Bruce Springsteen - Darkness On the Edge of Town
This is, to the best of my knowledge, the first Bruce Springsteen album I've even listened to from start to finish. But please - I don't need to hear your, "What? You've never heard a Bruce Springsteen album all the way through before?!" incredulousness. It's not like I don't know the hits and that the one lady from Friends is in one of his videos. I have a working knowledge. From the very start of the first song, it's obvious that this record totally makes sense on an "albums every man should own" list. Just look at the album cover - so manly. And this is 1978, so it's not like he got that v-neck at American Apparel. It's probably out of a 3-pack purchased from Sears with a handful of crumpled, dirty money! I really don't think there is a more quintessentially male artist than Bruce Springsteen. Just about every other male superstar of his stature I can think of is androgynous and flamboyant: Prince, Elton John, David Bowie... Springsteen doesn't need ass-less chaps, giant glasses or spiders from Mars, just pure testosterone. Even his live reputation is manly - three hour sets with no break? So much stamina! So much sweat! "Prove It All Night," indeed. If I was, for instance, at a guy's house and had suspicions about his sexual orientation, I'd totally sneak a peek at his record collection to see if he had any Bruce Springsteen.
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So, say you take that peek into said guys collection and notice that he has the entire collection of Springsteen albums including the remastered Born To Run and the Promise boxed sets as well as a few live concert dvds and a vinyl poster he got as a gift years ago, would you say, that perhaps, he may be overcompensating?
Perhaps. Springsteen correlation does not equal gay causation, of course. But it would be compelling.
I did not see darkness coming as number one. Very suprised.
I would have preferred the list be done "countdown style" from 75 to 1, but the manly powers at 'Esquire' didn't think to consult me on this. :)
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