Springsteen Survivor - Darkness on the Edge of Town - Round 1

[bono_212]

Please vote for your LEAST favorite.

In the final round of the Born to Run final, Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out lost 11-7 against She's the One.

Tier 1 Semi-final:
Thunder Road
Backstreets
Born to Run
She's the One
Jungleland
4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)
Incident on 57th Street
Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
New York City Serenade

And as a reminder, the songs currently going to the Tier 2 semi are:
Lost in the Flood
For You
Spirit in the Night
It's Hard to Be A Saint in the City


4 songs will move on from Darkness on the Edge of Town.

 

[bono_212]

Tough for me because honestly, there's only like 4 songs on this album I even like (Though I realize I'm in the minority here).

Badlands
Candy's Room
Promised Land
Prove It All Night

Adam Raised a Cain

And that's about it.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

im voting for streets of fire

 

[bono_212]

It's a toss-up for me between my least favorite Springsteen song (Racing in the Street ) and one of his more over the top songs (Factory).

 

[corianderstem]

Phanan will probably kick me in the shins for this, but I find Racing in the Streets to be incredibly dull.

 

[phanan]

It's a toss-up for me between my least favorite Springsteen song (Racing in the Street ) and one of his more over the top songs (Factory).

Wow, Racing In The Street is your least favorite Springsteen song? That's one of my favorites and I hope it somehow survives the Darkness rounds, although it will be tough with the likes of Badlands, The Promised Land, Prove It All Night, and the title track in its way.

Either Streets Of Fire or Factory can go first.

ETA:

Phanan will probably kick me in the shins for this, but I find Racing in the Streets to be incredibly dull.

Boo.

 

[corianderstem]

I'm not a fan of Factory or Streets of Fire, and to be honest, I can't even think of how Something In the Night goes at all.

Other than those 4 (including Racing), I love everything else here.

 

[phanan]

YouTube - Bruce Springsteen - Something in the Night - Live in New Jersey - 2009-05-23

 

[corianderstem]

I recognize that main musical figure in it, so obviously I've heard it, but man, it must have been just once or twice.

I intend on spending more time with Darkness once the remaster comes out.

 

[phanan]

Let's hope we can hear that soon.

 

[LemonMelon]

I'm with Ashley and the corresponding minority. Pretty crappy album, especially following such a masterpiece. Maybe 3-4 great songs, and a bunch that don't move me in the slightest.

1. Candy's Room - 5/5
2. Something In The Night - 4.5/5
3. Prove It All Night - 4/5
4. Darkness on the Edge of Town - 3.5/5
5. Adam Raised A Cain - 3.5/5
6. Badlands - 3/5
7. Streets Of Fire - 3/5
8. The Promised Land - 3/5
9. Racing In The Street - 3/5
10. Factory - 2.5/5

 

[SeattleVertigo]

I like the album pretty well. It's of course not at the level of Born To Run, but there are a lot of great songs here.

I like Racing In The Street a lot, but would still probably put it behind Badlands, The Promised Land, Prove It All Night, Darkness on the Edge of Town and maybe Candy's Room.

Adam Raised a Cain irritates me. But I might vote for another song to protect Racing In The Street if necessary.

 

[phanan]

I'm with Ashley and the corresponding minority. Pretty crappy album, especially following such a masterpiece. Maybe 3-4 great songs, and a bunch that don't move me in the slightest.

1. Candy's Room - 5/5
2. Something In The Night - 4.5/5
3. Prove It All Night - 4/5
4. Darkness on the Edge of Town - 3.5/5
5. Adam Raised A Cain - 3.5/5
6. Badlands - 3/5
7. Streets Of Fire - 3/5
8. The Promised Land - 3/5
9. Racing In The Street - 3/5
10. Factory - 2.5/5

Didn't realize you disliked this album so much.

Between this and The River, you really didn't care for this era it seems.

 

[bono_212]

Wow, Racing In The Street is your least favorite Springsteen song? That's one of my favorites and I hope it somehow survives the Darkness rounds, although it will be tough with the likes of Badlands, The Promised Land, Prove It All Night, and the title track in its way.

Either Streets Of Fire or Factory can go first.

ETA:


Boo.

It really is. Not for being a terribly bad song, I think he has worse, but just, I think the metaphor is pretty godawful.

 

[LMP]

"Badlands," "Promised Land," "Prove It All Night" and the title track are the four that I'm rooting for this round.

"Factory" for me.

 

[SeattleVertigo]

I can live with Factory.

 

[LemonMelon]

Didn't realize you disliked this album so much.

Between this and The River, you really didn't care for this era it seems.

Ha, I like the River quite a bit. Just didn't think 6 of its songs were up there with the 3-4 best from each album in its tier. I like it though, a lot more than Darkness. My only issue with it is how difficult it is to listen to it from front to back, something that really keeps it out of the classic tier as far as I'm concerned.

I would place the albums thusly:

1. Born To Run (A+)
2. The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle (A)
3. Nebraska (A-)
4. Tunnel Of Love (A-)
5. The Rising (A-)
6. Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. (B+)
7. The River (B+)
8. Born In The U.S.A. (B)
9. Magic (B-)
10. Devils & Dust (B-)
11. Darkness On The Edge Of Town (C+)
12. Working On A Dream (C)

I feel like BITUSA should be higher...that album always puts a smile on my face, but I just hate it when Bruce indulges in synthesizers. TOL is an exception because of the lyrics; some of the very best of his career. Still haven't heard the 90s albums. Need to get around to that before those polls start.

 

[joyfulgirl]

I can't even think of how Something In the Night goes at all.

I was just thinking the same thing. Kind of amazing given that this was one those records (and by records, I mean vinyl) that I listened to obsessively. I haven't played it all the way through in years.

 

[phanan]

Ha, I like the River quite a bit. Just didn't think 6 of its songs were up there with the 3-4 best from each album in its tier. I like it though, a lot more than Darkness. My only issue with it is how difficult it is to listen to it from front to back, something that really keeps it out of the classic tier as far as I'm concerned.

Ah, ok. I actually agree with you regarding The River. Thematically and structurally, it's a mess, with jarring sequencing and questionable song choices. The songs themselves are excellent, even the silly ones like Cadillac Ranch and Ramrod; they just feel totally out of place alongside tunes like Point Blank and The Price You Pay, for example.

Which is why it's so puzzling that songs like Be True and Loose Ends were omitted.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

A bit surprised by some of the negative(ish) thoughts toward this album. Has always been and always will be my 2nd favorite Bruce album.

The bleak and dirty and broken-down sequel to Born To Run, in which the lead characters realize that, yes, they "pulled outta there to win" but, in reality, nobody ever wins.

Oh, and Something In The Night is gorgeous.

 

[LemonMelon]

Ah, ok. I actually agree with you regarding The River. Thematically and structurally, it's a mess, with jarring sequencing and questionable song choices. The songs themselves are excellent, even the silly ones like Cadillac Ranch and Ramrod; they just feel totally out of place alongside tunes like Point Blank and The Price You Pay, for example.

Which is why it's so puzzling that songs like Be True and Loose Ends were omitted.

There's something of a theme running through The River. The second disc is considerably more depressing than the first (which is largely euphoric, jangly Bruce), and nearly every song is about cars. Or something. Other than that, it makes about as much sense as the White Album as far as sequencing is concerned. I have no idea what Bruce was trying to do with this album, but there are enough great songs on the it to make it fine Bruce listening. If 6 songs were to go through, I'd pick the following:

The Ties That Bind
Jackson Cage
Hungry Heart
The River
Point Blank
Drive All Night

 

[Bono's shades]

A bit surprised by some of the negative(ish) thoughts toward this album.

Me too. I always thought is was universally adored by Springsteen fans.

Factory and Something In The Night are obviously second-tier for this album, but they are still lovely. I ended up voting for Something In The Night to be eliminated.

 

[phillyfan26]

Racing in the Street is fucking awesome, I am shocked at the hate.

 

[MMP]

I really like Factory. I'm going with Streets of Fire here.

 

[phanan]

A bit surprised by some of the negative(ish) thoughts toward this album. Has always been and always will be my 2nd favorite Bruce album.

The bleak and dirty and broken-down sequel to Born To Run, in which the lead characters realize that, yes, they "pulled outta there to win" but, in reality, nobody ever wins.

Oh, and Something In The Night is gorgeous.

It's probably my 3rd favorite, but yeah, I agree.

 

[phanan]

There's something of a theme running through The River. The second disc is considerably more depressing than the first (which is largely euphoric, jangly Bruce), and nearly every song is about cars. Or something. Other than that, it makes about as much sense as the White Album as far as sequencing is concerned. I have no idea what Bruce was trying to do with this album, but there are enough great songs on the it to make it fine Bruce listening. If 6 songs were to go through, I'd pick the following:

The Ties That Bind
Jackson Cage
Hungry Heart
The River
Point Blank
Drive All Night

My top 6 would be:

The Ties That Bind
Hungry Heart
The River
Point Blank
The Price You Pay
Wreck On The Highway