Album Review - American Beauty EP

On this day five years ago, Bruce Springsteen released the American Beauty EP.  Coinciding with Record Store Day, this was a collection of four songs that were considered for the High Hopes record, but ultimately didn't make the cut.  This EP went very under the radar - I don't believe we discussed it on this blog, nor has Springsteen played any of the songs live.  If you are a true Springsteen completist, feel free to go to Amazon and pick yourself up a copy.  However, if dropping $40 for four songs isn't your speed, please allow me to link you to each song, and hey, while you are here, read a few of my thoughts on each song.  

The first track is "American Beauty". Immediately, I get vibes of "Frankie Fell In Love" from High Hopes, so it is easy to see why this cut.  Also, Bruce is definitely singing strange on this track.  It sounds like he is going for a Jagger-esque sound, but sounds more like Little Stevie.



Next up is "Mary Mary" - if you thought Springsteen didn't use the name "Mary" enough in his songs, here he doubles it up.  Written during the Magic sessions, the strings remind me more of something from The Rising.  It's a solid song, but it definitely doesn't hide its demo-ness; the song seems to end mid-sentence.



"Hurry Up Sundown" was allegedly the closest to making High Hopes, and you can see why - it is the most classic "rocker" in the quartet.  Springsteen is double-tracked here, but to my ear it sounds more like there are dozens of Springsteen singing on this one.



Finally, there's "Hey Blue Eyes".  Another thin demo, this was written during the Working On A Dream sessions.  It may be a bit too dark and sexual for Working On A Dream's themes - it even drops another Springsteen f-bomb.

In the end, for as little fanfare as it received, there's really not a stinker here.  It is understandable that these were left on the cutting floor - too similar, too incomplete, too wrong thematic, etc.  However, for my money, the tracks themselves can hold there own among the later Springsteen Working On A Dream/Wrecking Ball/High Hopes catalog.

Thank you for reading about four songs from five years ago.

One Year Later: High Hopes

It's been a little over a year since Bruce Springsteen released High Hopes, his 18th studio album. So, how is it holding up? Are people calling it a classic? Are people still listening to it? Do people even remember it came out?

Based on its limited cultural impact (it opened number one but fell quickly), I think it's safe to say it's largely faded from public consciousness. If anyone is still listening to it or talking about it, it's the super fans. But has it even had an impact there? E Street Radio seems pretty unmotivated to play its tracks.

When I wrote about my first impression of the album, I described it as… “A collection of covers, cuts, and remakes, the album is a curio in Springsteen’s oeuvre. I doubt that it will ever be treasured by anyone as one of his best. And I wouldn’t argue with the detractors who feel that the album is overproduced, but I would say that there are a couple of gems here and a lot of fun to be had.”

After recently listening to the album in its entirety for the first time in months, I'd say my initial assessment largely holds. Here are a few new observations that have come with the passing of time:

• “Just Like Fire Would” still brings an instant smile to my face.
• “Frankie Fell in Love” seems to be the one song that comes on randomly on my iPod the most. Maybe its just because it feels overplayed to me but its initial allure has started to wear.
• “Dream Baby Dream” – my initial critique has softened and the song has grown on me a good deal. At first I couldn't get over how overproduced it felt, but now I feel like I can look past it and embrace the reassuring simplicity of its lyrics.
• “High Hopes” feels like a strong rocker that gets my feet tapping, but it’s not a song I'd seek out.
• American Skin (41 Shots) - It took me some time to get used to the initial shock of hearing the song performed this way. But now that has settled, I can recognize it’s one of my favorite Bruce songs, no matter what version it takes.
• “The Wall” is the song that has stuck with me the most. It’s the one track that I've proactively listened to the most over the past year. I often find myself quietly singing my favorite lyric, “Well I’m sorry I missed you last year, I couldn't find no one to drive me.”

I don’t think anyone expected High Hopes to be a classic – not even Bruce himself – but is it just me or does it feel all but forgotten a mere 13 months after its release? If so, it’s a shame because I laud Bruce for experimenting with covers, remaking his past songs and bringing Tom Morello into the fold so prominently.

We'll see how the album continues to age over the years. Again, I can't downplay my appreciation that Bruce still finds ways to surprise us. Before last year, I don't think I ever would have imagined Bruce would release a song with the lyrics, “You don't fuck with Harry's money, you don't fuck Harry's girls; These are the rules, this is the world.”

What does everyone else think? Any staunch defenders? Any harsh detractors? Votes of neutrality?

Bruce Springsteen's High Hopes (HBO)

For a Springsteen fan, getting insight into his creative process is like eating just enough candy. It makes you giddy and leaves you wanting more. Thom Zimny’s new 30-minute special Bruce Springsteen’s High Hopes gives you just enough interviews and, better yet, fly-on-the-wall recording studio footage to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Released nearly three months after the High Hopes album debuted, this very carefully timed piece of content marketing serves two purposes. First, it extends the conversation around the album when its natural lifespan on the charts was dying out (it’s currently at 189 on the Billboard 200). Second, and more importantly because this is Bruce’s real money-maker, it primes audiences for the new smattering of US concert dates (things officially kick off in Cincinnati this Tuesday).

To the non-enthusiast, Bruce Springsteen’s High Hopes offers little more than an extended commercial for the album. It gives you a healthy sampling of the music (often with lyrics on screen, which is helpful when it comes to Bruce), live performance footage, and interviews with the band about how the songs were created.

My favorite moment featured Bruce and Max Weinberg in the recording studio discussing the drumming on “Frankie Fell in Love”. Bruce, donning a black hat and wife beater, instructs Max that the drums need to sound “half-drunk” and “the sloppier, the better.” We hear a sample of the track pre-instruction and post, and you know what, he’s right. That moment alone is enough for a Springsteen fan.

Bruce Springsteen's High Hopes is currently airing on HBO and HBO Go.

Quick Takes: High Hopes (OB)

So after listening to High Hopes for a full week I find myself fairly underwhelmed by the album, but still listening to it.  Like most people who have reviewed the album, I'm fairly split on my opinions of it.  What's good, ("Just Like Fire Would" and "Hunter of Invisible Game") is great.  Some of Bruce's best stuff since Magic.  But what's bad ("41 Shots" and "Harry's Place") is pretty abysmal.

Before I break it down, track by track, a little bit on the background of this album.  This has to be the least hyped Bruce album of recent memory.  I saw very little press coverage to promote this album.  Most of my friend's didn't even know Bruce released a new album until his fantastic appearance on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.  Granted, they aren't Bruce fanatics like Rory, Steve and myself but they are casual fans nonetheless.  Hell, even I had to keep reminding myself in the weeks leading up to the release that Bruce had a new album coming out.  Fortunately, due to a fanatical fanbase and his great appearance on Fallon, it seems Bruce is about to score his 11th Number 1 album in the United States.  He's already Number 1 in the UK, and a number of other European countries.

And now, the tracks...

1.  "High Hopes"-  Not a fan of this at all.  I loved both lead singles from Working On A Dream and Wrecking Ball ("My Lucky Day" and "We Take Care Of Our Own", respectively).  In the end, I found the albums did not live up to the excitement I had for the album.  So now I've got a lackluster lead single, on an album that has minimal promotion...not the best start to an album.  Rating:1.5/5

2.  "Harry's Place"-  Complete and utter crap.  This might top "57 Channels" as my least favorite song ever released.  Like Steve said in his review, the song is a completely out of left field and very much in the style of Dire Straights.  So kudos to Bruce for experimenting, and trying something new.  Now, never do a song like this again.  The only plus of this song, is the posthumous work of Clarence Clemmons.  Rating: 0.5/5... and it's not even the worst song on the album...

3.  "41 Shots (American Skin)"-  This song has been written about numerous times on this blog so I won't get into the background of this song, and I'll just review it.  The song is one of Bruce's most controversial, but to me the live release from Live In New York City, is one of Bruce's most powerful performance.  Unfortunately all of that emotion is lost on this studio version.  I really liked when  "American Land" and "Land of Hope and Dreams" got studio treatment on Wrecking Ball and they were welcome additions to the Springsteen Library.  This version is not.  It's overproduced and loses all the emotion of the Live In New York City version.  It's the worst song on the album, and if it weren't for the iconic live album version, this would go down as Bruce's worst work, in my opinion.  Rating: 0/5

This is not a good start to the album...

4.  "Just Like Fire Would"-  Just when I was ready to call this Bruce's worst album ever, "Just Like Fire Would" saved it.  Not only saved it but completely revived it.  A cover of a song I've never heard, by a group I've never heard of, and it's one of Bruce's top 5 songs of recent memory.  This song will bring the house down, and in my opinion, get the "Waiting On A Sunny Day" and "Shackled And Drawn" treatment in the set list for the upcoming live shows to really get the crowd going and into the show.  Rating: 5/5.  This song alone, saved this album.

5.  "Down In The Hole"-  I don't hate this song, but I hate where it's placed on the album.  After getting all pumped up from "Just Like Fire Would", this really brings me down.  It's a good song, reminds me a lot of "World's Apart" from The Rising, but it just should be somewhere else on the album.  It's far from perfect though, and is another song that suffers from overproduction.  Rating: 2.5/5.

6.  "Heaven's Wall"- Rocky Ground 2.0.  That's the best description of this song that I can come up with.  It's got a very gospel, spiritual feeling to the song.  Also it's an average song, that was really improved upon when performed live on Fallon.  This song will be a staple of the set list on the upcoming live shows, and probably even get a primo spot in the encore.  Rating 3/5.

7.  "Frankie Fell In Love"-  If another artist wrote this song it would sound like a novelty song.  But this short, up tempo rocker, with some of the sweetest, most over the top (in a good way) lyrics is a fantastic song.  Bruce falls back on a trademark of giving a gender-confusing-name to the main character of the song, but then tries something new with including historical figures in a fictional manner in this song.  In this case it's Shakespeare and Einstein discussing the practicality of the beloved Frankie finding the man of her dreams.  Frankie Fell In Love, and so will you...with this song.  Rating 4/5.

8.  "This Is Your Sword"-  With a very Celtic-like sounding intro, I can't help but think Bruce's work with The Dropkick Murphy's rubbed off on him in this song.  Another solid song on this album, with a great sound and lyrics.  It's missing a slight something that I can't put my finger on.  That keeps it from being an elite song but it's still a very good song.  Rating 3.5/5.

9.  "Hunter Of Invisible Game"-  As much as I praised "Just Like Fire Would", with each listen of this track I start to rethink that maybe this is the best song on the album.  I don't know, but both are great and completely different.  I cannot wait to be singing along with Bruce on this somber, acoustic ballad in the (hopefully) upcoming US tour.  Also, this is some of the finest lyrics Bruce has ever written on a metaphoric level.  "Hunter of Invisible Game" should be a regular used term in the English vernacular.  Rating: 5/5.

GREAT run of songs...

10.  "The Ghost Of Tom Joad"-  Like "41 Shots", I'm just going to assume you know the history of this song.  In a nutshell, Bruce wrote it in 1996, released it, Rage Against The Machine covered it, and Bruce has been playing it with Tom Morello on a regular basis since.  The original acoustic is very good, Rage's cover stinks, but Bruce playing it with Tom Morello, takes the original and turns it up to 11 to create pure magic.  It's not like live versions of "Atlantic City" or "Youngstown" where the song gets changed. "Ghost Of Tom Joad" is still the same song basically, but just so much more powerful with Morello, when performed live.  Unfortunately, it loses a lot of that power in the studio.  Not nearly as much as "41 Shots", but it's just not the same.  Rating: 2.5/5.

11.  "The Wall"-  This song is just really forgettable, in my opinion.  Sounds like a song left off of Devils and Dust which wasn't that great of an album to start with.  I am not going to lie, I end up skipping this song most times.  Not out of hatred like other songs, but just boredom.  Rating 1/5.

12. "Dream Baby Dream"-  This one hurts.  There was a time I said this was Bruce's best cover.  I've since changed my mind and given that title to "Long Black Veil".  But still "Dream Baby Dream" is a close second.  The live version, from the Devils and Dust Tour that is.  Unfortunately, like all the other studio version's of live songs on this album, it just doesn't stand up.  The live version has this beautiful desperation of Bruce sitting at the organ and repeating the same lyrics over and over again.  It reminds me a lot of the ending to the Johnny Cash biopic, Walk The Line, when he continually proposes to June Carter till she finally sees he's for real, and accepts.  And, criminally, that is just missing from this studio version.  It's not nearly as noticeable as the other two live songs getting studio treatment, but it's still lacking.  Rating: 3/5.

Overall:  I know I've used this joke before on the blog, but I can't remember when so I will use it again:  Sex is like pizza.  When it's good, it's great.  When it's bad...it's still pretty damn good!  And that's how I feel about Springsteen.  I will never complain about a new Springsteen album, especially because they are almost always followed by tours.  And like I said, what's good on this album is great!  The best thing about the digital age of media is the reduction of price in buying new albums.  10 years ago, when physical media was dominant and this CD would probably cost $20, I don't know if I could recommend it.  But in today's of iTunes and Amazon downloads, I can wholeheartedly recommend it for nearly half the price!

Great Moments in Springsteen Television History - The Good Wife

Any moment in television where a piece of Springsteen’s music is featured is automatically a great moment. But truth be told, the three songs featured in last Sunday’s The Good Wife were pretty disappointing moments.

Even with the understanding that the music integration was routed in a publicity stunt, you’d hope that there would at least be a semblance of artistry in the way the tunes were incorporated. But alas, there was no thematic connection or emotional resonance in this episode. Each instance was blatantly a post-production insertion with no pre-meditated thought during the writing – or even the filming – process.

For the sake of fanaticism, here’s a description of the appearances:

- Three different uses of “High Hopes” as a musical cue, the first of which was just a tease with the opening instrumentals at the beginning of the episode, the other two were just to bridge between scenes.
- Around half way through the episode, “The Ghost of Tom Joad” plays as background music in a bar. I don’t know what kind of bars will play “The Ghost of Tom Joad”, but I want to hang out at them. The music was used to underscore one character spying on another character’s text messages. Just the way Bruce envisioned it when he wrote it!
- Finally, the instrumental opening of “Hunter of Invisible Game” is used to conclude the episode as a melancholic flourish to the case’s resolution.

As for the show itself? Well, I’d never seen an episode of The Good Wife before, so I was pretty confused as to what was going on – both in terms of the court case proceedings and how the characters related to one another. At one point, one character called another character a “douche” which was pretty funny, but other than that I didn’t find much of interest in the show.

Ultimately, this was nothing more than a marketing push. Not a bad one, and I definitely appreciated the opportunity to stream the album a week early, but I wish the integration had been handled more artistically.

If, for some reason, you are still curious to see the episode, you can stream it through CBS.com: http://www.cbs.com/shows/the_good_wife/episodes/212778

Quick Takes: High Hopes (Rory)

Usually with movies, I try to stay away from reading reviews, so as to avoid possible spoilers and not have my expectations of the film tainted.  However, I didn't follow the same rules regarding High Hopes, as I pored over the Internet to get the critics' takes on the new album.  The reviews were very middling, as Pitchfork gave it a 4 out of 10, and the AV Club gave it a C+.  While Steve's first impressions were generally positive, I was still very wary of the record when going into it.  Surely, it wouldn't be as disappointing as Working On A Dream, but I wasn't expecting anything as strong as Magic.  And, as predicted, that's just where it landed.  It's....okay.

Granted, I've only just begun to digest the album, and my opinion is subject to change over the next few weeks, months, and even years.  But, from my first impressions, High Hopes seems like almost any other album released by aging rock stars - my mind immediately went to Tom Petty's solid-yet-forgettable albums The Last DJ and Highway Companion.  There's a couple of solid songs in here that will be added to a few On-The-Go playlists, such as "Frankie Fell In Love" and "Just Like Fire Would".  My personal favorite so far is "Dream Baby Dream", a simple, slow-building song that reminds me of Girls' "Hellhole Ratrace", where the lyrics become more and more powerful with every repetition.

Unfortunately, I agree with much of Pitchfork's review, as they complain about the over-reliance on studio sounds that sound dated, such as the distorted "Radio Bruce" voice.  Their review is especially on point in their analysis of "American Skin", which is by far the album's biggest misstep.   The live version has become so ingrained in the hearts of Springsteen fans that a studio version was nearly unnecessary.  You lose many of the tiny details that made the live version special, from Bruce's plea for quiet from the crowd to the exhausted sigh about 5 minutes in, right before belting out the line "My boot's caked in this mud."  Like Cheap Trick's "I Want You To Want Me", I'll be sticking with the live version for the foreseeable future.

What ultimately drags the album down is the lack of message.  Nearly every album since the turn of the century has had a unifying theme linking each song.  This, however, just feels cobbled together.  That being said - it is another 56 minutes of new(ish) Bruce music, which is a great way to start any year.  I look forward to hearing what you guys think, and changing my opinion about 50 times this weekend.

Quick Takes: High Hopes (Steve)

It’s fitting that the album cover of High Hopes features two images of Bruce Springsteen. His 18th studio album feels like an auditory journey through the uncanny. At once, this album is unlike any of his other albums and also unmistakably the work of Bruce Springsteen. The Los Angeles Times recently described Woody Allen’s Blue Jasmine as “both different and the same.” That’s an apt description for High Hopes.

The opening minute of “Harry’s Place” is the type that makes you sit bolt upright in surprise and yet “High Hopes” – a song that he didn’t even write – seems like the kind of song he could have composed in his sleep.

A collection of covers, cuts, and remakes, the album is a curio in Springsteen’s oeuvre. I doubt that it will ever be treasured by anyone as one of his best. And I wouldn’t argue with the detractors who feel that the album is overproduced, but I would say that there are a couple of gems here and a lot of fun to be had.

When you look at an album like this – or a song like “Rocky Ground” – some might regard it as a desperate attempt by Bruce to connect with an audience that doesn’t care about him anymore. But I see it as the work of a tireless creative who isn’t afraid to experiment at a point in his career when he could so easily sit back and rest on his laurels.

I look forward to digesting the album further over the coming weeks but in the meantime, here are a few thoughts track-by-track…

“High Hopes” – I really enjoy listening to the song, but will it have any pop culture relevance?

“Harry’s Place” – The unexpected, Dire Straights-esque sound reminds me of the shock of hearing “Ain’t Got You” for the first time. It’s also notable for adding another two f-bombs to the Springsteen catalogue.

“41 Shots” – I was completely caught off guard when this song began. I greatly prefer the live version, not just for nostalgic reasons but also for its raw power. On this studio version, the emotion feels too removed.

“Just Like Fire Would” – So far, this is my favorite song on the album. I loved his live version and love this, even though it’s weird to hear a song go from live to studio rather than vice versa. Is the studio version overproduced? Probably. But I really like it. It may be a guilty pleasure but it’s great for toe tapping and air guitar in the privacy of your own home.

“Down in the Hole” – A great, quiet song. It strikes me as the best song on the album, but I need to listen to it more to be certain.

“Heaven’s Wall” – I find it very catchy and one of the clearest examples of a song that sounds so different and yet so similar to his past songs.

“Frankie Fell in Love” – One of Bruce’s shortest songs, it sounds old fashioned and reminiscent of The Everly Brothers.

“This is Your Sword” – I find this to be the least remarkable song on the album. Each time I’ve listened to the album, I have no recollection of this song by the end.

“Hunter of Invisible Game” – I’ve been singing the chorus in my head a lot the past few days and I really like the melody. It might become a favorite over time.

“Ghost of Tom Joad” – The one true “remake” on the album. Have any other artists ever remade their own song to this degree before? It’s the smoothest of the live-to-studio transitions in my opinion.

“The Wall” – Along with “Down in the Hole”, this is quiet and understated, but undoubtedly significant.

“Dream Baby Dream” – I’m undecided on this song. I feel like I should love it but it hasn’t caught on with me yet.

Happy High Hopes Day!

Hello, readers!  I hope you've gotten your hands on Springsteen's latest by now, but if not, feel free to click on this link and it'll take you straight to Amazon to purchase it.  We here at Legends of Springsteen will probably be listening to this album non-stop this week, and will have our thoughts posted shortly.  The initial reviews seem mixed, with the general consensus being that it's more of a B-Sides collection than an actual album, but I will wait until I actually get a chance to listen to it.  So keep an eye out for more in-depth coverage of High Hopes later this week!

Tune In to The Good Wife on Jan 12 for New Springsteen Music

Rolling Stone reports today that on January 12 (two days before the release of High Hopes), a new episode of CBS' drama The Good Wife will include three tracks from Bruce's new album. The songs will be "High Hopes", "Hunter of Invisible Game", and the new version of "The Ghost of Tom Joad". In addition, CBS.com will stream the new album in its entirety beginning this Sunday, January 5.

This reminds me of when another CBS drama, Cold Case, aired an episode entitled "8 Years" featuring nine different Springsteen songs. I didn't saw the episode, and sadly it isn't available for easy streaming online. I've never seen an episode of The Good Wife before, but definitely plan to tune in to see how the new songs are integrated. Bravo CBS!

Breaking News - "High Hopes" Video Released, New Album Announced

Well, once we were treated to a fantastic studio version of "Dream Baby Dream", the rumors started to swirl.  Today, everything became official: a video was released for "High Hopes", and an album by the same name was announced for January 14th.  Like Wrecking Ball, it's a not-quite-E-Street album, featuring a lot of Tom Morello (he's listed on eight of 12 tracks).  Upon first listen, "High Hopes" has that same "angry mob" sound that characterized Wrecking Ball stand-out tracks such as "Death To My Hometown" and "Shackled and Drawn".  While it isn't as catchy as "We Take Care Of Our Own", this song, as well as the aforementioned "Dream Baby Dream", have me very excited for the new album, and, more importantly, the (potentially) forthcoming tour.

Rumors: The Track List for the New Album?

Yesterday, Stan Goldstein culled information from a Springsteen fan forum to put together a possible listing of songs for the new Springsteen album.  I encourage you to click the link for more information; it is very informative with some great Springsteen live clips.  If this listing is true, it makes the album an amalgamation of covers (including a "cover" of "The Ghost of Tom Joad"), songs Springsteen had previously only performed live, and songs cut from other studio albums.  

Now, granted, this is just a rumor, but I've come to believe everything on the Internet is true, even if it contradicts itself.  So, assuming this is true, I'm excited, with a couple reservations, such as creating a studio version of "American Skin" (making it an "only live" song gives it a novel status, and, by setting it apart from the rest of Springsteen's catalog, helps underline the strong message of the song) and the lack of some of my personal favorite Springsteen covers from the past few years (such as "Coma Girl").  However, we are getting about a half dozen new Springsteen songs, so that's nothing to complain about.  In the end, I can't think of a way to end the article without making a terrible "I have....high hopes for this album" joke, so here we go: I have....high hopes for this album.

New Single Announced: High Hopes

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, we have a new Bruce single. Billboard (and various other outlets) reported today that Bruce's next single will release this Monday (11/25). The single is "High Hopes" and many are speculating that this gives truth to the rumors of an early 2014 album release. Nothing in today's announcement gives any indication of this track supporting a full album, so we advise against getting too excited about the prospect of an album. For now, just appreciate the new tune! Many have heard it before (I was nodding my head to it just this past weekend on E Street Radio) as it's been played live in concert and appeared in the documentary Blood Brothers. Interestingly, the track is a cover of a 1990 song by a band called The Havalinas. By my count, this makes it Bruce's third single that's a cover; following "War" and "Santa Claus is Coming to Town."

Here's the original song, I imagine we'll see its views skyrocket over the next week.



Edit, 11/19: The track has already leaked.