Customer Reviews

The Promise: The Darkness On The Edge of Town Story (3 CD/ 3 Blu-ray)

5 star:		(93)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Often I see a comprehensive box set released and it looks so good but I wish I was just a little more interested in the subject album or artist. I didn't have that problem with this one. At 16 years old back in 1978 Darkness On The Edge Of Town was the first serious album I ever bought. Up to then I was buying Aerosmith, Kansas, Rush and the like, didn't own a thing (yet) by Bob, Bruce, Van, Neil etc. Back in those days we all listened to the radio because it was fresh and exciting. WPLJ in New York City was my station. They started playing 4 songs from Darkness constantly (as well as broadcasting the Cleveland '78 show which I taped on my radio shack 8-track stereo - still have the tapes). Carol Miller, an amazing DJ at WPLJ, seemed to have a major crush on Bruce. Soon I was hooked on an artist that would remain in my top 3 to this day.

Darkness is a landmark Bruce album, certainly worthy of the box set treatment. But who would have thought we would get anything like this? Let's break things down:

1. THE PACKAGING
Very different than anything you have seen before. It comes in a large slipcase that is made to look like a worn copy of the album. Inside the slipcase is an actual spiral notebook that is very thick, a reproduction of one of the worn notebooks that Bruce used when creating the album. The 6 discs are spread out inside the contents of the notebook in little envelopes built into the extra thick pages. The notebook will be fascinating to the Bruce fanatic. It has tracklists for different darkness running orders, handwritten lyrics often different than the released songs, pictures and other ephemera. An unusual item that will take a couple enjoyable hours to go through.

2. THE REMASTER
I'm not an audiophile so others can explain this better, but Darkness on cd has always sounded a little dull and lifeless. This release remedies that. Everything sounds fuller and richer, jumps out of the speakers in a way it never did before - without sounding shrill and brittle like some remasters can sound. The actual album was to me one of the lesser reasons for buying this set, but I am very pleased to have this.

3. THE PROMISE - 2 CD'S OF OUTTAKES FROM THE DARKNESS SESSIONS
The Bruce camp has been touting this as sort of the lost album between Born To Run and Darkness. That is marketing and nothing more. This is not in any way a cohesive album of songs anywhere close to those 2 masterpieces. These are outtakes, similar to the Tracks collection and even the many bootleg cd's released over the years. Many of the songs are derivative of other Bruce songs with snippets of melodies and lyrics you will immediately recognize. In my opinion there are only a few that could have been in serious consideration for the album, and almost none that would not have marred the feel and continuity of the finished work. Also the hard truth about this collection is that some of these songs are not that good. Don't get me wrong - they are not bad. But SOME of these songs are merely generic mid tempo rockers and ballads, pretty bland compared to Bruce's best work in this era. It's always exciting to get new Bruce and mediocre Bruce is better than most of what's out there. That being said I can't see myself being drawn to listen to about half the songs on this collection much as the years go by. Of course your mileage may vary. On the flip side there are a good amount of songs that any other artist would have as the centerpiece of their album and never consider holding back. Because The Night, Fire, The Promise and a few others are genuine Springsteen classics and are long overdue for legitimate release. Despite that this set is a bit overhyped it is a welcome addition to Bruce's released work.

On a side note a couple people have commented on these songs being doctored recently with overdubs, etc. I will say that these songs do seem pretty polished and I am curious exactly what was done to them and when. Maybe someone will do an analysis and post it online. I don't think the average fan cares much about this issue but it does seem a little like cheating to me. :-)

4. THE MAKING OF DARKNESS DOCUMENTARY DVD
This is a fascinating documentary, over an hour and a half long, that really gives us a feel of what Bruce and the band went through to create this great work. There is lots of great footage of Bruce and the boys in the studio as well as current commentary. Watching this I begin to understand the commitment that Bruce had to making the finished album conform to his vision. To wade through the 50+ songs (many of them great in their own right but not adhering to the overall theme of Darkness) is an amazing achievement.

5. HOUSTON '78 CONCERT DVD
They call this a Bootleg House Cut. You will enjoy it more if you think of it that way. It was filmed in 1978 for in-house broadcast (probably a little bit down from TV broadcast quality, but really not bad at all). It is not crystal clear, the sound is not pristine but it is nevertheless fantastic and the average Bruce fan will get lost in this. A full 3 hour show of Bruce and The E Street Band at the top of their game. Some of these songs are spine-tingling. I will tell you one thing that I personally like about old footage. It is a pet peeve of mine that modern concerts (Bruce included) are usually filmed with the quick style editing that sees a camera shot change every one and a half seconds. I much prefer the way they used to film things back in 1978. Also, with quite a few bootleg videos from this tour already circulating it is an accomplishment to find something that no one has seen before.

6. THRILL HILL VAULT VIDEO
A few simply filmed in-the-studio songs. Goes well with the documentary. Also 5 live tracks from Phoenix 1978. Like Houston the quality is not perfect, but the performances are stunning.

7. DARKNESS PERFORMED BY CURRENT BAND
Bruce and the band perform the album in the original running order without an audience. I was surprised at how great this is, that this is a vital document and not just a bonus. Of course, after watching the archival footage, the video and audio quality is impressive. This is a focused, passionate, serious performance. No smiles, no distractions. These are 60 year old men whose youth is gone but are still at the top of their game musically. These performances are amazing. I get the sense from Bruce and the band that they know how blessed they are to still play these songs so well with so much weight and so many years behind them, that they know that everything comes to an end eventually. That these days are precious. This set is a perfect bookend in this collection.

I can't think of a more comprehensive, exhaustive look at a single album. And every element works. One can tell that in putting together something of this magnitude that Bruce was very much committed to making this special. Obviously if you are only a marginal Bruce fan this will be overkill. But if you are a longtime fan with affection for this album you will enjoy this for a long time.

Added 7/3/11: As tonight I again watched the 12/13/09 performance of Darkness in its entirety I am reminded what an important document this set is. There is a gravity and mortality that hangs over this incredible performance. Danny is already gone and this is the 2nd to last time Clarence will perform with Bruce and the E Street Band. Every song here is just about perfect, but they played a 10 minute Racing In The Streets that is one for the ages. When Bruce's vocals are done these men - Bruce and Clarence and Roy and Stevie and Max and Garry - continue playing for another 5 minutes. It is as beautiful a piece of music as I will ever hear - men in their twilight mourning and celebrating the passage of all those lost summers.

In this review, I'll cover just the remastered original Darkness On The Edge of Town album itself. Other reviewers have covered the extra content. Also, this isn't an "album review". I'll assume that if you are considering dropping $80+ on this set, you know this is a classic.

The overall sound quality is significantly improved by this remaster. Recall that the original CD issue of Darkness really was just a transfer of the original master to CD format. No "re" mastering was done at the time. As a result, the original CD lacked low end definition, suffered greatly from audible tape hiss, and was generally "muddy".

All of those issues have been resolved in this excellent remaster. You notice from the opening drum fill of "Badlands" that the low end now is much tighter and well-defined. Gary Tallent's bass lines can now be felt as much as heard, which is how good rock bass should be.

Tape hiss is now reduced significantly; you'll notice this especially on the intros to "Something in the Night" and "Racing In The Street". Tape hiss is still present on those tracks, so don't expect it to disappear completely, but it is much less distracting.

One improvement I didn't expect was the increased presence and clarity of the electric guitars. While Bruce's guitar parts were prominent in the original release, they now have greater presence and a little more "bite", meaning high frequency volume. But even more importantly, Steve Van Zandt's guitar work has gone from almost inaudible in the original release to very easy to hear in the remaster. This is most noticeable on "Adam Raised A Cain". If you have the Live: 1975-85 (3CD) album, you know that Steve's guitar work is very prominent, especially on the pre-chorus ("Daddy worked his whole life for nothin' but the pain. . "). As it turns out, this guitar part was present all along on the studio version of "Adam"; it just needed a thorough cleaning in order to be heard (and appreciated). If you are a guitar geek like me, the remaster makes it very easy to hear which channel contains Bruce's 50s Esquire Electric Guitar and which is Steve's Fender American Standard Stratocaster Electric Guitar, 3-Tone Sunburst Rosewood Fretboard.

All in all, an excellent job was done with the remaster. Will you be able to tell the difference? A good yardstick might be comparing this to the Born To Run: 30th Anniversary 3-Disc Set (CD/2DVD) remaster issued a few years ago. If you picked that up and appreciated the improvements, then you will certainly enjoy the Darkness remaster. If you couldn't tell the difference, then you won't want to spend $80+ on this set just for the improvements in audio fidelity.

I originally considered just buying the DVD, The Promise, after all, I already had the CD of Darkness At The Edge Of Town. How much was a remaster really going to change it? Then I realized how much new music from the original sessions was included and I had to spring for the whole package. Who would want to miss songs from that era? DAET has long been my favorite Springsteen record. I love it's wall-to-wall noir element, the quality of the writing, the continually ominous interaction of the bass and the bass drum. I'm a all-record fan, but driving to work I turn most often to this record.

There are a number of features about this reissue that improve on other important reissues which undoubtedly, Springsteen and his colleagues bought and noted. The packaging is spectacular. It's a lot like Bob Dylan's Scrapbook, in that it's a reproduction of Springsteen's notebook in which he wrote the songs that make up this record. Unlike the Dylan book, though, it contains 3 CDs and 3 DVDs all from that era, so if you're nostalgic for 1970s Bruce, this content is spine tingling. The remastering, unlike the Beatles box set from last year, and The Rolling Stones remaster of Exiles on Main Street earlier this year, sit quite comfortably on your iPod next to the original recordings. They don't replace your older recordings as the Beatles' and Stones' work did.

If you love Bruce Springsteen, I would tell you not to hesitate to spend the extra money for this box set. It's hours of infotainment. In most cases, you just have to have it.

If you're someone who looks at Springsteen as a major mover of the rock idiom and is simply interested in how someone like this works, this is s seminal document. Not only do you have the original, hand written lyrics, but Springsteen has made copious notes and essays explaining his process and his thoughts, the driving factors in his life and thinking that created this particular record. This is not someone speculating about how Springsteen may have come up with these ideas. We've all read those, right? This is Springsteen himself telling you how it was. Spine tingling!

I intended to watch television last night, but spent the entire evening perusing these pages while some of my favorite music of all time played in 3 dimensional remastered stereo.

It was a wonderful experience. The original record, remastered, absolutely pops off the stereo. The additional tracks have not been given the same level of remastering, but what's fascinating about them, is how Springsteen used elements of this music which did not find it's way onto the original pressing, in future records. There are lyrics that were released later at a completely different rhythm and melody, and there are melodies and rhythms that he used later with completely different lyrics.

I'm fascinated and honestly, I haven't scratched the surface.

If you care even just about this style of music, this is the best tutorial on how it's created from the ground up. No reason to hesitate. Absolutely worth the extra cash.

If you're a Bruce fan, you've been waiting for this release for a long time. The Born to Run remaster was well done, but this is just off the charts. His BEST album is now remastered and represented in a way I don't think any other album will be treated. The spiral notebook gives you a peak into his creativity. The sound is just amazing. The DVD's are incredible. The whole package is beyond anything we could have imagined as fans.

I don't know where to begin and I'd be the first to admit I'm not an objective Bruce reviewer, but... This is a must-have for the die-hard Bruce fan. The live DVD of the band playing DOT straight through is so refreshing. As a fan who always enjoyed Bruce's guitar playing and wished he'd taken up those duties more in later releases, he's back in top form showing he still owns all those chops from the late 70s with every bit of urgency and commitment as ever. It's obvious the band took this performance as a serious, landmark task, they're sharp and tight as a group. The sound quality is impeccable, the playing masterful. Surprisingly, to me, this was as much of a treat as any other of the components of this coveted box set. The 'bootleg' DVD from '78, especially the first half is high-quality, including simply the best version of "Independence Day" that I've ever witnessed. To me, the show loses a bit of focus toward the end, and I'm rather tired of the "Detroit Medley" (a requisite of the period} but that's partly due to the fact the bar is set so high at the beginning of the show. Great performance nonetheless. And a re-mastered Darkness on the Edge of Town, which has always been 1-2 with Born to Run in my book as favorite Bruce album. Simply a no-hesitation purchase for one who is into Bruce.

Where do I begin? Darkness was released just after my 18th birthday as I was finishing up high school, and then a week before heading out for college I saw my first Bruce show in Charlotte, NC. The album has always represented to me the best part of what Bruce's music is about - there is pain and suffering and disappointment, but mainly there is hope and redemption. Whereas Born to Run was about finding freedom from the shackles of life, Darkness was about the realization that no matter how far you go there will always be something in your way and learning to live with that. The hope of BTR is in the running away; in Darkness the hope is in truly living even in the midst of the despair.

This box set is one of those rare things that you drop $100 on and don't mind, because what it returns to you is priceless. I popped The Promise CD in my car's deck the minute I walked out the store and was immediately sucked in the Racing in the Street (78). The harmonica, the tempo, it was perfect. There are so many gems here, but I don't want to comment as I have not had the time to really sort through them. I was intrigued by Candy's Boy though - a stark contrast to the finished product.

When I got home, I watched the '78 Houston show first. There is always that measure of disappointment when you pop a blu-ray in and you come to realize that 32 year old footage is going to have that VCR quality to it. This was no exception. Framed in 4:3 and containing more than a fair amount of interference, it does not do much as far as eye candy is concerned. However, once you settle in and see a 28 year old Bruce commanding the stage, it does not matter. The set-list is spot on and contains the usual suspects along with some rare goodies. But what is does best is capture the essence of a Darkness show, and despite not singing "Growin' Up" (my favorite moment at the '78 show I attended) it brought me back to a very familiar place. As usual, the camera follows Bruce 95% of the time, so the camera time for Steve, Roy, Gary, Max and Danny is limited. In addition there are times where the stages lights are so dim it virtually impossible to see anything. I found that a little frustrating. Overall? I am extremely pleased with this and am grateful for its inclusion.

The 2009 footage is beautiful. After seeing the band in '78 the switch to 2009 was a little dose of reality. Man these guys have aged! (Gracefully I might add). The overall tone is somewhat somber, but I have not completely watched it all. I did miss seeing Danny at the keyboards though, but such is life.

The 1976-1978 footage is fantastic. Again, I have not seen it all, but what I did watch was mesmerizing. Those guys were so YOUNG and so hopeful and so talented. I can't wait to dig deeper into this.

I have not seen the documentary so I cannot comment on it yet.

Lastly, I listed to the remastered Darkness CD on my way to work today. All I can say is BRILLIANT. The sound is full and rich and deep and sounds so much better than my old CD. From the opening anthem of "Badlands" to the closing notes of "Darkness" I was 15 minutes late for work, but in a much better mood when I arrived. The album is one of the best and now it sounds like it should. Oh how I hope they do the same for The River.

So - sell a kidney, eat bologna, forego the movies for a few months, but by all means don't miss this opportunity. Blu-ray vs. DVD? I only paid $10 more for the blu-ray, but if it is $20 or more, my guess is that the DVD would suffice.

Oh yeah - I almost forgot the notebook. I guess it is best described as the pièce de résistance.

Still trying to absorb it all after getting it for a Christmas gift a week ago! I've long been frustrated that Bruce hasn't remastered his catalog, since his CDs from the 70s and 80s all sound very thin. Remastering can be a sales gimmick, but in the case of "Born to Run" and now "Darkness", there is a drastic improvement in the sound quality of the remastered versions. I'm no audiophile, so I don't know or care about the technical aspects, but the sound on this new release is brighter, crisper and clearer than the first CD pressing. That alone would make this set worthwhile.

But then there's "The Promise", the double CD of outtakes and alternate versions from the Darkness sessions. I wasn't familiar with most of these songs, since I don't listen to bootlegs of studio material, so for me it was essentially a new album. While nothing on here would have been a better choice than what appeared on the actual album, it absolutely stands on its own as a transition between "Born to Run" and "Darkness". Many of the songs have the optimism and big sound of "Born to Run", but also move towards the bleaker and harsher tone that would set the mood of "Darkness". Standout tracks for me were "Someday (We'll Be Together)" with it gorgeous backing vocals, "Come On (Let's Go Tonight)" set to the haunting melody of "Factory" (love that brief piano solo before the last verse), and "Save My Love", a newly recorded piano-heavy song that would translate well live. The studio version of "Fire" is interesting with sax and guitar solos that really flesh out the song.

The overdubs and newly recorded vocals don't bother me, although you can absolutely tell the difference between Bruce's voice from the 70s and 2010. I can understand how some fans would feel that this makes the album less legitimate as a collection of Darkness-era outtakes, but I personally prefer finished versions to demos. Also, I don't hear any of the compressed sound or overproduction that have marred some of Bruce's recent albums like "Magic". Hope he keeps that in mind for future new albums...

As great as the remastered original CD and "The Promise" are, though, my absolute favorite part of this box-set is the rerecording of the "Darkness" songs from 2009. It's a bit disconcerting to hear a live performance with no audience reaction, but I appreciate that Bruce is trying to perform these songs with the passion and spirit that he may have felt was lacking on the original recording. Gone are the sloppy, twangy vocals that marred some of these songs on the Reunion and Rising tours, or the false endings that he still uses on songs like "Badlands". These are fairly faithful renditions but with powerfully energetic singing and playing that show that these songs still mean something to Bruce and the band 30+ years later. My only complaint is that this set isn't included on CD, so you'll have to rip the audio if you want to listen to it in your car or on an ipod. It's good enough that I'd gladly pay for a CD version if it was ever released.

The Houston concert is good, although the quality pales in comparison to the Hammersmith show that was its equivalent on the "Born to Run" remastered set. I'd rather have had a professionally mastered version of the heavily bootlegged Winterland show from that same time period. Not only do the recordings from that broadcazst have slightly better sound quality, but the concert itself seems a bit more energetic and inspired.

Regardless of these minor complaints, this is an absolute treasure chest of material for any Springsteen fan. It's pricey but not overpriced considering what you get. The notebook-style liner notes sounded cheesey but is actually a fascinating supplement to the music (assuming you can read Bruce's late-70s handwriting!). Let's hope we don't have to wait for similar rereleases of all the rest of Bruce's 70s and 80s catalog!

As with anything nothing is perfect. But this is close. The original album never sounded better.All the extra cuts on 2 cds are either different versions of songs on Darkness and show Bruce was correct to keep working on them.The original Racing In The Streets had a 32 Ford, a 318 [a mopar motor] and fuelly heads [chevy]Those parts don't go together. He got it right with a 69 Chevy 396 and fuelly heads those bolt together.Other songs were well known, Because The Night Rendesvous and Talk To Me from live shows or given to other artists. Its nice to have studio versions. Then theres the head scrachers like the Promise and honestly most of the other songs that are so good it defies logic on why you would sit on them for 30 years! The DVDs,The Promise I watched twice on HBO. The 2009 Live version I would have prefered a full touring band version, Patti and Nils were missed.The real gem for me was the extra songs on part 2 and the 78 Houston Bootleg: house cut. Picture ain't perfect, but that was a jammin concert. Had boots from this period and the sound quality is so much better on this DVD. A real gem.

I will leave it to others to heap glowing praise on the documentary footage, remixed original, and out-of-the vault selections. I have no further superlatives to add. But, yes, they are all correct.

What blew me away was the reproduction of Bruce's notebook. In these days of easy and undeserved celebrity, it is indeed something to be reminded of the joys of human achievement earned through honest, passionate, and dedicated labor. Leafing through the density of materials in this one composition book, I was mesmerized by this oddly intimate glimpse into his creative process. How affirming and uplifting to be reminded of the value of that which is justly earned. Gives you back a little faith in a world gone cold.

My 23 year old son just left. Earlier he called and said he "had something for me"....when I opened the box and saw this collection I could only go over it in wonderment. My favorite Bruce album remastered with new gems never heard before. The six pocket notebook full of handwritten lyrics.... photos and glimpses of what brought this masterpiece of an album all together for the masses to soak up. The Live performances that are priceless!

While I am still digesting it all, I can only say I have seen Bruce perform with my son and love that his music continues to reach over generations....A gift for generations. Some things truly can only be found in the darkness on the edge of town.