Darkness

The Big Man passed away this weekend. I've been a huge E-Street fan since my high school days in Houston (Springsteen's pretty cool too). Darkness on the Edge of Town was my first Springsteen album (and still my favorite). Many long-time fans argue that Born to Run was the last good Springsteen record, but I really have to disagree.

While Born to Run was all about getting out and seeking freedom, Darkness was more about living in the present and playing the cards you're dealt - something more realistic to a geeky teenager struggling through puberty and the social awkwardness of high school. Thankfully, my parents were pretty cool with me - as long as I kept up my grades, I was allowed to skip school to camp out overnight for concert tickets - and I did skip out of many 1st and 2nd period classes, especially for Springsteen tickets. Remember, this was in the days before the internet, so you actually had to go buy your tickets from a clerk at a local Ticketmaster outlet. And to get the best seats, you had to be at the front of the line when the windows opened at 8:AM.

Anyway, Clarence Clemons played a mean triangle, and he wasn't bad on the saxophone either.

This clip is from the Darkness tour. It's a song Springsteen gave to Patti Smith, but he still played it a lot on his own - especially back in the days when he routinely put on 4 and 5 hour shows. It's a favorite of mine:



Even though I drove a Camaro in high school, this is my other favorite (beware - the link takes you to a long academic treatise on Racing in the Street). Btw, I think this song actually sounds better and makes more sense when sung by a mature Springsteen: