwyklymi problemami, kolejny raz zaskakuje jak wokalna ekspresja moze byc elastyczna na przestrzeni jednego albumu czy nawet piosenki, jesli nawet ciezko czasem przez to zrozumiec tekst, to jednak niesamowicie oddaje emocje taki wokal, jak na kawalku adam raised the cain, z ktorego bije kainowosc, instrumentalnie takze slychac zmiane w podejsciu do nagran, o wiele krotsza lista personelu, pojawia sie jedynie The E Street Band, ktora nagrywa teraz bardziej na zywca, a nie tak bardzo overdubowo, co nadaje materialowi autentycznego brzmienia, E Streetowa banda, to szesciu muzykow, ktory brali udzial w poprzednich nagraniach pana Springsteena, wiec nie zabraklo saksy Clemonsa czy pianina Bittan, ktore na tym albumie wydaje sie byc nawet wazniejsze niz gitara Springsteenowa, ktora jednak ma swoje epickie solowki, jak na candys room, czy streets of fire, jak muzyka o prostych ludziach, to nie moglo zabraknac ulubionego instrumentu country, wiec harmonijki, ktora takze ma swoje swietne solowki jak na the promised land, 42 minuty solidnego materialu, ktory zmienil moje postrzeganie pana Bruca jako artysty szlagierow typu born in the USA, na plejke leci otwierajacy badlands, ktory ma jedne z lepszych linijek refrenowych plyty, jesli ktos wie jak tworzyc openingowe traki, to wlasnie ten pan, oraz wspomniane juz kawalki factory i promised land

Amazing!!

"Darkness on the Edge of Town" brought to you by '70s Springsteen. Country-ish hard rock springkled with flashy riffs and sax solos. And what's the difference between '70s Springsteen and '80s Springsteen? Or in particular this album and "Born in the USA"? I don't know, tbh. The sounds are pretty similar. Yet for some reason, I enjoyed "Born in the USA" more. Of course it's too early to judge Springsteen's music as a whole. But I think his music is the best in small doses. I received his USA album not so long ago, and that's probably why i find this album a bit tiresome.

Springsteen holds his own in this memorable album. It has several iconic tracks from the eponymous "Darkness on the Edge of Town", to "Prove It All Night", "Promised Land", and "Badlands". What isn't explored is his beginning motifs of Americana themes and inner-contemplative melancholy. This album is a solid recommendation for folks, although not his highest water mark.