Despite the legal battles behind the scenes of this album that were quite the catalyst for his descent into darkness, it seems like it was the only logical way to go after embarking on the hopeful escapes in his first three albums. It was the natural progression of his maturity into the music. I would be so bold to say that without this record, Bruce Springsteen may have never reached the heights that this newfound lease on life provided him.

But...enough with my take on the importance of "Darkness...". The songs speak for themselves on this record. I think the best track is "The Promised Land" because it is like the workingman's anthem, so to speak. It is Bruce declaring that even though he is living a desolate, machine-like existence just to get by in the cruel world, he still holds on to the dreams of the promised land. Another favorite of mine on the album is the title track. His passion in this particular song you can feel in your veins...literally.

But...the showstopper track has to be "Racing in the Street." When I first heard this heartwrenching masterpiece, it gave me chills. I do believe that it is probably the most painfully beautiful song I have ever heard. The reality of it will floor you alone.

Overall, the anguish of Bruce on this record can be heard in every track. From the understated cynicism, to his angered and wounded cries and shrieks, this record is a MUST OWN.

33 of 35 found the following review helpful:


The Boss's Best.  Mar 02, 2005 By N_Joy
This is one of the most powerful albums I have ever heard. I didn't get Bruce in younger days. Back in the 80's I was only interested in heavy metal and it wasn't until my early twentys when I began to expand my musical horizons that I understood the Boss. These songs take on a whole nother meaning now. A couple of years ago I remember making my hour long trip to work where I supervised a department that due to layoffs was overworked and I was catching heat for the work not getting done from corporate and worried about getting laid off myself. (It was a lot like the movie Office Space) I felt like I was fighting a losing battle and Badlands and Promised Land literally gave me the strength to go into the building. Sounds corny but listening to this CD was like a religous experience. Even though there is uncertainty and darkness in these songs there is still a sense of hope. Thanks for the inspiration Bruce.

38 of 41 found the following review helpful:


A searing rock and roll release  Dec 18, 1999 By Dr. Marc Axelrod "PM"
I had a lot of anger toward my family at the time I was listening to this album, and it helped me to find expression to what I was feeling. Especially songs like "Adam Raised a Cain," "Badlands," "Darkness on the Edge of Town," and "Streets of Fire." Springsteen's music reflects the sense of anger (check out the searing guitar work on "Adam Raised a Cain" and "Streets of Fire"), but the album also has the same hopeful optimism that eventually, things are gonna work out right. This comes through particularly well on "The Promised Land," and "Badlands." It's not your typical Springsteen album - he's never rocked this hard before or since - but it's a great statement of fiery determination.

14 of 14 found the following review helpful:


Not as majestic as 'Born to Run', but arguably hits harder  Sep 18, 2006 By Robert Bykowski "Robert Bykowski"
Let me start off by stating that I don't think there can be much argument that 'Born to Run' and 'Darkness on the Edge of Town', to this day, stand as Bruce's two finest recorded achievements. Par none. However, like all great art, their excellence is measured in different ways. 'Born to Run' was almost like a grand opera -- it contained songs that talked about finding redemption by escaping, chasing dreams, and romanticized the streets and urban toughness. It was kind of like 'West Side Story' meets Phil Spector, and its grandeur reached its peak with the title track; one of the greatest rock anthems of all time.

'Darkness on the Edge of Town', on the other hand, states in no uncertain terms that life will never be easy for many, many people out there. Escapism is again present in songs like "Something in the Night" and "Racing in the Street", but this time its an escapism not of romantic qualities but of fear and loneliness, trying to find some sort of meaning in an empty existence. The title track puts forward a man who is essentially stripped bare - he's lost his romantic companion, his posessions, his home...but not his willingness to fight back. He's maintained his inner pride. And that's what is so inspirational and moving about 'Darkness' - for every song of defeatism like "Factory", there's an anthem like "Badlands" or "The Promised Land" that says essentially that no matter how hard or bad things get, you can fight back because you have NOT lost your pride or soul. When I have reached low points in my own life, 'Darkness' is an album that I frequently turn to because it offers more answers and good will than any form of therapy would.

After this album was released, Bruce and the E Street Band embarked on what could very well be the greatest rock 'n roll tour of all time...it was the one that established Bruce as one of the best live performers ever. Bruce and the band went on to release several other excellent albums, but the period of 1975 through 1978 was a very special one for these guys because they almost single-handedly saved American rock from irrelevance. No better example of that can be shown than on 'Darkness on the Edge of Town'. Buy it...it WILL become one of the essential soundtracks to your life.

15 of 16 found the following review helpful:


Perhaps the greatest album ever made  Feb 14, 2004 By MAGA
It is hard to put in words how great this album is. How does a legend like Bruce top such a great album as "Born to Run"? By making an album that is perfect. Darkness kicks into gear with the first cut, "Badlands," a moving and dynamic Springsteen classic. The remarkable cuts keep coming, with such classics as "Candy's Room." Heck, every cut on this album is a classic. Just talking about it makes me want to pull it out and pop it in the CD player. Come to think of it, see ya.

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