Darkness Live - Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band (various soundboards)

This is a compilation I put together for my friend Dan's birthday. As I am happy with it, and can think of no reason not to, I've decided to share it with this community. It includes all ten songs featured on "Darkness on the Edge of Town" and what I think of as the two key outtakes (I considered including "Fire," but its tone doesn't fit). All tracks are from 1978 except "Something in the Night," because I don't have a 1978 soundboard of that song, and because I prefer the drastically different original version from 1976 (with trumpet solo).

This set also includes "Thunder Road," which proceeds seemlessly from "Racing in the Streets." Think of it in cinematic terms, as a flashback to happier times before the bitter finale (which, anyway, references "Thunder Road"). It also features the brilliant "peace, love, justice, and no mercy" intro. (Does/did the place he describes exist? I've always wondered.) Finally, "The Promise" includes the verse beginning "My daddy taught me how to walk quiet...", one of the most moving and personal things Bruce ever wrote.

Hopefully, with this year marking the 30th anniversary of "Darkness," Bruce has something special up his sleeve. Until then, enjoy this one.

1 Badlands(9-19-78, Passaic, NJ)
2 Streets of Fire (9-19-78, Passaic, NJ)
3 Something in the Night (10-27-76, Philadelphia, PA)
4 Candy's Room (12-15-78, San Francisco, CA)
5 Because the Night (12-15-78, San Francisco, CA)
6 Adam Raised A Cain (6-24-1978, Portland, OR)
7 Darkness on the Edge of Town (12-15-78, San Francisco, CA)
8 Factory (12-15-78, San Francisco, CA)
9 The Promised Land (9-19-78, Passaic, NJ)
10 Prove It All Night (9-19-78, Passaic, NJ)
11 Racing in the Street (9-19-78, Passaic, NJ)
12 Thunder Road (9-19-78, Passaic, NJ)
13 The Promise (6-16-1978, Kansas City, KS)

Venues:
Passaic-Capitol Theatre
Philadelphia-Spectrum Arena
San Francisco-Winterland
Portland-Paramount Theatre
Kansas City-Memorial Hall