Darkness on the Edge of Town

Meh

"Now, let's hear that song sung properly!" (Vic & Bob gag) I don't know what to make of this album. Musically sound, vocally less so.

Getting a little burned out on the Bruce Juice - great opening and ending track but the middle was w/e

Fine but boring

Bruce Springsteen's fourth album followed his previous, breakthrough success album 'Born to Run' after a 3 year hiatus. This rock album is considered his best and is certified triple platinum, despite being a little less commercially successful than his previous album. This is a thought-provoking, emotionally charged rock album which was fun to listen to.

Not my boss fav

Fängt hart Knödeln an und hätte mich fast schon wieder verloren. Geht dann im weiteren Vermauf Richtung „ok“, aber eine der Erkenntnisse die ich aus dieser Reihe hier ziehe: bei aller Grundsympathie; musikalisch hat der Boss mir nicht so viel zu sagen, das ist mir meist zu schwülstig und zu Hans-Hartzig.

Decent but forgettable

meh

Some Elton John has creeped in during the intervening years between 'Born to Run' and this LP. This one does cross too much into ostentatious territory, unfortunately - the tracks feel just a tad overwrought but not memorable.

Not bad, but not anything I loved.

“Darkness on the Edge of Town” by Bruce Springsteen (1978) Any Bruce Springsteen album should be assessed in the context his huge popularity, his outsized aspirations, and his copious ego. Here, once again, he comes up short. Comparisons with Van Morrison and Bob Dylan make it perfectly clear that Springsteen is not in their class. His songwriting definitely strives to be poetic, but the striving gets in the way of the poetry. Morrison and Dylan make it sound easy because to them it is. His voice is unendingly mumbly, sloppy, and unconvincingly snarly. I think I figured out what he was chasing in “Something In the Night”: a note sung at the right pitch. The one plus on this album, its only saving feature really, is the clean backing by the E Street Band. These guys are really talented professionals, and they alone save this album from a rating of “1”. But even this aspect of the recording seems constrained, as if there were a reluctance to displease the Boss (I refuse to capitalize “the”). Once again, Springsteen tries to appeal to and pose as the working class hero, but ends up as marionette wearing a hard hat that doesn’t quite fit. “Factory” is so inauthentic it could only appeal to non-proletarians, mindless proletarians, and mindless non-proletarians. Expressing one’s yearning is fine, but pretending to have attained what one yearns for is off-putting. I’d like for him to write a song entitled “I Wish I Had Worked a Day in My Life”. His treatment of a biblical theme (“Adam Raised a Cain”) is trite. Such a great poetic idea, so pitifully written. The pompous dirge “Racing in the Street” has a flat tire from the starting line. I can’t imagine anyone ever shed a tear over this. In “Streets of Fire”, he wants to sound like he’s drunk, with implausible screams that produce a physical autonomic cringe, repeated over and over until he gets it right, which, of course, he never does. This is a hugely flawed album from a solo artist who’s sitting on top of the world. 2/5

Not a Springsteen fan

From when Bruce was younger.

Me rappelle les musiques du dimanche de tonton Simon : ringardes mais réconfortantes. J'ai eu envie de passer pas mal de chansons. Un petit + pour l'aspect nostalgique mais pas incroyable à mes yeux.

The Boss really just doesn't do much for me. I'd never complain if he was on, but I wouldn't be boppin' along to anything but the hits.

Badlands is a good opener, the rest is all a bit ploddy, never quite hitting the relevance button

Production: 7/20 Songwriting: 9/20 Innovation: 8/20 Bangers: 0/20 Emotional response: 7/20 =31 Overblown bollocks #notmyboss

5, its fine

Very personal style and a classic of rock. For me is just a "meh"

Bruce seems to mumble a lot, even more difficult to understand at times than Dylan.

2

If he only had a better voice

marginally better than Born in the USA. marginally

Just fine

Bruce, Springsteen erst mal ihren Kaffee? 3 Alben von Springsteen? Diese Liste ist totaler Quatsch. Der Boss ist auf Dauer extrem öde. Diese Platte ist dabei keine Ausnahme. 2

Sådan lettere country, med meget sådan hul stemme. Noget intetsigende

Not really sure I get the appeal of Bruce. Not my kind of vocalist. Yeah, he's got some hits but everything else is like, whatever. It's like a suede jacket.

Tääkin Bossi ihan ok, mut kokonaisuutena en kahta kertaa pidempään jaksanu kuunnella. Kakkosraita jäi hyvin mieleen

I’ve tried to listen to Bruce Springsteen twice now and this is the only album where I’ve wanted to skip every song

I appreciate this is probably blasphemous but I am struggling to differentiate this from Meatloaf.

Springsteen don't do it for me. Same arrangements as ever, same vocal cadence... as generic as it gets, folks.

Forgettable

I just don't like this bloke. The music is very poor and his voice and everything else is poor as well. Please don't choose any more of his recordings.

Boringgg. Sound mixing was lwk shit too but what do I know (other than that could barely hear his voice over the instrumentals).

Not my thing

Another straight white male music.

Overrated, boring. Like walking through quicksand.

I really tried and while I respect Bruce tremendously as an artist, I do not enjoy his music.

- Hell no 😅

Usually I can understand why a musical artist is so widely renown, this is not one of those times. Some of the songs had potential, but if only they were sung by someone else.

2 - just not into bruce

I don't understand why people like the Boss. It's boring, it's repetitive, he doesn't so much sing as mumble.

I'm tempted to abandon this list. There's SO much other music I'd rather be listening to than shit like this which gets hailed by idiot critics and internet music elitists as the best thing ever.

Not my favorite

I thought I was going to talk myself into being okay with this album, but then Something In The Night starts to sound like dad’s drunken karaoke and it just starts going downhill from there. By the time he’s grunting his way through Prove It All Night with its ghastly harmonica and saxophone that sounds more like a kazoo, I’m so done. Maybe two Springsteen albums in one week broke me, but this was much worse than the one I rated a 2…

Mierdita. Nada que destacar

Every bruce springsteen album I hear keeps getting worse.

Full Album Thoughts: Album Rating: 0.38 (D+) Ballad Slop from an incomprehensible lead singer who needs to take the marbles out of their mouth. A Real rough A side, with the only standout being the lead for the B side does not make a solid full album listen through. Today I learned I hate Bruce Springsteen. Track Thoughts: "Badlands" D Woah this is a miss of a ballad? Really hate the vocal delivery. Can't really understand anything "Adam Raised a Cain" B- Lets get a heavy guitar trill to kick us off heck yeah. I think the particular marble mouth vocals are going to really drag this whole album down. But it sure does drive! Generic seedy divebar track. "Something in the Night" D- Was not expecting something so twinkling? Woof really hate the intro groan vocal. This is just a solid minute of tone. I am afraid this is all going to be ballad slop. Yeah sorry the build to the complete nothing drums is not doing it for me. Really dont care for this. "Candy's Room" C+ This is mumble-core. I want to listen to The Protomen instead of this. At least its got a fast pace? Has a pretty kickass guitar solo. "Racing in the Street" F+ I am biased against "I wanna fuck my guitar" songs. I blame country song jokes mixed with not driving myself. Oh dear god this song is almost 7 minutes long. I just checked. Ugh. It's going to have to wow me in the back half to rank higher then F. At least it is the most legible lyrics so far, but its got some whine to it so that takes points off again! At least its not painful to listen to, just I never want to hear it again! "The Promised Land" B+ I think I have been bludgeoned into enjoying this more then anything previous. Somehow I am deciphering lyrics. This feels closest to proto-protomen, I still want a little bit more grit to the music to enjoy, but its a pretty dang decent Ballad with a generic story I can emotionally attach to. aaaaand a Sax Solo that pushed it up a notch. This is how you start a B side. "Factory" D- I want to listen to any Celtic punk working song more than this. Please. Make the "soulful piano" stop. Not even an organ can save you. This is too slow. Its short at least. it should have been cut. "Streets of Fire" F- I thought maybe I was beginning to understand how this man talks. Turns out no, he just decided to stop pronouncing words again. Please go back to crooning, and stop this grit. I lied. I lied before. Bring back the smooth. Oh man this guitarsolo is lame. "Prove It All Night" F- This can not be over fast enough. This slurred singing with some grunt to it is poison to my ears. Its repetitive. No amount of organ can save this. "Darkness on the Edge of Town" F I actually like the restraint to name an album after the last song in most cases. This is not that case. Fuck this. Slow boom bap beat with the same crap slurred grunting singing. Cant stand this. Woof.

I don't really like his singing but I liked "badlands"

Overrated turd man.

Overrated cack from a fifties throwback

I like Bruce. But this was not a good time.

my mom doesn't like bruce springsteen. i get her lol

loser

I really don’t like Springsteen. Sounds like he’s fucking wailing.

Nope. Not for me. Whines a lot.

boring

not for me

SNOOZE FEST!!!

Not my tasteX

hated this, only made it through 3 songs

not my kind of music, sorry Mr Springsteen.

His voice is not my cup of tea but you can tell there was a lot of effort.

8th album with group. It doesn’t sound like it but he looks like bad Blonde on Blonde Dylan. Good Songs - Racing in the Street, Prove it All Night, and Darkness on the Edge of Town. Bad Songs - Badlands, Adam Raised a Cain, Something in the Night, Candy’s Room, The Promised Land, Factory, and Streets of Fire.

Ah, the delicately smooth vocals of Springsteen. Said no one ever. When he sings - or even whispers - it's OK, but man, does that raspy death shout cut right through me. And the harmonica and sax don't help the situation. This is the second album we've had by him and the second 1 I'm assigning. There are a few alright moments, but they're too overshadowed by the boring and painful ones to give this any sort of recommendation. I know Bruce has got some decent stuff, but this challenge has thus far done what it can to avoid said stuff.

If listening to 1,001 albums is poised to prove anything to me, it is that I don't fucking like Bruce Springsteen. Same turgid middle-of-the-road rock featuring the same desperate protagonists blaming alcoholism and bad life choices in general on - checks notes - having to go to work to and pay bills and shit as the previous two Springsteen albums I've encountered on this list. There's only so many times you can play the "yeah, but you should listen to __________________, that's his real classic album" card, before you realise it is all just the same shit. On this one he sounds even more like Roy Orbison trying to alternately switch between whispering and shouting while eating gravel and standing on one of those vibrating exercise plate things than on the previous two. Which is a bad thing. Sorry, don't see the appeal - one star.

Really do not understand the hype, sounds like a drunk singing.

Lots of multiple entries for old boomer farts on this list.

No thank you. Bruce Springsteen doesn’t sign my paychecks.

Bruce is not a good guy. -1 star.

I hate the E Street Band with a passion

Oh wow another Springsteen album, surely this one will be totally different from the others and finally make me like his music, right? Wait holdup, Adam Raised a Cain is fire? Ah, followed up by garbage, of course. Ah, followed up by Springslop, of course. Why did this album have to get my hopes up, even for a single song? Huge album for people who like getting bait-and-switched.

Bruce sucks

1. badlandz - 1.5 2. cain - 1 3. night - 1.5 4. candy - 1 5. Street - 1.5 6. land - 1.5 7. Factory - 1 8. Fire - 1.5 9. Prove - 1.5 10. Town - 1.5

Boooooooorrrinngggg

Nahhhh

Doesnt do it for me

Once again, Springsteen delivers a total nothingburger of an album. There’s absolutely nothing here musically, creatively, or lyrically. It’s completely devoid of anything interesting or attention grabbing. There’s also obviously no artistic intention here. It’s so plainly a corporate cash-grab of least-offensive-music-most-likely-to-get-listeners that it’s sickening. 1.0/5.0: Embarrassing

Absolutely horrific & boring!!!! No redeeming qualities!

Meh. Boring

I hope this isn't referring to black people. If so, this is racism at its finest.

I grew up with Bruce's music in the background. Cars, girls, working hard, and getting out of a small town, that's always 90% of this catalog. This is no different.

I just can't, for some reason. I tried, I really did. And it's nice enough I guess. But it's just middle-of-the-row as heck.

Pub Rock with really bad vocals. The band seem to aspiring to be like Wizzard with none of the fee, humour or sensitivity.

How disappointing. Is this here solely as a comparison? Letting people know how dog shit a Springsteen album can sound so we appreciate the really good ones?

Confession time: I think Bruce Springsteen's voice is terrible. There, I said it publicly. He can write some great songs, but listening to him sing them is painful to me. I couldn't make my way through the album. Great song writer, terrible singer. I know that's an unpopular opinion, and he's an American icon...but man I just can't get behind it. Will not give this one another go.

Bruce is a brilliant songwriter but that's where it ends. His voice is annoying. I wish he would just write for others and keep it at that. I am sure he is a great human being but like Neil Young, I would rather hear a cow caught in a hail storm.

Didn't like this album. The only song I enjoyed was Badlands. 1 Star

Springsteen is probably my least favorite artist on this list, maybe second to JAY-Z. There's something sickening about it music, I don't know what it is. Maybe it's the sentimentality or the pandering to American values. I find it offensive.

2/5

sounds like the soundtrack to "MAGA - the movie"

I didn’t like a single song on this album

Can't stand his music

This motherfucker is slurring worse than late-era Elvis. No thanks.

Terrible vocals

I like a handful of Bruce songs. None on this album though, no thank you.

if hes the boss i quit

Bruce falls into the background music category on my list, which is why I don’t have much to say about this album.

not quite my tempo

Unexpected but the first album in this project where not a single song caught my attention. No hooks, no memorable moments. The lyrics are alright but it just blends into one broody schmaltz. The instrumentation has no variation. I'm sorry, Boss.

Too many ballads. Needs some diversity, Bruce! Fav Track: N/A

If there was a competition for self-pity, Springsteen would have won with Darkness on the Edge of Town. Oh, Bruce, please tell us more about how hard it is being rich and successful while pretending to “relate” to the common man. Each song is him aggressively reminding you that he’s just a tortured soul from New Jersey who never asked for this fame. The music? As repetitive as his whining. By the end, I felt like I’d been chained to a broken-down factory machine with Bruce moaning in my ear about “American Dreams.” No thanks.

im tired of Bruce Springsteen. 2/10

Hated it

I thought this was a joke. I don’t understand why people like this. I have heard maybe 2 of his songs on the radio, and I can name only one of them. Think this is for 60 year old women.

Really cant stand Bruce Springsteen. Same category as ELO

Awful tripe.

I tried to listen to it but couldn't.

Not for me

I find this beloved, working-class hero so overrated. His lyrics are barely understandable. He sounds like he is heavily constipated and trying his hardest to 'knock one out'. The Boss, no thanks.

A lot of mumbling periodically broken up by unimpressive guitar solos and unnecessary saxophone solos apparently makes up Heartland Rock.

Ugh. This guy again.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooof

how dare you. is this a joke?

I’ve never understood the attraction to Springsteen, and if this is any indication, I never will. Seems the majority of his formula is semi-incoherent mumbling then yelling the song title several times. This sounds like a bar band, but one that would make me finish my beer, settle my tab, and take off by the time they were on their third song. Based on my previous experience with “The Boss,” I figure I’d end up giving 2 stars, but tried my best to be open minded and hoped to be surprised. Turns out, nope. I couldn’t even finish most of the songs. I mean, I couldn’t even make it halfway through Factory, and that thing is only two minutes and eighteen seconds long.

Tough to get through this. I know this is not a popular opinion, but I can’t stand Bruce. Americana as a genre just don’t do it for me. Specifically, I find his vocal delivery to be unlistenable. The bigger sounding tracks are ok (until he sings) but the acoustic guitar/piano tracks that focus on his voice is like having a hot knitting needle jammed directly into my eye. NJ can keep this guy (and Bon Jovi), I got no use for him.

pish

Meh

First thoughts, do I have to. But then he, like u2, is one of the most overrated acts there is. A good songwriter but a shite performer. Oh well here goes. ¾ of the way through and I've had to stop listening and write this, partially to give my ears some relief. This album is incredibly annoying. Musically it's very good and the songs appear to be well written, I'd love to here Gene Simmons perform 'Adam raised a Caine'. But somebody please do the world a favour and remove his vocal chords. Oh! That's a thought perhaps they already have!

Rubbish

Hated

Not even kidding, the average commenter for this album on youtube is ~60 years old. I guess there are some benefits in having a bad hearing, you could listen to Bruce Springsteen and pretend it's something good

Horrible. Well recorded, but horrible.

I suppose I just don't like Springsteen. Had to turn it off.

Not a Bruce fan didn’t listen

not gonna listen

I feel the same way about Springsteen that I fo about fish. Both are things I wish I could like but absolutely can't stomach

I've enjoyed a few covers of his songs, so I was excited to hear this one. I couldn't really under a stand him to appreciate the lyrics.

I can't say I've ever paid much attention to The Boss before, I've certainly never sat down and listened to a whole album of his, so I was excited to give it a crack. Can't say I'm very impressed with this album. At all. It's just bad right? His singing is terrible. He sounds like a drunk guy who switches between mumbling and screaming. If you heard him doing karaoke at the local pub you'd be embarrassed for the poor guy. 1.5 stars

My first Springsteen listen. His voice is not my jam. Failed to move me even slightly. 1/5 stars

Absolute drivel. This can't be the same guy that's revered by so many rock lovers around the world? First time properly listening to him is from this list and it's god-awful. Every single song.

This feels like the soundtrack of a Midwestern bar thats full of middle aged men who've been drinking for a long time.

Not a fan... do y'all seriously not have any Classic Alternative?

I understand why Hammond hates him

I don't like Bruce Springsteen from singles I've heard on the radio, so I thought I'd give this album a chance. Nope, I don't like it. At all. I genuinely struggled to listen because I absolutely hate his voice. The music is fine, Adam Raised a Cain has some absolutely awesome lead guitar stuff in it, but that's where the good stuff starts, and ends. Nope.

A bit slow and depressing to say the least. Can definitely hear how it has influenced Gaslight Anthem, but it's admirable how they've turned something quite drab into their excellent music! Racing in the street is a very boring song considering the name, pretty disappointing, and the start of "something in the night" sounds like a cat in heat. Definitely my least favourite so far.

There was one song I liked.

Springsteen is definitely not my style, just liked a couple songs

i just dont care its boring singer songwriter shit from the 80s Significant 30/95 Liked 14/95 Added 4/95 NNN

hel naw

Been years since I tried to listen to Springsteen and its still the same out come. Its a solid no.

All songs sound the same, slow tunes that dragging along for too long and his voice doesn't help either. Forgettable, dull, boring. I don't often give a 1 for an album but this is nothing more than a 2.5/3 out of 10.

2 3.3 1.5 eeeueeuehehhehheheeeeeeeeh aaanitakkeeherrtuhtheefloahhh 2.3 nah im not listenin to any more of this shit i know who Bruce Springsteen is btw. but why is this shit in here. why did i never realize he's just like a "coolboy elvis" wannabe?

Bruce is dog shit. We all know this. Why does he have so many albums on this damn list. That one song ab Atlantic City is pretty good tho.

snoozefest :(

{{{{{{{{{{ Can't believe I'm about to willingly listening to an entire Springsteen album. Oh god here we go. Only a few seconds and .... Ok let's actually try this. Oh no. Hold. Hold. This is so fake-up-beat it makes me UGGGGGGGGhhh this stupid mumbly voice. Skip. I made it 45 seconds. How can you make piano annoying? Is this a sheep trying to sing? Skip. I made it 30 seconds. Now you're not singing at all? You're talking? How is that almost worse? What is this inflection singing? This is.. feels like knives. Holy fuck even the drumming is sloppy. Is this a ballad? Christ. Skip. I made it 1.5 minutes. Is that a record? This is torture. 20 seconds into racing in the street. Skip. Harmonica? Skip. Skip. Skip. Is everything in the key of C with the worse drumming and the worst vocals and worse lyrics and fucking church organ? Is this album a total joke? It's like I'm stuck in a casino listening to those god damned slot machines and they're all groaning together on the carpeted floor in a sloppy rhythm, all trying to sound happy and someone decided to drunkenly mumble over this total trash. SKIP. This could be used to get secrets from ear prisoners. SKIP. Can I not rate zero stars? My ears hurt.

Not it.

Most of my knowledge of Springsteen comes from comedy sketches and parodies - and this album felt like that. Dark, rambling, nothing to groove to. Of my limited exposure to Springsteen, the only song I like is “Dancing in the dark”

Not for me thanks.

Boring

Boring, annoying, cliche (maybe not when it was made? idc don't have to hear this again)

Oh no I hate this too (sorry Chris)

I hate it

There was one song that I enjoyed. Otherwise Tom Waits does the sad working class schtick better and all I could think about was listening to him.

Bruce is Bruce, you live him or you don’t… I don’t

Hated it. I think there was one song where instrumentation was okay, but it was ruined by Bruce’s voice. It’s not bad, just boring and not for me.

Snoooooooore. I will never get the appeal of Springsteen. Jerking off about heartland America. Boring and lame.

This put me in mind of a slightly less pompous Meat Loaf. I have tried to like Brooce, but it's not for me. This is a lot of what punk was against at the time, as far as I am concerned. Over-blown rock ballads with too much piano.

Oh man, I have never cared about The Boss and have found him somewhat insufferable but that might be more from his fans being pretty insufferable. However, I have never given him a fair shake, and wanted to keep an open mind and see what all the fuss is about. And this album sucks, it's unbearable and laughably bad. Very rough getting through the whole thing.

Niet mijn smaak

I fucking hate Bruce Springsteen

Dreadfull

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.

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.

Nope

me da pereza escuchar a este señor

Yeah not my cup of tea

Not a fan of BS

I've always found him interesting to listen to whilst being interviewed. I like his politics and his ideas but this album was like finding someone at a party who's into the same things as you but is really dull. As the shared beliefs fail to sustain interest you look for ways to escape but it's too late. All around people are having fun but not you, you and your stupid politics and your stuck till the whole thing plays out. Being 42 minutes thankfully that's not too long and as that person heads of (them not being a night owl) you neck your pint and hope there's a bit of party left.

NFM

egt litt kjelig, eller egt va d veldig kjedelig. Beste sangar: Adam raised a chain Candy’s room Darkness on the edge of town

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