Best Ever Albums

Re: Darkness On The Edge Of Tow by Bruce Springsteen

Johnnyo — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 02:58:53 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 09/18/2026 06:58

Next up in the discussion will be a straight up version of Racing In The Street but I thought that I'd share this alternative version which I think is stunning

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Re: Darkness On The Edge Of Tow by Bruce Springsteen

Johnnyo — Wed, 2 Sep 2026 06:42:38 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 09/02/2026 10:42

Next up will be a video of the band playing Badlands (Live at No Nukes 1979)

Link

Always a highlight of a Boss gig

Re: Darkness On The Edge Of Tow by Bruce Springsteen

Johnnyo — Sat, 29 Aug 2026 01:57:21 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 08/29/2026 05:57

Another straight take from the album

Link

Before going for a video for the next one

Re: Darkness On The Edge Of Tow by Bruce Springsteen

Johnnyo — Tue, 25 Aug 2026 03:39:33 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 08/25/2026 07:39

Next up is

Link

Just doing a straight take from the album although for some other tracks we are going to mix it up with YouTube videos and live stuff

Re: Darkness On The Edge Of Tow by Bruce Springsteen

Johnnyo — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 02:47:39 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 08/22/2026 06:47

Next track to play at the session will be

Link

During the three year break between Born To Run & DOTEOT Bruce wrote a ton of songs, most, obviously never made it onto the album but he did share the goodies around.

This is probably the most famous "sharing" from the sessions. An absolute classic from another iconic artist. Enjoy!

Re: Darkness On The Edge Of Tow by Bruce Springsteen

Johnnyo — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 05:54:46 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 08/19/2026 09:54

I thought that if I were going to demonstrate the juxtaposition (as I see it) between Born To Run & DOTEOT, this is the track to do it

Link

As this track is where Bruce goes punk.

Stripped away the Wall Of Sound production and went hard rockin’

Phenomenal guitar shredding from Bruce and Steven Van Zandt from the outset rather than the sax of BTR. Driven by a heavy drumbeat and a riff played simultaneously by the guitars, bass, piano, and organ this is an irresistibly driven track, making It hard to be ignored

Hoping that people get the contrast

Re: Darkness On The Edge Of Tow by Bruce Springsteen

Johnnyo — Sun, 16 Aug 2026 04:18:19 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 08/16/2026 08:18

For various reasons, the listening group for this album has been put back to October and we are probably not going to have a group in September. Anyway, I have volunteered to lead the discussion on DOTEOT and I'm putting together a playlist which I'm going to share here

The first track is going to Jungleland from

Born To Run (1975) by Bruce Springsteen

As I want to juxtapose the last track off Born To Run with what Springsteen produced on DOTEOT.

It's also a great track which need to be shared as widely as possible. So, win, win

Re: Darkness On The Edge Of Tow by Bruce Springsteen

Johnnyo — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 06:00:28 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 08/14/2026 10:00

I can’t put my figure on precisely why this is my favourite album of all time. Maybe it’s got something to do with the fact that it has four 100/100 tracks on it, Adam Raised A Cain, Candy’s Room, Racing In The Street & Factory.
Maybe it’s because it flows seamlessly from one fabulous track to another. It’s not that there’s no filler here, it’s that there’s not even an average track on the album. Every, and I mean every, track is at least a 90/100.
How do you follow up your breakthrough album? Born To Run has been described as a “Wall Of Sound” album, and although I think that it’s a great album, it’s way too over produced for my liking. DOTEOT is leaner. Some say angrier. Not sure about that but it’s certainly more, lyrically anyway, in your face. There’s something of the punk sensibility to the album with its raw energy

I think that I warm to the characters depicted so eloquently by Springsteen on the album, their struggles and their fights. It feels real to me. What I think sounds like, the real New Jersey but, not coming from there, I might be way off the mark.

So many songs were written for the album that didn’t fit the albums narrative that Springsteen famously “gave them away” to other artists

• "Hearts of Stone" & "Talk to Me" to Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes;
• "Because the Night" to Patti Smith;
• "Fire" to Robert Gordon;
• "Rendezvous" to Greg Kihn;
• "Don't Look Back" to the Knack;
• "This Little Girl" to Gary U.S. Bonds.

You have more guitar solos and less sax (although it’s still there) than on his previous albums, which I prefer.

Possibly, even to this day this is his most mature album.

Re: Darkness On The Edge Of Tow by Bruce Springsteen

Johnnyo — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 02:41:10 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 08/13/2026 06:41

So, next up will be a review of the overall album and something a little different for this one but I'll explain that in another post

Re: Darkness On The Edge Of Tow by Bruce Springsteen

Johnnyo — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 09:02:13 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 08/11/2026 13:02

Darkness on the Edge of Town

"Some folks are born into a good life, other folks get it anyway anyhow, I lost my money and I lost my wife, them things don't seem to matter much to me now"

One of the cleverest tracks on the album.

Bruce expertly brings together the themes explored throughout the album, lost love, hardships, betrayal and redemption and even hope and unifies them into a single track.

It’s a magnificent song with the slow build-up and then it just bursts into life. A goosebump moment for me every time.

Always gets the crowd going when played live.

Link

Re: Darkness On The Edge Of Tow by Bruce Springsteen

Johnnyo — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 03:17:27 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 08/10/2026 07:17

Prove It All Night

The song follows a couple who are about to get married. Probably my least favourite track on the album, still a banger though, and actually, a great live track.

So as the emphasis my point, here's a great 7 1/2 minute rendition. Tell me this isn't great!

Link

Re: Darkness On The Edge Of Tow by Bruce Springsteen

Johnnyo — Sat, 8 Aug 2026 04:06:06 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 08/08/2026 08:06

Streets of Fire

A slow dirgey rocker here from Bruce. It’s a really powerful track for me with an emotional delivery from the great man. He pours his heart into this one. It’s raw and distorted, emotional and shouty and I guess, at the end of the day, bleak. I love it!

It feels like Bruce is on the edge here throughout the whole track. Just teetering on the edge of keeping it together

The guitars, as important on this track as any other on DOTEOT are awesome.

I’ve seen it described as an “acid-toned electric rock track”. I’m not even sure what that means exactly but it feels right.

Listen up! It’s an often overlooked track which deserves your attention.

Link

Re: Darkness On The Edge Of Tow by Bruce Springsteen

Johnnyo — Fri, 7 Aug 2026 01:30:44 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 08/07/2026 05:30

jackbrown8786 wrote:

It's been a while since it's been on my turntable but I'm pretty sure I preferred Nebraska to this, but I think this was my 3rd fav boss album. Born to Run is prob better than Nebraska, but I prefer Nebraska.

Nebraska is a very decent album and might make my top five Boss albums and as I think I've already said, I find Born To Run overproduced although I appreciate it's significance in the history of Bruce.

My top five at the monent would be;

1. Darkness On The Edge Of Town
2. The Rising
3. Tunnel Of Love
4. Born In The USA (mainly because I saw Bruce for the 1st, but not last, time live on this tour and it's still one of the greatest gigs of all time)
5. Either Born To Run or The River

Thanks for visiting jackbrown and feel free to contribute any other thoughts. all welcome

Re: Darkness On The Edge Of Tow by Bruce Springsteen

Johnnyo — Fri, 7 Aug 2026 01:23:27 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 08/07/2026 05:23

MadhattanJack wrote:

This? It's actually 4 vinyl LPs, plus the Blu-Ray disc... Amazon has it for $90, and the CD version is $45, but you can stream the whole thing too. I'm not much of a Springsteen fan, but I do know that the so-called "electric" version of Nebraska isn't particularly electric, at least by most people's standards.

If it were my favorite album by anyone ever, I would probably shell out $90 for it, but you've only got it at #58 on your chart, right? I'd say maybe wait until you can find a nice used one. :)

Interesting. It gets a bit wild the number of different versions of albums, acoustic rather than electric or visa versa. It feels like we are getting box set after box set.

I had heard of this box set and was a little tempted. At $45 or the CD version I might be tempted. Thanks for the heads up

Re: Darkness On The Edge Of Tow by Bruce Springsteen

MadhattanJack — Thu, 6 Aug 2026 20:02:48 GMT

Author: MadhattanJack

Posted: 08/07/2026 00:02

jackbrown8786 wrote:

I just saw a $130, extended, 3LP version of Nebraska and was so jealous of ppl who could afford that. I'm really curious about it. Anyone familiar with it?

Re: Darkness On The Edge Of Tow by Bruce Springsteen

jackbrown8786 — Thu, 6 Aug 2026 18:44:54 GMT

Author: jackbrown8786

Posted: 08/06/2026 22:44

It's been a while since it's been on my turntable but I'm pretty sure I preferred Nebraska to this, but I think this was my 3rd fav boss album. Born to Run is prob better than Nebraska, but I prefer Nebraska.

I just saw a $130, extended, 3LP version of Nebraska and was so jealous of ppl who could afford that. I'm really curious about it. Anyone familiar with it?

Re: Darkness On The Edge Of Tow by Bruce Springsteen

Johnnyo — Wed, 5 Aug 2026 06:38:37 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 08/05/2026 10:38

Factory

A song about the repetition of the working life, in this case factory-worker

Coming from a city that was built on the back of the industrial revolution and heavy industry, and although I never worked in a factory, I knew many that did, mainly feeding the larger car plant on Europe at the time, British Leyland or actually working there. The sweat, the hard hours, the harsh reality of your existence and the injuries that people sustained, some life changing.

So, this was and still is, a special song for me. It’s also beautifully written and performed. The lyrics are some of the most poignant ever written. It’s storytelling at its finest
Starting with that great piano intro, into those great harmonies and the sparse arrangement and Bruce’s almost weary delivery. Perfect

This is one of those songs that make me tear up. So wonderful.

Link

Re: Darkness On The Edge Of Tow by Bruce Springsteen

Johnnyo — Tue, 4 Aug 2026 02:50:55 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 08/04/2026 06:50

The Promised Land

This is where Bruce goes heartland rock.

We have the common heartland narrative of someone striving for a "promised land" no matter what obstacles lie ahead.

It’s as great example of the genre where Bruce reigns supreme amongst other notable luminaries like Bob Seger and John Mellencamp

Another live version as you can never have too much Bruce live

Link

Re: Darkness On The Edge Of Tow by Bruce Springsteen

Johnnyo — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 03:35:45 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 07/29/2026 07:35

Racing In The Street

"Tonight tonight the strips just right, I wanna blow 'em all out of their seats, so come out now everyone And we'll go racing in the street,"

Not just Bruce’s greatest ballad but his greatest song with the most beautiful piano intro from Roy Bittan.

The song, with its narrative about a guy in a dead-end job whose outlet is racing his car and winning money gambling on the outcome, fits seamlessly into the Springsteen narrative of the people that he grew up with. He writes and sings from the heart and about things that he understands.

Springsteen has said that this song commemorates the racing in the street that occurred outside Asbury Park, New Jersey. Springsteen songs from the 1970s often celebrated the car, another great track being Thunder Road, There seems to be something in the American male psyche that celebrate the car or the freedom that having a car affords you.

What can get lost on the narrative of this song is the part played by the girlfriend. There’s a lot of sympathy and understanding for the protagonists girlfriend in this song, which again, is a trait of Springsteen in his writing.

I love this song because it sounds “true”. It’s authentic and real and brilliantly, understatedly performed. The perfect Springsteen song. Hell, just a perfect song.

Link

NB - I thought that I'd shake it up by posting this great live version. Bruce live is such a joy

Re: Darkness On The Edge Of Tow by Bruce Springsteen

Johnnyo — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 05:13:49 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 07/25/2026 09:13

Candy's Room

Bruce continues the punk influence here and it’s just a blistering track

It’s a song where suitors trade gifts for Candy’s affection. The artist Karon Bihari, whom Springsteen briefly dated in the 1970s, claimed the song was about her.

Love the piano intro which leads to a blistering drum and guitar lead main part of the track. I was trying to come up with a phrase to describe the energy on this track and then I read someone describe it as "physically urgent". Perfect!

It a great live track as well and I’ve heard The Boss play this a couple of time live. So visceral.

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