High Hopes

High Hopes is the eighteenth studio album by American recording artist Bruce Springsteen, released January 14, 2014, on Columbia Records. It went to the top of the charts in eleven countries, and was Springsteen's eleventh No. 1 album in the United States, a record surpassed only by the Beatles and Jay-Z. It was his tenth No. 1 in the UK putting him on par with the Rolling Stones and U2. Rolling Stone named it the second-best album of 2014. The album is a collection of cover songs, out-takes and re-imagined versions of tracks from past albums, EPs and tours. Springsteen's regular backing band, the E Street Band, perform along with guitarist Tom Morello. Contributions from deceased members Clarence Clemons and Danny Federici also feature. Background Springsteen said that the new music was "some of our best unreleased material from the past decade" and among his best writing and deserved a proper studio recording. Work on the album started on December 9, 2012, when Springsteen called Aniello to discuss some unfinished demos of older songs. Aniello began production on the album in Los Angeles while the band continued the Wrecking Ball Tour. Aniello said that Springsteen "was gone most of the time, so we weren't able to sit in a room and sort it all out" and that it "took the most part of a year for him to figure it out". In March 2013, the day before Springsteen flew to Australia to resume touring, he went to Los Angeles, where he and Aniello did mixes, and Springsteen posed for the album pictures. Springsteen was "working his ass off, just working his ass off", Aniello recalled. "I've never seen someone his age work like that. He put in a 15-hour day in the studio." While in Australia, with Steven Van Zandt—who was off filming Lilyhammer—having been replaced by Tom Morello, the band spent its off time recording new music, with no specific plans for a new album. Aniello said recording in Australia was a spontaneous decision that was possible because recording engineer Nick DiDia was there to work with the band. More recording took place at various studios around the US, including Springsteen's personal home studio in New Jersey, Atlanta, New York City and Nashville.