Category: Rock & Symphonic/Metal

SUMMARY:                                 RUNNING TIME: 43:00 Min.

Darkness on the Edge of Town is Bruce Springsteen’s fourth studio album released on June 2, 1978, by Columbia Records. This ten-track album was recorded from June 1, 1977, to March 15, 1978.

Track Number/Title:                              Run Time:

            SIDE A

1. Badlands                                                      4:03
2. Adam Raised a Cain                                     4:32
3. Something in the Night                                  5:11
4. Candy’s Room                                              2:51
5. Racing in the Street                                       6:53                   

SIDE B

• The Promised Land                                       4:33
• Factory                                                         2:17
• Streets of Fire                                                4:09
• Prove It All Night                                         3:56
• Darkness on the Edge of Town                     4:30

REVIEW:

Darkness on the Edge of Town embodies the idea of a dying American dream.  It’s very much a vinyl experience.  The first five tracks (call it ‘Side A’) correspond with Tracks # 6-10, as different sides of a common theme.  The album’s dark and gloomy tone is on full display, as Springsteen and The E Street Band clearly illustrate this message for their listeners.  The opening track, Badlands, shows a character who’s trying to survive within the working class. The struggle between following one’s dreams while having bills to pay makes Badlands routinely considered one of Springsteen’s best works.

The second track is even drearier depicting Springsteen’s relationship with his father. Adam Raised a Cain is average, but the guitar riff is one of the most distinctive in Springsteen’s arsenal.   Something in the Night shows a man reminiscing about his dreams. His dreams feel so far away, as if they are lost in the night.  It’s a sad song that proves underrated.

Candy’s Room is a short and sweet love song that breaks up the preceding tracks. It’s a great tune, but it belongs on Springsteen’s prior album, Born to Run — not Darkness on the Edge of Town.  The fifth track, Racing in the Street, may display Springsteen’s innate storytelling ability more than any other song on the album.  The main character finds an escape from national turmoil in street racing, and it loses him the girl. It’s a heartbreaking yet soothing song that is easily among the best in Springsteen’s career.

The Promised Land clearly explores the opposite perspective of Badlands. This track now shows the light at the end of the tunnel instead of the bleak reality found in Badlands.  Promised Land shows a character daydreaming of the promised land; yet, he isn’t going anywhere. Promised Land is a relatabletrack and again one of Springsteen’s best tunes.

Factory again references Springsteen’s father, this time as a factory worker. It’s a forgettable piece, and there are better Springsteen songs that tell this same story.  The eighth track, Streets of Fire, has a similar style to Adam Raised a Cain.  Its aggressive melody compliments the lyrics of someone who has been lied to about the realism of an American dream. Streets of Fire has a similar theme to many of the other songs on this album, but it’s still worth a listen.

Prove it All Night is the second love song on Darkness on the Edge of Town. The lyrics come off as very similar to I’m on Fire, and the track feels closer in spirit to The Rolling Stones. With that being said, it serves its purpose,

Finally, the title track, Darkness on the Edge of Town, encapsulates the message that Springsteen has laced throughout the album.  The character’s lost everything; yet, he finds something worth living for.  His voice painfully echoes desperation and despair; and, yet, hope and triumph aren’t lost.  The title song perfectly closes out the album by showing the character’s motivation to rise above everything that drags him down.

Darkness on the Edge of Town has arguably become Springsteen’s best album and for good reason. The balance between dreaming of a better life and living in an even bleaker reality is what makes Darkness so powerful. 

ROSCOE’S ODD MOON RATING:                            8 Stars

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SUMMARY:                              RUNNING TIME: 46:00 Min.

Born in the U.S.A. is Bruce Springsteen’s seventh studio album.  It was released on June 4, 1984, by Columbia Records. This twelve-track album was recorded from January 1982 through March 1984. 

Track Number:                                     Run Time:

1. Born in the U.S.A.                               4:38
2. Cover Me                                              3:26
3. Darlington County                                  4:48
4. Working on the Highway                         3:13
5. Downbound Train                                   3:35
6. I’m on Fire                                             2:37
7. No Surrender                                         4:01
8. Bobby Jean                                             3:46
9. I’m Goin’ Down                                      3:30
10. Glory Days                                            4:15
11. Dancing in the Dark                               3:59
12. My Hometown                                        4:34

REVIEW:

Born in the U.S.A. kicks off with a brash anthem describing a soldier adjusting to life after the Vietnam War.  Springsteen is able to identify the flaws in the United States while still calling it his home. Add a phenomenal performance on the drums by Max Weinberg, and there’s a reason why it’s Springsteen’s trademark tune.

Cover Me is an unimaginative love song, but it works for what it is.  The third track, Darlington County, is one of Springsteen’s “story songs,” as  two boys go cruising from New York to Darlington County.  It’s closer in spirit to his 1980 album The River, but it gets the job done.  Working on the Highway is an upbeat, 60’s style track about a middle-class road worker. It’s catchy but ultimately forgettable.

Downbound Train is easily the most underrated on this set.  It follows Springsteen’s classic “working man who falls out of love” formula, but it still remains one of the better songs on Born in the U.S.A.  The sixth track, I’m on Fire, is a simple but very catchy tune.  It’s one of Springsteen’s best-known and most covered songs of his career. 

No Surrender is another song that strays away from rock and draws closer to pop.  It’s another song that’s hard not to sing along to.  Bobby Jean shows a man reminiscing about his relationship with his old girlfriend, Bobby Jean.  It’s a solid track, with a great sax solo by Clarence Clemons.  Track 9: I’m Goin’ Down, is a repetitive piece that isn’t anything special.

Glory Days has ‘The Boss’ reflecting upon his younger years. It’s consistently considered one of the best songs from Born in the U.S.A. and is definitely worth a listen.  The album’s most successful track would be Dancing in the Dark.  It’s likely the most complete song from Born in the U.S.A., with its use of synthesizers, drums, saxophone, and its face-paced tempo. 

Born in the U.S.A. closes with My Hometown. It’s a sad look at someone’s hometown that has fallen victim to racial and economic despair. This final trackcaptures the essence of Springsteen’s overarching message of what it’s like to grow up.

Born in the U.S.A. was Springsteen’s breakthrough into mainstream media, as his album mixes traditional rock with a more contemporary pop sound for the time.  It has become Springsteen’s best-selling set and is arguably his best work.

ROSCOE’S ODD MOON RATING:                 8 Stars

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