Darkness on the Edge of Town

Darkness on the Edge of Town is more than just a great album. It is a cultural touchstone that has inspired generations of musicians and fans alike. The album's themes of hope, determination, and resilience continue to resonate today, making it a timeless classic.

If you don't like Springsteen, listen to musicians like Justin Vernon, Steve Earle and Eddie Vedder talk about his influence on them. Go listen to Arcade Fire's Neon Bible and Suburbs. Or listen to the wordy, dark and complex lyrics of The National. Watch how similar the Foo Fighters live performances are to Bruce's live shows. His impact on music is undeniable, and it's possible you love his music and don't even know it. I'll admit this isn't my favorite album of his, but DAMN it's good!

Very high 4! 4.5/5

A lot of Springsteen sounds the same to me

Seen him multiple times but never listened to this album. Good but not as great as I’d hoped

This took a few listens but it's a strong album. Standouts include Badlands, Adam Raised A Cain, Something In The Night, Prove It All Night, and Darkness On The Edge Of Town.

Absolute classic

Honestly, this was great! Receiving it after all the 1 star albums lately was a massive relief, and almost made me rate it 5 stars. I would still say it's not quite 5 stars as there were several songs that didn't particularly interest me, and I'm not sure if I can see myself listening to it regularly. It's a very high 4, however- probably a 4.5. I've just got to say that, although I found some songs less interesting, the songwriting on here is solid. Everything on here is very well written. The instrumentation is tasteful, and the lyrics are so beautifully haunting and evocative. They delve into the trials of life in a way I'm not sure I've heard anyone do before. The metaphors are unique and intriguing, each song clearly has a lot to dissect and the emotion he describes feels utterly palpable. This is an album about longing, about suffering, about heartbreak, about the struggles that everyday people go through. It's an album about that existential yearning for something greater. About the feelings we try to ignore and push aside because they're too painful to acknowledge. These feelings are the "darkness on the edge of town" referred to in the album title. There were four songs on this album I particularly liked. One of them, "Factory," struck me as particularly resonant about halfway through the song. I was already enjoying it, then I suddenly realised how the whole thing was a metaphor for the lives of everyday people as part of the establishment. And then I loved it even more. Favourite tracks: Something in the Night, Racing in the Street, The Promised Land, Factory

Great album, my favourite. Grittier, more mature reflections on urban/small town America backed up with some marvellous musicianship

A subtle classic, this is probably my favorite Springsteen record because of its melancholic undertones. Any upbeat moments carry anger more than anything else, and demand answers from an unrelenting world. Springsteen is true Americana and he shows a side like no one else really could. Stand out track: The Promised Land

Classic Bruce Springsteen right here. Very cool.

4/5

Badlands Adam Raised a Cain The Promised Land Streets of Fire Prove it All Night Darkness on the Edge of Town

Very somber album. It's great to have singers like Bruce Springsteen because he sings with very frank and direct lyrics usually and it's always obvious what the themes of his songs are.

Amazing album by Bruce.

a few standout tracks, but mostly standard bruce thoroughfare (which is still very good!!!) Favorite Tracks: Badlands, Streets of Fire, Darkness On the Edge of Town 4/5

Super solid album from The Boss.

Bruce is the man!!!

4.75

Solid, if unspectacular. Somehow sounds more like The Killers than The Killers do! A worthy inclusion, but not one I'll be rushing back to. Very hard to settle on a score, but I guess it's better to be generous

-something about bruce springsteens vocie….. so comforting -a lot of his songs and lyrics are So rejuvenating -guitar in second half of badlands is GREAT -adam raised a cain is SO GOOD -like the yelling and intensity of it WORKS -favorites: adam raised a cain -something in the night feels holy -overall loved this album and tbh it almost got 5 stars……

It's really good Bruce, but not elite Bruce.

Own on Vinyl

This album doesn't have as much of the anthemtic, fist-pumping quality of his music before or after this, and that benefits Darkness... greatly; allowing for Springsteen's lyrical and storytelling ability to shine through. Springsteen doesn't mince words or bother with parables and similes, which makes his words all the more relatable to the middling blue-collar worker like you or me. Personal highlight: Something in the Night.

Interesting Bruce record. Exists at a crossroads between Born to Run and The River and stylistically feels like an appropriate inflection point. I'm docking it a little bit because it feels a little worse than both of those records; it lacks the ambition and urgency of Born to Run and the sheer scale and personal reckoning that I feel characterizes the River, but it's obviously still a great batch of songs. Standouts: Badlands, Candy's Room, Racing in the Street, Darkness On the Edge of Town

A powerful, raw and earnest record. Ranging from the gritty Adam Raised a Cain, to desperation on Something in the Night - a personal highlight.

Much better than the last album we rated. I enjoyed this.

Thought I hated Bruce Springsteen but there were actually a lot of good songs on here. Sorry Bruce.

Did I just become a Bruce fan? It’s such a crazy mix of melancholy sadness with Americana rock. Then it throws in some sax and keys. Need to give it a couple more listens to confirm, but I’m looking forward to them!

Pretty good

Strong 7

better than i thought it would be, for sure enjoyed it more than most springsteen I've heard before. This is all that the midwest emo kids used to have

Top Springsteen.

After wading through a bunch of garbage, finally something good to listen to. Good story telling and music.

Some real heat. Great story teller and great tunes

Great album, not as many catchy riffs as born in the USA, but some great singing and songwriting on this track.

"Mister I ain't a boy, no, I'm a man." If I could summarize this album with one line, that would be it. Bruce Springsteen's follow up to 'Born to Run' expands on his themes of disillusionment and unfulfilled promises with added maturity. Bruce Springsteen is one of my favorite artists, but this was my first time listening to this album in its entirety. Where 'Born to Run' has a title track that speaks of an optimistic love, 'Darkness on the Edge of Town' has "Prove It All Night," where the narrator and his love have to make things work between them, just to survive. Springsteen sings with the emotions of a man who had optimism, but now just has himself to rely on, in a world where the down-on-their-luck are left behind, unable to reap the benefits of a society whose collective wealth grows. The lyrics on this album are great, and the instrumentation and stripped down production gives it a much more raw feel than its predecessor.

Not my cup of tea, but a truly beautiful album

Good album, I liked the ballads on it and surprisingly I like Springsteen’s voice on the album.

Very solid album! The only flaw really is the vocals, he kind of just mumbles his way through everything, but the instrumentals throughout the whole album is fantastic. 7/10

Pretty good 70’s rock. The only Bruce Springsteen album I’ve ever completely loved is Nebraska, but this is good. ‘Adam Raised a Cain’ can be a bit grating, though.

4.5/5. Not my favourite record from the Boss but it's part of his fantastic canon from the late 70s to mid 80s, undeniably a classic.

Couldn't possibly say anything negative about the boss. Thoroughly enjoyed this album - hadn't heard much of it before.

Springsteen is always the same -- the really famous stuff is hot trash, but when you listen to the albums they're loaded with unheralded great tunes. This one is a famous album without many famous songs -- most played track on Tidal is his #23 highest. Sure enough, this is a REAL pleasant surprise. I only knew Badlands and the title track. Abel Raised a Cain and Streets of Fire are kickass hard rock.

the boss

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

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

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

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

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

Very Bruce Springsteeny.

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

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

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

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

A much better Bruce album

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

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

LP

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Will listen again.

Listen to this again when you have more time on

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

4 really nice album

Very good.

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

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

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

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

Bruce’s voice is so good

not bad, feeling generous

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

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

8/10 Once a Springy always a Springy

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

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

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

Pretty alright classic rock.

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

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

Didn’t listen

Racing in the Street a classic 👌

pretty good

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

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

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

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

Old Good Bruce Springsteen. Very good album

The Boss

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

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

Sequencia carregada de potência com instrumental de hard rock.

4.5

Enjoyed half the songs

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

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

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

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

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

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

Baita sonzao

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

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

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

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

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

Swag

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

Swag on the Swag

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

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

4.5

Great singer with a social compromise in his songs

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

Frábært albúm. Þessi afmælisböddí er alltaf góður.

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

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

7.5/10

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

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

Thank you for this one. I needed it today. Badlands is one of the best opening tracks I've experienced. What a great way to kick this thing off. Adam Raised a Cain is a driving, blues-based anthem track set on delivering some personal details between him and his father. Then Something in the Night softens things for a moment. The lines "Well you're born with nothing And better off that way Soon as you've got something they send Someone to try and take it away" are obviously about the music industry, but appeal to everything. Candy's Room and Racing in the Street hit a similar theme, a girl or a race is what helps make meaning out of an otherwise meaningless existence. Life is at night. Anyway, this is a solid outing for Springsteen. His style is on full display, his themes are explored with a maturation. Following Born to Run had to be some kind of impossible idea, and it's smart to do something like this.

Another album that sounds pretty good, but doesn't really blow me away either.

Muito country para o meu gosto.

Son classique de Bruce. Album solide

Early Springsteen is a lot edgier than his later work, more raw and honest. Enjoyable and one I would listen to again

Springsteen is yet another in the long list of artists I mostly missed when they were huge in the 70s and 80s. I didn't miss him entirely, though, so I'm somewhat familiar with some of these tracks. I had never listened to this album all the way through before, not by a long shot, and I really like it. It's a bit more raw and gritty rock sounding than I expected. I like the lyrics a lot. I have noted before in my mind that I've liked the lyrics on the handful of Springsteen songs with which I'm familiar. He's an excellent writer. I had worried his voice might annoy me, and sometimes when he's screaming it comes close, but it fits so well with what's going on in the song that it's not too much. And, dang, this whole band plays fantastically well. I never saw them perform live in concert and I have a feeling I would've really enjoyed the shows they did in support of this album.

This album is tight

Good background music

Très bon album que j'aurais jamais écouté de moi-même

More mellow and soft than his more popular works

fun and good

4.5/5 stars. Love this album, such raw emotion. Lyrics and delivery are full of longing. Gets me every time.

Muy buen disco

Mag den Sound, die Stimme, die Themen. Der Boss

I had never sat down and listened to this album before. Potentially the most "Springsteen writes music for blue collar America" Springsteen album. Feel like this is where he got the reputation. Really looking forward to all of the Bruce albums that show up on this list.

3.8 - This is a “big” album full of rawness and soul. Not sure how often I’ll come back, but I appreciated.

Classic Bruce. Amazing early album from the Boss. 'Racing in the Street' is the storytelling song he uses so well in many tunes. I prefer early Bruce as it was filled with a young person trying to make sense of what the rest of life will be now that childhood is over.

As a resident of NJ I am legally obligated to rate anything by The Boss a 4 or higher, not that it isnt deserved.

Beetje taaie plaat, wel mooie nummers

I enjoyed overall

Great

A classic - but is it better than The River?

Don't know why, but the inclusion of so many instruments always sounds overdone to me. Maybe it's because I'm accustomed to, or prefer, 3- or 4-piece bands. Anyway - solid album of good, listenable tunes. With plenty of brass and keyboards.

Wuchtig, pathetisch, scheut keine große Geste. Seine Stimme ist sein Wiedererkennungsmerkmal aber das Herz sein Kapital, das Springsteen komplett auf die Waagschale hievt. Das mag manche musikalische Schwäche überdecken. Bei großartigen „Something in the Night“ und dem Titelsong kommt aber alles das zusammen; Können und Leidenschaft. „Candy‘s Room“ hat eine seltsam Pulp‘esque Theatralik. 3.5 flammende Herzen

First half 10/10 but it dragged on and sounded the same so it looses a star.

I've never listened to this album before. I wasn't a fan of Springsteen back in the day, punk and post punk were more important too me. Now I'm older and wiser I really enjoyed it.

Really good album. Probably my second favorite Springsteen album. The title track is a top 3 BS song. 8/10

Darkness on the Edge of Town never has been of of my favorite Springsteen albums. I don't know why. If I look at the track listing and I see Badlands, Adam Raised a Cain, Racing in the Street, The Promised Land and Darkness on the Edge of Town, I must admit it's my mistake.

Wherein Bruce's dad gets a new camera for the holidays and says "Kid! Stand over there by the damn closet so I can try this out" and Bruce uses it as the album cover. ??? I heard so much of this as a kid, then got into a phase where I didn't want to hear his voice at all, but even if I still felt that way there is so much more to these songs - Springsteen had a way of putting a song together musically that sounded simple (read: accessible) but had enough twists and turns and use of dynamics to keep a music dork (me) hearing something new upon each listen. There's little point trying to argue that (most of) these aren't great songs. The combination of the joyous melodies ("Badlands" - those triumphant keys, soaring sax, and galloping drums) and - ok i'll admit it - the lyrics make for classic American music. The only miss for me is "Adam Raised A Cain" - droning and repetitive. There was a time I didn't give 2 shits about anything he did and even though I do enjoy it far more now, it's not music that gives me chills. That's not a knock that he'll never be a favourite but he sure could write a tune and sometimes that alone is the right play and hits just right. 7/10 4 stars

Great

Never listened to Bruce before & I’m pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this. Quality dips a bit in the middle but overall it’s solid stuff. Definitely going to revisit it.

О Брюсе Спрингстине у меня ранее сложилось впечатление как об исполнителе простых прямолинейных песен чисто для американской аудитории. Возможно, из-за, вероятно, главного хита – Born in the USA. Тут же я слышу вполне годное интернациональное музло, качественный стадионный роцк. С мощной энергетикой, внятными, разнообразными мотивами, хорошим звуком. Даже оригинальным – в нём будто содержатся черты авторской песни а-ля Боб Дилан, Леонард Коэн и ориентированного на массы эпичного роцка а-ля Queen и Мит Лоуф. Слушается на одном дыхании даже при репите. Думаю, на массовый концерт в те годы вообще по кайфу было бы сходить. Вероятно, классика роцка: даёт эстетику, создаёт настрой, качает. Но всё же не настолько глубокая и цепляющая, чтобы в 2к22 на плеер кидать.

Some songs didn't really stick with me, but for the most part this was a great album. Very very solid. I can't give it anything below a 4.

Bruce springsteen is amazing in that even the albums that don't make it to the stream charts still have songs on them that are great.

As a person who doesn't listen to the Boss this was surprising for me. Interesting that he was so heavily influenced by punk and wanted to move away from the majestic bombast of his previous records into something darker and tighter.

There was an underlying fatigued sadness to the songs that I really enjoyed. My favorite song was Something in the Night.

I love the Americana aesthetic, the lyrical themes of aspirations and disappointments, and the euphoric blend of piano, guitar, organ, saxophone, harmonica, etc.

This fourth album from Springsteen is gritty and melancholy. A few tunes are more up beat like Candy's Room. Yet a tune called Racing In the Street which sounds like it would be up tempo is as melancholy as any. The band is tight, this is the classic E Street Band line-up; Steve Van Zandt on guitar well before he got into acting on The Sopranos; Max Weinberg on drums before he became Conan O'Brien's band leader for 17 years, and Clarence Clemons on sax who is only featured a few times here. The album stands the test of time which many from 1978 don't during an era of music defined by disco. Springsteen is the working class American singer-songwriter and here he defines and refines that role. If albums could be B-sides, this one would be perfect.

Solid album. Admittedly, I am not to familiar with most of Springsteen’s work. This album was full of great storytelling

Great album. A little more mellow and slower than previous albums.

Kind of liked this actually. Not usually a huge Bruce fan

Very good album!

As great as this is, it doesn't quite hit the heights of it's predecessor (Born to Run) due to a few too many tracks that only hit the above-average mark (Something in the Night, Racing in the Street, Factory). Badlands, Adam Raised a Cain, The Promised Land and the title track are some of Bruce's very best though so it's only a fraction away from hitting full marks. Best track: The Promised Land

Again I like this type od music from 70s, 80s. Bruce has a nice voice, songs are different from each other. Probably better than most of 4 ratings here.

I’m an extremely late bloomer when it comes to ‘The Boss’, but I am very grateful for eventually getting there. He marketed himself extremely well to myself when I watched and listened to his latest offering ‘Western Stars’. An album I have now listened to over and over again. There is a real heritage of this album in that album and that makes this one an instant hit with me. There is an emotive tone to his voice I find hard to describe...yet I doubt I need to. To any Bruce Springsteen fan, they’ve known it for decades and now I do too. The tracks here stir the same emotions I’ve felt from my limited Boss exposure and the voice has hardly changed at all. The best thing about this album and it’s lyrics is they can all tell your very own story if you let them. They are not one dimensional but familiar enough to make you feel as though they were written just for you. Pour yourself a bourbon neat enjoy! 4 Stars!

Ruwere, iets hardere rocknummers afgewisseld met wat tragere, iets meer pop-achtige nummers. Ik kende nog geen enkel nummer van dit album maar kon het wel smaken

Good album. Some classics on there.

heerlijk, niet mijn favoriete Bruce maar zeker fijn.

It was basically what I expected a Bruce Springsteen Album to be. There is definitely a vibe to Springsteen songs that is different from any other artist’s music and I thought overall this album was pretty good. I love Clarence Clemons’s solos as always! That being said some of the songs do get kind of repetitive and somewhat boring. Favorite songs: Badlands, Racing in the Street, The Promised Land, Prove it all Night. Least favorite songs: Candy’s Room, Streets of Fire. Strong 7/10

Very good this, I only knew 1 song before. Darker than Born in the USA and he has wisely toned down the sax

Todo un clasicazo. Letras profundas y todo con el sello inconfundible de Springsteen

There are some all time greats, The Promised Land and Racing in the Streets. It's really close to a 5, but I don't think it quite to that level for me.

Excellent tunes as always, and some of his best as well. "Adam Raised a Cain" still kicks.

I don’t love his voice, but I don’t mind it either. It’s definitely pretty classic, and not as hard as some stuff, so I liked it pretty well.

Nice album to listen to. I like music from Bruce Springsteen.

Some great tracks a cool 'American' album that is solid from start to finish.

Very ethereal, not what I was expecting, made the last hour of work enjoyable. And it just went into another full Tangerine Dream Album without me noticing.

I’m so uneducated on Springsteen so this was a welcome “pull”; some good stuff in here, his writing is so mature. He was a couple years younger than me when he made this one, and it was his 4th!

Nice nice nice

Very good thank you brucey

This is another album that I don't have much to say about. It's solid all the way through. There weren't any songs that particularly stood out to me, but it didn't fade into the background while I was listening to it either. I really dig his style 4/5

On the slower more soulful side of Bruce

Fedt rock album. En lille ukendt perle. Synger lidt specielt og lyder bolte gange som meat Loaf 😁 Men fest album. Et genlyt værd

3.5/5, probably sounds best after a long day at work, a lot of working class, cog in the machine themes. Standout Tracks: Adam Raised a Cain, Racing in the Street, Darkness on the Edge of Town.

While it does have some filler, the amazing songs here more than make up for it. Streets of Fire might be my favorite Springsteen Song (that ive heard so far at least). Closer to a 3.6 or 3.7

4 stars

Bruce seems like a good guy, heart in the right place. I've just never been much of a fan of his music; I seem to lack the gene that *loves* his music (and -- not coincidentally -- I'm not a fan of his singing voice, or his singing style). There are exceptions, though -- primarily (for me, I mean), his "Nebraska" album. Just as with quiet/loud Beck, there's a quiet Bruce, most famously captured on "Nebraska," which I like a bit better. Otherwise, though, he has a proclivity for (what strike me as) clunky and ponderous anthems. I don't hate his music, but I don't love it, either. Out of respect, I'll give this a 3. Plus, I hear his lyrics are good. ;) But, as y'all know, my focus is, as always, on the music.

Album is fine.

I like some of the music but I do not like his voice.

This was very different to prior Springsteen I've heard and far less saccharine on the whole than I was expecting, showing that Springsteen has multiple strings to his bow. There were aspects of this that I was able to appreciate, such as the piano playing on multiple songs and the tight, warm bass guitar radiating through the album. However, stylistically, it kind of felt like an inferior Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds in some ways, the vocals frequently became tiresome for me and I just struggle to relate to the very Americanised lyricism.

As I see it, there are two Springsteens: the loud, angry, highly political rocker who fills stadiums, and the melancholic, melomanic who composes sad loser ballads in the solitude of a hotel room. Either way, Springsteen is probably the greatest storyteller in the singer-songwriter guild. My problem is this: the loud, angry, screaming Springsteen doesn’t interest me; I prefer the melancholic Springsteen of “Nebraska”, the poetic “The Ghost of Tom Joad”, or the romantic of “I’m on Fire”. "Darkness on the Edge of Town" is regarded by many fans and connoisseurs as one of the Boss’s finest albums, one that paved the way for the global success of "Born in the USA". But for me, there’s little here that appeals to me. Sure, for the first time Springsteen sounds like Springsteen (I always found the ‘Wall of Sound’ on the predecessor “Born to Run” a bit too much), but for my selective taste in Springsteen, this album isn’t quite right. Sorry, boss.

I bet they call him The Boss because he likes to sing about work so much

50/50

I’ve never really cared for Springsteen and I’m not sure why. I appreciate his songwriting, and he has a unique style to his music, but it’s not something I’d ever choose to listen to.

Listened on a flight so I was tired, I’ll listen again for sure but I loved the instrumentals, Bruce is just a little too mumbly

Goof

Perfectly acceptable as an accompaniment to some early Saturday morning chores. I doubt I would seek it out again but it has the standard Springsteen quality you would expect.

Didn't like it

It's alright. Kinda flip-flops between the same two songs. Perfect if you're 45+.

After three Bruce albums, I'm running out of ways to say that this album was fine. I did like this album slightly more than Born to Run, as this had more of a rock edge to it, better guitars and grittier vocals; still isn't moving the needle past OK for me. In the "Working Class Rock/Folk Dudes" category, Bruce is a distant third behind Bob Seger and John Mellencamp for me. This album was an alright listen, but probably not anything I'd seek out. 3/5

3.5

i am an adam raised a cainhead til the day i die

Ok

Growing up on the West coast, Bruce Springsteen just wasn't the cultural phenomenon that it is on the East coast. I've never really been a fan, but over the last few years, I've grown to appreciate him and his music. This was as good as any Springsteen album I've heard.

Ok. Not as good as Born to Run. Still enjoyed the album.

I thought it would be worse, still it is totally fine

buen pop

Decent album

I have not heard this before. I know a couple of these songs. These are all good songs but none of them are all that great, there aren’t any that really stand out like on Born to Run so if you’re listening to this while doing any type of activity that involves any concentration it fades into the background and then all of a sudden the album is over. Maybe I need to listen to it again a few times to get it, maybe not.

Why does he sing every single song the exact same way

Springsteen has a very distinct voice. Great opening song. Solid album. A few songs I may revisit. Others were very repetitive

cooool

A lot of never experienced tracks on here, enjoyable but somewhat indistinguishable on initial listen. Will have to give this one some more spins (but I gotta catchup on 5 missed albums!), Listen to Candy's Room if you like hypnotic hi-hat intros!

Some good songs writing but a bit samey

Fav song: Adam Raised a Cain

I completely understand why Bruce Springsteen is so popular. I just don't enjoy his work.

Didn’t hate it; didn’t love it. So,

A very personal album. Not for cooking, for parties, or to jam out to. But it’s good, really good. Simple lyrics that are able to paint a picture of broken dreams, escaping mundane life, growing older, and all the emotions that come with it. It’s good to listen to something like this every now and again.

Something about being an American working class underdog, with added harmonica etc Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ❌️ ★★★☆☆ (5/10) Total reviewed : 344 Already owned : 77 Purchased : 16 To buy : 3 Nope : 248

Adam Raised A Cain

7/10 Lovely songs

Its okish for me

don't think I have the springsteen gene

It's funny to me that everywhere I read about this album says something about how this is supposed to be a more stripped down album compared to Born To Run, and I just don't hear that. There are a couple of low-key songs here, but most are just as bombastic as BTR. And as fun as that song is in isolation, I don't really want to hear 8 different versions of it back to back. The songs that stick out to me here are the very quiet, restrained ones; I think this means I'm more a Nebraska guy, and that's fine. I'm assuming that album is on this list somewhere. THREE STARS

Another decent listen, good guitar work. Nothing out of this world though.

Unpopular opinion, but not my jam

Unspectacular but absolutely fine.

I'm learning a bit about Springsteen through this project, ready to give this album a whirl. It's very dramatic. Much of the singing is extremely dramatic, even overwrought (eg Streets of Fire) - there's so much inflection of the voice that it blocks my understanding of the lyrics. Fortunately I can access transcriptions. (Even listening while looking at the words, I wonder why he mangles them so much - reminds me of Dylan...) Anyway, the moods of the music (apart from lyrics) are still strong - passionate, with a hefty slug of melancholy, not bombastic. But the rock style (heartland rock?) is not really my happy place. So I am listening judgingly, waiting to be impressed by story-telling - which I just don't find easy to follow. I can tell the singer is overwrought, but not what it's about - maybe the first-time listener just interprets the angst in light of their own preoccupations and takes some comfort, or shakes a fist at the fates? I listen/read closely to title track, but it doesn't convince me. So I'm thinking it's respectable, but I doubt that I'll want to play it through again. So I'll say it's Okay, 6/10.

I think there are 5 Springsteen albums on the list, which is excessive (and I like Springsteen). This one could surely be dropped to make room for something else. The Promised Land is a classic, and Prove it All Night is good.

Oui c’est bien mais à mon avis ça manque d’un single vraiment fort Playlist pick : Darkness on the Edge of Town

eh, it was fine. just some middle-of-the-road-ass americana rock n roll favorites: badlands, candy's room, prove it all night

This is a solid album. Probably my favourite of his that I’ve heard. It’s got a good feel to it throughout. I’ve yet to hear a Springsteen album that blew me away. His advocates seem to gush hard and hear things that I just don’t hear. That said, this is a good record.

.

Maybe this is more of a grower from Springsteen, but I just didn't connect with it in the same way as some of his other material.

Quality straight ahead rock and roll album. I enjoy the Boss in moderation. His lower vocals are usually muffled and feel forced as always, but that is his style. I have this feeling most of these songs start off on an acoustic and get adapted to electric. Quality album even if it does come across as a bit soft around the edges.

Decent Springsteen

Pretty easy to listen to and there’s some nice moments but I’m not crazy about it

I like The Promised Land.

Nothing against this album, and I know a lot of people really love Bruce's early storytelling phase, but this one has never grabbed me. Badlands is good, but not as good as Thunder Road, Racing in the Street is good, but not as good as the songs on The River will be, etc. Don't get me wrong, this is good stuff, but I always find myself putting on Born to Run instead.

The songs carry a strong sense of working-class reality and emotional fatigue, which sometimes made me hesitant to romanticize them too casually. Adam Raised a Cain and Streets of Fire stood out to me the most, especially for their rough and emotionally charged guitar work.

Bruce springsteen faz sua melhor imitação de Elvis por 42 min consecutivos

I can see the appeal behind it, but just not for me.

A darker, angrier, and ultimately more interesting side of Springsteen. This is among my favorite records from the Boss., although I’ve only taken a deeper dive into their music since starting this project. As always, the E Street band delivers a big sound, tailor-made for arenas. Springsteen belts out songs with thoughtful lyrics. Where this album really excels is in its production. Springsteen still isn’t my jam, but he does have my respect. 3.5*

First half bad, a few songs near end I don’t mind

okay

Quite enjoyed this one as I do with most Springsteen but as people have noted there is a lot of car chat which can get a we bit old.

bruce springfield

I have never seen him perform live. Probably like this more if I had.

It feels like there are good songs hiding under Bruce Springsteen’s music. The lyrics are pretty decent. The music itself is usually solid. But he just kind of ruins it with his singing. He mumbles everything. The best song on this album is Adam Raised a Cain because he’s almost getting angry with it and he’s putting actual emotion in the singing. Otherwise it’s this halfhearted mouth-full-of-marbles singing that feels like nothing

Gonna be honest, had no idea his voice sounded like that

There’s something about this album that reminds me of a bar band. I could imagine having a great night drinking and singing their songs and buying their cd to support. The next day you put the cd on and it’s just not as fun as the live experience.

The following album to "Born to Run" seems to be keeping things in the same line. This record is basically very passionate Heartland and Piano rock, with vibrant and grand instrumentation. It has beautiful piano melodies, fast drumming, saxophone solos, nice guitars and many more elements to contribute to its ambition. It starts with a lot of energy and charisma, with the epic song "Badlands" and the energetic "Adam Raised a Cain", but then it starts to progressively getting slower, with more songs feeling like ballads. While still decent songs, I do really prefer when they go for those grandiose moments, as I think they are when his great attitude and powerful voice delivery truly shine. I'll clarify that some of those big parts are present in the slow songs, like in "Darkness on the Edge of Town", but the dramatic verses I think hold the overall power of the tracks back. Speaking of his voice, as his previous record, I am not a fan of his mumbling tone, but the dude sings with so much confidence I don't even mind it. In conclusion, if the album didn't tend so much to the slow side I would like it way more, as there are some really powerful moments in here.

Bruce do you need a strepsil? I actually liked this more than I thought I would. It was kinda funky and fun but I find his voice quite jarring at times. I can sort of hear how Sam fender is inspired by him in this album.

Liked this more than I thought I would. Enjoyed the depth of feeling and the emotional weigh, but it still felt very accessible. 3.5

Strongest opening song on any Springsteen records on this so far! The was unfortunately the high-point of the album, but it managed to hold a quite even bar still. There are quite a lot of decent tracks in 'Adam Raised a Cain' and 'The Promised Land' for example. But the album suffered from the same problem that Springsteen always does: it fails to get away from the sound of being the most dad-rock and bread n butter thing you could possibly imagine. Which makes it dull. Still. if I gave this another spin I think it could really have grown into me more, but for now it will have to be a strong 3.

Muy countryesco

review concisa en el día de la fecha, ya que no conozco tanto a the boss y su trabajo como para opinar con juicio de valor. me gusto el disco, no me pareció denso ni molesto, pero no me interpeló para nada. en mis libros, aprueba con 7.

okay

exactly what I expect from Bruce Springsteen. sounds of a summer road trip.

Kinda OK, kinda meh. Bruce was not really my thing but I get the appeal.

A young Bruce. Good songs. Good album.

I don't know how I feel about this album, I liked it, but I didn't like it at the same time. It could be that I just have a natural dislike of Bruce Springsteen, but I just didn't really vibe with this album.

The first Springsteen album I got was Born to Run, which I loved. 5/5. I declared a newfound love of The Boss. The second was Nebraska, which got a 2. I wasn't a fan, and more importantly; I wasn't sure which of those two albums would be the outlier. Until today. Apparently I just really liked Born to Run, because this album didn't do it for me. It wasn't as bad as Nebraska, but only worth the most neutral of threes.

Is Bruce the godfather of the marbles in the mouth 90's singing style? I like it, don't love it. Sometimes it hits. I think its the man of the people projection. The over the top nature of the vocals. Its very performative, which is fair, as he is a performer. That said, no one is getting mad at you for playing Bruce.

Each of Springsteen's first seven albums are better than at least a third of the albums on this list. That said, this isn't a list of the 1001 BEST albums; it's a list of albums everyone should hear. It's hard to argue that EVERYONE SHOULD hear all seven of them. Pick a few; people who love those will find the rest. Of these seven, from a purely musical perspective, Darkness is the hardest one to make a case for. (Disclaimer - when I listen to albums I hear the music. Even when I try to focus on lyrics, my brain just automatically drifts back to the musical elements - the melody, the harmonic structure, the instrumentation, the performances, the engineering, the mixing. I just can't help it. So my opinions differ wildly from the "consensus" created by writers who seem, unsurprisingly, overawed by lyrics.) Greetings from Asbury Park is historic and, even though it's clear that he’s trying to figure out what he’s supposed to sound like, it offers three or four glorious songs. The Wild, the Innocent, etc. is the most musically interesting of the seven and it has an irreverence and joie-de-vivre (Little Steven's Asbury Park sound?) that is a perfect balance for Bruce's (often over-) earnest and somber troubadour delivery. Born to Run is an absolute classic - belonging on any list of albums, period. Nebraska is in a class by itself and is also an absolute classic. Born in the U.S.A. features as strong a lineup of songs as Born to Run, AND reintroduces a joy that disappeared after Born to Run. So we're left with this and the River. There is clearly no joy in Jersey at this point in his career. Musically, both albums are kind of tedious; just regurgitations of the Born to Run sound. The River features more memorable songs (although it takes twice as many swings to land them.) And here Bruce's voice - never one to be compared with Freddie's or Roger's - is in particularly bad shape. All in all, this is one that fans and poets love. But as a musical album? It's not among his best. (I fucking LOVE the album cover though.)

C'EST de la COUNTRY encore (je m'y attendais) et il a l'air fatigué quand il chante fais des efforts gars

Some good songs on here but man is this album depressing. The E Streeters get to shine a little more but that gloominrss pervades throughout the album.

It's catchy and an interesting new listen.

Ну я не кайфанул и уже забыл.

I just don't find this interesting. Every song is like something you would hear at an older couples wedding or at the end of your high school dance. I liked "Adam Raised a Cain" and "Streets of Fire". There were some points were Bruce started singing like a madman. But those moments were brief and soon forgotten sadly.

I don’t love Bruce but I appreciate him. I find this album to be a bit boring. The story telling is good and Prive It All Night is Bruce at his best. I can take or leave the rest of the album 6.5/10

cool album. Not my taste fully, but some tracks were worth a listen

Real nice easy listening.

Nothing special

I really want to like Springsteen but just can't get on with his voice. But still listenable.

First Bruce album, and first time listen to this one ever. I'm not too well acquainted with Bruce Springsteen's music, only really familiar with some top songs and the Nebraska album, but wasn't too much of a fan of his voice on this album. Just can't seem to dig it. The album it starts out fairly aggressive which lead me to think this was going to be straight ferocious, (thought all songs would be in the style of "Adam Raised a Cain") but no, it starts to mellow out after the first couple songs. It has good production overall, but "Racing in the Street" manages to shine through production-wise when it comes to specific tracks. Conclusion is that I believe this is a miss from me, it's not necessarily bad but there is a lack of memorable songs, and is a bit boring. Though I'm not completely put off just yet, might just have to let it set in. Highlight Song/s: "Adam Raised a Cain" and "Darkness on the Edge of Town"

Buenisimo solo de guitarra en Adam raised a cain. Suena muy rockero y muy buena voz del vocalista, re contra sentida y con mucha intensidad. Viene muy bien, no logro destacar grandes cosas pero es un buen disco

I have never understood the adoration for this guy. The music is fairly standard, the singing is below average. I have heard about his lyrics so this tune I made a point to read them. Is the answer. He writes snapshots from the angry working man’s point of view. Which is a good description of millions of people in America. So his fans are identifying with his protagonists. I get it now! Do I personally love his music? Still no. But now I get why he appeals.

This album has a few hits, not sure I’d have to revisit the whole project. Prove it all night is my favorite track, I also enjoyed promised lands and badlands

I can say for a fact that the album cover perfectly captures the atmosphere of the album. As a matter of fact, I would imagine that this was Bruce Springsteen’s face throughout the recording sessions. It's a tightly consistent album with some high moments. I would really like to explore it again sometime in the near future to see if I would connect with it more. Some songs didn’t stick with me the first time around, but overall the powerful vocal performance made it worthwhile. I liked "Adam Raised a Cane" and "Darkness on the Edge of Town".

Pretty good.

Remarkably uncaptivating, fine for a casual listen and nothing more

it's okay, very old person feel though

I like the guitar parts, and Springsteen sounds more mellow than I thought he would. Candy's Room was my favorite. 6.5/10.

Mediocre record. Nice American rock and good songwriting especially the piano sections. Just a little boring

this is border line 4 stars for me. the impact on first listen is great, but not sure i would enjoy the full album again but just a couple songs.

I like the vibe

1 - Badlands (a very standard opener, full of the energetic guitar and piano duo. Springsteen himself sounds very far away and unsure of himself when he sings on this song; most of the words are sort of chewed up and buried beneath the band. Unusual for an artist often praised for his songwriting) 3/5 2 - Adam Raised a Cain (a much more fiery and attention-grabbing song with a slinky mid-tempo groove. Springsteen sounds more energized on this song but his voice is still buried in the mix. At least we get to hear some of his more aggressive shouty side on this one. The searing guitar riff 2 minutes in is a real treat) 3.5/5 3 - Something in the Night (the intro is a welcome change with its plaintive piano and wordless vocal by Springsteen. It turns out to be a slow tune with appropriately lonely, isolated imagery to match. This one is fine if a little too slow and samey for me. The outro is very interesting with the final coda accompanied by distant pounding toms before a final return to the intro's motif with Springsteen shouting out the intro melody once more) 3.5/5 4 - Candy's Room (a skittering hi-hat intro leads to the introduction of chimes and bright piano melodies. An upbeat, optimistic and, frankly, almost festive sort of song that offers a needed change of pace from the previous fare. Springsteen is also far most confident he's sounded yet on this album, with his voice prominently featuring in the center of the mix, as would become the standard later on in his career) 4/5 5 - Racing in the Street (a brooding and lonesome track that foreshadows the sparse and echoing sound of Nebraska several years later. The song picks up around 2 minutes in to break up the pace before settling back down. The song rarely picks back up after after that, which is feels a little meandering considering its 7-minute runtime. The flutey melody that comes in towards the end offers the slightest glimmer of hope in this otherwise dour end to the first half) 3/5 6 - The Promised Land (more of the standard Springsteen sound with a bigger and more soaring chorus than the previous songs. The brightness of the song somewhat hides the fatalistic and depressing lyrics about never being able to reach one's true purpose in this world. Much of the album deals with similar subject matter ranging from living down former sins to regret over lost chances. It's more prominent here than on other songs in my opinion. The multiple solos from the sax, harmonica and guitars offer the band a chance to shine) 3.5/5 7 - Factory (a midtempo piece about the harsh conditions and endless loop of working-class life and the inescapable reality of it being the lot in life of so many, trapping them to a world of endless, repetitive work while suppressing their own humanity. This song, despite being among the shortest, captures a feeling unlike any other on this album and is probably among the most poignant songs in Springsteen's catalogue) 4/5 8 - Streets of Fire (Springsteen offers the most powerful performance of his career to this point; for the first time, the dejected persona drops completely in a furious fit of passion, and the instrumental does exactly the same with a fiery guitar solo and a building organ vamp. Probably the brightest point of this album) 4.5/5 9 - Prove It All Night (in sharp contrast to the previous song, this one is a more plain and pedestrian affair. Springsteen has finally dropped the chewed-lyrics styling and bares the song's subject matter - the emptiness of casual relationships despite the genuine love one may feel - to add another dejected card to the cynical stack of lyrics that dominate this album. This one is really elevated by the lyrics, which seem to carry more weight for songs in this later half) 3/5 10 - Darkness on the Edge of Town (a final big, shouty performance to close out this album on an energetic note. Springsteen works about working all his life to a goal that he never got close to - a far cry from the real-life outcome. Of all the songs, this one most proudly emphasizes the "heartland rock" sound Springsteen was associated with. Not too much else to say about this song besides it offering a succinct summary of all the previous songs' general themes) 3.5/5 OVERALL - 7.1/10

para ser de bruce springsteen un poco mid. peeeero algunas canciones me han gustado bastante

It's alright. I've yet to listen to his other albums, so I'll see... Maybe I'll find out why it's absolutely necessary to include five albums on the list.

Can't be the Boss / Can’t be the Boss without a bureaucracy/ this gun's for hire/ and its always pointing at me" -Culturcide, Dancin' in the Dark I respect his ethic and his earnestness, I just wish I enjoyed his songs more.

Just not my kind of thing

Classic Bruce but not his best