Darkness On The Edge Of Town (studio album) by Bruce Springsteen

From HoldenM 05/24/2023 20:27

A step down from Born to Run, but most albums would be.

This might be Springsteen's most consistent work with every song on here being good or better. The only thing it lacks is the real outstanding tracks that Born To Run or Born In The USA have. Despite this, I would much rather stick this record on rather than the hugely inconsistent Born In The USA. This is because the music on here captures the style of Springsteen beautifully and this makes it an instant classic. The peak of the album for me is Streets Of Fire. The guitar work on there is simply amazing and Springsteen's vocal performance feels so raw and powerful making it such a passionate track. The instrumentals throughout the whole album are pretty fantastic as well with the E Street Band giving one of their greatest ever performances. The music just feels so full of life and character on here making the music easy to love. Overall, this is an elite level album that is just missing a few outstanding songs that would put it right up near the greatest of all time.

Perfection

I actually prefer this album over Born To Run, its predecessor had better singles but this one is consistently great. Also Badlands and Racing In The Street are definitely in his top 5 songs in my opinion. This album has its own magic and atmosphere that is just so unique.

This album has a track score of 96 and is placed in my top albums chart no. 2. My rating for this album is 100

Excellent album as always.

A fine record, dark and raging, compared to the nostalgia and summer spirit of Born to Run. It takes a page from Woody Guthrie, but instead of the Dust Bowl it's the streets of urban New Jeesey. In this heart-wrenching set of songs, the listener is flooded with emotions. It's as authentic as anything. Essential.


A Side: Factory
B Side: Racing in the Street

My first time listening to this album.

I’ve never been much into Springsteen. The musical style of this album, with the saxophone and stripped down instrumentation, gives me an image of a rock and roll band from the late 1950s or early 1960s. I don’t know if that’s what Bruce is going for but that’s my image.

And then clearly Springsteen is known as a lyricist (partly driven by the fact that his mumbling and not quite pitch perfect vocals aren’t the main attraction), but these lyrics don’t really line up with my own experiences so I’m left scratching my head.

In all, I kind of get it but not really. It’s a feeling of nostalgia that doesn’t mean anything to me, specifically.

None of the songs stood out in this first listen.

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Goes toe-for-toe with Born to Run as Springsteen's best record. Highlights include the title track, Prove It All Night, Racing in the Street, Adam Raised a Cain, and Streets of Fire, but the whole thing is worth listening to. I'd probably give this one the slightest little edge over the 1975 record.