Darkness on the Edge of Town

Stories of working class and troubled relationships with fathers - shoot it up my veins, right now. I like the little titbit that people noticed, that every song on side one of the original LP has a corresponding track on side two in the same sequence. Favs: Badlands, Adam Raised a Cain, Factory, Prove It All Night, Darkness on the Edge of Town

Not the best of Bruce

Good

I just don't enjoy the vocal style of this artist.

Amazing voice, I can where the Barr Brothers come from :) Would not listen regularity though.

Mediocre. While Bruce has long been touted as the future of rock n roll and The Boss, he just never got me too jazzed. I do like a few of his songs, but in a "if it's on I like it, but I'll never go play it on purpose" way. These earlier albums do have some good music played by great musicians. Over time Bruce got more singer/song writer-y and played simple music while focusing on his writing and singing. ("Racing in the Street" is a foreshadowing of that. Boring!) I recommend he not put the focus on his singing. He has a strong voice that sounds good when he's belting something out, but he's such a mushmouth generally. "Adam Raised a Cain" is really good musically and I can understand most of what he's saying. A little repetitive at the end, but the jam makes it worth it. I can understand why people would like this, but it's just not interesting to me. Too same-y throughout. Calling it a 3 with apologies to all of the NJ and factory-working folks

Liked something in the night and badlands

Feels nostalgic in the best way

After getting Nebraska the other day and not caring for it, this was a great surprise. The songwriting was tight and I wasn’t bothered by his voice like a lot of people. Nothing too special but just enjoyable.

Can't find a reason to give this less than 5. I love it every time I listen to it

Excelente disco! A energia e beleza dos vocais são complementados por instrumentais ótimos. QoA Adonis New.

I'm just not a big Bruce Springsteen guy tbh

it doesn’t hit with me the same way Born to Run and Nebraska both do, but it’s still full of bangers. this man can make me mourn lifetimes i’ve never lived

Buen álbum, no es algo a lo que regrese mucho

10/10 Favorites: Badlands Something in the Night Racing in the Street Prove It All Night Darkness On the Edge of Town

It's a Springsteen album. This is my favorite era of his so far.

Seems like it checked all the boxes for Bruce Springsteen songs, but also didn't seem particularly memorable

Not one of his best, but still enjoyable.

fauvorite: darkness on the ede of town, factory and badlands

I will always have a soft spot for anything Bruce Springsteen. This however is not my favorite. Love Candy's Eyes, Badlands and The Promised Land.

140723 13:03 4

I honestly have never learned to fully appreciate Bruce Springsteen and this doesn't mean that he isn't incredibly talented or that this album is bad. It simply doesn't speak to me as it does to someone else

Not the mainstream stuff, but really good

Sophomore year Victoria actually listened to this album from beginning to end and I found my notes from back then and my favorites then were —Something in the night, candy’s room, racing in the street, darkness on the edge of town. And those obviously still held up but I kinda messed with Adam Raised a Cain more than I remember. But Bruce is Bruce so not suprised

I mean who doesn’t like the Boss. Not his best, which is saying a lot because this shit is fire. I loved the band, lyrics, and passion. Always feels like you can relate to Bruce. One of the best storytellers.

The best Springsteen album I've had so far - better than Nebraska and The Rising. I've never hated his voice, but he does a really good job of expressing his anger at certain times, but optimism at others. The music though is still nothing special to me, and I doubt his other albums here will be either.

I remember this being one of the Cult Albums of the 1970s, so it was interested to to revisit in 50 years later, and ... It's OK. Well crafted songs, great musicianship, none of the bluster of later albums, but just doesn't inspire me.

I can see why people love his music I just personally don't

Powerful and emotional. And from the best season of 1978.

boring

not for me

Not my jam

SNOOZE FEST!!!

Honestly pretty good, I didn't know Bruce could rock out like that!

I know it may be sacrilegious but I have never got Bruce Springsteen. It's fine but it didn't blow me away.

3,5

I'd never really listened to Springsteen before but I enjoyed it, I like his guitar playing, piano in the back, his voice, plus the power ballads. Something about it also gave christmasy vibes. Idk what the lyrical content is but it could be sad and not matter so much because it feels more energizing than Coldplay (last album)

Favourite Songs: Adam Raised A Cain

It's a generally well-done record, though I think the first side is done better. Badlands is anthemic, Adam Raised A Cain has some bite, Something In The Night is awash with inspiration, Candy's Room, Racing, all that. That first side is very impressive. I think the effect sort of wears off on Side B but Promised Land, Streets Of Fire and Prove It All Night are good. It's a slow moving wail more than a shout of a Springsteen record. My opinion is more subdued with this one compared to Nebraska and Born In The USA (8/10, 4/5 on this scale)

I am not the targeted Springsteen fan (aka not a white man born in the 50s) but I can see why he is so popular with them.

Beetje te hyped album voor het slechte nieuws wat ik vandaag kreeg

Not my tasteX

4,5, definitivamente não é o meu estilo. nem acabei

* Notes: Really not a fan of Bruce’s vocals in this album, it sounds like he’s mumbling for half of it… some great moments though like in Streets of Fire * Overall: Not really my personal cup of tea. Bruce is obviously influential in his sound, but not something I would return to with the exception of a couple of songs off of it

Solid album. Should be more highly regarded than it is. Fairly somber, thoughtful. Better than anything that came after. A rare decent album by a highly over-rated artist.

Peak

The Boss is a talented guy, but I'm also not a blue collar guy from Michigan so I'm not crazy about him.

Really consistent, no songs worth skipping, personal favourite is Adam raised a Cain

ive listened to better songs of his

Another painfully average dad rock album. Inoffensive but certainly not interesting. Bruce Springsteen has better stuff than this.

Really not my cup of tea.

Never thought I liked Springsteen at all but this is a joy

for the first review of 2026, we have bruce springsteen. compared to his previous albums, this one is said to be a bit more grounded instead of overtly whimsical or uplifting. lyrics that a lot of average-folk can relate to. i mean i guess it's alright. i feel like this type of music was starting to die out once the 70s ended, and to me a lot of the songs while nice, it's almost typical pop rock stuff to me. something about his voice is lost on me listening to it for the first time. it's rock i think my grandpa would like, maybe?

42 minutes is a proper length for an album (especially this one it’s truly all i can handle) and idk why but i can only think of bruce springsteen as a very “american” musician. i’m listening to this while in walmart and i feel like i should be wearing a “don’t tread on me” shirt. this whole time i thought he was jewish but after a lil google searching he’s really irish italian. i think bruce’s voice sounds like he has cloth shoved in the back of his throat. i guess that’s just late 70s to 80s ~rock~ this album is all about the white american struggle. i’m honestly bored. best tracks: adam raised a cain, streets of fire

Enjoyable but man do his songs all have the same rhythm/vibe to them. 7/10

This was a good album. Had some bangers on there. Isn't amazing amazing blow your socks off imo.

Had never heard any of these songs. Like a few by Bruce Springsteen. Honestly wasn’t expecting too much but was impressed! I’m not rushing to download but enjoyed the listen.

My favourite on the album so far is racing on the street. I like the album! I probably wouldn’t listen to the whole thing a lot but I did really like it. Lots of good songs

Some angry Springsteen. The usual mumbly-mouthed Springsteen. A bit of the mealy-mouthed Springsteen.

8.5

**In-depth review of Bruce Springsteen’s *Darkness on the Edge of Town* (1978)** > *“Tonight I’ll be on that hill ’cause I can’t stop…”* --- ### 🎸 **Musical Shift & Production** Springsteen’s fourth album is a deliberate break from the cinematic *Wall of Sound* of *Born to Run*. - **Leaner, harder rock**: guitars and drums pushed forward; sax demoted to only three tracks. - **Minimalist arrangements**: no strings, no horns, no tempo shifts—songs “stay in their boxes” to keep the focus on lyric and groove . - **Production team**: Bruce + Jon Landau + Steven Van Zandt; recorded in NYC over 10 months (June ’77 – March ’78) amid legal battles with former manager Mike Appel . - **Influences**: Hank Williams’ concise country storytelling, Woody Guthrie’s folk starkness, and the blunt force of 1977 punk . --- ### ✍️ **Lyrical Terrain** Gone are the boardwalk romantics; in their place are **blue-collar survivors** who’ve *“debts no honest man can pay”*. - **Three-act arc** : 1. Situation (“Badlands” → “Something in the Night”) 2. Struggle & hope (“Candy’s Room” → “The Promised Land”) 3. Consequences (“Factory” → “Prove It All Night”) - **Key motifs**: – **Fathers & sons**: “Adam Raised a Cain”, “Factory” – **Cars as escape & trap**: “Racing in the Street”, title track – **Class resentment & labor**: every chorus bellows against economic fate. - **Narrative voice**: every song is first-person; no more urban fairy-tales, just *“quotidian reality”* . --- ### 🎶 **Track-by-Track Highlights** | Song | Core Theme | Musical Signature | |---|---|---| | **Badlands** | Defiance against oppression | Anthemic 4/4, Brown-style groove | | **Adam Raised a Cain** | Inherited paternal violence | Punk-blues riff, all instruments lock into one stomping chord | | **Racing in the Street** | Beauty & doom in small-town gear-head life | Piano-led lament that swells into a heartland epic | | **The Promised Land** | Fragile hope amid dust | Harmonica + sax = folk-rock flag-waver | | **Factory** | Wordless dignity of labor | 2-minute country-folk hymn, ends cold | | **Darkness on the Edge of Town** | Addiction to the very poison that ruins you | Plodding verse / violent chorus; tambourine = chain-gang shuffle | --- ### 🌍 **Influence & Legacy** - **Template for heartland rock**: Seger, Mellencamp, Petty, later Killers. - **Live staple**: the title song mutates—studio fade-out becomes on-stage catharsis; Bruce calls it his *“reckoning with the adult world”* . - **Critical ascent**: initially sold less than *Born to Run*, but now perennial top-10 on “greatest albums” lists . - **Outtakes mythology**: *The Promise* box-set (2010) revealed a whole shadow album of poppier material—proof of how radical the final edit was. --- ### ✅ **Pros** 1. **Cohesive vision**: ten songs, one mood—no filler. 2. **Lyrical maturity**: trades romantic myth for bruised adulthood without surrendering poetry. 3. **Sonic discipline**: every tambourine hit, snare crack, and guitar bend serves the narrative. 4. **Emotional durability**: songs grow with the listener; 1978 desperation becomes 2025 survival manual. 5. **Band chemistry**: E Street never sounded tighter—listen to Max Weinberg’s snare splits on “Candy’s Room”. --- ### ❌ **Cons** 1. **Single-unfriendly**: no obvious radio confection like “Born to Run”; chart peak #5, singles stalled . 2. **Monochromatic palette**: if you miss the horns, strings, and jazzy breaks of the first three records, the uniformity can feel austere . 3. **Bleakness fatigue**: ten tales of almost-victory can overwhelm casual listeners seeking uplift. 4. **Limited vocal range**: Bruce purposely sings *“meditative, less passionate”*—some hear it as dour . 5. **Car tropes**: critics at the time complained he was still *“writing about cars”* instead of broadening imagery further . --- ### 🎯 **Verdict** *Darkness* is the moment Springsteen **compresses epic into essential**. The grand arrangements are gone, but the **emotional acreage** is wider: every power chord feels like a last-ditch choice and every harmonica gasp sounds like a paycheck spent. It’s not the easiest Bruce record to love, yet it’s the one that **refuses to leave your bloodstream** once it settles there—*“because I can’t stop…”*

Springsteen swaps the widescreen drama of Born to Run for something grittier—songs about hard graft, dashed hopes, and clinging on by your fingernails. The E Street Band sounds like they’ve been living on black coffee and broken promises, and it suits the mood perfectly. The lyrics? Brilliant. The voice? Well… let’s just say if gravel could shout, this would be it. Still, there’s a raw honesty that makes you forgive him—at least on a good day.

This is fine - it’s not as good as Nebraska or Born In The USA (the two other Springsteen albums I have had on the list), but it’s still a perfectly fine, if unremarkable, record.

Ratings: 5: I will happily play this album anytime 4: I may occasionally play this album of my own free will 3: I will happily listen to this if someone plays it in the background 2: I will tolerate this if it is playing in the background 1: I will leave the room if someone plays this in the background Sounds great. Worthwhile for the list. I just don't fully connect.

Solid sound, tracks 4, 8 & 9 were stand out songs for me. candy’s room, streets of fire, and, prove it all night

Meh

This is for someone. I am not that someone.

This is a grower, but once you get it, you get it. I’m obsessed with this now.

Springsteen has some great albums but this was so so. He mumbled on too many songs.

my sister-in-law's mother calls me brucey cause she thinks i look like springsteen on this album cover. does wonders to my self esteem everytime.

Enjoyed, would listen to again

I forgot just how much I love this album. I haven't heard it in a long time. It's still great!!

Не люблю Брюса. Он не всемогущий

White people music, I just dong gel with it

honestly, a liked only about 3 -4 songs from this audio , but the ones i liked r rlly good, loved how energetic and uhm cowboy-y? his voice is

I think this is a good album but I don’t generally get the fuzzy feels about Springsteen that I know some others do. Badlands is a legit hit and worth anyone’s time. The rest of it didn’t grab me during a once-through, though I’m sure there is some gold in there if you stick with it and let it really sink in.

Middle of the road, unexciting. Like Tom Petty.

La Voz de Springsteen no es mi hit pero creo que hay algunas joyas ocultas como the promise land.

I own most Bruce albums so nothing new here & Darkness is one of his best collections of songs with a gritty, leaner & stark production style. The songs can be hardhitting as well (Adam Raised a Cain) and stretched his emotive storytelling of the everyman and often criminal types. Not my favourite Bruce, but still one of his best and I particularly like "Something in the Night" (that classic Roy Bittan tearjerking piano chiming progression), "Racing in the Street", "Badlands" and the title song.

One of the more enjoyable Springsteen albums I've listened to.

Started listening at 11:37 I havent been able to listen to this album the whole way through. The music isn't terrible but it just isn't making me want to listen to it. Going into the album I already had a negative view on it maybe I should give it a proper listen through to formulate a proper opinion on it. I managed to listen and was kinda disappointed it wasn’t bad music and was made really well it just wasn’t for me. It did take me a while to listen through it all again which is bad cause it’s only 45 mins but hey.

Some more top class Bruce, I am just a sucker for him

Have never considered myself a fan of the Boss but this record is a very worthwhile pop/singer-songwriter crossover with equally catchy hooks and stellar songwriting alike. Second side is loaded with hit songs. Could easily see myself re-listening and liking just as much.

Beste Lieder: Something in the night

Excellent and classic.

13. boring, worse than born in the usa

I enjoy quite a few Springsteen songs, but I haven’t heard any from this album. It was just okay for me, but I imagine if I dug into his history a little bit I’d appreciate this one more.

This is my favorite album from my favorite musician. That being said, I haven't listened to the album in full for quite a long time. At this point I mostly listen to live bootlegs, as my favorite versions of his songs are often the live ones. My plan was to listen with fresh ears, but I found myself singing along with every song because I just couldn't help myself. The songs I've always loved I still do-Adam Raised a Cain, Something in the Night, Racing in the Street, Streets of Fire, and the title song are some of my all time faves, and when I've seen them live they are almost always high points in his shows. At certain points I was trying to put myself in a position of just listening and pretending it was my first time, and I just loved it when I could. When it comes to straightforward rock music, this is what it should sound like and this is what the lyrical content should be.

Darkness On The Edge Of Town delivers what it promises. This is an album that's very much about a quiet kind of small town, working class despair. But it also feels like it refuses to give up; there is *something* triumphant that occasionally shines through. A pained, broken sounding Springsteen guides us through factory towns, loves lost, and rural decay. And before this I didn't know much Springsteen: even if I had been told about Nebraska, part of me still wasn't sure that he had this sort of thing in him. But there really is a lot of depth, and a lot of truth here. He's a master of working class poetry, equally relatable and verbose. And I was also very much surprised at how well this album's heartland rock soundtracks it all. From the muscular rock of Adam Raised A Cain to the utterly gorgeous Something In The Night, the music is very effective. The level of quality here is incredibly high, there isn't really a bad song. If I had to complain, I guess a couple of songs here haven't clicked with me as much: and I *do* prefer the ultra stripped down arrangements on Nebraska to the full band sound here in general. This album is generally a little more susceptible to mild cheese than Nebraska, and I think the arrangements are most of it. But this album is really a triumph, even if it isn't perfect. Acquiring a taste for Springsteen wasn't exactly on the schedule today, but this is just too good. I'm dishing out a very strong 4.

Springsteen the moody years

enjoyed it meer dan ik van te voren had verwacht

I feel like Bruce has some better albums. It is ok and has a couple of really good songs.

The Boss has some positives and negatives in albums but this one is one of his better ones

Like most of his stuff, it's really, really good, love the instrumentation, the lyrics, the stories. However, his voice does kinda hold it back. There is a lot of energy on this album which is always a plus.

still not a fan of his vocals, but enjoyed this more than other Springsteen albums on here. enjoyed lyrics and stories more. 3.5 stars

A slower than usual offering from Springsteen. The piano is thrown into the limelight as the key driver and harmonic backbone of the tracks. The Boss' vocals seem more wistful and hopeful. Best Tracks: - Badlands - Something In The Night - Streets Of Fire Worst Tracks: - Factory Rating: 8/10

Simply not a fan of his voice, wasnt particularly fond of any of the songs on the album either. If I had to pick one it'd be Adam Raised a Cain. Only not giving it 1 star as I don't think itd be fair just cause I'm not a fan of his voice :p

songs used to be so long, which is nice, but it makes it hard for me to get through them the first time 😝 nothing stood out, but I understand why people would like it.

Struggled to get past track 3 without wanting to kill myself! Guitar was good though.

Aside from Clarence on sax and Max on drums, this is a pretty tedious Bruce Springsteen album. And what's with the marbles in his mouth while singing? We get it, you read Grapes of Wrath. Let's not lose our minds over it. Don't over think it. The only two of his albums that belong on here are Born to Run and Born in the U.S.A. Basically, until Bruce puts the word "Born" in another album title, just leave the other albums off.

I’ve never gone out of my way to listen to a Springsteen album before but this is definitely not as bad I thought it would be, though it’s just not fully my cup of tea. A little too cheesy, a little too American. 3 of the 10 songs were good but most didn’t leave too much of an impression. Big ups “Adam Raised a Cain”, that slapped.

hated this, only made it through 3 songs

not my kind of music, sorry Mr Springsteen.

I like it so far 3

I haven't heard much of Bruce Springsteen before and I really enjoyed the album. It has some very memorable and catchy moments and I kept dancing to the music. It was a great listen and have added to my library.

One of my favourites. The Promised Land is the best song Bruce ever wrote.

A couple of good songs, kept avoiding listening. Nowhere near as good as Born in USA.

Too slow and lyrics were hard to understand. Sarah, Katie W., and I listened to this album driving from Leavenworth to Ellensburg.

3.5 stars

Some good songs , some I'm less fond of. Like any other album Good mix of songs

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

Never heard this one before So I listened many times I like two or three song but in general I didn't connect to the whole album the passing and some of the lyrics threw me off but his voice is heavenly and in general it was ok.

Didn’t resonate with me:/

I really did not care for this. I've liked other Bruce things but this one bored me to tears

Several good tracks with nice, simple grooves and rich instrumentals.

not my favorite bruce but verrryy good

Bruce at his grimiest. Oscillating between badass and sensitive

IMO the best Springsteen record. Can be a hard listen but all great songs. Used to listen to "Prove it all Night" before every wrestling meet

Never listened to a full album of Springsteen until now - I enjoyed it more if I read the lyrics alongside, but didn’t groove with it as much as I wish I could

When I saw the picture I said, 'That's the guy in the songs.' I wanted the part of me that's still that guy to be on the cover. Frank stripped away all your celebrity and left you with your essence. That's what that record was about.

Frågan är om nån vit man nånsin varit snyggare än vad Springsteen är på omslaget på "Darkness..."? Det skulle vara han själv då på inner sleeven på "The River", men nä inte lika up in your face som här. Lite hårdare, lite mörkare, lite kantigare än Born to run skivan och för mig blir det lite bättre så. "Racing in the streets" gör mig alltid fuktig i ögonvrån och “Something in the night" brottar ner mig i brygga. Det är två av mina topp fem Springsteenlåtar. Om låtar kan vara underskattade i Bruces katalog så är titelspåret, "Factory" och "Candi's room" det. Dom är alla alldeles utmärkta albumspår som bidrar stort till helheten. Jag har möjligen lite svårare för muskelkraften i "Adam raised a Cain" och den inte lika engagerande "Streets of fire". Det finns förstås många artister som kommer mer till sin rätt live. Bruce intar ändå nån slags särställning här. Kanske för att jag sett honom live så många gånger och att det finns så många liveinspelningar upptagna, både officiella och bootlegs. Den laddning som det finns i livemonster som "Badlands", "Prove it all night" och "Promised land" går inte att skapa i en studio och få ner på ett regelrätt album. Det är klart att det är jättebra låtar alla tre, men dom når inte den potential man vet att dom har inne i sig. Det finns säkert femtio versioner av var och en av dem som är bättre än dom versioner som är på albumet. När Bruce 2002 midssommardagen, andra kvällen av två på Ullevi, är det med öppningen "Promised land" han visar att det här inte kommer bli en vanlig kväll, han laddar den till tänderna. Har du hört "Prove it all night" från No nukes-konserten 1979 känns det som nån drar undan mattan under dina fötter. Och attacken live i "Badlands" som sitter som en knytknäve rakt i bröstet VARJE kväll. Hur ska albumversionerna kunna matcha det? Det är naturligtvis inte möjligt. Särskilt inte när "Darkness..." också lider av 70talsrockens produktion. Det är ju inte på långa vägar lika illa som hos t.ex. Zeppelin eller Queen, men även här har jag invändningar. Det är som en filt ligger över alltihop, murrigt, grötigt och samtidigt för stort och uppsvält på samma gång. Det är så mycket känsla som går förlorad, blås in lite luft, separera ljudet. Det går ju! Jag är störande som sjutton. Chics skivor lät utmärkt vid samma tid, Bowies Berlinskivor också. Det är några konservativa rockgubbar som har fått för sig nåt (Landau, skivbolaget?), att så här ska rock låta. Två år senare på "The River" har dom fattat, den låter milsvid bättre produktionsmässigt, men då är 70talet slut också. Den kunde varit så mycket bättre men det är ändå en svag svag fyra

När Bruce sjunger ”… somebody’s gonna get hurt tonight” i sista versen på The Factory slår Max Weinberg två dova slag på cymbalen, som understryker ödesmättnaden i textraden. Hela låten i övrigt ligger han konsekvent på hi-hat, bastrumma och virvel utan ett enda fill. Nästan håglöst monotont, som fabriksarbetarna när de går ut genom grindarna. De där två markerade cymbalslagen på precis rätta stället - de ger gåshud varje gång. Ren perfektion. Inget sker av en slump på den här skivan. Jämför med det lösare så-mycket-som-möjligt-på-samma-gång-soundet på Born to run. Racing in the streets, Badlands och The promised land är också några av bossens bästa låtar någonsin.

Bossens album från debuten med Asbury park till den vuxna Tunnel of love håller alla högsta klass. Darkness är definitivt inget undantag. Precis som titeln anger finns det något mörkt och frustrerande över plattan. En känsla av att stå och stampa utan att komma vidare (då pratar vi förstås temat för låtarna inte själva musiken). Löneslavens hopplöshet har väl aldrig uttryckts bättre än i Promised land, ”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” Och detta av en man som knappt haft ett ”riktigt” jobb under hela sitt liv. Sen är det ju det där med hopplösheten. I allt det mörka finns det alltid ett hopp, en längtan bort, eller de där små detaljerna som håller oss vid liv. Racing in the streets är förstås ett utmärkt exempel på detta. Inte en dålig låt brukar det ju heta. Här är det snarare knappt ett spår som inte i sig är ett mästerverk. Femman är solklar.

Vad finns det att säga om Springsteen som inte redan är sagt. Ett väldigt bra album.

EXCELLENCE 4.4/5

Not my favorite from Bruce

Not mad keen on this but wouldn't want to join Trump in calling Bruce Springsteen overrated. Just not my thing. So don't know if there are other Springsteen albums I would find better than this one but I suspect not :/

I imagine people cite the lyrics of this album as one of its main strengths. They're distinctly American and must really resonate with people over there. They don't do much for me though, neither do Springsteen's vocals, and the actual music itself is pretty plain. Not bad, nice enough, but it's not for me. Maybe it will grow on me?

I've always wondered how someone with a singing voice as unpleasant and unintelligible as Bruce Springsteen's could become so popular, but after listening to this album I have to admit that my opinion of him has improved a bit. Specifically, on the tracks "Adam Raised a Cain" and "Streets of Fire", the way he fully leans into the rawness of his voice works surprisingly well, something I didn't think was possible. These tracks also fix the issue of Springsteen's unintelligible singing style by making half the lyrics just the song title. While this album did surpass my expectations, I don't think it's good. The ballads are still awful, and it's almost comical how bad Springsteen sounds on them.

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.

Not my type, but very good musicians, singing and all songs are good.

I hope Bruce sees this and he comes and gunvites me to a concert

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.

I like this enough. It wasn’t anything I’d repeat again. A passable grade nonetheless

Definitely a top 3 Springsteen album, has been for a while. Always love getting a chance to dive into his music!

I hadn't really liked the stuff I'd previously heard from Springsteen, so this album was a pleasant surprise for me. I found it to contain well-written lyrics about love, loss, and American life. Springsteen's vocals aren't as grating as I remembered(the main reason I disliked him), and the E Street Band is very solid musically. The saxophone is mostly gone from the album(another thing I disliked about Springsteen), which is always a boon. The songwriting here is excellent, with great lyrics and musical quality.

Veldig Springsteen, veldig fan.

My fave Springsteen album so far

I first heard this when I started listening to these albums - I've listened to it hundreds of times since. So good

Springsteenesque Springsteen album. Good Springsteen songs about the usual Springsteen subjects. Production and arrangement is too Springsteeny too many pianos and saxs and crescendos. Vocals are mostly Mumblespringteen which is a plus but on Adam Raised A Cain he belts it out for a bit of contrast. There are much better Springsteen albums and much worse Springsteen albums but ultimately this remains unapologetically a Springsteen album.

It's ok, I guess. But I'm not from Jersey.

First song could be a Raffi song. Is Springsteen the source of Eddie Vedder "I'm constipated" while I'm singing vocal styling? 2nd song: love how it kick in, this may be my fav song of the album, though I wish the recording of the drums sucked less. And this has a bit more of a talking screaming, a la Waits, vs the constipated Vedder, which I like better on Springsteen. 3rd song: more Raffi? yeah, no. "I just relieved my constipation" Springsteen and a piano are not it. And my god, who recorded that snare drum, awful. I don't have time for a full 2nd listen, but I'm close to rating this a 2, but just can't because I'm sure if I listen to it a few times, some of it will grow on me. And it's not as bad as 50 Cent, which I will forever regret no giving 1 to.

Did not affect my unshakable notion that part of The Boss' thing is just groaning into the mic. Witness the opening moan-crooning on Something in the Night. Eventually he starts singing words, but he seems uncommitted. Sexy? Sloshed? We may never know. Nonetheless, it's pretty cool to consider his unwavering arc from poet of the American everyman to labour-songwriter-laureate. Someday I will dress as well as Bruce does in his 70s.

Not my jam but I can't give it a 2 because despite the music seeming maudlin at times, it's sincere. It never sounds corny or cheesy. It's alpha male emo in the best possible way. nothing toxic. way to walk that fine line Bruce. carry on.

This feels like Springsteen at his Springsteeniest, which is a good thing. I don't know this album particularly well, but it's great. That's it. That's the review.

I didn’t pay much attention to the Boss in my youth. Just wasn’t my scene and I sneered at anyone who was a fan. I missed out, some greet song craft here. He’s dark and cynical and if I’d bothered to listen I would have realized.

Ok at best…

It was ight

Til someday

Bon album de Springsteen! Une belle découverte.

Solid throughout. Nothing that necessarily WOWED me but definitely is a good album to get someone who has never listened to Springsteen to start with in my opinion.

Springsteen er ikke bra. Grusom stemme. Musikken ellers er helt ok

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Not a Springsteen fan but I've always dug this one.

Just not for me. Men litt bedre enn det forrige.

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.

Didn't really like this one. 2 stars

Not for me. Very Bruce Springsteeny.

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

Not a fan of the Boss: too melodramatic for me

Springsteen’s penchant for nostalgic melodies and arrangements has always been a tough sell for me, but Darkness is one of the few albums that regularly features if not melodies, instrumentation that pushes against the E-Street trappings. It’s also maybe the first album where he is Springsteen, story teller, bard of the common man. It was there before, but still had the sense of autobiography, like he was playing the character in the songs and vice versa. Here, as with the rest of his career (plus or minus a Tunnel of Love), it’s song as short story, the drama heightened, portrayed, and *felt* by Springsteen and the band. It’s a bit of a toss-up between this and Born to Run for me an pre-megastardom Boss, but I’ll always favour the quieter material over the bombast and melodrama.

gueno, pero no es mi tipo de musica

good i think

This is music from a very certain time and place, and I won't repeat all the Springsteen cliches about powerfully expressing working class dreams and all that - there's energy, cynicism and heart in spades across this record. That said, it loses some punch as it carries on and Prove It All Night cannot hold a fucking candle to Because The Night! Favourite tracks: Adam Raised A Cain, Racing In The Streets, Factory

Rather than feeling like a document of the time, this album still feels alive. Great storytelling and the sound of a band that all lift each other up to be better.

Such an incredible follow-up to something that probably felt impossible to each or surpass. Perfection.

This album keeps it real, channeling raw emotion and the grind of daily life. Springsteen paints the working man’s fight to hang on—pushing through disappointment, reaching for small moments of joy. It feels like the characters are waking up to the seriousness of adulthood but choosing to persevere, even when the world feels stacked against them. The music is stripped down but powerful, perfectly matching Springsteen’s gritty voice.

I don't listen to much Bruce but I know him. Good stuff. not for me though. Never really attached to Bruce. I like a couple tracks but wouldn't be able to listen to him for an extending period. Wouldn't mind

Great album. This is what I was expecting the first time Bruce appeared on the list. Nice rock songs, emotive ballads, piano, trumpets.. the whole deal. 4/5.

Don't like this

I admittedly don't listen to The Boss that much, but he kind of sounds like Elvis in this album sometimes

Second favorite Springsteen album. An outstanding collection of melodies. Favorite track: Badlands

Boring

A great Bruce album!

Great record all the way through. Except for Factory, that song sucks—just the definition of filler.

Incredible

Excellent bruce

Another one of my all time favorites. Great album from beginning to end, and incredible follow up to Born to Run. Highlights: "Something in the Night", "Racing in the Street", "Prove it All Night" and "Darkness on the Edge of Town"

The big Bruce, when he was young. Badlands is fine!

I liked “Born In The USA” much better than this album. Bruce really mumbled his lyrics and it was really hard to understand him. When I could understand him, the lyrics were really depressing. The only song I liked was “Candy’s Room”. Max Weinberg’s drums coupled with Roy Brittan’s piano made this song sound epic.

Springy as hell. But honestly, I see the appeal. This dude feels like home from the first note out of his mouth. Like American pie and the Apple dream. He's like the coolest dude in your highschool but he grew up to fulfill the prophecy set out by his hometown. Beautifully tortured album and guy. Streets of Fire has me wondering if that's what Cameron Winter is modeling his whole identity on.

For me, this is peak Bruce. His best set of songs, top notch E Street Band performances, and overall a more raw and real sound than Born To Run, which is great but you can hear how much he slaved over it to achieve “perfection”. No more Dylan pretensions, no white boy Motown, and the Bruceisms that kind of became part of the act in later years were all for real here. Bruce is certainly not for everyone and that’s fine. But if you asked me what you should hear to get why people love this guy so much, this album would be the first recommendation every time

Something different for me which I enjoyed. Tracks had variety and painted a great story of working class Americana

Idk man, I know he's iconic and everything, but this was pretty meh. However I did like Adam raised a Cain and Promised Land, a few other decent songs in there. I can just really feel how good he *thinks* he is at this and it ruins it for me.

I've never really understood the hype around Bruce. Maybe it's just not for me, but it seems indistinguishable from anything you'd hear on a classic rock station or playlist.

Good listen. Soulful songs about a way of life that doesn’t seem like it exists anymore.

Some people love the Boss, but he just doesn't hit the list of thr greats for me. He does have some great guitar lines though. I think I just struggle through his mumble

Maybe my fav Bruce. Adam Raised a Cain is a highlight

Great sound and lyrics.

I didn’t expect to like any of this, but this was pretty good. Not too much of anything. Really balanced and authentic. Definitive Bruce.

This has been my favorite Springsteen album for a long time. They first side is ok. Starts with Badlands, which is good, and is pretty mid otherwise. Side 2 is 5 stars on its own. The Promised Land, Factory, and Prove It All Night are all really great songs. Not a big Springsteen fan, but this album was really good.

No, DO shoot the piano player. Bruce would be so much better if this tinkling motherfucker would step away. So annoying. And maybe take the sax with you, while you're at it. Cease and desist! Maybe modern technology can remove them for me and then I can actually give the boss a fair listen.

This is #4 of 5 Boss albums so far, so nearly there now. And while I would argue that both this album and "The Rising" could very easily be eliminated from the collection without any Springsteen withdrawal symptoms, I also found that I enjoyed this album more than "The Rising". It starts off strong with both "Badlands" and "Adam raised a Cain", but then kind of wanders around after that for much of the rest of the album, with only a few embarrassing moments (like "Something in the night" or "Prove it all night") and a few flashes of insight (parts of "Racing in the street" and "Streets of fire"). I do wish there was more variety across the album, though; too many tracks sounded kind of interchangeable, at least musically. It's nice to get a Springsteen album, though, that has the E Street Band fully participating (unlike "Nebraska"), yet without overwhelming the senses and sensibility (e.g. "Born to Run"). I'm not really sure I'll ever be a big fan of his sound and songs, though, and I found Christgau's critique very apt of the unevenness of the album: he wasn't sure whether Springsteen was "an important minor artist or a very flawed and inconsistent major one". I'm not sure either, but you have to admire his ability to endure and adapt across these many decades.

I was 13 when this came out and I checked it out repeatedly from the library. I don't think I've listened to it since then... what a masterpiece--flawed, a little overwrought--but still each song a variation on a theme while being, for the most part, a great song.

'Baby, I got my facts learned real good right now.' Bruce's heaviest record, not lyrically - that'd be Nebraska - but musically, that is, in terms of what it means for the heartland hero to rock out. 'Adam Raised a Cain' features his most impressively hard-hitting guitar playing, while a track like 'Something in the Night' boasts that distant wail we know from 'Jungleland' tho w/ even more desperation. I know it's in the title, but the truth is that this where the Boss doesn't just learn how to be darker - he let's that darkness speak for itself: 'Now some guys, they give up living / And start dying little by little, piece by piece'; 'End of the day, factory whistle cries / Men walk thru these gates w/ death in their eyes.' No writer of America can ignore that for long.

Listenable with that distinctive voice but not a great fan.

Standouts Badlands Adam Raised a Cain Racing in the Street Prove it All Night

Fun album, great melodies, solid compositions, think the man might be tone deaf. At least in Streets of Fire he's trying to sing Favorite tracks: Something in the Night, Candy's Room, The Promise Land

Following in the wake of Born to Run, which I would argue is Springsteen's greatest album, Darkness on the Edge of Town feels like the angsty twin in a lot of ways. So much of Springsteen's best work explores how people find meaning in difficult circumstances, where a previously good life, or the hope of one in the future, has disappeared. Do you try to escape to something better, do you accept your lot in life, or do you fight? If Born to Run dealt with an attempt to escape to a better life or die trying, Darkness on the Edge of Town was Springsteen’s first extended look at the other two possibilities. While the youthful exuberance of Rosalita and hope laced throughout Born to Run are still here in glimpses (e.g. Badlands and Prove It All Night), it is disappearing, replaced by darker, angrier themes. No song better exemplifies this comparison than Racing in the Street, the story of a young man who races to escape the suffocating drudgery of everyday life, inflicting pain on those around him. What first comes off as youthful rebellion is exposed as avoidance of responsibility once the narrator reveals the story of his girlfriend/wife in the final verse. The car in Born to Run served as Springsteen's universal symbol of freedom and the chance of a better life, but here it is transformed into just another vice trapping the characters in their place. Part of what makes this album so effective is how Springsteen is able to seamlessly blend the personal and societal. In some cases, like Factory, the personal stories he tells have explicitly political implications. But in others, like the title track, he takes the personal and draws universal conclusions. Does the "darkness" Springsteen refers to indicate the personal hardship referenced in the song, the failures of the nation to take care of the working class in the time of stagflation, or a spiritual or moral darkness that is creeping into the narrator's soul? In a way, it could be any of them depending on your focus. Musically, this is a great album but not perfect in the way that Born to Run is. Something in the Night and Streets of Fire, in particular, are plodding and overdrawn, and are the closest things to misses he has in a 5-album run. Vocally, Springsteen is as emotive as ever, but at times his grunts and moans border on unintelligible. At the same time, we don't hit the same peak that we reach on Born to Run. But to get caught up on the fact that the album regresses slightly in the music being played would be to miss the emotional power that shines through at so many points.

There is more than enough Springsteen on this list to make this entry an unnecessary one. These songs are just as good as they are on any of his other records. The E Street Band is in fine form, as usual. The themes explored are as personal as they are universal, just like every other Springsteen album. I'm gonna switch this one out and replace it with The Hold Steady's Springsteen-esque "Separation Sunday".

The Boss is the boss

Pomo on pomo. Pitäisi kuunnella enemmänkin. Helppo 4/5.

Not new to me but classic all the same

Ei kriibi kõrva, aga Bruce Springsteenil on ikka palju paremat kraami olnud. Ma ütleksin, et see plaat on vaid väike "koma" tema tugevamate albumite vahel.

Meh

- Den Bruce kan wel zingen maar toch niet grote fan - 0 nummers toegevoegd aan MMMM - 0 nummer al toegevoegd aan MMMM

3.5

This is not my favorite Springsteen album. Badlands is the hit and I don't love it. Racing in the Street is the best song on the album so far. The back half of the album is much better than the first half. Ends up being a decent, if uneven, album.

Never been a fan of Springsteen’s voice, and the instrumentals can be predictable and boring. Streets of Fire surprised me, I was into the heavy, resisting beat with a nice guitar solo. Rest of the album was fine just not my choice in sound.

ganz gut

Great stuff 4.5

Later

Badlands // Adam Raised a Cain // Something in the Night // Racing in the Street // The Promised Land //

Where the desire to break free begins to collapse into the void that necessitates the escape

Best Springsteen album, maybe. This does work better for me that many of his other albums and give a glimpse of his enduring appeal which is baffling to many. Definitely a must listen.

If you think the saxophone solos are unnecessary you need to seek professional help

1978 Bruce Springsteen and 2025 Bruce Springsteen are very different people. The '78 version seemed to be in need of some good snuggle time with the friendly animal of his choice. I've been snuggling with a six month old kitten, and she does wonders for my mood. Anyway, this Bruce doesn't sound like he was in the best place mentally. The listening was a challenge! But then: kitten snuggles, all better. Challenging listens aren't bad. I'm not adding this to my regular rotation by any means, but it was definitely a worthwhile experience.

4 - Not a BS fan. Recognize this for what it is.

Some hits; some slow mumbles.

No geral eu não costumo ser um grande fã de piano rock – até por isso nunca tive muito apreço pela carreira do Elton John (escrevendo isso tendo a certeza de que algum álbum dele vai aparecer por aqui eventualmente e a expectativa de que minhas opiniões mudem até lá. Um indicativo do quanto Darkness on the Edge of Town é bom é o fato de até eu, que não sou muito do estilo, ter gostado dele. As guitarras, os saxofones e as gaitas são de arrepiar até o último em várias faixas. Tenho certeza que, em próximas audições e acompanhando as letras, vou gostar ainda mais.

Some catchy tunes, but still not aboard the Bruce Springsteen train..

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

would probably have rewired my brain if i had heard it after a shift at long john silvers. Racing in the Street is an all timer deserves to be one of the 1001? 5 Springsteen albums is a bit much, but this is a pretty good one nonetheless. sure

Not the best of the best but some real bangers on this one!

Apart from the odd track, I was never really a fan of Bruce Springsteen and this album doesn't change my opinion.

I get it but I don’t care

My third Springsteen album from the list, and as they go on, they get worse for me. I quite liked Born to Run, although it didn't really change my mind on being lukewarm on Springsteen. Never was a fan of Springsteen's music, much prefer Bob Seger as far as Americana/Heartland Rock goes. But couldn't deny how good the record was, and gave that a four. Biggest issue was Springsteen's vocals on some tracks just not being great, but it wasn't a huge issue. For Born in the USA, still a solid record, if a little too poppy for me, giving it a 3. However, this album basically has everything I dislike about Springsteen. The terrible vocals (Almost through the entire album. Sounds like he has cotton in his mouth, or he recorded his vocals immediately after getting dental work done and his mouth is still numb. Just awful singing), the jangly piano. This is going to sound weird/stupid as hell but there's a femininity to his music that I just don't like. The music just does not have the masculine grit I want from this type of music that a Bob Seger seems to have. Which is weird because I usually have the opposite problem with bands. If something's too meathead masculine, I hate it. But anyways, yeah. Perhaps it's just hitting me at the wrong time, but I did not like this record and it's just a perfect storm of everything I don't like from Springsteen. Hopefully Nebraska hits better, with what I understand, a more stripped down, darker vibe. But honestly Springsteen doesn't need five albums. I'd cut two of them, and if it were up to me, I'd start with this one personally.

I’m not usually one for Springsteen, but this album is great.

I like Born to Run better. This feels like one long song.

I can certainly understand why critics love it, it's kind of an "anti-Springsteen" Springsteen record. That doing it for the sake of art and whatever. There are some great songs on here like "Badlands," "Candy's Room" and "Racing In The Street". The rest of the record doesn't do much for me at all. It's ok.

In my opinion, the best album Springsteen put out. I wore out this cassette at the time

I'm not that big of a fan of Bruce Springsteen. I also understand that by not heaping one million bits of praise upon him might make some of my fellow Americans come after me. Bruce Springsteen falls into the same group so much of this does. Not for me but not something that I would change the radio station if the music came on.

One of Bruce’s best and part of his prolific run of albums. Some beautifully raw songs on this record with ‘Racing In The Street’ being personal highlight, along with ‘Darkness…’. Epic!

I gotta admit, I don’t get it. I had heard about this album and was so ready to enjoy it (I don’t know Bruce’s discography much) but found this underwhelming. There’s some good storytelling, but that’s about it? I didn’t find it very exceptional, mostly just…inoffensive. Maybe in other circumstances I’d rate this a 3 and I’m just reacting to high expectations. I don’t know, but each time I relisten to bits of it I’m less enthusiastic. The piano riff on “Something in the Night” reminded me of Candi Staton’s “Young Hearts Run Free,” which just made me realize I’d rather be listening to that.

Started enjoying it at “The Promised Land”. Sounds like a Zevon song. And then I listen to “Factory” and realize it’s not. It’s a Springsteen song. Good songwriting here. He’s got a unique style. Personally I don’t care for his slurred singing. It takes a lot of the magic away for me. This is my first listen of any Springsteen album and I look forward to hearing what all the hype is about. 3.4 stars, rounded down to 3.

Look, I love the Boss. Do I want to give this a 5? Yeah. But there's a few songs that I don't really care for and some of my favorite songs of all time.

Enjoy this album.

eh

I have a lot of personal admiration for Springsteen. As someone who loves punk music and ethics, I've always appreciated Springsteen's focus on working class life. His heartland aesthetic is something I really have wanted to enjoy, but he's also someone who has never featured in my musical listening. The anthemic rock that he puts out has never really been my cup of tea. Still, this is the second Springsteen album I've gotten on this project. Both of them within the first two weeks of listening. I've really tried to go in open-minded with him, and its starting to click. I've given Born to Run a few play-throughs since I got it last week. What started with an "eh not for me" is becoming more compelling on further listens. With Darkness on the Edge of Town it's clicked into place more easily. I think this album feels a little more stripped down. It's got a darkness to it that Born to Run didn't quite have. Heaps of religious imagery, some slower ballads as well. Springsteen is also harnessing his vocals a little more here. Less belting out the chorus full-tilt. As a result he's more dynamic. The soulfulness is on full display. I still don't think it's quite a five for me, but hats of to The Boss, and to this project. This was the whole point, exploring artists you've missed out on and never quite given their time. The guy is great and I'm going to keep listening to this one as well.

Bruce is a great songwriter, and this is a very solid collection of songs.

If you know Ligabue, this album will show you his origin story. By the way, Racing in the street is a masterpiece. Enjoyable album overall, I'm just not a die hard Springsteen fan

Bruce is not a good guy. -1 star.

4/8

I hate the E Street Band with a passion

3.5. Solid.

Bueno

Grave sympa, je savais pas que le policier de taxi faisait du chant

Of the Bruce Springsteen albums I've heard, this was one of the better ones. Fully deserving of 2 stars for not being quite as awful as some of the others I've heard. The music isn't actually that bad, it's the mumble vocals that kill it for me.

3-4

Decent album with some great songs. Badlands in my top 5 springsteen songs. Cannot fault any of the songs. It was a great listen. 4 stars Listened to it a second time and add a lot more notable songs. This listen i was a lot more focused and it really is a well structured and produced album. It is very close to a 5. 4.5 stars

Purdy good

The boss is king 4.5/5

Springsteen writes good songs, but sings like a drunk in the corner of a pub. The slurred, shouty vocals are really off putting to me

Young Bruce still plays most of these songs live. What a beautiful album again.

Hello Bruce, my old friend. This is your third appearance on my list and I don't think I'm going to get anything further out of the experience of listening to you. Adam Raised a Cain was pretty intolerable, otherwise I mostly found this boring.

my NJ icon favorite song from the album: Streets of Fire

Smiling right now. A 5 star album. One of his best.

3.0 - Ok

I don't like Darkness on the Edge of Town as much as Born to Run, but man it's close. The production always seemed a little harder to me, a bit more in your face, perhaps not surprising given that Springsteen had been stalled for three years due to contractual rows about production and producers. It opens with "Badlands", intense and angry, straight into "Adam Raised A Cain" and the intensity continues. The wall of sound, Spector inspired arrangements from BTR are gone, replaced by a simplified, driving urgency, a heavier, rockier E-Street Band. "Candy's Room" is stunning as is "Racing In the Street", a contender for Springsteen's best song, incredibly moving, the emotions complex, the narrator's possibly self-delusion that he can escape the quiet desperation of his, and particularly, his 'Baby's' lives, she hating herself 'for just being born' - I never tire of listening to it. The underlying anguish, tempered by a stubborn refusal to give up, continues through side two, through "The Promised Land", "Factory", "Streets of Fire" and "Prove It All Night" and the theme of the album is summed up in the closing, title track. "Darkness on the Edge of Town" seems to be a further chapter in the story of the couple from "Racing in the Street" (and perhaps from "Thunder Road" and "Born to Run"). The record has lost none of its power in the forty plus years since its release. It cemented Bruce Springsteen's position as the champion of the blue-collar worker and, looking on from the outside, perhaps those very people should be listening to The Boss rather that to the lies of the would be King...

En arbetare har matlåda och går till sin fabrik.

Adam Raised a Cain rocks very hard, good song! Streets of Fire is a cool ballad but the keyboards made me smile. Overall a bit boring but better than expected.

I didn’t expect to enjoy this album. After hearing “Badlands,” I thought the whole album was going to be full of poppier almost 80s style songs but then “Adam Raised a Cain” hit and damn I loved that one. That gritty, bluesy aggression is much more my style. The organ work, the vocals delivery is raw and emotional, very soulful, it reminds me of certain ‘70s bands. This album is versatile it shifts from pop driven tracks to a majority of ballads that add that blues-rock dynamic. The harder bluesy rock songs are definitely my favourites. Even the ballads have weight though, his voice has a rasp and grunt that makes them feel powerful. “Candy’s Room” has an immense build up. It starts slow, almost teases you, then climaxes and explodes into something very intense. Really unique structure for a song. Lyrically most of it centers around blue collar struggle, heartbreak, and defiance, feels very human without pretentiousness. He constantly references cars, romance, and specific women which felt a bit repetitive at times but it still works because it’s relatable and easy to imagine, also because they are easy to understand without being too simple. Production wise, the organ, the piano flourishes, the subtle guitar tone, the saxophone, rich without being overproduced. Overall, this feels like a complete and well rounded album, soulful, gritty, and dynamic.

Bruce can be a bit MUCH sometimes

meh

Springsteen is ok. I've enjoyed his major hits, but his other music does not move me. ★★★

Better than I expected not being a huge Bruce fan. Solid, energetic rock. I can see why people like him so much

not so mine...

Bruuuuuce love this man. I remember my friend Barbara Okeefe's big sister had the record, we were in 5th grade : ) His music has always been part of the cultural fabric of our upbringing, our Dad loved him - saw him 4 times in a row once while he was doing 10nights at the Brendan Byrne arena. His sound is authentic, real, such a good storyteller. Heartfelt beautiful album

Love the intensity and grit. Badlands is just badass. Love the harmony that Little Stevie adds. That quintessential E street Jersey sound.

Ive never been much of a fan. I always preferred something grittier. This album feels all American circa the 80’s. Tapping into something hopeful and nostalgic.

Like the sound of a '57 Chevy revving its engine and then roaring down the open road.

Classic Bruce Springsteen style, I loved listening to it twice in a row, easier to listen to than Nebraska. It just falls short of five stars by lack of enough hits. 4.3 stars

Mostly ehh to bad for me. Did enjoy "Adam Raised A Cain" and "The Promised Land" though.

Very good. His act is fully formed even at this early stage.

Ga meg ingenting

I’ve never been a big Bruce fan but can recognize his influence for sure.

The BOSS is the best. Full stop. Him, Bob Dylan, and Jason Isbell are the greatest lyricists I think ever existed. No one call tell a story like those three.

Background music, really. Not much more to be said.

I don’t think I have heard this album by the Boss before, I enjoyed it

I enjoy reading reviews where they call this dad music. I was around 20 years old when this came out and at that time it was revolutionary and a relief from disco that dominated the 70s. Yes I am a dad but I wasn’t then. So it’s not really dad music any more than the Rolling Stones or the Smiths are dad music. This is not my favorite album of his, but Racing in the Streets is a favorite.

Had never really listened to this beyond Badlands. Glad I finally did.

I never listened to Springsteen, as I had a preconceived idea that I might I find it boring. I liked to be wrong on these ideas, but this album was boring with some better tracks.

Appreciate the artist. Never really got into Bruce

I was reading one of the reviews on here and there was a person talking about Jersey. I live a state across in Philly and was reading about how much the state has to offer. I never really thought about it but Jersey is not bad at all. Listening to people like Springsteen make Jersey seem amazing compared to other states that are hyped up around the USA. He always spoke for us Northeastern USA folk and an album like this really shows that as well. It's weird saying that because a lot of the album sounds like it should've been made by an artist from the Midwest but honestly, Jersey is a weird but underrated state that crosses so much when it comes to culture. With it being a stones throw away from NYC, Philly, the shore, the mountains, farmlands, etc, it sort of represents it all. Great album and a classic from the Boss! Favorite Tracks: Badlands, Adam Raised a Cain, Something in the Night, The Promised Land, Prove It All Night, Darkness On the Edge of Town Rating: 5/5

Bruce! 😃 I quote this as one of my favourite albums but there are a few tracks that do the heavy lifting so im gonna try and be objective. Had it playing in my car all day as God intended. Haven't been that far though so im listening in full now. Badlands is THE opening track for when you change cds at the start of your 3.5 minute commute through the boring fucking town you grew up in to a job that you intend not to be doing in 6 months. Okay listening properly and not just skipping to promised land so I can scream it in my car on the way home from work.... all these songs are good. I sometimes think I dont like adam raised a cain very much but like. It's good and its a perfectly placed heavier track and I do actually like it. Candy's Room is so good. Love that driving rhythm. I don't need to tell you about racing in the street. Actually listening to promised land without Yelling along... its so. It's quintessential springsteen actually right. Im a working guy I've gotta get out of this town im driving my car Clarence Clemons Sax Solo harmonica breakdown. Banger. Fundamental. I'm not a guitar solo guy so when I say: the mf guitar solo on Prove It All Night aughsgsgsgs. I love this song. Ahhhh the title track pulls it all together so nicely at the end i love this album I love bruce springsteen. Trying to critique it just made me appreciate the sum of its parts even more.

- I like Something in the Night - I think this was a pretty good/neutral 1st album to get - I don't see myself listening to it again - It is very easy to digest but I would give it a 2 out of 5 stars or like 5/10

If you‘re looking for Dad Rock, this is for you! Fav: Something in the Night

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.

My favorite from the boss

This is more the Springsteen I thought of before that never really caught my ear. Unoffensive but kinda one note and not as interesting as the other albums

I keep trying with Bruce and keep coming up with the same answer: his music is not for me.

Good music but I can really only handle Bruce's voice in small doses. I guess that makes me not a Springsteen fan. I like this era more than the radio-popular 1980s Springsteen. 4⭐️

My all time favourite album

There is a reason I left Bruce for last: I don't think he's very good. That said, this album wasn't all bad. Agree with Kev that Adam Raised a Cain is a jam. But so much of the rest is kind of boring and predictable to me. A solid meh / 5.

I have to say that this may have been my favorite Bruce album that we have had. Still really don't care for his voice at all. What I do enjoy is the overall energy of the album with the piano, organ, and occasional sax. I can definitely see how he translates well to a live setting. This album would be a 4 when comparing to other Springsteen albums, but I think it'll have to settle for a high 3 because I am comparing it to all other albums.

Pretty much the most generic sounding rock imaginable on this album. Not sure if something just doesn't click with me for some of Bruce's albums but it has been really weird that I have given 2 of them a 4 and 2 of them a 2. Wonder if there were just albums where he just absolutely mailed it in for the payday.

Still not a Bruce fan after all these albums. Adam Raised a Cane is a jam. Loving this. aaaaaand then back to boring with Something In the Night. Nothing blew me away with this one, per usual.

One of the greatest albums of all time! Emphasis on the “Darkness” 😊

One of his top 3 best albums