VOA标准英语2014--Bruce Springsteen Gives Old Favorites New Twist

 

Bruce Springsteen Gives Old Favorites New Twist

On Bruce Springsteen’s 18th studio album, “High Hopes,” old favorites are given new twists and some previously¹ unreleased songs finally see the light of day.

Fans will recognize the album’s title track from the live version performed in the 1996 film “Blood Brothers,” which documented Springsteen’s reunion with the E Street Band.

The new studio recording² of “High Hopes” is a much fuller version of the song, complete with horn section and a chorus of background singers. It also features Tom Morello of the band Rage Against The Machine.

Morello played guitar on the Australian leg of Springsteen’s most recent tour, and quickly became an asset to the group. In his liner notes to the album, Springsteen goes as far as to call him “my muse³, pushing the rest of this project to another level.” 

Morello’s guitar is featured on eight of the 12 tracks, and he sings on “The Ghost of Tom Joad,” trading verses with The Boss. The song was first heard as the title track to a solo acoustic⁴ album Springsteen released in 1995.

"High Hopes" is receiving mixed reviews from critics who complain it isn’t as focused as Springsteen’s “project” albums -- ones that have songs based on particular themes or sounds.  But Springsteen intended this to be a mixed bag, a collection of what he calls “songs that deserved a home and a hearing.”

“Down In The Hole” is an example. Originally written for the 2002 album “The Rising,” this haunting song didn’t make the final cut because Springsteen didn’t think it fit in with the rest of the tracks.

The organ played on that song is by the late Danny Federici, a longtime E Street Band member who died in 2008.

“High Hopes” also features performances by Clarence Clemons. The saxophonist, who died in 2011, was a cornerstone of the group, a musician Springsteen called his great friend and partner. The late Clemons can be heard on the “Harry’s Place,” another outtake from “The Rising” album.

 

A few years ago, there were rumors⁵ that Springsteen was working on a gospel record. Two of the songs from that project, “Shackled and Drawn” and “Rocky Ground,” made it onto his 2012 album “Wrecking Ball.” “Heaven’s Wall” sounds like it too might have started out as part of the rumored⁶ gospel project. Now with Tom Morello’s guitar, it’s found a home.

1 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

2 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

3 muse   

n.缪斯（希腊神话中的女神），创作灵感

参考例句：

• His muse had deserted him,and he could no longer write.他已无灵感，不能再写作了。
• Many of the papers muse on the fate of the President.很多报纸都在揣测总统的命运。

4 acoustic   

adj.听觉的，声音的；(乐器)原声的

参考例句：

• The hall has a fine acoustic.这个大厅的传音效果很好。
• Animals use a whole rang of acoustic, visual,and chemical signals in their systems of communication.动物利用各种各样的听觉、视觉和化学信号来进行交流。

5 rumors   

n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷

参考例句：

• Rumors have it that the school was burned down. 有谣言说学校给烧掉了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Rumors of a revolt were afloat. 叛变的谣言四起。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 rumored   

adj.传说的，谣传的v.传闻( rumor的过去式和过去分词 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷

参考例句：

• It is rumored that he cheats on his wife. 据传他对他老婆不忠。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It was rumored that the white officer had been a Swede. 传说那个白人军官是个瑞典人。 来自辞典例句