High Hopes

Perfect 👍

I've been a huge fan of Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band from the beginning, and it hurts me to give this album 3 stars. I will say that it really should be leaning more towards 4 stars, but not quite. What I think is happening is that Bruce, for whatever reason he has, is making an attempt to change the band with the times. But, I've always said that if you have something that is still working, don't fix it. The E Street band didn't need any fixing. The losses of Clarence "Big Man" Clemons and Danny Federici were huge ones. A couple of basic, integral sounds of the band were gone. Bruce made a good choice in bringing in Jake Clemons to help fill the void of losing Clarence, and also added some other horns and back-up singers. That worked out well. But, the addition of Tom Morello has changed the sound of the E Street Band to a major degree. Tom Morello is a fine musician, but his sound is way over the top as far as the sound of the E Street Band as we old fans have known it for years. He just doesn't fit in with the rest of the guys. His sound has changed the basic sound of the band completely. It's as if he has become the "Boss" of the band. I'm not going to talk about individual songs, but i will mention "The Ghost of Tom Joad". I was really looking forward to hearing the re-make of the original song from what I had heard in reviews previous to the release of "High Hopes". BUt, afetr hearing it, I have to say that when Tom Morello began playing his extended solo it just brought the song down. He's simply too wild! We need Steven Van Zandt back very badly. Also, since Jake Clemons has worked out as well as he has, a few of the other horns could go, also.I'm sure that with more listenings of the album it will begin to sound better as most albums do. There are some very good songs on here. But, to very honest, after a first listening of an E Street Band album I'm usually saying, "Wow, what a great album!", and can't wait to listen to it again. I can't say that with this one. Bruce, I'm afraid, is taking the band in the wrong direction. He seems to want to keep up with the times and gain the young audience. Why? He has had a base following that would never go away. I'm hoping that by the time comes for the next album he realizes this.With the thought in mind of all the reviews I've read on Amazon expressed by the older E Street Band fans like myself, and the fans who haven't been diehards of the band for very long, the newer fans, I should say this in closing. Yes, I've said how I feel, and I respect what others, old and new fans alike have said about "High Hopes". If you are a fan like me that just loved the sound of the E Street Band since the beginning, for times sake let's say 1973. This isn't the old E Street Band, at all. This is a new band, completely new. Why, I'm not sure. Why has Bruce has decided to make so many drastic changes? I've alluded to a couple of reasons already of why I think he has done it. If you're looking for the old E Street Band, you're not going to get it with this album. I'll admit. I'm struggling. I want to like the album, but I honestly think that there are things about the new Band that I may never like. I'm too used to what I've been listening to that attracted me to the band in the first place. If you're a fan like me, and you have to have everything that Bruce has ever done, buy it. If you're dead set on the need for the old band, let this one go by. It hurts me to say this. If they do tour the U.S., will I go. Maybe, but it will be the cheap seats.I am adding my review of the amazing DVD of "Born In The USA" included in this package, but will not go into too much detail because it's not needed. This DVD is absolutely amazing! The performance is the best it can be, and the photography is outstanding. The highlight for me is when Bruce brings his Mother on stage to dance with him during "Dancing In The Dark". She's so classy. But, the bottom line, after everything i previously said about the album, "High Hopes", THIS IS THE E STREET BAND!! Tom Morello does not fit in with the band, and is not needed. As a fan of over 40 years I will stand by that to the end. Thank you.

I am not a diehard Springsteen fan. I joined in around "Tunnel Of Love" and have been with Springsteen ever since. I have gone back and bought all of his earlier albums, but I did not experience them as they were released in the 1970's. I received them in retrospect. To me, Springsteen is hit or miss, even his earlier stuff. This has been the case throughout his career, for me, at least. I can respect his earlier work, but I am not tied to it. Yet, it seemed to me his 1990's work wasn't as good. I felt "The Rising" was very uneven and "Devils & Dust" and "Magic" were spotty. "Working On A Dream" was fairly weak stuff. I did think "The Seeger Sessions" had something to it--like Springsteen had found his muse again, and while not a perfect album, it was pretty strong compared to his other recent stuff. Now, I liked "Wrecking Ball" and I think "High Hopes" is a worthy successor. I think Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine was a good idea, and that it added heft to Springsteen's already established sound. In fact, the addition of Tom Morello is exactly what I complain other older, established artists, need more of--creativity and a sharing of musicianship. Springsteen is 65 this year, and artistically I felt it was a brilliant move to utilize Tom Morello here.The re-envisioned "Ghost Of Tom Joad" I think is more meaningful and powerful here than in its original intimate acoustic form on its own album. Tom Morello's guitar work brings an added dimension to Springsteen's sound on this track. "The Wall" is a moving tribute to veterans and "Dream Baby Dream" is an uplifting way to end the album. "High Hopes" is a socially conscious rocking way to open the album and this is continued with "American Skin (41 Shots)" and "Down In The Hole". For me, I miss political rock. It's like our country has become a bunch of self-righteous prigs that can't handle self-reflection, self-analysis or criticism of what we do to ourselves in this country anymore. It seems to me that some of the best songs ever written came out between 1965 and 1975 and it was socially acceptable then to frequently comment on the state of our country and society. Now, well, there's no one except Springsteen and Mellencamp.This isn't to say that "Wrecking Ball" and "High Hopes" are perfect albums, but they seem to me to be very strong albums compared with his other recent works. And, for a man turning 65, and for a man who has been around for 41 years making albums, "High Hopes" is stronger than most new artists' best works today. This is a seasoned veteran doing meaningful work as he enters the winter years of his life. There are so many other older artists that can't even do this now. Spingsteen, Mellencamp, John, Buckingham, Simon--they are all making good music at this late stage of their careers. You try making meaningful music after 40+ years of being creative--not so easy. None of these guys are pandering to the radio or youth of today. Springsteen isn't trying to make "Born In The U.S.A." over and over again. He's doing what he wants to do because he wants to do it. He explains the rationale behind the songs on "High Hopes" in the liner notes and it made perfect sense to me. I don't know what all the complaining is about by the three star and lower reviewers here.I am hoping that Springsteen continues down this path even more--experimenting with other artists--writing politically fuelled songs--rocking out. Here's how "High Hopes" compares to his previous works (bring it, bring on the arguments and debates!):1973 Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J.: Three Stars1973 The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle: Three and a Half Stars1975 Born To Run: Four Stars1978 Darkness on the Edge of Town: Four Stars1980 The River: Four and a Half Stars1982 Nebraska: Five Stars1984 Born in the U.S.A.: Five Stars1987 Tunnel of Love: Four Stars1992 Human Touch: Two and a Half Stars1992 Lucky Town: Two and a Half Stars1995 The Ghost of Tom Joad: Three Stars2002 The Rising: Three and a Half Stars2005 Devils & Dust: Three Stars2006 We Shall Overcome: Four Stars2007 Magic: Three and a Half Stars2009 Working on a Dream: Three Stars2012 Wrecking Ball: Four Stars2014 High Hopes: Four Stars

As someone else has mentioned, the layout of the listing for this m I six was confusing and I also mistakenly thought I was purchasing the vinyl version but ended up with the CD

もう、ブルースの新作を聴いてショックを受けることはない。僕の血が沸ることはない。ブルースはこのアルバムで生きる困難を綴りながら諦めない心情を歌う。アメリカ社会の闇を歌う。アメリカ社会で生き続ける困難を歌う。それでも生きる決意を歌う。日常を、生きる決意を歌う。幻想的なゴスペルを歌う。コミカルな、仲間内の恋を歌う。真実の愛を持って絶望するな、と歌う。愛の王国を信じトム・ジョードのロック・バージョンを歌い反戦を歌いそれでも夢を持ち続け、夢を見ようと繰り返し歌う。オリジナル・アルバムなのに3曲もカヴァーが収められ、以前発表した曲のセルフ・カヴァーや、ライブでは知られた曲もある。次作は自伝本と連携したアルバムだし、彼自身、新しい歌が次から次へと湧き出る年代ではないだろう。数年に一度届く彼の知らせを、それがどんなものであれ、僕はいつも静かに待っている。たまに2ndや3rd、4th、Riverを聴きながら。あ、ネブラスカも大好き。ＬＰをかけるのはめんどくさいけど、CDもついています。

Format shown as vinyl. Image of rear cover is of 2-LP version, ie. track listing is for 4 sides. I ordered this item expecting vinyl version, but received CD. Close inspection of website lists this as Audio CD. I've notified Amazon AU accordingly. Same error appears on Amazon US listing.

何年経っても逆に魅力一杯。いつまでも世界のボスで居てほしい。

未発表曲等のアルバムだったので期待ゼロでしたが贔屓のアーティストだった為に購入を決意。いやいや聞いてびっくり、こんなアレンジに変化！！！な～んて曲があったりして購入しての後悔なんて全く無いです。