Regardless of your thoughts on Bruce Springsteen's new album, High Hopes (which has been met with what can be described at best as a lukewarm reaction), a new interview has surfaced today that's a must-read for even the most casual of fans of the Boss. Helmed by NPR Music's Ann Powers, the deep-diving discussion uses his new album as a jumping-off point and then covers everything from Nelson Mandela to 9/11 to the state of country music and his thoughts on the younger generation of Americana artists like Jason Isbell, the Gaslight Anthem, and Arcade Fire.

Nestled about two-thirds of the way down the sprawling interview is a little nugget that might interest fans here in the Twin Cities: Bruce is a big fan of former Replacements guitarist and singer-songwriter Slim Dunlap, and hopes that he might one day get to take part in the Songs for Slim tribute project. Surely that could be arranged? Someone page Peter Jesperson!

Here's the section of the interview about Slim:

Bruce Springsteen: Slim Dunlap, Slim Dunlap is fantastic. He was a part of The Replacements and he made two fabulous rock records that were just really, deeply soulful and beautiful.

Ann Powers: I think he had a stroke not long ago.

Springsteen: Yeah I don't know what his health condition is at the moment but I know some folks were cutting some things of his. I hope I get a chance to cut one of his songs because he's, it's just, this stuff, check out the two Slim Dunlap records because they're just so beautiful, they're just beautiful rock 'n' roll records. I found them to be deeply touching and emotional.

Read more of their fascinating chat over at NPR Music, and read Local Current blogger Jay Gabler's thoughts on the new High Hopes here.