Darkness on the Edge of Town was the long-awaited follow-up to Born to Run. Released in late spring 1978 after a three-year delay caused by legal disputes, it marked a pivotal moment in Bruce Springsteen’s career. To support the album, Springsteen and the E Street Band embarked on an extensive North American tour comprising 115 shows. The Darkness concerts were longer than previous tours—often running close to three hours and typically featuring around 25 songs—and have since come to be regarded by many fans as capturing Springsteen at his creative peak.

Selecting a single performance to represent the 1978 tour is no easy task. Fortunately, five complete shows were broadcast live on radio, all mixed by Jimmy Iovine and preserved in excellent audio quality.

This three-CDanthology draws together standout performances from those five broadcasts, creating a composite portrait of the tour at its finest—an attempt to recreate the atmosphere of one unforgettable night in 1978, showcasing “The Boss” at his very best.

Featured here are carefully chosen highlights from the 7 July 1978 show at The Roxy (broadcast on KMET), the 9 August performance at the Agora Ballroom in Cleveland (WMMS), the 19 September concert at the Capitol Theatre in Passaic, New Jersey (WNEW-FM), the 30 September show at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta (broadcast across numerous South-Eastern stations), and the 15 December performance at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco (KSAN-FM).

Track Listing

CD1 - Darkness On The Edge Of Town 1978    
1        Summertime Blues
2        Badlands
3        Streets Of Fire
4        Spirit In The Night
5        Darkness On The Edge Of Town
6        Factory
7        The Promised Land
8        Independence Day
9        Prove It All Night
10        Racing In The Streets
11        Thunder Road
12        Jungleland

CD2 - Darkness On The Edge Of Town 1978    
1        Night Train
2        Sherry Darling
3        Adam Raised A Cain
4        The Fever
5        Candy's Room
6        Because The Night
7        Point Blank
8        Not Fade Away / Gloria / She's The One
9        Backstreets
10        Rosalita

CD3 - Darkness On The Edge Of Town 1978    
1        Independence Day (Solo Piano)
2        Born To Run
3        Detroit Medley
4        10th Avenue Freeze Out
5        Raise Your Hand
6        Quarter To Three
7        Twist & Shout