High Hopes

As is well known, anyone who came of age in New Jersey in the last forty years, regardless of where they eventually ended up, is required by both Federal and New Jersey state laws to consecrate the first day of release of any new Bruce Springsteen album to paying homage to the Boss. Accordingly, I have devoted today to repeated listenings, and careful consideration of the master's latest effort, and, all kidding aside, I can confidently state that it is one of his very finest efforts ever.This superb collection amply fulfills the promise of Springsteen's mature work, which, increasingly over the past three decades, has forsaken the elaborate "rock rebel" posturing of the early years in favor of work that draws on folk, blues, roots-rock and soul models that, for all their apparent simplicity, display an ever-growing emotional depth, resonance, and richness, and a deepening understanding of the ways in which our musical traditions can help us cope with an increasingly complex and heartless world.That said, the new album is all the more remarkable for the seamless way in which it fuses what would at first seem to be disparate elements--the use of multiple producers, covers seated very comfortably alongside Springsteen originals, and the gloriously successful revisiting of two songs, "American Skin (Forty One Shots)" and "The Ghost of Tom Joad," that had been previously released in notably different versions. Add to the equation the fact that the set embraces a wide range of styles, from pounding anthem rock ("American Skin," "The Ghost of Tom Joad"), to plaintive folk ("The Wall"), to straight-ahead gospel ("Heaven's Wall"). In the end, all of these elements are melded beautifully, creating a unified vision of surprising coherence and power.The cover songs--"High Hopes," "Just Like Fire Would," and the uplifting final track, "Dream Baby"--all sound as though Bruce could have written them, although without having heard the originals, I cannot tell whether this is due to the arrangements, or to a particularly fortuitous choice of material. Either way, it really works."High Hopes" is not "Born To Run" or "Born In The U.S.A.," just as Mr. Springsteen himself, at 64, is not the same man he was at 26 or 35, respectively. But it is a more adult album than either of those undisputed classics, and is easily equal to their legacy. To call it a masterpiece would not be an overstatement. The kid from Freehold has done it again. This is music for the ages.One final piece of advice. By all means purchase the Amazon exclusive edition including the video, while it is available. The DVD contains a concert performance of the entire "Born In The U.S.A." in London in 2013. It is magnificent; it brought tears to my eyes. Long live the Boss!

While much of the critical discussion of this album focuses on the origins of the songs...a few covers and a number of Springsteen originals that were written by Springsteen over the last 20 years...the album shouldn't be seen as a "Tracks, Part II" or as a thrown-together effort of obscure tracks from recent years. Rather, this is a cohesive album that fits well with Springsteen's growth in recent years.Among the best tracks are "High Hopes," which features a pounding beat and demonstrate his recent interest in strains of gospel and his renewed use of horns. "American Skin" is one of Springsteen's best compositions since the 80's. It surely belongs in the same conversation as the tracks from "Wrecking Ball" and "The Rising." This track was first debuted around 2000 (featured on "Live in New York City"). This studio version does a nice job of using Tom Morello's guitar work (which can be heard throughout much of the album) and maintains the powerful vocals. Both of these tracks continue to show Springsteen's focus on empathy for the downtrodden and the hope that there's a place for these folks in the American dream. Of course, these have been life-long themes for The Boss, but they certainly continue that thematic focus at the heart of "Wrecking Ball."As always, Springsteen remains at his best when he tells the stories of silent pain and loss experienced by the common man and forgotten heroes. Both "Down in the Hole" (originally written during "The Rising" sessions, about the rescue-workers at the World Trade Center) and "The Wall" (about the lingering sense of a generation's loss via the Vietnam War, told via the story of a childhood friend lost in this war) tell these stories in moving ways. It's nice to hear a few of the E Street band members who've passed away in recent years, as Clarence Clemons & Danny Federici can be heard on a few of these tracks.This album's version of "The Ghost of Tom Joad" is wonderful in its own way. While it was a meditative folk song on Springsteen's 1995 album, Tom Morello's reimagining of the song (via Rage Against the Machine) seems to have pushed Springsteen to reimagine the sound of the song. In many ways, it exceeds the original...whereas the folk version was hopeless, this version seethes with Springsteen's signature brand of anger, but tinged with an abiding sense of hope. And, yes, it also rocks :)Yes, the avid Springsteen collectors among us will be able to dissect the album and hear the different times in which Springsteen wrote or began recording these tracks. But most listeners will hear an album that has a cohesive sound that is truly updated for Springsteen's current influences. While it is not as thematically tight as "The Rising" (about 9/11 and its aftermath) or "Wrecking Ball" (about the Great Recession and the plight of the working man), it would be difficult for any musician to top those efforts, as they are among the best albums of this century. Nonetheless, this album does have a continued focus on the plight of the down-trodden and those on the margins of society.