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Darkness on the Edge of Town

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For other uses, see Darkness on the Edge of Town (disambiguation).
Untitled

Darkness on the Edge of Town is the fourth studio album by Bruce Springsteen, released on June 2, 1978. The album marked the end of a three-year gap between albums brought on by contractual obligations and legal battling with former manager Mike Appel.[1] Although the album did not produce high-charting singles it remained on the charts for 97 weeks.[1] A steady seller in Springsteen's catalog, it has been certified triple Platinum by the RIAA.[2]

Reviews for Darkness on the Edge of Town were overwhelmingly positive. Critics notably praised the maturity of the album's themes and lyrics.[3][4] It remains one of Springsteen's most highly regarded records by both fans and critics and several of its songs have become staples of Springsteen's live performances.[5][6]

In September 2010, a documentary film chronicling the making of Darkness was first shown at the Toronto International Film Festival. Quoting Springsteen as saying "More than rich, more than famous, more than happy – I wanted to be great," reviewer Stephen Whitty of the Newark Star-Ledger commented: "For many fans, that long journey pulled onto the Turnpike here."[7] In 2003, Rolling Stone ranked it at #151 on their list of the greatest albums of all time.

Background

Recovering from legal troubles and the stress of the breakthrough success of Born to Run, Springsteen released a somewhat less commercial album in Darkness on the Edge of Town.[8] In terms of the original LP's sequencing, Springsteen continued his "four corners" approach from Born to Run, as the songs beginning each side ("Badlands" and "The Promised Land") were martial rallying cries to overcome circumstances, while the songs ending each side ("Racing in the Street", "Darkness on the Edge of Town") were sad dirges of circumstances overcoming all hope.[8] Unlike Born to Run, the songs were recorded by the full band at once, frequently soon after Springsteen had written them.[8] Steven Van Zandt received a credit for production assistance for helping Springsteen tighten the arrangements from Born to Run's epic sound.[8] He went on tour for this album.

Though the album failed to generate any substantial hit singles ("Prove It All Night" made it into the Top 40 in the U.S. at No. 33 and follow-up "Badlands" just missed, peaking at No. 42), Darkness was critically well-received and claimed the No. 1 slot on NME album of the year.[9] In 2003, the album was ranked No. 151 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.[10] The cover shot and inner sleeve photo were taken by photographer Frank Stefanko inside Stefanko's Haddonfield, New Jersey, home.[11] Springsteen says, "When I saw the picture I said, 'That's the guy in the songs.' I wanted the part of me that's still that guy to be on the cover. Frank stripped away all your celebrity and left you with your essence. That's what that record was about." [12]

A reissue box set was released in November 2010.[13][14][15] This had initially been planned for 2008 to mark the 30th anniversary of the original album's release but was delayed presumably due to Springsteen's numerous other 2008 projects.[16] By January 2009, Springsteen's manager, Jon Landau, was saying the project was still in the works: "When we can find six weeks to sit down and finish it I'm sure we will."[17] A documentary entitled "The Promise: The Making of Darkness on the Edge of Town" was produced for the box set. The documentary premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in the fall of 2010 and aired on HBO on October 7, 2010.[18]

During the Darkness sessions, Springsteen wrote or recorded many songs that he ended up not using on the album. This was to keep the album's thematic feel intact, even at the expense of not having hits on it.[19] According to Jimmy Iovine, Springsteen wrote at least 70 songs during the sessions and 52 of those songs were recorded with some not fully completed.[20]

Some of the unused material became hits for other artists such as "Because the Night" for Patti Smith; "Fire" for Robert Gordon and The Pointer Sisters; "Rendezvous" for Greg Kihn; "This Little Girl" for Gary U.S. Bonds; and several tracks for Southside Johnny including 3 songs released on the Asbury Jukes album entitled Hearts of Stone.[21] Other songs such as "Independence Day", "Point Blank", "The Ties That Bind", and "Sherry Darling" would turn up on Springsteen's next album, The River, while still others became bootleg classics until surfacing on Springsteen's compilations titled Tracks, 18 Tracks, and The Promise.[21] The album had themes of lost love, depression, and experiential suffering.[22]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[23]
Chicago Tribune[24]
Christgau's Record GuideB+[25]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[26]
MusicHound Rock4.5/5[27]
Pitchfork9.5/10[28]
Q[29]
Rolling Stone[30]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[31]
The Village VoiceA–[32]

In a contemporary review for Rolling Stone, Dave Marsh viewed Darkness on the Edge of Town as a landmark record in rock and roll because of the clarity of its production, Springsteen's unique guitar playing, and the programming, which he said connected the characters and themes in a subtle yet cohesive manner. Marsh remarked that the subject matter of the songs fulfilled the hype that previously surrounded Springsteen: "What they've always said was that someday Bruce Springsteen would make rock & roll that would shake men's souls and make them question the direction of their lives. That would do, in short, all the marvelous things rock had always promised to do."[33] Robert Christgau was less enthusiastic in The Village Voice. He found Springsteen's narratives versatile and the characters remarkable on "Badlands", "Adam Raised a Cain", and "Promised Land", writing that they showcased "how a limited genre can illuminate a mature, full-bodied philosophical insight". He deemed other songs, particularly "Streets of Fire" and "Something in the Night", more impressionistic and overblown, revealing Springsteen to be either "an important minor artist or a very flawed and inconsistent major one".[32] In the UK, the album was ranked at No. 1 among the "Albums of the Year" for 1978 by NME.[34]

In a retrospective review for AllMusic, William Ruhlmann said that Springsteen began to fully realize his characters as working class on Darkness on the Edge of Town, whose "hard truths in hard rock settings" made for a less accessible work than Born to Run.[23] Rolling Stone later wrote that the album was the E Street Band's best performance, "colored by the raw sound happening at the time".[30] In 2003, it was ranked at number 151 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.[35] According to Acclaimed Music, Darkness on the Edge of Town is the 103rd most frequently ranked record on critics' all-time lists.[36]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Bruce Springsteen

Side 1
No.TitleLength
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 2
No.TitleLength
1."The Promised Land"4:33
2."Factory"2:17
3."Streets of Fire"4:09
4."Prove It All Night"3:56
5."Darkness on the Edge of Town"4:30

The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story

A box set reissue entitled The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story was released on November 16, 2010.[37] The 6-disc set includes 3 CDs and 3 DVD or Blu-ray discs. This contains a remastered version of the Darkness on the Edge of Town album, a new 2-CD album, The Promise containing 21 previously unreleased outtakes from the Darkness sessions, a documentary titled The Promise: The Making of Darkness on the Edge of Town, and 2 DVDs of live performances.[38][39] The deluxe box set contains an 80-page spiral-bound reproduction of Springsteen’s original notebooks documenting the recording sessions for the album containing alternate lyrics, song ideas, recording details, and personal notes.[40]

The box set was in production for several years and was originally expected to be released for the 30th anniversary in 2008.[40] On August 4, 2010, it was announced that Springsteen was putting the finishing touches to the box set. The documentary received its première on September 14, 2010, at the Toronto International Film Festival.[41][42] The box set won the 2012 Grammy Award for Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package.[43]

The Promise additional track listing

All tracks are written by Bruce Springsteen unless otherwise noted

Disc 1
No.TitleLength
1."Racing in the Street" (Alternate lyrics and arrangement)6:50
2."Gotta Get That Feeling"3:19
3."Outside Looking In"2:18
4."Someday (We'll Be Together)"5:38
5."One Way Street"4:20
6."Because the Night" (writers: Patti Smith, Springsteen)3:25
7."Wrong Side of the Street"3:36
8."The Brokenhearted"5:19
9."Rendezvous"2:39
10."Candy's Boy"4:39
Disc 2
No.TitleLength
1."Save My Love"2:38
2."Ain't Good Enough for You"4:03
3."Fire"4:09
4."Spanish Eyes"3:50
5."It's a Shame"3:16
6."Come On (Let's Go Tonight)" (Early version of "Factory")2:20
7."Talk to Me"4:21
8."The Little Things (My Baby Does)"3:18
9."Breakaway"5:32
10."The Promise"5:54
11."City of Night"7:07

Unreleased outtakes

Springsteen wrote and recorded over 40 songs during the Darkness sessions. "Don't Look Back", "Hearts of Stone", "Iceman" and "Give the Girl a Kiss" would eventually see their release on the Tracks box set while 21 other outtakes would be released on The Promise album. Some of the songs recorded during these sessions would end up on his next album The River. However, there remains at least 16 songs that are still locked in the vaults, many of which have never even been released through the many circulating bootlegs.[44]

  • "Preacher's Daughter"
  • "I'm Goin' Back"
  • "Break Out"
  • "Crazy Rocker"
  • "Down by the River"
  • "Don't Say No"
  • "The Fast Song"
  • "Castaway"
  • "Our Love Will Last Forever"
  • "Cheap Thrills"
  • "Triangle Song"
  • "I Got My Eye on You"
  • "After Dinner"
  • "King's Big Chance"
  • "Blue Moon"
  • "(I Love) Everything About You"

Personnel

The E Street Band
Technical

Chart positions

Album

Year Chart Position
1978 U.S. Billboard Pop Albums[45] 5
1985 U.S. Billboard 200[46] 167
2010 U.S. Billboard 200 16

Singles

Year Single Chart Position
1978 "Prove It All Night" U.S. Billboard Pop Singles[47] 33
1978 "Badlands" U.S. Billboard Pop Singles[47] 42

References

  1. ^ a b Clarke, Donald. "Bruce Springsteen". Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  2. ^ "Gold & Platinum Searchable Database – February 20, 2014". RIAA. Archived from the original on September 5, 2013. Retrieved 2014-02-21. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ Dave Marsh (1978-07-27). "Darkness on the Edge of Town | Album Reviews". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2014-02-21.
  4. ^ "Album: Bruce Springsteen: Darkness on the Edge of Town". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 2014-02-21.
  5. ^ Mendelsohn, Jason. "Counterbalance No. 112: Bruce Springsteen's 'Darkness on the Edge of Town'". PopMatters. Retrieved 2014-02-21.
  6. ^ Bowling, David (2008-11-05). "Music Review: Bruce Springsteen – Darkness On The Edge Of Town". Blogcritics. Retrieved 2014-02-21.
  7. ^ Whitty, Stephen (September 13, 2010). "Toronto Film Festival Day Four: Bruce Springsteen's 'Promise'". Newark Star-Ledger. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  8. ^ a b c d Fricke, David (January 21, 2009). "The Band on Bruce: Their Springsteen". rollingstone.com. Archived from the original on April 1, 2009. Retrieved 7 February 2009. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ "Albums and Tracks of the Year for 1978". Nme.Com. Retrieved 2014-02-21.
  10. ^ Levy, Joe; Steven Van Zandt (2006) [2005]. "151 | Darkness on the Edge of Town – Bruce Springsteen". Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (3rd ed.). London: Turnaround. ISBN 1-932958-61-4. OCLC 70672814. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); External link in |chapterurl= (help); Unknown parameter |chapterurl= ignored (|chapter-url= suggested) (help)
  11. ^ Varga, George (June 12, 2005). "'Frank Stefanko' an Exhibit that the Boss is sure to like". UNION-TRIBUNE Pop Music Critic. The San Diego Union-Tribune, LLC. Retrieved 8 September 2010.
  12. ^ "Bruce Springsteen Credits 'Darkness' Photographer For Capturing Album's Spirit". KSHE 95. 2010-09-30. Retrieved 2012-04-18.
  13. ^ "Springsteen News". Backstreets.com. Retrieved 2012-01-10.
  14. ^ Andy Greene (2010-06-29). "Darkness' Reissue To Include Unheard Springsteen Tunes | Music News". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2012-01-10.
  15. ^ "Consequence of Sound". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 2012-01-10.
  16. ^ "Springsteen News Archive Jan 2009". Backstreets.com. Retrieved 2012-01-10.
  17. ^ "Information Not Found". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2012-01-10.
  18. ^ Zimny, Thom (2009). "The Promise: The Making of Darkness on the Edge of Town". tiff.com. Thrill Hill Productions. Retrieved 8 September 2010.
  19. ^ "Darkness on the Edge of Town". Stoneponylondon.net. 1978-06-02. Retrieved 2014-02-21.
  20. ^ "Read Jimmy Iovine's USC Commencement Speech (Video)". Hollywoodreporter.com. 2013-05-19. Retrieved 2014-02-21.
  21. ^ a b Thom Jurek (2010-11-16). "The Promise – Bruce Springsteen | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-02-21.
  22. ^ "Themes from Darkness on the Edge of Town". Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  23. ^ a b Ruhlmann, William. Darkness on the Edge of Town at AllMusic. Retrieved 8 July 2004.
  24. ^ Kot, Greg (August 23, 1992). "The Recorded History of Springsteen". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
  25. ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the '70s. Da Capo Press. p. 366. ISBN 0306804093. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
  26. ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). "Bruce Springsteen". Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 0857125958.
  27. ^ Graff, Gary (1996). "Bruce Springsteen". In Graff, Gary (ed.). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Detroit: Visible Ink Press. ISBN 0787610372.
  28. ^ Pitchfork Media review
  29. ^ Williams, Richard (December 1989). "All or Nothing: The Springsteen back catalogue". Q. p. 149.
  30. ^ a b Rolling Stone. New York: 68. March 20, 2003.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link)
  31. ^ Sheffield, Rob (2004). "Bruce Springsteen". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. London: Fireside. pp. 771–773. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help) Portions posted at "Bruce Springsteen > Album Guide". rollingstone.com. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
  32. ^ a b Christgau, Robert (June 26, 1978). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
  33. ^ Marsh, Dave (July 27, 1978). "Darkness On The Edge of Town". Rolling Stone. New York. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
  34. ^ "Albums and Tracks of the Year". NME. 2016. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
  35. ^ Rolling Stone. New York: 131. December 11, 2003.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link)
  36. ^ "Darkness on the Edge of Town". Acclaimed Music. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
  37. ^ brucespringsteen.net Darkness Box News Archived January 30, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  38. ^ "Columbia Records to release Bruce Springsteen's 'The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story' Nov. 16". www.brucespringsteen.net. Archived from the original on 2009-02-23. Retrieved 2010-09-07. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  39. ^ "Springsteen Announces Massive 'Darkness' Set". Rolling Stone. 2010-08-26. Retrieved 2010-09-07.
  40. ^ a b "Bruce Springsteen to Release Darkness on the Edge of Town CD/DVD Box Set | News". Pitchfork. 2010-08-26. Retrieved 2014-02-21.
  41. ^ "Springsteen Debuts 'Darkness' Documentary". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2010-08-04.
  42. ^ Friedman, Roger (September 15, 2010). "Springsteen's Big Night in Toronto Has Lots of "Promise"". Showbiz 411. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
  43. ^ Haines, Anne (2011-12-01). "Another Grammy nomination for Springsteen | Blogness on the Edge of Town Massachusetts". Blogs.wickedlocal.com. Retrieved 2014-02-21.
  44. ^ Brucebase - Darkness On The Edge Of Town - Studio Sessions
  45. ^ "Tracklisting the Single-Album Version of Bruce Springsteen's The River/The Ties That Bind That Could've, Should've Been". Vulture. 8 December 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
  46. ^ Inc, Nielsen Business Media (16 March 1985). "Billboard". Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved 8 November 2016. {{cite web}}: |last1= has generic name (help)
  47. ^ a b "Bruce Springsteen - Chart history | Billboard". www.billboard.com. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
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