289) Bruce Springsteen - Darkness on the Edge of Town

Twenty-one albums in a forty-two-year career and a one hundred and fifty million record sales. It’s fair to say Mr Springsteen has had a not bad career and at seventy-five years of age is still one of the biggest concert draws around, never played Motherwell Civic but that is something he will probably always regret.

Darkness on the Edge of Town was the follow up to the record that had made Springsteen a star, Born To Run, a huge record for anyone to follow but made even more difficult by a legal dispute that prevented Springsteen entering the studio for a year.

These ten tracks are much more raw than Born to Run, Springsteen embraced the early American punk bands as guitar dominated more on this record.

Badlands opens the record and people will know this one, I don’t like the opening for some reason, never have but once it gets to the chorus it hits its stride and is heartfelt, Adam Raised a Cain Springsteen is almost whispering as the song builds then he roars the chorus, having read his autobiography I can see this was Springsteen reflecting on his relationship with his father, it’s a stunning piece of work.

Candys Room, Bruce is talking to us over a shuffling beat and piano before exploding a minute in with backing vocals and a piercing guitar solo, in and out in less than three minutes Bruce doesn’t mess about here.

Racing in the Street is a story, a man who can’t escape the only pleasure in his life of racing as the song progresses the sadness is he has a wife who he has neglected but hopes to win her back at the end, beautiful piano throughout and a powerful vocal from Bruce.

The Promised Land a harmonica leads us in, the song is about a man struggling but refusing to give in, the guitar and sax halfway through don’t distract but enhance, Bruce is telling stories here, as the next song Factory amply proves. 

The E Street band have always been there to back Bruce but they know what he wants and he knows how to use them, see the moment they come in on the chorus of Streets of Fire and then instantly take it down a notch to allow their leader the space to go for it and Bruce shows he is a supreme guitar player on his solo.

Prove It all Night is insanely catchy and good to see the big man, Clarence Clemons have his moment and the title track again is a single piano before the chorus explodes, this is a record for choruses.

A huge album full of moments and a more than worthy follow up to Born to Run. 

8/10

GIVE IT A STREAM: Adam Raised a Cain