Bruce Springsteen continues his vault clearing ways with this 2 disc release of Darkness on the Edge of Town-era outtakes. It is much anticipated by Springsteen fans, though. Bruce was prevented from releasing a record from 1975 (after Born To Run) until 1978 due to a bitter lawsuit with his estranged manager. He and the E Street Band were not idle during these lost years. They toured relentlessly, and also recorded about four records worth of material. What finally emerged was the bleak classic, 1978's Darkness on the Edge of Town. These tunes (along with other tunes that were released on the Tracks box set) are the ones that were left behind. It wasn't a quality issue, but more that Springsteen had a particular album in mind for 1978. As he states in the liner notes to this collection, these are the "lost sessions of music that could have/should have been released after Born to Run and before the collection of songs that became Darkness on the Edge of Town...the music that got left behind was substantial." On the whole, I agree with his assessment.
Is this a lost masterpiece along the lines of Born to Run or DOTEOT? No. It does not flow as its own cohesive album as the Springsteen people seem to be advertising. It feels like what it is, a compilation of great outtakes. And while all of these 21 songs are quality and listenable, some were wisely left in the vaults. On the other hand, there are some truly great additions to the Springsteen canon here. Overall, these tunes portray an exuberance that is in stark contrast to the bleak DOTEOT tunes, so the jump between BTR and DOTEOT is much more clear with the bridge of The Promise. These songs reflect Bruce's love for big, melodic pop songs. Here he is often looking back to the Phil Spector 60's pop sound that permeated BTR. I think the choices that he made for DOTEOT were a deliberate effort to move forward and strip his sound down. Again, listening to The Promise makes the DOTEOT choices more logical and clear.
The highlights? The opening tune is by far the strongest and deserves a place in the all time Springsteen greats. It is entitled "Racing in the Street '78," and is a dramatically different take of the heartbreaking ballad that appeared on DOTEOT. Whereas the version that appeared on DOTEOT was subdued, this take is a powerful, driving epic that would have felt at home next to "Jungleland" or "Backstreets" on BTR. It is a stunner, and blows the previously released version out of the water.
The other notable songs do not quite scale those heights, but they are still quite good. "Wrong Side of the Street" is a catchy as hell rocker that could have been a hit, while "Talk To Me" is poppier than anything he released in the 70's. We finally get a definitive studio version of "Because the Night," his brilliant rocker that he gave to Patti Smith for her biggest single. We also get a steamy studio take of concert favorite "Fire" that actually outdoes the live versions out there. "Breakaway" is a gorgeous ballad, and "The Promise" is a full band version of what was originally released on 18 Tracks as a piano demo. It is a powerful and beautiful ballad that name checks Bruce characters Johnny, Billy and Terry as he sings of driving down "Thunder Road" once again. Inspiring stuff.
Overall, this is essential for Bruce fans, takes us back to a time when Bruce ruled the universe, and gives us a fuller look at what he was doing during what was arguably his most vital period. It is also a great listen to even casual fans.
***1/2 out of *****
1 comment:
no link?
Bullshit!
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