High Hopes - Bruce Springsteen (album review)

 

High Hopes album review

1. High Hopes. Pointless re-recorded version of an already somewhat bland cover from 1995. And it’s the title track??? A cover??? No offense Bruce but... why? 2 stars.
2. Harry’s Place. Not horrible, but this is marred by some extremely foul language. Why Bruce? 1 star (for all the cussing). Without the cussing it would have been a 3 star song.
3. American Skin. Completely unnecessary re-recording of an older song. The live version he released back in ‘99 was great. 4 stars.
4. Just like Fire Would. An odd cover song. Of all songs on Earth to cover... why this one??? Song itself is not bad. To my ears it kinda sounds like a John Mellencamp song. 3 stars.
5. Down in the Hole. Nothing much here. Tries to be a bizarro “I’m on Fire” musically. Meh. 2 stars.
6. Heaven’s wall. It’s ok I guess. Personally I don’t really care for it. 2 stars.
7. Frankie Fell In Love. Cool, catchy, and clever. Love this song! 5 stars.
8. This is Your Sword. Not bad.  Just kind of sounds like another jingle for a car commercial (maybe “This is your Ford”?) 3 stars.
9. Hunter of Invisible Game. To me, musically, it’s rather dull. Lyrics have potential though. 2 stars.
10. Ghost of Tom Joad. An unnecessary studio version of the live version as played on tour. Showcase for Tom Morello’s guitar antics. But why??? 2 stars.
11. The Wall. Moving tribute to the ‘Nam vets he’s known and lost. Very powerful and moving song. 5 stars.
12. Dream Baby Dream. Fine in concert. But as a studio cut it seems totally unnecessary. It’s filler. 2 stars.

American beauty ep...

1. American Beauty. I love this song. Kind of similar tune-wise to Frankie fell in Love. This one is more intense. 5 stars.
2. Mary Mary. A pleasant enough little song. 3.5 stars.
3. Hurry Up Sundown. Nice little pop song!! 4 stars.
4. Hey Blue Eyes. Ok song. Contains unnecessary cussing. 2 stars. Without the cussing it would have been a solid 3 stars.

This record (and the related EP) is a mish-mash of stray outtakes, unneeded cover songs, and needless re-recorded songs.  All in all a so-so record. It seems less than well thought out! Also for whatever reason it was a showcase for, of all people, Tom Morello. In fact Bruce said about the album in a 2013 interview with Andy Greene “I’m not sure if the record would exactly exist without his influence [referring to Tom Morello]”. Well ok then.

Wrecking Ball - Bruce Springsteen (album review)

 

Wrecking Ball album review

1. Take Care of Our Own. Excellent song. One of Bruce’s all time best! 5 stars.
2. Easy Money. Rollicking little ditty, all produced and jazzed up. Perhaps a little too much!! 3 stars.
3. Shackled and Drawn. A catchy as hell and effective mid-tempo number! 4 stars.
4. Jack of All Trades. Dirge-like song that attempts to make you think. Unfortunately it’s kinda dull. And in the end leaves you thinking - and? 3 stars. 
5. Death to My Hometown. A rousing Celtic sounding rave up. A pretty darn good song actually. 5 stars.
6. This Depression. This is a tough go. One of those songs you will listen to once or twice and never need to hear again. 2 stars.
7. Wrecking Ball. It is a great song. Took on a bigger role after being used as a novelty throwaway song to celebrate the demolition of old Giants stadium. 5 stars.
8. You’ve Got It. Filler. It’s an ok song I suppose. But let’s face it, it is just filler. Bruce has played it once, so it isn’t exactly one of his favorites either. 2 stars.
9. Rocky Ground. Potentially good song and certainly one that is at least interesting. Unfortunately it is over-produced and it has a rap section. Yuck. Not good. This is a case   where a simple song is forced to masquerade as a deep socially relevant anthem. The basic song itself earns 4 stars. The bloated arrangement here earns a 1.
10. Land of Hope and Dreams. Another overblown, overproduced, and too self indulgent song. They should have stuck to the arrangement played live for many years. Sounded MUCH better. The song: 5 stars. THIS version of the song: 2 stars.
11. We Are Alive. A surprisingly great little song. How could talking about graveyards, dead people, and gravestones be uplifting? Bruce will show you how. 5 stars.
12. Swallowed Up. Kinda boring filler track that is trying to say... um, I don’t know. 2 stars.
13. American Land. Sounds like an old Irish folk rave up from the 1880’s. But nope, it’s a new song Bruce wrote. And it is cool!!! 4 stars.

Workin’ On A Dream - Bruce Springsteen (album review)

Working On A Dream album review

Here's my take on each song:

1. Outlaw Pete. Could've been cool. As it is it's too long and overblown. 2 stars (out of 5).

2. My Lucky Day. Love this song. One of my favorites. Rocks good! 5 stars.

3. Title track. No sir. I don't like it. Sounds like a jingle for a car commercial. 1 star.

4. Queen of the Supermarket. Oh no! Bad lyrics with decent music. Change the Lyrics and it could be saved. 1 star.

5. What Love Can Do. Good song. Nice chugging rocker. 4 stars.

6. This Life. Good song. 4.5 stars.

7. Good eye. Has potential. Not quite realized. Bullet mic for the whole song? Maybe 1st verse only. Like to see ZZ Top do this song. 3.5 stars.

8. Tomorrow Never knows. It's fine. 3 stars.

9. Life Itself. I do like it. Kinda over produced though. 3.5 stars.

10. Kingdom of days. Nice song. Bruce sings very well here. Sort of feels like girls in their summer clothes. 4.5 stars.

11. Surprise, surprise. This often maligned song is an ok little song. I really see nothing wrong with it. Other than it seems like fluff. But it isn't bad.  Seriously sounds like a Monkees outtake. 3.5 stars. 

12. Last Carnival. Nice enough song but geez it is so depressing. It's about Danny. And it's sad. 2 stars. Maybe release this as a B-side or stand alone single. 

13. The wrestler. Nice acoustic song. Strong. I often think of washed up old Mickey Roarke when I hear it. Other than that it's a great song. 5 stars.

14. Night with the Jersey Devil. Good enough for an outtake. It's Halloween fluff. 3 stars.

Springsteen’s Worst Songs

The guy has written around 400 songs. Only 16 of them are not-so-good (in my opinion). Here they are.

 Bruce Springsteen’s worst songs:

1. Queen Of The Supermarket - OK music but really dumb lyrics. Using mundane terms that feel incongruous in a pop song and then finishing it off with a needless vulgar word just makes it a stink-fest for me.
2. Reno - again the music is OK, but the lyrics are horrid. It vividly describes an encounter in a motel room with a prostitute. Complete with X-rated lyrics about anal sex. I can’t believe he ever released it.
3. This Depression - As the title of this song might suggest the song is very depressing. It’s about being depressed. And the music is equally depressing. The whole thing is just depressing. So avoid this.
4. You Got It - This song is just lame. It’s not clever it’s not catchy… it’s just lame.
5. My Best Was Never Good Enough - This song could have been cute. But he decided to add some vulgarities and it’s basically going nowhere fast. It’s a pointless little ditty that doesn’t need to exist.
6. Pony Boy - This little throwaway ditty was tacked onto the end of human touch. It has the dubious honor of being the worst song on his worst album. Personally I like human touch, but this song just seems like a waste of time. It seems like something sung to toddlers but not something you would choose to release on an album. Incredible to think that the same guy that wrote “streets of fire” wrote this.
7. This is your Sword - This song sounds like a third rate advertisement jingle. The kind of song you hear in a car commercial. It’s just lame.
8. Hunter Of Invisible Game - I’m sorry but this song is just BORING. 
9. Working On A Dream - Here’s another song that sounds like some kind of ad jingle. It just doesn’t reach me. Same guy that wrote “Backstreets” wrote this?
10. Harry’s Place - The whole song is not very good to begin with, and it’s marred by several vulgarity’s scattered throughout. No need for that Bruce! And most of all no need for this song.
11. Let’s Be Friends - This is Bruce getting in touch with his inner Taylor Swift. Even when he wrote a song back in the old days for Donna Summer it had spine. This is some kind of Pop monstrosity. It should’ve never seen the light of day. Unless it had been covered by some third-rate boy band maybe.
12. Outlaw Pete - Plodding lumbering song about some kind of an outlaw or something. With a twist ending that is too dull or obscure to really matter. It is a bit like a harkening back to his early days. But it’s not nearly as interesting as his early days. And it goes on WAY too long.
13. Hey Blue Eyes - another very mediocre song with pornographic lyrics and vulgarity. All mumbled over an extremely uninteresting musical background. What bothers me is not that Bruce released this embarrassment, it’s that he doesn’t feel embarrassed by releasing it.
14. Swallowed Up In The Belly Of The Whale - This song is simply lame. I literally fell asleep as he sang the words “I fell asleep…”. He’s trying so desperately to seem profound… It has an uninteresting tune, it has uninteresting lyrics and it’s basically just boringly uninteresting all together. Tom Waits had a better song with a somewhat similar idea. Bruce just sounds like he is about to pass out from sheer boredom. We’ve been swallowed up in the belly of the whale? Speak for yourself Bruce.
15. Down In The Hole - again, it’s just boring. Also the production leaves something to be desired. Construction sounds in the background. A kid choir saying la La La. It isn’t rock, it isn’t country, it isn’t folk… it just… isn’t… good.
16. Heaven’s Wall - Raise your hand if this feels like a generic song! First of all the meaning is too obscure. Seems like it’s set in the Holy Land. Maybe? Production tries too hard. Tom Morello and Springsteen go together like peanut butter and onions. The guitar “playing” sucks!

Well there you have it… the worst of the worst. Bruce has lesser songs but these to me are the ones that literally suck. Which hurts me to say. But all great artists have their downside. These songs are the ones I consider the downside for Bruce. Almost every other song and his catalog besides these I can live with and find some value in. But not these.

Springsteen Albums Ranked (by me)

 Springsteen Albums Ranked

1. Born To Run (1975) High points: Born To Run, Thunder Road, Jungleland, Backstreets.  Low point: N/A.
2. Darkness On The Edge Of Town (1978) High points: Badlands, the title cut, Candy’s Room. Low point: N/A.
3. The River (1980) High points: The River, Ties That Bind. Low point: Drive All Night.
4. Nebraska (1982) High points: Atlantic City, Johnny 99, Highway Patrolman, Reason To Believe. Low point: N/A.
5. Born In The USA (1984) High points: Born In The USA, No Surrender, I’m On Fire, Bobby Jean, Dancing In The Dark. Low point: N/A
6. Tunnel Of Love (1987) High points: Brilliant Disguise, Tunnel Of Love, One Step Up. Low point: N/A.
7. The Wild, The Innocent... (1973) High points: Incident On 57th Street, Rosalita. Low point: N/A.
8. Letter To You (2020) High points: Ghosts, I’ll See You In My Dreams, Power Of Prayer, Burnin’ Train, Janey Needs A Shooter, House of A Thousand Guitars. Low point: N/A.
9. Magic (2008) High points: Radio Nowhere, Devil’s Arcade, Gypsy Biker. Low point: Terry’s Song.
10. Western Stars (2019) High points: Tucson Train, Western Stars, Sundown, There Goes My Miracle. Low point: N/A
11. The Rising (2002) High points: The Rising, Lonesome Day. Low point: Let’s Be Friends.
12. Ghost Of Tom Joad (1995) High point: The title cut. Low point: My Best Was Never Good Enough.
13. Greetings... (1972) High point: Lost In The Flood. Low point: Mary Queen Of Arkansas.
14. Lucky Town (1992) High point: Lucky Town. Low point: N/A.
15. Human Touch (1992) High point: Human Touch. Low point: Pony Boy.
16. Devils & Dust (2004) High point: Devils & Dust. Low point: Reno.
17. Working On A Dream (2009) High point: My Lucky Day. Low points: Queen Of The Supermarket, Outlaw Pete
18. Wrecking Ball (2012) High point: We Take Care Of Our Own. Low point: This Depression.
19. High Hopes (2014) High point: Frankie Fell In Love. Low point: Harry’s Place.
20. Seeger Sessions (2006) High point: Shenandoah. Low point: Froggie Went a Courtin’

It is important to note that even Bruce’s most lackluster albums contain great songs. All of Bruce’s songs have some merit. There are none that I can think of that have bad words AND bad music. Usually it’s either good music with bad lyrics or bad music with good lyrics. Take queen of the Supermarket for example. The music for that song is actually pretty good. It’s just the lyrics that suck.

My Springsteen Shows (the ones I’ve seen)

I have personally witnessed Bruce Springsteen and the E St. band several times. So without further ado here is…

My Springsteen shows

Austin 1/25/96

THE GHOST OF TOM JOAD

ADAM RAISED A CAIN

STRAIGHT TIME

HIGHWAY 29

DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN

MURDER INCORPORATED

NEBRASKA

SELL IT AND THEY WILL COME

BROTHERS UNDER THE BRIDGE

BORN IN THE U.S.A.

DRY LIGHTNING

SPARE PARTS

YOUNGSTOWN

SINALOA COWBOYS

THE LINE

BALBOA PARK

ACROSS THE BORDER

DOES THIS BUS STOP AT 82ND STREET?

THIS HARD LAND

STREETS OF PHILADELPHIA

GALVESTON BAY

NO SURRENDER

MY BEST WAS NEVER GOOD ENOUGH

BLOWIN' DOWN THIS ROAD (with Joe Ely)

Took my dad, James, and Randy with me. I waited in line for 7 hours to get the tickets. At the show, I was going to bootleg it but I chickened out. They were patting people down at the door. 

Dallas 3/13/00

THE TIES THAT BIND

PROVE IT ALL NIGHT

TWO HEARTS

DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN

THE PROMISED LAND

MANSION ON THE HILL

THE RIVER

YOUNGSTOWN

MURDER INCORPORATED

BADLANDS

OUT IN THE STREET

TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT

WORKING ON THE HIGHWAY

THE GHOST OF TOM JOAD

MEETING ACROSS THE RIVER

JUNGLELAND

LIGHT OF DAY

RAMROD

BOBBY JEAN

HUNGRY HEART

BORN TO RUN

THUNDER ROAD

IF I SHOULD FALL BEHIND

LAND OF HOPE AND DREAMS

CADILLAC RANCH

Took my dad, and Chris with me. Walking on what I later found out was a broken right foot. It hurt like @&$%# with every step but I made it. Such was my mania. 

Austin 4/17/00

THE TIES THAT BIND

PROVE IT ALL NIGHT

TWO HEARTS

DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN

THE PROMISED LAND

MANSION ON THE HILL

THE RIVER

YOUNGSTOWN

MURDER INCORPORATED

BADLANDS

OUT IN THE STREET

TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT

DOWNBOUND TRAIN

THE GHOST OF TOM JOAD

BORN IN THE U.S.A.

MEETING ACROSS THE RIVER

JUNGLELAND

LIGHT OF DAY

ALL JUST TO GET TO YOU (with Joe Ely)

BOBBY JEAN

BORN TO RUN

THUNDER ROAD

IF I SHOULD FALL BEHIND

LAND OF HOPE AND DREAMS

RAMROD

Took my dad, and Chris with me. We sat upper level center. Still had an injured foot.

Houston 4/18/00

MY LOVE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN

THE PROMISED LAND

TWO HEARTS

ATLANTIC CITY

RENDEZVOUS

DARLINGTON COUNTY

FACTORY

THE RIVER

YOUNGSTOWN

MURDER INCORPORATED

BADLANDS

OUT IN THE STREET

TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT

BETTER DAYS

THE GHOST OF TOM JOAD

MARY QUEEN OF ARKANSAS

BACKSTREETS

LIGHT OF DAY

CADILLAC RANCH

BORN TO RUN

THUNDER ROAD

IF I SHOULD FALL BEHIND

LAND OF HOPE AND DREAMS

RAMROD

Me and James. I was in a walking cast/boot. Tried to bootleg the show but didn’t work. People seated in front were talking constantly!!! We sat behind the stage. It was a great show! Honestly it was the best of the three reunion shows I saw in Texas. Visited Randy at Fox & Hound after the show. Here are some photos from the show. I did not take these.

Here is a poster regarding the Texas leg of the tour. I saw them all!!!

Austin 3/2/03

WAR

THE RISING

LONESOME DAY

NO SURRENDER

EMPTY SKY

YOU'RE MISSING

WAITIN' ON A SUNNY DAY

DARLINGTON COUNTY

WORLDS APART

BADLANDS

OUT IN THE STREET

MARY'S PLACE

COUNTIN' ON A MIRACLE

GROWIN' UP

THUNDER ROAD

INTO THE FIRE

THIS HARD LAND

CADILLAC RANCH

ALL JUST TO GET TO YOU (with Joe Ely)

BORN TO RUN / MY CITY OF RUINS

BORN IN THE U.S.A.

LAND OF HOPE AND DREAMS - PEOPLE GET READY

DANCING IN THE DARK

WORKING ON THE HIGHWAY (with Joe Ely)

Me and James. Last minute. James had the flu. But he also had a better car! Let’s go!!! Decided to go the evening of the concert. When we got there I abandoned James. I was running to my seat as “War” was blasting out. James found his seat about 5 songs in.

Dallas 4/13/08

TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT

RADIO NOWHERE

LONESOME DAY

GYPSY BIKER

MAGIC

TRAPPED

REASON TO BELIEVE

PROVE IT ALL NIGHT

BECAUSE THE NIGHT

SHE'S THE ONE

LIVIN' IN THE FUTURE

THE PROMISED LAND

GIRLS IN THEIR SUMMER CLOTHES INDEPENDENCE DAY

DEVIL'S ARCADE

THE RISING

LAST TO DIE

LONG WALK HOME

BADLANDS

MEETING ACROSS THE RIVER

JUNGLELAND

BORN TO RUN

GLORY DAYS (with Jon Bon Jovi)

DANCING IN THE DARK

AMERICAN LAND

Me and Dad. We rented a car and headed up to Dallas. We visited Dealey Plaza and the JFK assassination museum. Very interesting. After that we took in the show. It was awesome!! My dad was fun to hang out with.  He was 72. After the show we headed back home!!

That is the last time I’ve seen him to date. 😟

Shows I missed:

1974 five shows @ Armadillo World HQ

7/14/78 municipal auditorium-San Antonio

3/14/12 Austin music hall

2009-04-05 Frank Erwin Center, Austin, TX

2003-03-02 Frank Erwin Center, Austin, TX

2000-04-17 Frank Erwin Center, Austin, TX

1988-04-15 Frank Erwin Center, Austin, TX

1984-11-23 Frank Erwin Center, Austin, TX

1980-11-09 Special Events Center, Austin, TX

1978-12-07 Special Events Center, Austin, TX

Magic - Bruce Springsteen (album review)

 

Magic album review

1. Radio Nowhere. Driving rocker and an excellent opening song. It’s an instant classic. 5 stars.
2. You’ll Be Coming Down. Great mid-tempo song. Should be played live more. I like the way he sings on this! 4.5 stars. 
3. Living In The Future. Nice retro-pop number. Sort of in the same vein as 10th Avenue Freezeout. Can’t quite figure out what the lyrics mean, but I like it ok. 4 stars.
4. You’re Own Worst Enemy. Another good mid-tempo rock song. 4 stars.
5. Gypsy Biker. Huge rock song. Powerful! I love this song. Hope to see it played live again one day (I saw the show in Dallas back in 2008). The guitar interplay between Bruce and Steve is great!! 5 stars.
6. Girls In Their Summer Clothes. To all the “Bruce can’t sing” idiots, here is exhibit A. Bruce croons well on this excellent pop ballad!!! If this had been released by Dion in 1968, it would have been a #1 song! 5 stars.
7. I’ll Work For Your Love. I absolutely love this song! Great imagery, great performance! Catchy as hell! 5 stars.
8. Magic. Slow ballad with a deep political meaning. I think it’s a pretty cool song. Not one of my favorites though. 4 stars.
9. Last To Die. Another foray into political rock! This one rolls along at a fair clip. (John Kerry sucks a$$ by the way). 4 stars.
10. Long Walk Home. This is one of those classic Springsteen rock anthems! Damn near perfect! 5 stars.
11. Devils Arcade. A hauntingly beautiful, powerful, epic song dealing with death, life, loss, survival, and grief... but not weakness. 5 stars.
12. Terry’s Song. In my opinion this should NOT have been included here. This album should have ended with Devils Arcade. As a song it’s not bad. As a denouement it’s ok I suppose. Sometimes channels “my city of ruins” musically. 3 stars

Letter To You - Bruce Springsteen (album review)

Letter To You album review

1. One Minute You’re Here" (2:57) Sounds kind of like a Tom Joad outtake. Very soft and introspective. Great song. Music-performance = A+ / Lyrics = A+ / Production = A+ / Vocals = A+ (5 stars)
2. "Letter To You” (4:55) The lead single is a great midtempo number. Music-performance = A++ / Lyrics = A+ / Production = A++ / Vocals = A+ (5 stars)
3. "Burnin’ Train" (4:03) A churning rocker! Great song. Music-performance = A++ / Lyrics = A / Production = A++ / Vocals = A (5 stars)
4. "Janey Needs a Shooter" (6:49) Nearly perfect redone version of the song we all know. Except it’s “Janey Needs A Shooter now!” Instead of needs a shooter JACK! (Not a huge fan of the change, to be honest. ) An incredible rock song! Music-performance = A+ / Lyrics = A / Production = A++ / Vocals = A+ (5 stars)
5. "Last Man Standing" (4:05) A great piano led midtempo song about the Castiles (Bruce’s first band), and how all of them are now gone but Bruce. Sobering thought, eh? Music-performance = A++ / Lyrics = A+ / Production = A++ / Vocals = A+ (5 stars)
6. "The Power of Prayer" (3:36) Nice midtempo song about you know what. Spiritual but not “religious”. Very catchy. Should be a hit! Music-performance = A++ / Lyrics = A / Production = A++ / Vocals = A+ (5 stars)
7. "House of a Thousand Guitars" (4:30) Though marred by a lame totally-out-of-place lyric about a “criminal clown” stealing the throne (Trump Derangement Syndrome),  which I edited out, this song is actually great!! Though for a song talking about a thousand guitars, there is a lot of piano here!! It’s fine though. Somehow it works. Music-performance = A++ / Lyrics = A- / Production = A++ / Vocals = A (4 stars)
8. "Rainmaker" (4:56) Neat song about putting faith in charlatans and their self-serving lies. Bruce accidentally summed up the appeal of Obama quite well. By the way Obama was referred to as a rainmaker sometimes. The Democrats in the media claim it sums up Trump but I think it fits Obama better. Music-performance = A++ / Lyrics = A / Production = A++ / Vocals = A+ (5 stars)
9. "If I Was the Priest" (6:50) Good version but a more restrained vocal would have been even better. It’s like Bruce is doing an impression of a guy doing an impersonation of a guy trying to sing like Bruce Springsteen. Still it’s a very cool song. Music-performance = A++ / Lyrics = A- / Production = A++ / Vocals = B+ (4 stars)
10. "Ghosts” (5:54) Great great rousing song! Drums sound great (as on all the album)! Music-performance = A++ / Lyrics = A / Production =A++ / Vocals = A+ (5 stars)
11. "Song for Orphans" (6:13) Good version! Really solid! Music-performance = A++ / Lyrics = A / Production = A++ / Vocals = A (5 stars)
12. "I’ll See You in My Dreams" (3:29) excellent song! Its about the friends (and family) he’s lost along the way. Should be a hit! Music-performance = A++ / Lyrics = A+ / Production = A++ / Vocals = A+ (5 stars)

All in all it’s a nearly perfect album!!

Music/performance = A++

Lyrics = A- (too much Trump stuff)

Production =A++

Vocals = A+

Sequencing = A

Overall = A+ (5 stars)