BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN - THE PROMISE: THE DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN STORY (3CD + 3 x BLU-RAY)

Bruce Springsteen The Promise: The Darkness On the Edge Of Town Story on Deluxe 3CD + 3 Blu-Ray Box Set

3 CDs Include First-Ever Remastered Version of 1978 Album Plus 21 Previously Unreleased Songs Recorded During Darkness On the Edge of Town Sessions

3 Blu-Ray Discs Contain New 90-Minute Documentary, Four Hours of Live Concert Film and a 2009 Live Performance of Darkness On the Edge of Town Shot in HD

Every Unreleased Song Mixed by Longtime Collaborator Bob Clearmountain

Set Includes 80-Page Notebook with Unreleased Photos, Facsimiles from Springsteen's Notebooks and Essays

Here it is: The set that Bruce Springsteen fans have wanted for decades, the inside look and clear window into the amazing, long sought-after songs recorded for but not released on his seminal Darkness on the Edge of Town album as well as hours of period live footage during the artist's peak era, a documentary about the making of the stellar 1978 record, and a celebrated 2009 live performance of the album shot in HD. Even the artist himself considers the never-released material his missing album. And no, most of these tunes have never even been available on bootleg.

Containing a wealth of previously unreleased material, The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story offers a truly unprecedented look into Bruce Springsteen's creative process during a defining moment in his career. Fans will get to hear--and see--everything. This extraordinary deluxe package comprises nearly six hours of film and more than two hours of audio across 3 CDs and 3 Blu-Ray discs. An 80-page notebook contains facsimiles from Springsteen's original notebooks from the recording sessions, which include alternate lyrics, song ideas, recording details, and personal notes in addition to a new essay by Springsteen on the album, plus, never-before-seen photographs.

The Deluxe Package also features The Promise: The Making of "Darkness" on the Edge of Town, a documentary directed by Grammy- and Emmy-winning filmmaker Thom Zimny. The ninety-minute film combines never-before-seen footage of Springsteen and the E Street Band shot between 1976 and 1978, including home rehearsals and studio sessions with new interviews with Springsteen, E Street Band members, manager Jon Landau, former manager Mike Appel, and others closely involved in the making of the record.

And there's more! The set features more than four hours of live concert film from the Thrill Hill Vault, including the bootleg house cut (the footage that appeared on-screen at the concert) from a 1978 Houston show, and a 2009 performance of Darkness On the Edge of Town in its entirety from Asbury Park. The special performance was shot in HD without an audience and successfully recreates the stark atmosphere of the original album.

And yes, the Deluxe Package also includes the original Darkness on the Edge of Town, digitally remastered for the first time, as well as the 2 CD set The Promise: The Lost Sessions from Darkness On The Edge Of Town. The two discs contain a total of 21 previously-unreleased songs from the Darkness recording sessions, songs that, as Springsteen writes, "perhaps could have/should have been released after Born To Run and before the collection of songs that Darkness on the Edge of Town became."

Highlights include the extraordinary rock version of "Racing in the Street," the never-before-released original recordings of "Because the Night," "Fire," and "Rendezvous," the supreme pop opus "Someday (We'll Be Together)," the hilarious "Ain't Good Enough for You," the superb soul-based vocal performance on "The Brokenhearted," the utterly haunting "Breakaway," and the fully orchestrated masterpiece and title song "The Promise." All 21 songs have been mixed by Springsteen's long-time collaborator Bob Clearmountain. According to long-time manager/producer Jon Landau, "There isn't a weak card in this deck. 'The Promise' is simply a great listening experience."

"Darkness was my samurai record," Springsteen writes, "stripped to the frame and ready to rumble. But the music that got left behind was substantial."

"“Darkness” stands as his leanest, hardest-hitting album with the E Street Band, and – at least for this listener -- his best. The tour that followed, as captured on a DVD of a typically galvanizing Houston concert, was even better. Springsteen’s ascent to stadium-rock icon hit over-drive. What’s less appreciated about the era chronicled on “Promise” is the large volume of exceptional music that didn’t make the final cut, left to languish unheard except for a few live performances and covers by other artists -- until now. The box set’s most crucial addition to the Springsteen canon is the album that might have been; one completely different in tone and intent than “Darkness” but well worth hearing."
--Greg Kot, Chicago Tribune, November 10, 2010

Bruce Springsteen The Promise: The Darkness On The Edge Of Town Story Contents: