I got the deluxe version of Bruce Springsteen’s The Promise – The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story. It comes packaged in an amazing exercise book with Bruce’s handwritten lyrics and comprises the re-mastered Darkness album, The Promise and a couple of live performance DVD’s from the 70’s, and the 2009 Asbury Park, a Darkness on the Edge of Town live concert. Yes, it’s label driven; yes, it’s expensive; who cares – it’s The Boss at his best.
Darkness was Bruce’s “samurai” record stripped to the bone, confrontational and highly personal. The Promise is like revisiting old friends, reliving the past and making up some stuff that didn’t happen but should have happened. These songs haven’t been put together as a story before and they are amazing. Big melodies, big choruses, big vocals, and big lyrics. I’m exactly the same age as Bruce although he’s wearing a little better. It took me back to my mid 20’s and left me feeling totally stoked. Buy it today.
