High Hopes - Bruce Springsteen

This is the eighteenth studio album by Bruce Springsteen. I did this review yesterday, and was inspired to do it by the stupidity of track 2. And yes I did Darkness on the Edge of Town two months ago, but even if it was a month ago as long as the reviews don't directly follow each other it doesn't matter. A rule I made after the Green Day trilogy of 2012. now after realizing what I got myself into I realized it'll be more work that originally planned, but who the cares right. Lets just say I am a little disappointed by the use of covers and studio version of past material. Also the American Beauty Ep was released containing 4 tracks that didn't make it..... that EP blows. Now that's as fast as I can go, lets review this. Also all tracks but 5, 7-8, 11-12 features Tom Morello on them. Note: this was done right after the last review was finished yeasterday

1. High Hopes: Actually not a half bad song. Considering how lots of people in his position in his career put out either bullshit or boring uninteresting bland material I kinda got my hopes up for this. Now the downside, this is a cover. It is also a rerecorded version of a cover from a 1995 live Ep Blood Brothers. Now is this still a solid verison, yes. I dig it and I feel like it's a good interesting intro to grab you.
2. Harry's Place: Okay I'm only using this because it's said in the song. This is so fucking dumb. It sounds like a song from Human Touch, I'm thinking 57 Channels but just kinda cluttered. That's a dumb song, which it has a purpose, but it's so bare bones (bass and vocals) and it's catchy (to me). This is just no..... Also seriously Bruce what's up with the cussing.
3. American Skin (41 Shots): I heard the original version of this, which was on 2001's Live in New York City. Ok, I don't really remember the original, but the bad part is this is two minutes longer than the original. This is 7 minutes of uninteresting bullshit. How the heck could he make the greatest rock song ever Rosalita, which is 7 minutes.... then this. It sounds as interesting as the deep cuts off Tunnel of Love. Then it comes into the solo............................. I looked it up and it's a political song inspired by a shooting, but please make me interested.
4. Just Like Fire Would: This is the second cover, also of an 80's track. Actually this isn't half bad, it's a Saints track. I kinda wanna check out the original. It sounds like a song my dad would have on his mixtape CD from when I was a kid. It kinda reminds me a little of 90s music also. This, minus the horns, could be a cover of  Small Town by John Cougar Mellencamp.
5. Down In A Hole: I feel like I'm listening to the song at the end of Gladiator. But with English lyrics, and drums added in. Which hurt the song more in my opinion.
6. Heaven's Wall: Actually I'm kinda digging this track. The intro pulls me and and gets my attention. It kind of has a Paul Simon feeling of like maybe African music. Or world music rather. Boring solo though. The intro was really the highlight. Also two solos, come one buddy.
7. Frankie Fell In Love: I guess this isn't bad, I mean I'll forget it after hearing it.... I've heard it before. I guess someone can like this. Has a kind of country vibe I'm feeling.
8. This is Your Sword: DAMN YOU BAGPIPES!!!!!!!! DAMN YOU FOR MAKING THE SONG HAVE TO BE STUPID ON YOUR DAMN LEVEL. WHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :"( Actually I kinda stopped crying when I imagined the mandolin used being played and them going into the Stonehenge folk section of the track of the same name by Spinal Tap.
9. Hunter of the Invisible Game: An interesting title that makes me thing of someone spending their time searching for something that doesn't exist. There are really endless avenues you can use this for. one verse about looking for true love the way movies make it seem, or looking for other things that I won't give away because I got a song idea. Now what does he do, something that reminds me of one of the slower songs on TWTI&TESS. When he'd do them live there was a point in time they'd have violin in them. Now is this song interesting sounds, only slightly because of the remembrance of that slower tracks on that album, if not for that then not really. And the woodwinds sounds nice.
10. The Ghost of Tom Joad: Mostly rerecorded because Morello covered it with his band Rage Against The Machine. This is another song that was released in 1995 and rerecorded. This time though he wrote it. He literally took away what made it good and fucked it. Like seriously.
11. The Wall: Not huge on the use of Wall in a title twice on the album, unless the albums is called The Wall or it has a purpose thematically. This is more in line with Nebraska, Ghost of Tom Joad and what the predecessor should have more resembled. It even has parts the reminds me of Independence Day and other softer track off The River. This is clearly a homage to older stuff, but it's done right here. It's not missing something. It's not perfect, or amazing, it's just done right.
12. Dream Baby Dream: This is a cover of a Suicide track. At least it's not Frankie Teardrops. And it's not like this is a studio version of a song that was recorded back in 2005 on his Devils Dust tour and released on a split Ep back in in 2008 with a Suicide live version of the track and a song Mr. Ray by Beat the Devil. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! The thing is that this sounds more like a bookender than an out of place cover. Or a stupid dumb cover. Now as the song progresses, do I love the arrangement? No, but I still think it's a fitting ending. That last track, 11, and this together make a solid ending. Actually if this was the last ending for the last Bruce album I'd feel satisfied.

Overall if this is the best material Bruce has made in the last ten years :''''(. The best record was The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle. The last amazing record was Born to Run. The last great and surprisingly great, and isn't just ok, was Born in the USA. So sadly, 30 years later...... he only was albe to put out a 6/10. This is slightly better, or rather more interesting then Tunnel of Love. As a whole this is slightly better than some of his older stuff. There is still a variety and it isn't the same boring thing over and over. But this is nowhere near the high highs he once hit.