Badlands, Adam Raised A Cain, Something In The Night, Candy’s Room, Racing In The Street, The Promised Land, Factory, Streets Of Fire, Prove It All Night, Darkness On The Edge Of Town.
Type of Music: Rock
Comments:
When I think about Bruce Springsteen as a performer, I always see at least two different characters. One is the self confident Stadium Rocker on Albums like Born to Run or Born in the USA. The other, and the one I like even better, is the sober observer of the industrial working class. A painter and a storyteller who creates images of life in small industrial towns in the Northern part of the United States.
Bruce scored big time in 1975 with his third album Born to Run. Probably because of the success of the record, Bruce entered in a three year long legal struggle over money with his former manager. During these three years Bruce was not allowed to record.
Once the dispute was settled, Bruce, like John Lennon, ventilated his anger and frustration through his songs.
Darkness on the Edge of Town is Bruce’s Primal Scream Therapy. He never rocked harder before and would almost never rock that hard again. It’s a dark and haunting album painting the life of the hard working - and betrayed American working class losers seeking a way out in alcohol, cars and women. And the music keeps up with the lyrics through furious guitar solos and pounding drums.
Bruce had at least three years to write the new songs and it shows. There are no weak tracks to be found on the album. Absolute high points are Adam Raised a Cain, a song that somehow reminds me of an African Tribe Chant, and the fabulous ballad Racing in the Street. But Badlands, Candy’s Room, The Promised Land, Factory and Darkness at the Edge of Town are excellent songs as well.
Starting with this album, Bruce changed his style of songwriting somewhat. Gone are the epic anthems, now replaced by shorter to the point statements. Bruce would keep this style for most of his career from now on. But hardly ever again would he be able to match the sheer power of expression he found in the Darkness on the Edge of Town.
Rating: ********* (9 out of 10)
Black = Good Songs
Green = Great Songs
Red = Could Be Better
Who should buy this Record: Everybody! This is an Essential Springsteen Record and one of the great Rock Albums of the Seventies
